Alan Whicker: Journey’s End

Alan Whicker’s recent death brought to mind a time when ITV was the home to journalistic heavyweights. Whicker, of course, wasn’t always considered to be in that company, but his old-fashioned sartorial style and urbane interviewing technique, bordering on flattery, often fed his quarries enough rope to hang themselves.

Details on tonight’s tribute are sketchy, but expect acclaim from colleagues, previously unseen interview footage with the man himself and a look back at his five decades in broadcasting, from the travel shows to his sly exposés of the rich and famous. Whicker fans may also wish to note that BBC4 is repeating its own hugely enjoyable four-part career retrospective, ‘Journey of a Lifetime’, (first shown in 2009) from tomorrow at 10pm.