Panorama (television) - Definition and Overview

Panorama is a long-running current affairs documentary series on BBC television, launched in 1953 and focusing on investigative journalism. The concept inspired the Australian ABC documentary series Four Corners. Richard Dimbleby was the original presenter, during the 1950s and 1960s. His son, David Dimbleby, went on to present the programme in later years.

Probably the most famous Panorama programme of all time was the interview of Diana, Princess of Wales by Martin Bashir, which occurred after her divorce and in which she admitted that many of the rumours about her private life were true.

One of the most controversial broadcasts of recent time was the "Who bombed Omagh?" programme, which named those suspected of involvement in the Omagh bombing. It is belived that the Real IRA attack on BBC Television Centre was a revenge attack for the broadcast.

The programme was also responsible for the famous Spaghetti trees hoax, broadcast on April Fools Day, 1957.