About this season
Weekend World was a British television political series, made by London Weekend Television and broadcast from 1972 to 1988. Created by John Birt not long after he moved to LWT, the series was broadcast on the ITV network at lunchtimes on Sundays. Produced by Nick Elliott and David Elstein, it began by mirroring CBS's "60 Minutes" featuring several stories each week but gradually devolved into a show that featured a forensic interview with a major political figure each week. It was presented by Peter Jay initially when first broadcast in 1972, but was best-remembered for being anchored by former Labour MP Brian Walden between 1977 and 1986. Conservative MP Matthew Parris took over in 1986, resigning his seat, and presented the programme until the series ended in 1988.
Episodes (36)
1. The Next General Election - Can the Tories Be Beaten?
Aired 11 January 1987
2. Reagan's Deficit - Trade War Ahead?
Aired 18 January 1987
3. Stalker/Sampson Inquiries Into the RUC
Aired 25 January 1987
4. The SDP/Liberal Alliance - What Chances for Take-Off?
Aired 1 February 1987
5. Labour's Jobs Plan - A Credible Alternative?
Aired 8 February 1987
6. The Future of the Land - Greenery or Concrete?
Aired 15 February 1987
7. Tactical Voting - An Electoral Revolution?
Aired 22 February 1987
8. After Greenwich - The Alliance Challenge
Aired 1 March 1987
9. Zeebrugge Ferry Disaster
Aired 8 March 1987
10. Tax Cuts for the Rich - Good or Bad for Britain?
Aired 15 March 1987
11. Private Renting - Ripe for Development?
Aired 22 March 1987
12. Gorbachev's Russia - A New Dawn?
Aired 29 March 1987
13. Labour's Election Offensive - Kinnock Opens His Campaign
Aired 5 April 1987
14. The SDP/Liberal Alliance - A Hung Parliament Manifesto?
Aired 12 April 1987
15. European Defence - A New Era?
Aired 26 April 1987
16. The Threat to the Atmosphere - Time to Act Now?
Aired 3 May 1987
17. Volatile Voters - The Decisive Factor?
Aired 10 May 1987
18. The General Election - Can Thatcher Be Stopped?
Aired 17 May 1987
19. Fighting Unemployment - Whose Way Forward?
Aired 24 May 1987
20. Defending Britain - The Nuclear Issue
Aired 31 May 1987
21. Health, Housing and Schools - Whose Way Forward?
Aired 7 June 1987
22. The Conservative Triumph - Going on and on and on?
Aired 14 June 1987
23. The Arms Agreement - Will Europe Be a Safer Place?
Aired 20 September 1987
24. Monarchy and Government - Are They Poles Apart?
Aired 27 September 1987
25. Inner Cities - Promises, Promises
Aired 4 October 1987
26. The Poll Tax - Fair and Workable?
Aired 11 October 1987
27. Late Abortion - Time to Call a Halt?
Aired 18 October 1987
28. The Crash of '87 - Recession on the Way?
Aired 25 October 1987
29. The Crash of '87 - The Impact on Britain
Aired 1 November 1987
30. Lawson and the Crash - A Slump on the Way?
Aired 8 November 1987
31. Nicaragua's Dirty War - Is Peace Breaking Out?
Aired 15 November 1987
32. David Owen - Phoenix from the Ashes
Aired 22 November 1987
33. Pass or Fail?
Aired 29 November 1987
34. The Washington Summit - End of the Superpowers?
Aired 6 December 1987
35. The Underclass - A World Apart
Aired 13 December 1987
36. Rethinking the NHS - End of a Free Service?
Aired 20 December 1987