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Robert Robinson

Laurie Taylor profiles the broadcasting legend, revealing a complex wordsmith and one of the first TV celebrities. From 2011.

Robert Robinson is best remembered as the chairman of BBC TV's classic quiz 'Ask the Family' and BBC Radio 4's 'Brain of Britain'.

But in a career spanning many decades, he also made travel programmes, Points of View, the Today programme and Stop the Week which ran on Radio 4 from 1974 to 1992.

Laurie Taylor takes a look at the life and work of one of Britain's broadcasting legends in the company of some of the former contributors to Stop the Week; Ann Leslie, Matthew Parris, Sarah Harrison and Nick Tucker.

There are also contributions from Will Wyatt, Victor Lewis-Smith and Hunter Davis and a wealth of archive that reveals a complex man, a consummate wordsmith and one of the first TV celebrities.

Robert died aged 83 in 2011.

Producer: Helen Lee

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in August 2011.

Available now

50 minutes

Last on

Sun 20 Mar 202201:00
BBC Radio 4 Extra

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  • Sat 20 Aug 201120:00
    BBC Radio 4
  • Wed 31 Aug 201109:00
    BBC Radio 4
  • Sat 20 Sep 201408:00
    BBC Radio 4 Extra
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    BBC Radio 4 Extra
  • Sun 20 Mar 202201:00
    BBC Radio 4 Extra