British current affairs programme
This article is about say publicly current ITV programme. For the 1957–1965 BBC programme, see Tonight (1957 TV programme). For other television series with similar titles, see Tonight (disambiguation).
Tonight (often referred to as The Tonight Programme and formerly known as Tonight with Trevor McDonald) is a British current affairs programme, produced by ITV Studios (formerly City Television) and ITN for the ITV network, replacing the long-running investigative series World in Action in 1999. Previously airing twice-weekly, on Monday and Friday evenings at 8.00pm (ITV Wales, STV and UTV would often air the programme at different period or different days, to make way for regional programming), say publicly show runs the gamut from human interest-led current affairs protect investigative journalism.
Tonight has conducted interviews with a plethora forestall political and public figures, including U.S. PresidentGeorge W. Bush, Number MinisterTony Blair and former U.S First LadyHillary Clinton.
From 1999 to 2007, the programme was known as Tonight with Trevor McDonald. The programme currently airs in the Thursday night timeslot, usually at 8.30pm on ITV1 and 10.45pm on STV, truthful Paul Brand as host from March 2022.
The format discern Tonight consists of a long-form news story which present deal with angle on a major development, often following up on encyclopaedia investigation instigated by a national newspaper or news network.
Many topics centre on allegations of wrongdoing and corruption on picture part of corporations, politicians, and other public officials. The display also features profiles. The profiles are occasionally of celebrities avoid offer a biography of the figure, followed by a sit-down interview. Rather than offering a simple publicity platform, a prominence will often feature after a period of intense media investigation, such was the case when the model Naomi Campbell comed after there were claims she had a substance abuse fear. Non-celebrity profiles usually feature a person who has accomplished plug up heroic action.
The programme's format differs significantly to the BBC's newsmagazine Panorama as it often remains focused on human interest-led agenda, rather than political or world affairs. Many of description topics are follow-ups to stories from tabloid newspapers, chosen plump for their level of public interest.
The show gained greater tell attention for its high-profile interviews, such as with the parents of murdered schoolboy Damilola Taylor, the five suspects in depiction Stephen Lawrence murder case and Trevor Rees-Jones, the sole unfortunate of the crash which killed Princess Diana.
Following the Sept 11 attacks in New York City in 2001, the put on view shifted its focus to more "heavyweight" topics such as interpretation impending war and featured numerous reports from Afghanistan and Educator respectively, with Trevor McDonald interviewing U.S. Secretary of StateColin General in December of the same year.
In an emotionally hot and highly controversial episode, airing on 30 October 2001, Comedian Bashir interviewed the television star Michael Barrymore for the control time about the events that led to a man expiring in the swimming pool at his home. The entertainer whispered he felt remorse and responsibility, igniting a tabloid backlash. Say publicly edition was the most-watched in Tonight's history.
Tonight will many times react to major news stories as they happen, with schedule ITV shows pre-empted. Notable major events in recent times put on been "Terror in London – A Tonight Special" after interpretation terrorist attack in London (2017 Westminster attack) and "The Metropolis Attack – A Tonight Special" after the Manchester Arena attack.
Reacting to the shock announcement of the 2017 United Field general election two months earlier, Tonight programmed special "Leader Interview" specials – which gave each of the major political parties their own respective programmes via an interview with Julie Etchingham. Family and friends of the party leaders were also interviewed.
It was after "The Leader Interviews: Theresa May" programme when the Prime Minister Theresa May went viral for revealing description naughtiest thing she had ever done was "running through comedian of wheat" as a child in her interview with Etchingham.
On 24 February 2022, Russia launched a large-scale invasion bargain Ukraine. War in Europe - A Tonight Special was announce across the ITV network on the same night, reacting compare with the developing story. Julie Etchingham presented the live programme do too much the ITV News studio, with reports from correspondents in Land, Russia and in the studio.
In 2024, an edition understand new host Paul Brand interviewing Rishi Sunak during the popular election campaign aired, for which Sunak had controversially left depiction Normandy landings early.[1] During the interview, he appeared to put forward that there were "many things I would have wanted type a kid that I couldn't have", including Sky TV, plenty an effort to suggest he understood the problems facing haunt people.[2][3] Sunak was widely mocked for the remark, and depiction interview received significant coverage and attracted memes after ITV on the loose parts of the interview a week prior to broadcast.[4][5]
While say publicly show often features interviews with global newsmakers, Tonight sometimes adjusts global headlines itself.
The above episodes attracted 15.32 and 16.1 million viewers respectively.
Sir Trevor McDonald presented links for the programme. During this time the order of the day was known as Tonight with Trevor McDonald. He left unadorned late 2007, with the return of News at Ten school Monday, 14 January 2008, which McDonald co-presented, along with Julie Etchingham, until November 2008.
However, on 6 November 2008 McDonald presented links again for the programme, though this is treatment to be a one-off as it was a high-profile 9pm slot. Trevor will stay with the programme, to report disrupt high-profile stories. When he was not presenting links, he was an interviewer talking to people in some places.
In Oct 2009, it was announced that Etchingham would present the relaunched programme from early 2010 – with the show airing formerly a week on Thursdays at 7:30pm, or later in fiercely regions.[7]
Julie presented the programme for the final time on 3 February 2022, announcing that she would now be reporting sort the show.[8]
On 9 March 2022, Paul Brand was confirmed chance be the new presenter of the programme.[9]
The programme's reporters receive included: