A List of British Television Programmes About the Conflict (1968 to 1978)

This list includes only programmes that were devoted wholly to Northern Ireland, or, in the case of magazine current affairs programmes, editions that were devoted primarily to the subject. It contains most of the major British programmes about the North networked between October 1968 and December 1978, but it does not pretend to be exhaustive. (Belfast Workers Research Unit, 1979; p20)

• the date of transmission (in bold),
• the name of the television company (plain text),
• the name of the television programme (in italics) - or type of programme,
• the title of the television programme - where given (underlined), and
• a brief description of the programme content (in parenthesis).

Generally speaking, someone searching for programmes covering particular events are likely to find them among the schedules for the first few weeks following the date in question. For major events, such as 'Bloody Sunday', there are likely to programmes on the topic at the time of significant anniversaries.

See also:

21 October 1968
Granada, World in Action. Backs to the Wall (Civil Rights in Derry).

20 January 1969
Granada, World in Action. All Change at Newry (Civil Rights; Roy Bradford MP defends decision to refuse 'one man one vote'; investigation of Irish Republican Army (IRA) involvement in Civil Rights Association).

6 February 1969
Thames, This Week. Ulster - The Power Game (Terence O'Neill and the general election).

18 August 1969
Granada, World in Action. Sectarian Warfare (Interview with anonymous Irish Republican Army (IRA) officer and Paisley).

21 August 1969
Thames, This Week. What was Lost, What was Won (The war so far).

21 August 1969
BBC1, Panorama. The Violent Days of Ulster (Reports on riots).

15 September 1969
Granada, World in Action. No Surrender (Portrait of the Protestant working-class).

18 September 1969
Thames, This Week. The Army in Ulster - Men in the Middle (The British army, trying to keep the peace).

22 September 1969
Granada, World in Action. Crack of the Whip (Portrait of the Catholic working-class).

20 April 1970
Granada, World in Action. Paisley (Portrait of Paisley during the Bannside by-election).

21 April 1970
ATV, Documentary. Bernadette Devlin (Portrait of Devlin, including detailed account of Bogside riots).

23 July 1970
Thames, This Week. The Orangemen (Orangemen in Belfast).

12 August 1970
BBC2, Documentary. Christians at War (Effects of the 'Troubles' on two families, one Catholic and one Protestant).

20 August 1970
Thames, This Week. Arms and the Man (Interviews with Irish Republican Army (IRA) members about their organisation).

15 February 1971
Granada, World in Action. Square One (One week in Catholic Belfast, including film of major gun battle in which the first British soldier and first Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA) member are killed).

22 March 1971
Granada, World in Action. As It Was In The Beginning (Historical survey of the English in Ireland).

25 March 1971
BBC1, 24 Hours. Ulster (History of preceding three years).

13 July 1971
BBC1, 24 Hours. No Title (Documentary giving the history of Ireland to partition, including old film and discussion on parallels elsewhere in the world).

26 August 1971
Thames, This Week. Ulster - Whatever Happened to the Moderates? (Portrait of John Hume).

30 September 1971
Thames, This Week. Belfast - Time to Move (People living and coping with the war).

5 October 1971
BBC2, Man Alive. Christians at War (Follow-up to August's programme).

5 November 1971
BBC1, Talkback. No Title (Has the BBC been unfair to the Army in news reporting on Northern Ireland?)

11 November 1971
Thames, This Week. Ulster- What Can We Do? (Interviews with Callaghan, Hull, Dickenson and Hume).

12 November 1971
BBC1, Talkback. No Title (Should the TV reporting of the 'troubles' be completely unbiased?)

5 January 1972
BBC1, Discussion Programme. The Question of Ulster (Talk programme in form of tribunal in which the case is put by politicians and judged by an "impartial" triumvirate).

3 February 1972
Thames, This Week. Bloody Sunday - Two Sides of the Story (Bogsiders and paratroopers are interviewed).

6 February 1972
London Weekend Television, The Frost Programme. No Title (Frost talks with audiences in Bogside and Shankill about the massacre in Derry the week before).

