Brian Lapping – Granadaland

Brian Lapping on how he joined Granada

So that was my first job. I got a job at the Daily Mirror. And then I moved from the Mirror to the Guardian, and from the Guardian to the Financial Times, and then from the Financial Times to New Society, and it was when I was working on New Society, a weekly magazine, I…

Brian Lapping on producing What the Paper Say

So what did you do at Granada? What were the first jobs you had there? Well, first of all I was put onto local programmes for a few weeks and sort of learned about things, and then I was given What the Papers Say to run, and I remember my first week on What the…

Brian Lapping’s impressions of World In Action

Tell me how you came to be on World in Action. I don’t think it was anything to do with me. It was simply I was told by Denis (Forman) or David Plowright or whoever, “Will you take over World in Action?” Hah! It’s come back to me. I had a telephone call. I…

Brian Lapping remembers the GTV series End of Empire (1985)

When I was on the Guardian, my job was largely writing about Commonwealth affairs. I went to the subcontinent and to Africa. I wrote quite a lot of stories about the conflicts Britain was having with the rebels there and the measures that were leading, in effect, quite a number of them moving to independence,…

Brian Lapping’s gratitude to his colleague, Norma Percy

You worked a lot with Norma Percy over the years. You worked in Granada with Norma didn’t you? And since as an independent? How important has she been in your career? Absolutely crucial. It’s quite freakish. John Mackintosh MP, Labour MP, great enthusiasm for the creation of select committees, very significant figure. At the time…

Brian Lapping on the Bernsteins and Denis Forman

One of the questions is what did you make of the grand days of Granada and the Bernsteins, and Denis Forman and Plowright? Well, I did get to know Sidney moderately well. Sidney was extraordinary. Very incisive and intrusive and fascinating to talk to. Cecil I didn’t know scarcely at all. But I had quite…

Brian Lapping on leaving Granada TV and setting up as an independent

On your exit from Granada, how did that come about? Oh, well, it was perfect example. Channel 4 was about to be started, and somebody, I’m afraid I can’t remember who, said to me, “Rather than work for a company like Granada, why don’t you set up your own company and then you can sell…