Informal interview with Ian Fell, 18 January 2010

Ian Fell began his broadcasting career in TV news and worked for the BBC from 1968 to 1980. In the early 1980s, he joined Yorkshire TV to take responsibilty for the popular programme 'How We Used To Live'. The series had started in 1968 and followed the lives of a fictional family living through momentous periods of British history. Ian discusses the series, considering its approach at the time as 'pioneering'. In the early 1980s, HWUTL was distributed by ITV Schools Broadcasting and was watched in up to 85% of primary schools. Ian outlines the process for writing and producing the episodes and the philosophy behind the production of history programming for children. He discusses the reasoning behind the topics chosen and reflects on the impact of the National Curriculum. Interviewed by Nicola Sheldon.