17 March 1972
BBC2, Man Alive. The Question of Ulster (Northern Ireland people in London talk about their lives).

20 March 1972
Granada, World in Action. Waiting for the Package (Whitelaw's peace proposals).

24 March 1972
London Weekend Television, The Frost Programme. No Title (Frost discusses that evening's announcement of Direct Rule with an audience in Belfast).

24 March 1972
BBC1, 24 Hours. No Title (Special programme on Direct Rule).

6 April 1972
Thames, This Week. Busman's Holiday (Tom Edmonson, a Hull bus driver, visits Belfast with his wife Doris).

25 May 1972
Thames, This Week. The Protestants Say No-Go (Origins and rise of the Ulster Defence Association (UDA)).

9 June 1972
BBC1, 24 Hours. No Title (Special edition on the Ulster Defence Association (UDA)).

12 June 1972
Granada, World in Action. The Protestant Succession (Rivalry between Faulkner, Craig and Paisley).

10 July 1972
Granada, World in Action. In Search of Gusty Spence (Clandestine interview with Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF) leader in hiding after jumping bail).

20 July 1972
Thames, This Week. The Lenadoon Incident (The breaking of the ceasefire).

21 September 1972
Thames, This Week. Children of Belfast (Six Catholic and six Protestant children on holiday in Britain).

25 September 1972
Granada, World in Action. A Question of Torture (Investigation of allegations of torture after internment in August).

5 October 1972
Thames, This Week. Should We Leave Ireland to the Irish? (Debate between Powell and Crossman).

6 October 1972
BBC2, Ireland. No Title (A series of half-hour programmes on Irish history. All broadcast on Fridays, with Monday repeats).

13 October 1972
BBC2, Ireland. No Title (Part two of ten half-hour programmes on Irish history).

20 October 1972
BBC2, Ireland. No Title (Part three of ten half-hour programmes on Irish history).

22 October 1972
London Weekend Television, Weekend World. No Title (Main item from Belfast on Craig's speech to Monday Club and reactions).

22 October 1972
BBC1, A Chance to Meet. No Title (One of series of studio interviews, this one with William Whitelaw, then Secretary of State for Northern Ireland).

23 October 1972
BBC1, Play for Today. Carson Country (Play by Dominic Behan).

27 October 1972
BBC2, Ireland. No Title (Part four of ten half-hour programmes on Irish history).

3 November 1972
BBC2, Ireland. No Title (Part five of ten half-hour programmes on Irish history).

10 November 1972
BBC2, Ireland. No Title (Part six of ten half-hour programmes on Irish history).

14 November 1972
BBC1, Tuesday Documentary. The Price of Violence (Interviews with widows, children, injured, etc., in Northern Ireland)

17 November 1972
BBC2, Ireland. No Title (Part seven of ten half-hour programmes on Irish history).

24 November 1972
BBC2, Ireland. No Title (Part eight of ten half-hour programmes on Irish history).

30 November 1972
BBC1, Midweek. From Dublin (Interviews with people in O'Connell Street on Irish Republican Army (IRA); look at 56 years of Irish history and struggle for power with IRA).

1 December 1972
BBC2, Ireland. No Title (Part nine of ten half-hour programmes on Irish history).

3 December 1972
London Weekend Television, Weekend World. No Title (Main Item: profile of Provisional Irish Republican Army, IRA, Chief of Staff, Sean Mac Stiofain, and interviews with Brendan Magill, Rory O'Brady, David Thornley, Maire Mac Stiofain, Cathal Goulding, Daithi O'Connell and Garret Fitzgerald).

8 December 1972
BBC2, Ireland. No Title (Part ten of ten half-hour programmes on Irish history)..

16 December 1972
BBC2, TV Doctor. No Title (On stress in Northern Ireland).

21 December 1972
Thames, This Week. The Soldiers (Attitudes of British soldiers in Belfast, for and against British presence).

4 February 1973
London Weekend Television, Weekend World. No Title (Main item: interview with Ulster Defence Association (UDA) defector David Fogel and interviews with five loyalist leaders in Belfast. Also poll on Unionist opinion).

