Holiday | |
---|---|
Genre | Travel |
Presented by |
Cliff Michelmore Desmond Lynam Anne Gregg Anneka Rice Jill Dando Craig Doyle Rizwana Lateef Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen |
Country of origin | United Kingdom |
Production | |
Running time | 29 minutes |
Release | |
Original network |
BBC One BBC Two |
Original release | 1969 | – 2007
Holiday is a long-running UK television programme, which aired mainly on BBC One, sometimes airing on BBC Two. It was the oldest travel review series on UK television, showing every year from 1969 until its demise in 2007.
The programme began in 1969 as Holiday 69, and until the 1990s the year was included in the title in this way. The first presenter was Cliff Michelmore who remained with the series until 1986. In 1974 its popularity led to ITV launching a rival show, Wish You Were Here...?.
Each week the programme consisted of several reports, in each of which one of the presenters visited a holiday resort and reviewed the attractions of the region. Despite the programme's obvious attraction as escapism, over the years it was criticised for featuring destinations that the majority of viewers would be unable to afford.
The programme spawned several short-lived offshoot programmes, including Summer Holiday; Holiday: Fasten Your Seatbelt (1996–98, in which presenters tried out holiday-related jobs); Holiday: You Call the Shots – in which viewers advised the presenters which sites to visit in a particular destination prior to filming; and Holiday on a Shoestring (1999).
It was announced by the BBC in November 2006 that after a record 37 years on air, Holiday would end in March 2007 at the conclusion of the current series.
Many presenters came and went over the history of the programme, the most notable being Cliff Michelmore, Ginny Buckley, Peter Whelpton, Joan Bakewell, Anne Gregg, Frank Bough, John Carter, Desmond Lynam, Eamonn Holmes, Anneka Rice, Jill Dando, Rizwana Lateef and Craig Doyle.
In addition, the teams of "reporters" who provided regular reviews from holiday destinations have included Sarah Kennedy, Bill Buckley, Kieran Prendiville, Fyfe Robertson, Kathy Tayler, Monty Don, Rowland Rivron, John Cole and Carol Smillie. The final presenter was Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen.