Central Weekend
Encyclopedia
Central Weekend is a British
television debate show which ran from 1986 to 2001. Known for the confrontational nature of its studio audience and topics, it was presented for many years by Nicky Campbell
. It was broadcast late on a Friday night in the Central
region, and debated various topics and current affairs issues - usually subjects that had been featured in the week's news.
Though Campbell was the main host, there were a number of other presenters who joined him throughout the show's time on air. These included Anna Soubry
, Adrian Mills
, Kaye Adams
, Sue Jay, Roger Cook
, Bibi Baskin
, Paul Ross
, John Stapleton
, James Whale
, Ed Doolan
, Victoria Derbyshire
, Patricia Mitchell and Claudia Winkleman
.
, Birmingham
, although it was later moved to the Nottingham
studios at Lenton Lane. It became a popular highlight of the week's television in the Midlands
region and enjoyed a 40% share of the viewing audience. Confrontational from the outset, debates could become quite heated and audience members sometimes had to be restrained by on-set bouncers. However, on at least one occasion, the show's floor manager was assaulted by one of the returning guests.
During a debate on women's football in March 1998, an audience member got drunk and ran amok on set, forcing the show to be taken off the air. 44-year-old Robert Davy was later jailed for 12 months over the incident. On another occasion, during the 1992 General Election campaign
, Conservative
MP Edwina Currie
poured a glass of orange juice
over Labour
's Peter Snape shortly after an edition of the show had finished airing. Speaking about the incident later, Currie said "I just looked at my orange juice, and looked at this man from which this stream of abuse was emanating, and thought 'I know how to shut you up.' ".
In 2001, a complaint was made to the Independent Television Commission
after it emerged that an edition of the show had featured fake guests. A debate on the effects of soap operas on the lives of individuals had featured two patients of a "soap clinic", who it later emerged had been fakes.
aired a show called Up Front, while Tyne Tees
had Late and Live, both of which used the same format. A national version of Central Weekend was also shown throughout the ITV Network
for a time during the 1990s. Thursday Night Live went out in a similar late night slot on a Thursday evening, and featured much the same kind of debate as Central Weekend. It was also presented by Nicky Campbell.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
television debate show which ran from 1986 to 2001. Known for the confrontational nature of its studio audience and topics, it was presented for many years by Nicky Campbell
Nicky Campbell
Nicholas Andrew Argyll "Nicky" Campbell is a Scottish radio and television presenter and journalist. He is known for his time presenting on programmes such as the consumer affairs programme Watchdog...
. It was broadcast late on a Friday night in the Central
Central Independent Television
Central Independent Television, more commonly known as Central is the Independent Television contractor for the Midlands, created following the restructuring of ATV and commencing broadcast on 1 January 1982. The station is owned and operated by ITV plc, under the licensee of ITV Broadcasting...
region, and debated various topics and current affairs issues - usually subjects that had been featured in the week's news.
Though Campbell was the main host, there were a number of other presenters who joined him throughout the show's time on air. These included Anna Soubry
Anna Soubry
Anna Mary Soubry is a British Conservative Party politician who has been the Member of Parliament for Broxtowe since the 2010 general election. She is a single mother of two children....
, Adrian Mills
Adrian Mills
Adrian Mills is a British television presenter. He appeared on That's Life! with Esther Rantzen for seven years until its demise in 1994. Since then he has presented talk show Central Weekend Live, reported for BBC viewer feedback programme Bite Back, appeared as a location reporter on Surprise,...
, Kaye Adams
Kaye Adams (presenter)
Kaye Adams is a Scottish television presenter, best known for presenting Loose Women from 1999 to 2006.-Early life:...
, Sue Jay, Roger Cook
Roger Cook (journalist)
Roger Cook is an investigative presenter, reporter and broadcaster.- Early life :His parents were New Zealanders, but he was was brought up in Australia, and began his career with the Australian Broadcasting Corporation as a reporter and newsreader on both radio and television.In 1968, he moved to...
, Bibi Baskin
Bibi Baskin
Olive "Bibi" Baskin is a former television and radio presenter for Raidió Teilifís Éireann . She is "RTÉ's legendary redhead". She has also been a magazine and newspaper journalist and writer. She is now running a heritage guest house and hotel in Alleppey, Kerala, India.Baskin left RTÉ in the 1990s...
, Paul Ross
Paul Ross
Paul Ross is an English television and radio presenter, journalist, and media personality. He is the son of Martha Ross and the elder brother of Jonathan Ross.-Early life:...
, John Stapleton
John Stapleton
John Martin Stapleton is an English journalist and presenter. He is currently working as a freelancer with various media outlets.-Television career:...