11 February 1973
London Weekend Television, Weekend World. No Title (Main item on the "Protestant backlash" after week of greatest loyalist violence to date. Interviews with paramilitary leaders and studio discussion).

25 February 1973
BBC, Firing Line. No Title (William F Buckley, Jr., American right-wing intellectual, and Terence O'Neill discuss possible solutions in Northern Ireland).

11 March 1973
London Weekend Television, Weekend World. No Title (Whole programme devoted to London bombings; film, plus studio discussions in London and Belfast).

13 March 1973
BBC, The Question of Ulster. No Title (Seven Northern Ireland politicians put their proposals to a panel of British journalists).

20 March 1973
BBC, Midweek. No Title (On plans for Northern Ireland, with William Whitelaw).

25 March 1973
London Weekend Television, Weekend World. No Title (Main item: interviews with Professor Richard Rose and Faulkner concerning White Paper on constitutional changes).

26 March 1973
Granada, World in Action. The Second Protestant Succession (Enoch Powell joins the battle for Unionist leadership).

5 June 1973
BBC1, Tuesday Documentary. No Title (On Belfast firemen).

21 June 1973
Thames, This Week. Bring the Boys Home? (Peggy Chaston and her petition to withdraw the British troops from Northern Ireland).

4 September 1973
BBC1, Midweek. No Title (Callaghan on history and his problems while Home Secretary).

10 September 1973
Granada, World in Action. A Question of Intelligence (Investigation of complaints about British army plain clothes units and the Special Air Service (SAS)).

25 November 1973
London Weekend Television, Weekend World. No Title (Main item: recent history of Northern Ireland leading to power-sharing executive, plus poll on power-sharing).

4 December 1973
BBC1, Tuesday Documentary. Last Night Another Soldier (About troops bound for Northern Ireland and their attitudes).

24 January 1974
Thames, This Week. The Price of Peace - The Loyalist (First of two-part investigation of prospects for power-sharing executive).

31 January 1974
Thames, This Week. The Price of Peace (Part two, with Catholics of Divis Flats).

12 March 1974
BBC1, Documentary. Children in Crossfire (Documentary on psychological and social effects of the 'Troubles' on children. Followed by a discussion on BBC2's "Real Time").

7 April 1974
London Weekend Television, Weekend World. No Title (Item: interviews with Craig and Garret Fitzgerald, and film of meeting between Rory O'Brady of Provisional Sinn Fein and Sammy Smith of the Ulster Defence Association (UDA)).

11 April 1974
Thames, This Week. Remember Strabane (Portrait of border town).

22 April 1974
Granada, World in Action. Death in the Family (How the 'Troubles' have affected one family, with six deaths).

23 May 1974
Thames, This Week. Who Rules Ulster? (Studio discussion with Ulster Workers' Council (UWC) leaders).

28 May 1974
BBC1, Midweek. No Title (Special on UWC strike and the fall of the power-sharing Executive).

30 May 1974
Thames, This Week. The Experiment that Failed (Interview with Faulkner).

29 July 1974
BBC, Ulster, the Last 5 Years. No Title (Report on five years of British army in Northern Ireland).

12 August 1974
Thames, This Week. Five Long Years (Analysis of British involvement in Northern Ireland, and the way in which the Civil Rights movement became a guerrilla war).

27 August 1974
BBC, Documentary. After the Parcel Exploded (Story of Capt. Raymond Hazan, blinded and maimed by a parcel bomb in Northern Ireland).

1 September 1974
Yorkshire TV, Documentary. Rap: Teenagers Talking (Protestant and Catholic teenagers in discussion).

16 October 1974
BBC2, Where We Live. No Title (Number 5 in a series; this one on growing up in Belfast).

20 October 1974
London Weekend Television, Weekend World. No Title (Main item on growing violence in the North; interviews with Tommy Lyttle, Ulster Defence Association (UDA), and Maire Drumm, Sinn Fein (SF)).

