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A weekly magazine programme aimed at the hippie movement, similar in tone to the mods’ A Whole Scene Going three years earlier. The hosts include Peter Asher, John Peel, writer Angela Huth and the show's producer Tony Palmer.


The show referred to itself as How It Is And Why, and it was given the Ready Steady Go spot of 6 pm each Friday evening for forty minutes, however one show in October 1968 was cut to twenty minutes due to the Olympics.


From the Radio Times 8th November 1968

"'This week is our seventeenth edition!' says producer Tony Palmer. 'Not much, really, but if you could see the pile of abusive letters and complaining telegrams we have had you would think we had been around for years. And when you think of the amazing collection of people we have lured to our tiny studio in just three months you would get the same impression: Simon Dee, Orson Welles, Joe Cocker, Tony Curtis, Cliff Richard, Leonard Bernstein, Lord Snowdon, so on and so on. We are sorry if you get angry with us, but in a way we're glad because we do want you to be involved. It's your programme as much as ours-so keep watching!'"


Among the live acts who appeared were Pentangle, The Nice, Fairport Convention, Mike Stuart Span as well as articles on The Doors and the West End musical Hair.


For the final show in December the Daily Mirror says "The programme projects a new line in liberal thinking aiming a salvo of hearty thumps in the direction of all things pompous, precious or phoney, (it has) film clips that (are) as deadly as a fast gun. (After its holidays), How It Is will return in a new late night spot on Fridays, a promotion it thoroughly deserves."


The show returned the following year in a more sympathetic late night spot, but re-badged How Late It Is.





HOW IT IS


BBC1

19th July 1968 - 20th December 1968