Witness History
2,017 episodes - English - Latest episode: 27 days ago - ★★★★★ - 853 ratingsHistory as told by the people who were there.
Homepage Apple Podcasts Google Podcasts Overcast Castro Pocket Casts RSS feed
Episodes
When the Queen 'jumped out of a helicopter'
February 24, 2023 10:00 - 10 minutes - 5 MBHow did an estimated 900 million people come to witness Her Majesty the Queen apparently parachuting from a helicopter with James Bond? Frank Cottrell-Boyce who wrote the scene for the opening ceremony of the 2012 London Olympic Games explains how it came about. Josephine McDermott hears how corgis, a clothes line and the Queen’s dresser all played important parts. (Photo: The moment the Queen and James Bond appeared to jump out of a helicopter above the Olympic Stadium in London. Credit...
Families interned in WW2 China
February 23, 2023 15:25 - 10 minutes - 4.98 MBDespite facing malnutrition, starvation and disease, Christopher John Huckstep's father set up a school in the Japanese internment camp where his family was sent in 1943. Herbert Huckstep ensured the 350 children of Lunghwa Civilian Assembly Centre were taught a wide range of subjects using brown paper bags to write on. The school was called Lunghwa Academy and it had its own badge, motto and certificates. A syllabus was followed, exams were taken and there were even evening classes for adu...
The invention of Semtex
February 22, 2023 10:00 - 8 minutes - 4.1 MBIn 1958, Stanislav Brebera invented Semtex. It was a malleable, odourless and stable plastic explosive which became the choice weapon for those seeking to spread terror. In 2018, Maria Jestafjeva spoke to Mirisov Brebera, the brother of the chemist who created it. (Photo: Semtex. Credit: Getty Images)
Seggae riots in Mauritius
February 21, 2023 09:00 - 9 minutes - 4.15 MBMauritian musician Kaya, who pioneered a new genre called seggae, fusing reggae and sega, died in police custody on 21 February 1999. His death sparked three days of rioting. People believed Kaya had been beaten to death. Veronique Topize, Kaya's widow demanded an independent autopsy and President Cassam Uteem travelled into the heart of the disorder to appeal directly to the rioters to put down their weapons and go home. Veronique Topize and Cassam Uteem shared their memories with Reena ...
Battle for the capital: Bonn v Berlin
February 20, 2023 10:00 - 9 minutes - 4.23 MBIn 1989, the Berlin Wall fell and Germany had to decide which city would be the new capital. The contenders were the West German city of Bonn and the East German city of Berlin and the two fought it out in a ferocious political battle that would help define the country. Ilona Toller hears from Bonn citizen Jürgen Nimptsch, who would later become the mayor of the city and Wolfgang Schäuble who fought on the side of Berlin. (Photo: Bundestag 2023. Credit: Getty Images)
First winter ascent of Everest
February 17, 2023 10:00 - 8 minutes - 4.11 MBOn 17 February 1980, the first people climbed Everest in winter. John Beauchamp hears from Leszek Cichy and Krzysztof Wielicki from Poland who were the men who did it. It was at the height of the Cold War, when Poland was behind the Iron Curtain. The two climbers decided that they had to show the world that their country was still capable of doing extraordinary things. Despite a lack of money and equipment and using whatever they could lay their hands on – including welding goggles – th...
Discovering Tutankhamun’s tomb
February 16, 2023 10:00 - 9 minutes - 4.14 MBOn 16 February 1923, the sealed burial chamber of ancient Egypt’s most famous pharaoh Tutankhamun was opened for the first time. Mike Gallagher takes us back to the Valley of the Kings and the discovery of the ancient Egyptian ruler king’s resting place in 1922 by the English archaeologist Howard Carter. This programme was first broadcast in 2010. (Photo:The opening of Tutankhamun's tomb. Credit: Getty Images)
'I developed Pokémon'
February 15, 2023 10:00 - 9 minutes - 4.14 MBOn 27 February 1996, gamers were first introduced to characters Pikachu, Eevee, and Charmander when the first Pokémon games were released in Japan. Known as Pocket Monsters Red and Pocket Monsters Green, the games were released simultaneously on the Nintendo Game Boy hand-held console. In a matter of years the franchise would make the leap from an ageing games console to television animation and beyond, making it a worldwide pop culture powerhouse. Kurt Brookes speaks to game developer A...