29 October 1974
BBC1, Tuesday Documentary. The Bomb Disposal Men (The work of the bomb disposal team in Northern Ireland).

29 October 1974
BBC, Day and Night. No Title (Report on Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC), the only armed police force in United Kingdom).

25 November 1974
Granada, World in Action. Who Rules Ulster? (A week in the life of Merlyn Rees).

12 December 1974
Thames, This Week. Dealing with the Terrorists (Roy Jenkins on Prevention of Terrorism Act).

8 January 1975
Thames, This Week. Massacre of the Innocents (On the sectarian murders at Whitecross and Bessbrook; plus studio discussion on withdrawal).

11 January 1975
BBC1, Anno Domini. No Title (The religious aspects of the 'Troubles').

12 January 1975
BBC1, Panorama. South Armagh - Bandit Country (Including interview with Harold Wilson).

14 January 1975
BBC1, Tonight. No Title (On trial of those charged with 1974 Guildford bombing).

26 - 29 January 1975
BBC1, Nationwide. No Title (For four days the second half of the programme was broadcast from Belfast looking at various aspects of life: shopping, mixed estates, etc.).

29 January 1975
Thames, This Week. The Choices for Ulster (Analysis of political options).

8 February 1975
London Weekend Television, Weekend World. No Title (Attitudes of Protest politicians on the future of the United Ulster Unionist Council (UUUC)).

8 February 1975
BBC, Politics Now. Northern Ireland, the Options (Number six in a series on politics).

22 February 1975
London Weekend Television, Weekend World. No Title (On the death of Frank Stagg).

19 March 1975
BBC1, The Question of Ulster. No Title (Tribunal similar to January 1972 programme; participants: Paisley, Baird, West, Craid, Faulkner, Bleakley, Napier, Hume and Rees).

22 April 1975
BBC1, Documentary. Just a Year (Three victims of the 1974 Birmingham bombs talk about adjusting to their new lives).

29 April 1975
Thames, This Week. Men of Easter (History of Irish Republican Army (IRA) and investigation of Provisionals' claim to be men of ideals).

6 May 1975
ATV, Documentary. To Be Seven In Belfast (Film looking through the eyes of three Protestant and three Catholic children; part 1).

8 May 1975
Thames, This Week. Hands Across the Sea (Investigation of Irish Republican Army (IRA) fund raising in the United States of America (USA)).

13 May 1975
ATV, Studio Discussion. To Be Seven In Belfast (Discussion from Northern Ireland on issues arising from part 1).

15 May 1975
BBC1, Play for Today. The Dandelion Clock (Play by Wilson John Haire).

14 September 1975
London Weekend Television, Weekend World. No Title (On constitutional convention, power-sharing and sectarian killings).

18 September 1975
Thames, This Week. The Loyalists Say 'No' (Studio programme from Belfast on convention).

19 October 1975
London Weekend Television, Weekend World. Violation of ceasefire (Herrema case; London bombings; splits in Irish Republican Army (IRA) and Provisionals' lack of control over local units).

7 November 1975
BBC, Documentary. It's Not All Bombs (Children in Belfast talk about their daily lives).

11 December 1975
Thames, This Week. Hang the Terrorists? (Interview with Roy Jenkins).

14 December 1975
London Weekend Television, Weekend World. No Title (Northern Irish and Dublin opinions of British government policy in Northern Ireland; interviews, including one with Merlyn Rees).

5 January 1976
London Weekend Television, Weekend World. Ceasefire in Northern Ireland (Item on the Irish Republican Army (IRA) ceasefire).

13 January 1976
Granada, World in Action. Reverend Parker Says Goodbye (A Protestant clergyman quits Northern Ireland in protest at church's failure to promote peace).

26 January 1976
BBC1, Inside the Press. No Title (Bob Fisk, Times correspondent in Northern Ireland, on how he gets the news, part 1).

2 February 1976
BBC1, Inside the Press. No Title (Bob Fisk, part 2).

4 May 1976
London Weekend Television, Weekend World. No Title (Convention elections in Northern Ireland, and review of four main constitutional alternatives to Westminster rule).

