After Dark (Channel 4)
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'After Dark' was a late night television live topical panel discussion programme which ran on Channel 4 between 1987 and 1991. Relaxation of broadcasting restrictions had moved the 'close down' of the existing channels into the early hours and Channel 4 launched 'After Dark' as an open ended format to broadcast on a Friday Night that would also be cheap to produce as original programming. Each edition had a topic and the guests were selected for a varying expertise in the area. There was no 'chair' but a 'leader of discussion' and the discussion took place around a coffee table in a darkened studio. Due to its scheduling starting after midnight the series was dubbed After Last Orders by one critic.
[edit] Oliver Reed Incident
In January 1991 Oliver Reed was booked on to an edition discussing militarism, masculine stereotypes and violence to women at the height of the Gulf War led by Helena Kennedy. Reed was a confirmed alcoholic having appeared drunk on several live television programmes in the past something he had always later said he regretted. The 'After Dark' production staff provided Reed with alcohol both before and during the broadcast leading him to become drunk, aggressive and incoherent. He referred to another member of the panel who had a moustache as 'tache' and used offensive language. After one hour Reed returned from the toilet and getting more to drink by rolling on top of the noted feminist author Kate Millett who then complained. Reed then compounded the offense by forcibly kissing Millett after which he was told to leave but could still be heard in the back of the studio. The programme cut to a technical fault card and then was replaced for 30 minutes by a film on coal mining. The programme resumed with Reed back by the coffee table looking more drunk and maniac than before and this time lasted only ten minutes before another incident where Reed threatened to expose himself unless he was given mushy peas. The broadcast was stopped and the series was cancelled.
