Hoggartian paradox

Spectator, The, Jan 5, 2008

Sir: For a second time Simon Hoggart takes aim at The Blair Years, on which I was the principal interviewer. In his column of 8 December (Arts), he was cross about the fact that the programmes were made by the company Juniper TV, describing various links between its personnel and the BBC producers as being 'displeasingly cosy'. In fact it was my decision to take the programme proposal to Juniper, since its chief executive had previously overseen the TV biographies of Margaret Thatcher and John Major. We then offered the programmes to the BBC.

The result has been the Hoggartian paradox of programmes that managed to be both, in Simon's words, 'scaringly revealing' and largely covering 'old and well-travelled ground'. I am sorry that he was so disappointed and, of course, I am as sure that he would have done a better job of interviewing Mr Blair as I am that his criticisms are utterly unmotivated by envy.

David Aaronovitch By email