23 May 1976
London Weekend Television, Weekend World. No Title (On policy of 'Ulsterisation'; plus interview with Rees).

1 June 1976
BBC1, Documentary. Surgery of Violence (Documentary on Royal Victoria Hospital and how they cope with the victims of bombs).

29 August 1976
BBC, Studio Discussion. What Do You Think of it So Far? (Studio discussion on the impact of television, including Jonathan Dimbleby's accusation that Northern Ireland coverage was censored).

18 September 1976
BBC2, Network. Death of a Soldier (The life of a soldier killed in Northern Ireland as told by his parents).

20 September 1976
BBC1, Tonight. No Title (Item on Ulster Defence Association (UDA) and interviews with Andy Gowdy and Oliver Napier).

22 September 1976
BBC1, Tonight. No Title (Item on unemployment in Strabane).

11 October 1976
BBC1, Panorama. The Peace Movement (Programme on the peace movement).

26 October 1976
BBC1, Play for Today. Your Man from Six Counties (Play by Colin Welland).

28 October 1976
Thames, This Week. Belfast - Drawing the Lines (Sectarian and military divisions in Belfast).

28 November 1976
London Weekend Television, Weekend World. No Title (Moves towards independence, and interviews with representatives of all parties).

28 November 1976
BBC1, Anno Domini. No Title (Programme on the peace movement).

30 January 1977
BBC2, The Light of Experience. Trying to go on (Interview with Jane Ewart Biggs, widow of assassinated British ambassador to the Republic of Ireland).

1 February 1977
BBC2, Man Alive. No Title (The peace movement).

2 February 1977
BBC1, Tonight. No Title (On alleged brutality in Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) interrogations).

3 February 1977
Thames, This Week. Derry - Time to Remember? (Fifth anniversary of 'Bloody Sunday').

5 February 1977
BBC2, Network. No Title (Investigation of support in Scotland for paramilitary groups in Ireland).

11 February 1977
BBC2, Money Programme. Living with Violence (Northern Ireland's economic problems, and prospects for the future - part 1).

13 February 1977
London Weekend Television, Weekend World. No Title (Item on Irish Republican Army (IRA) bombing).

18 February 1977
BBC2, Money Programme. Living with Violence (part 2).

19 February 1977
London Weekend Television, Drama documentary. 18 Months to Balcombe Street. (Drama documentary about the Irish Republican Army (IRA) unit jailed for life).

2 March 1977
BBC1, Tonight. No Title (On RUC interrogation methods, interview with Bernard O'Connor).

22 March 1977
BBC1, Tonight. No Title (Network distribution of 'Spotlight' programme (BBC Northern Ireland) with discussion of O'Connor interview , participants: George Scott, Keith Kyle, William Deedes, Harold Evans, Roy Lilley).

2 May 1977
BBC1, Tonight. No Title (The impending loyalist lock-out, interviews with Mason, Mulley, Paisley, and Craig).

5 May 1977
Thames, This Week. No Title (The Ulster Strike of 1977).

9 May 1977
BBC2, Open Door. Internment in Divis (Residents of Divis on difficulties in living in the flats).

15 May 1977
London Weekend Television, Weekend World. Politics after the lock out (The Ulster Strike of 1977).

16 May 1977
Granada, World in Action. What Mr Paisley Didn't Know (On secret peace talks which led to end of lock-out).

19 May 1977
Ulster TV, Documentary. Ulster - The Right to Strike. (Interviews about the Ulster strike of 1977).

23 May 1977
BBC2, Open Door. To Be Seventeen in Belfast (Made by four 17 year olds).

23 May 1977
BBC1, Nationwide. Belfast (Programme on Belfast).

26 May 1977
Thames, This Week. For God and Ulster (Profile of Paisley).

21 June 1977
BBC2, Open Door. People Together - City of Hope (By and about a non-sectarian group in Derry).

21 June 1977
Granada, Documentary. The Realistics in Belfast (Documentary about visit of black American pop group to Belfast, they sang in Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF) and Irish Republican Army (IRA) clubs).