First Danish queen for 600 years
February 14, 2023 10:00 - 9 minutes - 4.12 MBIn January 1972, King Frederick IX of Denmark died after a short illness at the age of 72. He was succeeded by his daughter Margrethe who became the first Queen of Denmark in 600 years. Watching her proclamation as Margrethe II of Denmark in the room next to the balcony of the Christiansborg Palace was the country’s former Foreign and Defence Minister Kjeld Olesen. He’s been remembering that day with Ashley Byrne at his home in Copenhagen. A Made in Manchester Production for BBC World ...
'Hot Autumn': When Italy’s workers revolted
February 13, 2023 10:00 - 10 minutes - 4.96 MBIn 1969 and 1970, thousands of workers in Italy went on strike, protesting against low pay and poor working conditions. It became known as the ‘Hot Autumn’. Renzo Baricelli represented tyre workers at the Pirelli rubber factory in Milan, one of the main centres of protest. He tells Vicky Farncombe how he had to step in when angry workers with hammers were threatening to smash up the factory. (Photo: Workers protesting in Milan during the 'Hot Autumn'. Credit: Getty Images)
'I told the world Pope Benedict XVI was resigning'
February 10, 2023 10:00 - 10 minutes - 4.88 MBOn 11 February 2013, Benedict XVI shocked the world by becoming the first pope in nearly 600 years to quit. All other popes in the modern era had held the position from election until death. He said he was resigning because of old age. Little known journalist Giovanna Chirri got the world exclusive on the story. She shares her memories of that time with Matt Pintus. (Photo: Pope Benedict XVI. Credit: Getty Images)
The Pope and Jews
February 09, 2023 10:00 - 8 minutes - 4.08 MBIn April 1986, Pope John Paul II made a historic visit to a Rome synagogue. It was aimed at healing centuries of deep wounds between Jews and Catholics. Giacomo Saban, who welcomed the pontiff to the synagogue, tells his story to Alan Johnston. This programme was first broadcast in 2014. (Photo: Pope John Paul II at the synagogue. Credit: Getty Images)
Pope John Paul I’s sudden death
February 08, 2023 10:00 - 9 minutes - 4.16 MBCardinal Albino Luciani became Pope John Paul I on 26 August 1978. He died unexpectedly 33 days later. He was discovered in the early morning lying on his bed, a collection of sermons in his hand. He was considered an excellent communicator, and his warm personality earned him the nickname of "the smiling Pope". But his death shook the Catholic Church. Rebecca Kesby spoke to Cardinal Beniamino Stella who knew him well. This programme was first broadcast in 2017. (Photo: Pope John Pau...
Reforming the Catholic Church with Vatican II
February 07, 2023 10:00 - 9 minutes - 4.14 MBIn January 1959, Pope John XXIII announced a council of all the world's Catholic bishops and cardinals in Rome. It led to sweeping reforms, including allowing Mass to be said in languages other than Latin and an attempt to build relationships with other denominations and faiths. But not everyone was happy with the changes. Monsignor John Strynkowski was a student priest in Rome at the time and told Rebecca Kesby about the excitement and controversy surrounding the council that became k...
How a Pope is chosen
February 06, 2023 10:00 - 8 minutes - 3.96 MBFollowing the death of Pope John Paul II, Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger became Pope Benedict XVI in April 2005. He was elected after four ballots of the papal conclave. The late Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O'Connor took part and told Rebecca Kesby the story of how the new leader of the Catholic Church was chosen by 115 cardinals. This programme was first broadcast in 2013. (Photo: Pope Benedict XVI. Credit: Getty Images)
The first black music station in Europe
February 03, 2023 10:00 - 9 minutes - 4.14 MBIn 1981, Rita Marley’s brother Leroy Anderson aka Lepke launched the Dread Broadcasting Corporation (DBC), Europe’s first dedicated black music station. Frustrated by the lack of airtime for reggae music in the UK, Lepke setup a mast in his back garden and began to broadcast to a small area of West London every Sunday afternoon. DBC soon expanded to cover all styles of black music and with its unmistakable logo featuring a dread with headphones and a spliff became a trailblazer for the fu...
