This book weaves the development of the medium of television with the story of a fascinating career, told by a man who both lived through the times and documented them.
A wartime childhood, followed by national service in Egypt, led by chance to a career in broadcasting, spanning from no. 2 sound effects man on The Goon Show to setting up Channel Four. In between, the adrenalin of the days of live television were followed by a prolific decade producing programmes. This encompassed rubbing shoulders with the likes of the young Tom Stoppard and David Hockney, Dudley Moore and Peter Ustinov, as well as being sued for breaching the Vagrancy Act of 1838 and inadvertently missing an appointment with Prince Charles. On the way there were brushes with death, including nearly drowning aged three, being shot at by the Muslim Brotherhood and surviving a helicopter crash in California.
Paul Bonner OBE rose through the ranks of the BBC to Head of Science & Features. He went on to take a leading role in the launch of Channel Four and was instrumental in the amalgamation of multiple ITV companies into a single entity. He is co-author of two volumes of Independent Television in Britain, published by Macmillan Press Ltd.