, James Whale
James Whale (radio)
Michael "James" Whale is a British radio and television host. He is known for his plain-speaking, often ascerbic and confrontational, broadcasting style; during phone-ins he frequently hangs up on callers he disagrees with or who do not make their point quickly enough.-Early life:Whale was born...
, Ed Doolan
Ed Doolan
Edwin Myer Doolan is an Australian born naturalised British radio presenter who is a twenty-eight year veteran of the BBC and was awarded the MBE in 1998...
, Victoria Derbyshire
Victoria Derbyshire
Victoria Derbyshire is an award-winning journalist and broadcaster who currently presents the mid-morning news/current affairs & interview programme on BBC Radio 5 Live between 10am and 12noon each weekday...
, Patricia Mitchell and Claudia Winkleman
Claudia Winkleman
Claudia Anne I. Winkleman is an English television presenter, film critic, radio personality and journalist.- Early life and family :...
.
The show
The show was broadcast live from the Central Television studios on Broad StreetBroad Street, Birmingham
Broad Street is a major thoroughfare and popular nightspot in Birmingham City Centre, United Kingdom. Traditionally, Broad Street was considered to be outside Birmingham City Centre, but as the city centre expanded with the removal of the Inner Ring Road, Broad Street has been incorporated into...
, Birmingham
Birmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
, although it was later moved to the Nottingham
Nottingham
Nottingham is a city and unitary authority in the East Midlands of England. It is located in the ceremonial county of Nottinghamshire and represents one of eight members of the English Core Cities Group...
studios at Lenton Lane. It became a popular highlight of the week's television in the Midlands
English Midlands
The Midlands, or the English Midlands, is the traditional name for the area comprising central England that broadly corresponds to the early medieval Kingdom of Mercia. It borders Southern England, Northern England, East Anglia and Wales. Its largest city is Birmingham, and it was an important...
region and enjoyed a 40% share of the viewing audience. Confrontational from the outset, debates could become quite heated and audience members sometimes had to be restrained by on-set bouncers. However, on at least one occasion, the show's floor manager was assaulted by one of the returning guests.
During a debate on women's football in March 1998, an audience member got drunk and ran amok on set, forcing the show to be taken off the air. 44-year-old Robert Davy was later jailed for 12 months over the incident. On another occasion, during the 1992 General Election campaign
United Kingdom general election, 1992
The United Kingdom general election of 1992 was held on 9 April 1992, and was the fourth consecutive victory for the Conservative Party. This election result was one of the biggest surprises in 20th Century politics, as polling leading up to the day of the election showed Labour under leader Neil...
, Conservative
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
MP Edwina Currie
Edwina Currie
Edwina Jonesnée Cohen is a former British Member of Parliament. First elected as a Conservative Party MP in 1983, she was a Junior Health Minister for two years, before resigning in 1988 over the controversy over salmonella in eggs...
poured a glass of orange juice
Orange juice
Orange juice is a popular beverage made from oranges. It is made by extraction from the fresh fruit, by desiccation and subsequent reconstitution of dried juice, or by concentration of the juice and the subsequent addition of water to the concentrate...
over Labour
Labour Party (UK)
The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
's Peter Snape shortly after an edition of the show had finished airing. Speaking about the incident later, Currie said "I just looked at my orange juice, and looked at this man from which this stream of abuse was emanating, and thought 'I know how to shut you up.' ".
In 2001, a complaint was made to the Independent Television Commission
Independent Television Commission
The Independent Television Commission licensed and regulated commercial television services in the United Kingdom between 1 January 1991 and 28 December 2003....
after it emerged that an edition of the show had featured fake guests. A debate on the effects of soap operas on the lives of individuals had featured two patients of a "soap clinic", who it later emerged had been fakes.
Similar programmes
Due to the programme's popularity in the Midlands, similar shows were aired in other regions. For example GranadaGranada Television
Granada Television is the ITV contractor for North West England. Based in Manchester since its inception, it is the only surviving original ITA franchisee from 1954 and is ITV's most successful....
aired a show called Up Front, while Tyne Tees
Tyne Tees Television
Tyne Tees Television is the ITV television franchise for North East England and parts of North Yorkshire. As of 2009, it forms part of a non-franchise ITV Tyne Tees & Border region, shared with the ITV Border region...
had Late and Live, both of which used the same format. A national version of Central Weekend was also shown throughout the ITV Network
ITV
ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
for a time during the 1990s. Thursday Night Live went out in a similar late night slot on a Thursday evening, and featured much the same kind of debate as Central Weekend. It was also presented by Nicky Campbell.