The assassination of Burundian President Melchior Ndadaye
February 02, 2023 10:00 - 13 minutes - 6.1 MBIn July 1993, Melchior Ndadaye became Burundi’s first democratically elected president. He was also the first president to come from the country’s Hutu majority. For decades up to that point, Burundi had been ruled by a small group of individuals drawn from the among the Tutsi minority. President Ndadaye had come to power promising a new vision for Burundi. But within months he was murdered by soldiers. Rob Walker hears from Jean-Marie Ngendahayo who was Minister of Communications in P...
Columbia space shuttle disaster
February 01, 2023 10:00 - 8 minutes - 4.11 MBThe US space shuttle Columbia broke up on its way back to Earth on 1 February 2003. It had been in use since 1981. Iain Mackness spoke to Admiral Hal Gehman who was given the job of finding out what went wrong. The admiral’s report led to the ending of the American space shuttle programme in 2011. A Made in Manchester production for BBC World Service first broadcast in 2019. (Photo: Space shuttle Columbia. Credit: Getty Images)
Czechoslovakia's 'Velvet Divorce'
January 31, 2023 10:00 - 9 minutes - 4.55 MB30 years ago this month, Czechoslovakia split into the separate states of the Czech Republic and Slovakia. It was a rare instance of a state separating without a single life being lost. Thanks to this it became known as the ‘Velvet Divorce’. Rather than putting it to a vote, the country and its assets were divided behind closed doors by the Czech and Slovak leaders, Václav Klaus and Vladimír Mečiar, who became the Prime Ministers of their newly independent states. Ben Henderson speaks to...
Palestine Post bombing
January 30, 2023 10:00 - 8 minutes - 3.99 MBMordechai Chertoff was the foreign editor on the Palestine Post (precursor to the Jerusalem Post) when it was bombed on 1 February 1948. He tells Lucy Williamson how, despite the attack, the newspaper still came out the next morning. This programme was first broadcast in 2010. (Photo: Palestine Post bombing. Credit: Getty Images)
Invention of the MP3
January 27, 2023 10:00 - 10 minutes - 4.81 MBProfessor Karlheinz Brandenburg from Germany spent more than a decade developing MP3 technology, which was developed to convert audio into digital form. He had been working on it since 1982. It compressed music into a file size that made it easier to transmit, leading to the first MP3 players and fast music sharing. Laura Jones has been speaking to Professor Brandenburg. (Photo: Karlheinz Brandenburg wearing headphones, with his team. Credit: Fraunhofer IIC)
Albert Pierrepoint: Britain's executioner
January 26, 2023 10:00 - 8 minutes - 4.1 MBUsing archive recordings, Alex Last tells the story of Britain's most famous hangman. During the 1940s and 1950s, Albert Pierrepoint was responsible for the execution of some of Britain's most notorious murderers and was sent to Germany to hang more than 200 Nazi war criminals after World War Two. He said he was always determined to treat prisoners with dignity and respect whatever their crime. This programme was first broadcast in 2015. (Photo: Albert Pierrepoint. Credit: Getty Images)
Smolensk air disaster
January 25, 2023 10:00 - 9 minutes - 4.12 MBIn 2010, a plane carrying the Polish president, Lech Kaczyński, crashed near the Russian city of Smolensk, killing everyone on board. It was one of the most tragic moments in modern Polish history. The country’s minister of foreign affairs, Radoslaw Sikorski was one of the first people to hear about it. He’s been sharing his memories of the disaster with Matt Pintus. (Photo: Smolensk air crash wreckage. Credit: Getty Images)
Japanese death row guard
January 24, 2023 10:00 - 8 minutes - 4.1 MBYoshikuni Noguchi spent time as a guard in one of the prisons in Japan that would carry out the death penalty, and witnessed the hanging of a condemned prisoner in 1971, before going on to become a lawyer. He describes in detail what he saw. Yoshikuni began speaking out to cast light on the reality of what death row inmates go through, as Japan continues to resist the calls to ban the practice, which is no longer in use in most countries. He tells his story to Dan Hardoon. A Whistledow...
When Britain tried to censor the Troubles in Northern Ireland
January 23, 2023 10:00 - 9 minutes - 4.12 MBFrontman of punk-rock band The Undertones, Paul McLoone, recalls the “weird, slightly funny, slightly sad, slightly surreal” time he was the voice of IRA commander-turned-politician, Martin McGuinness. It was during the so called ‘broadcasting ban’ in the UK which came into force in 1988. It saw organisations believed to support terrorism forbidden from directly broadcasting on radio or television. Paul tells Alys Harte how the legislation led to extra work for him. (Photo: Paul McLoon...
