  world in action was a british investigative current affairs programme made by granada television from 1963 until 1998. its campaigning journalism frequently had a major impact on events of the day. its production teams often took audacious risks and gained a solid reputation for its often unorthodox, some said left-wing, approach. cabinet ministers fell victim to its probings. numerous innocent victims of the british criminal justice system, including the birmingham six, were released from jail. honouring the programme in its fiftieth anniversary awards, the political studies association, said: "world in action thrived on unveiling corruption and highlighting underhand dealings. world in action came to be seen as hard-hitting investigative journalism at its best."political studies association pdf a melodramatic post-trial encounter in 1967 between mick jagger and senior british establishment figures, in which rock star and retinue were wafted by helicopter onto the lawn of a stately home, was engineered by then world in action researcher and future bbc director general, john birt. he decades later described it as "one of the iconic moments of the sixties."john birt's mactaggart lecture 2005 world in action was sold around the world. it won numerous awards. the long-running intermittent seven up! series of tv films, which in due course spanned decades, was first broadcast from 1964 as part of world in action. in its heyday world in action drew audiences of up to 23 million in britain alone, equivalent to almost half the population. margaret thatcher was said to have told the bbc director general, sir iain trethowan, soon after she became conservative party leader that she considered world in action to consist of "just a lot of trotskyists."discussion recorded at london frontline club, may 2008 its removal after 35 years was seen by some as part of a general dumbing-down of british television, and of itv in particular.*ray fitzwalter, the dream that died: t
1960s_British_television_series 1963_British_television_programme_debuts 1970s_British_television_series 1980s_British_television_series 1990s_British_television_series 1998_British_television_programme_endings British_television_documentaries British_television_news_programmes Current_affairs_shows ITN ITV_news_programmes Television_series_by_ITV_Studios