A Licence to be Different : The Story of Channel 4

An account of Channel 4's history through a focus on its key figures, covering stand-out programmes alongside the rise and fall of Film Four.

An accessible account of Channel 4's history, from creation and appearance on air on November 2 1982 – to the present day. The book traces how the channel came about, and provides an account of its eventful history through a focus on key figures including Jeremy Isaacs, Liz Forgan, Phil Redmond, Michael Grade, Andrea Wonfor and Michael Jackson.

It covers signature and stand-out (for good and bad reasons) C4 programmes such as Right To Reply, The Tube, The Comic Strip Presents, The Big Breakfast, The Word, Brookside, Wife Swap and Faking it; the channel's success with American imports such as Hill Street Blues, Friends and Sex and the City; and the rise and fall of Film Four. Luke Johnson, Chairman of C4, has contributed a foreword for this book.