Swine flu vaccine and narcolepsy
January 20, 2023 10:00 - 9 minutes - 4.17 MBIn 2009, hundreds of teenagers’ lives were changed forever, when a vaccine designed to protect them against swine flu appeared to trigger a sleep disorder. It affected people in various countries including Sweden. Maddy Savage speaks to Christopher Tyvi from Stockholm, who is one of those who experienced problems. A Bespoken Media production for BBC World Service. (Photo: Swine flu vaccine. Credit: Getty Images)
France's nuclear tests in Algeria
January 19, 2023 10:00 - 8 minutes - 4.11 MBBetween 1960 and 1966, France carried out 17 nuclear tests in the Algerian Sahara. High levels of radioactivity, and a failure to safely dispose of nuclear waste, have left a dangerous legacy. Dan Hardoon speaks to Abdelkrim Touhami, who was just a teenager when the French authorities announced a nuclear test near his home. A Whistledown production for BBC World Service. (Photo: Dummies at the nuclear testing site in the Algerian Sahara. Credit: Getty Images)
Kosovo’s house schools
January 18, 2023 10:00 - 9 minutes - 4.15 MBIn 1990s Kosovo, a generation of Albanians received their education crammed into thousands of private homes. When Slobodan Milosevic’s Serb nationalist regime forcibly evicted them from schools and universities, Kosovan Albanians responded with improvised house schools in their apartments, attics and cellars. The spontaneous reaction to their ethnic exclusion quickly evolved into a nationwide education system that would endure for the best part of a decade. Linda Gusia, a pupil in the ...
Europe's horse meat scandal
January 17, 2023 10:00 - 9 minutes - 4.14 MBIn 2013, horse meat was discovered in Irish beef burgers. The scandal snowballed and within six weeks horse meat was found in beef products in more than a dozen European countries. The story revealed how complex and unregulated Europe’s meat industry was, making it a target for fraudsters. Ben Henderson speaks to Alan Reilly, former Chief Executive of the Irish Food Safety Authority, who uncovered the scandal. (Photo: Meat inspection in a French supermarket. Credit: Sebastien Bozon via ...
Miracle on the Hudson
January 16, 2023 10:00 - 9 minutes - 4.14 MBOn 15 January 2009, US Airways Flight 1549 landed in the Hudson River in New York, after geese struck both its engines shortly after take off. All 155 people on board survived. Rachel Naylor speaks to Dave Sanderson, the last passenger to be rescued. (Photo: Passengers and crew aboard US Airways Flight 1549 await rescue. Credit: AP)
World’s first tidal power station
January 13, 2023 10:00 - 8 minutes - 4.11 MBThe world’s first tidal power station is on the estuary of the River Rance in France. It was opened in 1966 by President Charles de Gaulle and has been capturing the natural power of the oceans’ tides and turning it into electricity ever since. Alex Collins hears how the project to build it was a cause for national pride and how the facility is now a tourist attraction, as he speaks to Brittany historian Marc Bonnel. (Photo: La Rance tidal power station. Credit: Getty Images)
Galápagos Islands’ sea cucumber dispute
January 12, 2023 10:00 - 8 minutes - 3.95 MBA boom in demand for sea cucumbers in Asia in the 1990s set off a confrontation between fishermen and conservationists in the waters off the Galápagos Islands, where the protein-rich ocean creature was found in abundance. The high price being paid for the sea cucumbers led to a gold rush on the South American archipelago, a chain of 21 islands home to many unique species. In 2020, Mike Lanchin spoke to a Galapagos fisherman Marcos Escaraby and conservationist Alan Tye, who found themselv...
Paul Robeson and the transatlantic phone line
January 11, 2023 10:00 - 8 minutes - 4.1 MBIn September 1956, a telephone cable called TAT-1 was laid under the Atlantic Ocean, making high-quality transatlantic phone calls possible for the first time. Eight months later in May 1957, 1,000 people squeezed into St Pancras Town Hall in London for the world’s first transatlantic concert. The person performing, Paul Robeson, was a globally renowned singer, but he’d been banned from travelling outside the USA. So, he made use of the new transatlantic telephone line to perform to his ...
