What the Papers Say
What The Papers Say is a British radio and television series. It consists of quotations from headlines and comment pages in the previous week's newspapers, read in a variety of voices and accents by actors. The quotes are linked by a script read by a studio presenter, usually a prominent journalist. The show did not have a regular host, and was intended as a wry look at how British broadsheets and tabloids covered the week's news stories. The programme was most recently broadcast on BBC Radio 4.
| What the Papers Say | |
|---|---|
| Voices of |
|
| Theme music composer | Malcolm Arnold |
| Opening theme | "Allegro non troppo", English Dances Set II, Op 33 (1969–2016) |
| Country of origin | United Kingdom |
| Production | |
| Running time | 10–20 minutes |
| Production company | Granada Television |
| Original release | |
| Network | |
| Release | 5 November 1956 – 1982 |
| Network | Channel 4 |
| Release | 1982 – 2 September 1988 |
| Network | BBC 2 |
| Release | May 1990 – 2008 |
| Network | BBC Radio 4 |
| Release | April 2010 – 27 March 2016 |
What The Papers Say originally ran for many years on television – its first incarnation (1956–2008) was the second longest-running programme on British television after Panorama. Having begun in 1956 on Granada Television and ITV, the television series moved to Channel 4 and then to BBC2 before being discontinued in 2008. The programme was revived on Radio 4 in the run-up to the 2010 general election, and continued until 27 March 2016, when it was announced that that was its last Radio 4 episode.
The programme's format was the same for both television and radio. On TV, while quotes were being read, they would appear on-screen as newspaper cuttings under the relevant newspaper's masthead, and the presenter would read a script from the auto-prompt operator.