Claimant Scrounger Snooper Spy

A case studies of people on both sides of the current crackdown on social security fraud.

Originally broadcast on Monday 3rd March 1980

The Chart Busters

Investigating allegations that the pop music charts are controlled not by consumers, but by manipulative tactics of the big record companies, thus not being a true reflection of popularity at all.

Originally broadcast on Monday 18th August 1980

The Hunt For The Ripper

The Yorkshire Ripper is still at large, and this episode follows the hectic and demanding West Yorkshire police investigation.

Originally broadcast on Monday 8th December 1980

Warning: Viewers may find parts of this video disturbing.

The Blood Business

World In Action investigates the need for a complete overhaul of the Blood Transfusion Service.

Originally broadcast on Monday 22nd December 1980

Warning: Viewers may find parts of this video disturbing.

These Children Are Mine

This episode tells the story of how British-born Anwar Ditta and her husband Shuja Ud Din successfully fought the Home Office after being wrongfully separated from three of their children in Pakistan.

Originally broadcast on Monday 16th March 1981

Warning: Viewers may find parts of this video disturbing.

Paying For The War

What is the true cost of the Falklands War, both financially and individually? A two-man discussion with filmed inserts.

Originally broadcast on Monday 7th June 1982

The Health Service

The health service began 5 days' intensive strike action, leaving only emergency services running, in pursuit of a 12% pay rise. This is the most severe disruption the NHS has ever seen, and a massive backlog results. Studio discussion.

Originally  broadcast on Monday 9th August 1982

For The Benefit Of Mr. Parris

Is it possible to live on benefits? In this episode Conservative MP Matthew Parris spends a week living on benefits to discover if it is.

Originally broadcast on Monday 23rd January 1984

On The Scrap Heap

Looking at people struggling to find work and ways they manage to get by in Birkenhead.

Originally broadcast on Monday 2nd July 1984

Clap Trap

Following the publication of his book, "Our Masters' Voices: The Language and Body Language of Politics", in 1984, Max Atkinson showed how he could coach someone with no previous public speaking experience through to getting a standing ovation.

Originally broadcast on Monday 24th September 1984

The Coal War

With the recent coal troubles still fresh in people's minds, a comparison of strike action in British and American collieries.

Originally broadcast on Monday 15th October 1984

The First 21 Years

Special feature episode looking back on the first 21 years of the series.

Originally broadcast on Thursday 27th December 1984

Bad Blood

Innocent haemophiliacs have been infected with HIV while being treated with what is supposedly a beneficial clotting agent.

Originally broadcast on Monday 22nd July 1985

Warning: Viewers may find parts of this video disturbing.

The Last Days Of Juliet Lima

A surprise fire has broken out on the normally safe Boeing 737, but what were the causes and how could this have been allowed to happen? The fire happened at Manchester Airport on Thursday 22nd August 1985.

Originally broadcast on Monday 21st October 1985

The Honourable Member For The Unemployed

An unemployed man takes over MP Matthew Parris' job for a week.

Originally broadcast on Monday 6th January 1986

Born Survivors 

Part of a continuing investigation talking to the children who were victims of the drug thalidomide.

Originally broadcast on Monday 20th July 1987

Warning: Viewers may find parts of this video disturbing.

A Thousand Nights In Beirut

Looking at the UK's failure to free any of the British hostages who were kidnapped and held by militia groups in Beirut in the 1980s.

Originally broadcast on Monday 6th November 1989

Please note: The quality of this episode varies and shared for historical purpose only.