Dutch North Sea flood
January 10, 2023 10:00 - 8 minutes - 4.11 MBIn 1953, a winter storm combined with high tides breached sea defences in the Netherlands, more than 1,800 people drowned. Ria Geluk, remembers the once-in-a-lifetime flood. In this programme first broadcast in 2011, Ria tells Trish Flanaghan what happened when water overwhelmed the farm she lived on. (Photo: A man walking a flooded street. Credit: Sepia Times/Universal Images Group via Getty Images. )
Plastics in oceans
January 09, 2023 10:41 - 8 minutes - 4.1 MBIn 1971, marine biologist Edward Carpenter made a shocking discovery finding small bits of plastics floating thousands of miles of the east coast of America in the Atlantic Ocean. More than 50 years later he tells the story of how he had to fight hard to get the scientific world to take notice of his discovery. He also tells Alex Collins about when plastics in oceans went viral. (Photo: Plastic floating in water. Credit: Getty Images)
Pussy Riot’s cathedral protest
January 06, 2023 10:00 - 8 minutes - 4.1 MBIn February 2012, Diana Burkot and other members of the feminist punk band Pussy Riot protested inside Moscow’s Cathedral of Christ the Saviour against the church and its support for Russian president Vladimir Putin. Some members were arrested and put on a trial which made the news inside Russia and around the world. Diana kept her participation in the protest secret and avoided going to prison. She shares her memories with Alex Collins. (Photo: Diana Burkot on stage. Credit: Getty I...
The man Pinochet wanted dead
January 05, 2023 10:00 - 9 minutes - 4.14 MBAfter the 1973 military coup in Chile, Miguel Enriquez led resistance against the dictatorship. The secret police were ordered to track him down and assassinate him. His wife Carmen Castillo remembers the day in October 1974 when she was six months pregnant and the military finally caught up with one of Chile’s most wanted men. Carmen tells her story to Jane Chambers. (Picture: Admiral Toribio Merino, General Augusto Pinochet and Air Force General Leigh in 1973. Credit: Getty Images)
When America banned silicone breast implants
January 04, 2023 10:00 - 8 minutes - 4.1 MBOn 6 January 1992, the US Government ordered a suspension of all procedures involving silicone breast implants. More than 2,000 women had complained of poor health and pain after receiving implants. Among the issues were ruptures of the implants, connective tissue diseases, and even fears of a possible link with cancer. The story raised concerns around the world. Iain Mackness talks to plastic surgeon Alan Matarasso about the time the US banned silicone filled breast implants. A Made in ...
Arctic African
January 03, 2023 10:00 - 8 minutes - 4.11 MBTété-Michel Kpomassie grew up in West Africa but he was obsessed with the Arctic. When he was 16 years old he ran away from his village in Togo determined to reach Greenland. It took him eight years but in 1965, he finally arrived. He then went north to fulfil his dream of living among the indigenous people. Years later, he wrote an award-winning account of his odyssey, An African in Greenland, which has been translated into eight languages. In this programme, first broadcast in 2019, he t...
One team in Tallinn
January 02, 2023 10:00 - 9 minutes - 4.12 MBIn 1996, Scotland took to the field for a football World Cup qualifying tie in the Estonian capital city of Tallinn. The only problem was that there was no opposition on the other side. Paul Lambert was one of the Scottish players who had to take part in the so-called match. He has been sharing his memories of that time with Matt Pintus. (Photo: Scotland kick off the match. Credit: Getty Images)
The birth of the Slow Food Movement
December 30, 2022 10:00 - 8 minutes - 4.07 MBIn 1986, thousands of people gathered in the middle of Rome to protest against the opening of Italy’s first McDonalds fast food restaurant. One of the opponents to the opening of McDonalds was journalist Carlo Petrini. Soon after, he founded a new organisation called the Slow Food Movement. Its main aim was to protect traditional foods and cooking. He has been sharing his story with Matt Pintus. (Photo: Carlo Petrini. Credit: Slow Food International)
Inventing instant noodles
December 29, 2022 10:00 - 9 minutes - 4.12 MBIn August 1958, the Japanese entrepreneur, Momofuku Ando, came up with the idea of a brand new food product that would change the eating habits of people across the world. In 2018, Ashley Byrne spoke to Yukitaka Tsutsui, an executive for the company founded by Ando, about the birth of the Instant Noodle. A Made in Manchester production for BBC World Service. (Photo: Momofuko Ando holding noodles. Credit: Getty Images)
Malta's bread strike
December 28, 2022 10:00 - 8 minutes - 4.1 MBIn February 1977 the bakers of Malta went on an unprecedented strike. It sent shock waves through the Maltese people who couldn’t imagine life without their favourite food… bread. Before long the military was guarding bakeries, the panicked population had created a bread black market and local prisoners were enlisted to bake for the public. Forty-five years later Maltese cultural historian Noel Buttigieg shares his memories of the time, with Anoushka Mutanda-Dougherty. (Photo: A queue ou...