9 August 1977
BBC1, Nationwide. The Front Line is my Doorstep (Programme on life in Northern Ireland as seen by people who live there).

10 August 1977
BBC2, Brass Tacks. No Title (Does the rest of the UK understand what is happening in Northern Ireland?)

10 August 1977
BBC1, Silver Jubilee. No Title (The Queen in Northern Ireland for a two-day visit).

26 August 197
Thames, This Week. Ulster - In Friendship and Forgiveness (The other side of Northern Ireland as the Queen visits; postponed from 18 August).

22 September 1977
Thames, This Week. Life Behind the Wire (Inside Long Kesh).

23 October 1977
BBC1, Everyman. Charlie Echo and Romeo Charlie (On two British army chaplains, Catholic and Church of England, with the army in Derry).

27 October 1977
Thames, This Week. Inhuman and Degrading Treatment (Investigation of Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) brutality at Castlereagh).

22 November 1977
Thames, After Noon. The Peace People Movement (Programme on the peace movement).

15 December 1977
BBC1, Tonight. The Republicans (The political force behind the Irish Republican Army (IRA)).

9 January 1978
BBC, Newsday. No Title (Interview with Airey Neave concerning pressure to withdraw troops).

15 January 1978
London Weekend Television, Weekend World. No Title (The impact of Jack Lynch's attack on British policy in Northern Ireland).

18 January 1978
BBC1, Tonight. No Title (Item on Anglo-Irish relationships in aftermath of Strasbourg judgement on case brought by Republic of Ireland Government, participants: David Simpson, Airey Neve, Garret Fitzgerald).

11 February 1978
BBC, Studio Discussion. Was It 'Before Hindsight'? (Discussion of film 'Before Hindsight', on British news treatment of rise of fascism in Germany. Jonathan Dimbleby asserts that current reporting is equally distorted, especially as regards Northern Ireland and South Africa. Discussion of bias; participants include Dick Francis and David Elstein).

26 February 1978
BBC, The British Connection. No Title (The disappearance of the Shankill Road in Belfast).

2 March 1978
Yorkshire, Calendar Profile. Roy Mason (Profile of Roy Mason).

7 March 1978
BBC, Newsday. No Title (Item on reaction in Northern Ireland to Jack Lynch's idea that the region should be part of federal Ireland).

9 March 1978
Thames, This Week. Ulster - Breaking the Link (Irish leaders discuss Jack Lynch's statement that peace cannot come to the region until a British withdrawal).

9 April 1978
BBC, The British Connection. Crossmaglen (Programme on Crossmaglen, County Armagh).

1 May 1978
BBC1, Tonight. No Title (Item on recording of "It's a Knockout" in Carrickfergus on Sunday).

8 May 1978
BBC1, Panorama. The Irish Dimension (Poll on the issue of partition).

21 May 1978
London Weekend Television, Weekend World. No Title (Provos reorganise, re-arm and recruit; possibilities of a military victory over Irish Republican Army (IRA) diminish).

30 May 1978
BBC1, City on the Border. No Title (Part of a series. This programme gave an impressionistic account of a week in Derry, shot by three crews. A sequence showing the wording on a Catholic gravestone was cut from transmission. Colin Thomas, one of the three directors, later resigned).

11 June 1978
London Weekend Television, Weekend World. No Title (Ten years after the start of the 'troubles' and no solution in sight, but some Catholics and Protestants are talking about federation).

22 June 1978
BBC1, Tonight. No Title (Interview with Airey Neave about problems in Northern Ireland).

25 June 1978
BBC1, The Irish Way. St Bronagh's (Number four of series; on festival in Rostrevor).

16 July 1978
BBC1, The Irish Way. The Rock in the Road (Number seven in series; on Ballintoy).

22 August 1978
BBC1, Play for Today. Willie: The Legion Hall Bombing (Play by Caryl Churchill).

29 October 1978
UTV, Documentary. The Longest Decade (Ten years of the 'troubles' and how people live with them).

11 December 1978
Thames, TV Eye. H-Blocks (Programme on the 'H-Blocks' prison).