Inventing Chicken Manchurian
December 27, 2022 08:50 - 8 minutes - 4.1 MBChef Nelson Wang created his signature dish Chicken Manchurian in 1975. It was the birth of modern Indo-Chinese cuisine which went on to become hugely popular around the world. He went on to open China Garden, a Chinese restaurant in Mumbai that would draw in Bollywood's glitterati. Nelson's son Edward Wang, who is also a chef, speaks to Reena Stanton-Sharma. (Photo: Chicken Manchurian. Credit: Paul Yeung/South China Morning Post via Getty Images)
Creating ciabatta bread
December 26, 2022 10:00 - 9 minutes - 4.15 MBIn 1982, rally driver Arnaldo Cavallari created ciabatta bread in Adria, in northern Italy. His family owned a flour mill and he wanted to invent a loaf to rival the French baguette. Rachel Naylor speaks to his close friend and fellow baker, Marco Vianello. (Photo: Ciabatta. Credit: Getty Images)
Chile mine rescue
December 23, 2022 10:00 - 9 minutes - 4.12 MBOn 5 August 2010, 33 miners were trapped underground after a rockfall in the San José copper and gold mine in Chile. They were rescued 69 days later. Rachel Naylor speaks to one of the miners, Mario Sepúlveda, who was nicknamed Super Mario by the media. (Photo: Mario Sepúlveda, in the centre, celebrates being rescued from the mine on 13 October 2010. Credit: Rodrigo Arangua / AFP via Getty Images)
Grozny siege
December 22, 2022 10:00 - 9 minutes - 4.38 MBIn December 1994, Russian forces began the siege of Chechnya’s capital Grozny. Dr Aslan Doukaev was a university teacher when the first Chechen war started. In this programme first broadcast in 2010 he tells Ed Butler about surviving months of conflict. (Photo: Russian soldier during the siege of Grozny. Credit: Getty Images)
Colombia's 'false positives' killings
December 21, 2022 10:00 - 9 minutes - 4.17 MBIn 2008, it was revealed that Colombia’s army had been executing civilians and pretending they were rebels killed in the country’s ongoing civil war. At least 4,600 innocent people were murdered in this way. They became known as the ‘false positives’. Ben Henderson speaks to Jacqueline Castillo, whose brother was one of the victims, and Carlos Mora, who was ordered to execute civilians when he was a soldier. (Photo: Families of 'false positives' victims. Credit: Juancho Torres/Anadolu Age...
The BBC broadcasting through the Iron Curtain
December 20, 2022 10:00 - 9 minutes - 4.15 MBIt is the 90th anniversary of the BBC World Service. Broadcasting to countries behind the Iron Curtain without a free or independent media between 1947 and 1991 was arguably the service’s finest hour. The corporation was on the front line of the information war as the BBC’s former Moscow correspondent Bridget Kendall recalls. Programmes such as the German Service’s Letters Without Signatures created a sense of community among isolated East Germans who could not air their views publicly a...
Una Marson and the BBC Caribbean Service
December 19, 2022 10:00 - 9 minutes - 4.16 MBTo mark the 90th anniversary of the BBC World Service, we trace the development of the Caribbean Service. Its beginnings go back to the early 1940s when the BBC’s first black producer, Una Marson was employed. She created Caribbean Voices, which gave future Nobel laureates such as Derek Walcott their first international platform. In 1969, one of the UK’s best known newsreaders, Sir Trevor McDonald, left Trinidad to join the BBC Caribbean Service as a producer. He reflects on its legacy....