The Body in Question is a British-based, internationally co-produced medical television series first aired in the UK in November 1978.
Contents
Premise
This is a 13-part series (1 hour episodes) on all aspects of medicine and health science, written and presented by Dr Jonathan Miller.
Miller considers the functioning of the body as a subject of private experience. He explores our attitudes towards our bodies, our ignorance of them, and our inability to read our body's signals. The first episode starts with vox populi asking where various organs in the body are located. By the final episode we are left in no doubt, as the show became the first in television history to depict the dissection of a human cadaver (i.e. post-mortem examination or autopsy).
Taking as his starting point the experience of pain, Dr. Miller analyses the elaborate social process of "falling ill", considers the physical foundations of "disease" and looks at the types of individuals humankind has historically attributed with the power of healing. The series was nominated for two 1979 BAFTAs: Best Factual Television Series and Most Original Programme/Series.
Production
The series was primarily produced by the BBC, with international co-production support from the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, CBC Television, Ontario Educational Communications Authority, and KCET-TV.
Scheduling
This hour-long series was first aired by the BBC on 6 November 1978. It was first broadcast in Canada on CBC Television Mondays at 11:45 p.m. (Eastern time) from 26 February to 28 May 1979. It was rebroadcast on CBC in mid-1981 (3 June to 2 September).
Episodes
Naming of Parts
Try a Little Tenderness
How Do You Feel?
Breathless
Blood Relations
Heart of the Matter
Shaping the Future
Sleight of Hand
Native Medicine
Balancing Act
Brute Machine
Heads and Tails
Perishable Goods
Production team
This list is extracted from the ending credits of all the shows:
Lighting Cameraman: Ken Lowe
Rostrum Camera: Ivor Richardson
Camera Operator: Tony Mayne
Sound Recordists: Martyn Clift, Barrie Tharby
Dubbing Mixer: Stan Morcom
Film Editor: Simon Hammond, Pauline Dykes
Music: Peter Howell (BBC Radiophonic Workshop)
Research: Jon Palfreman, Jane Callandar
Graphic Design: Charles McGhie, Barbra Flinder
Design: Colin Lowrey
Production Assistant: Fisher Dilke, John Palfreman
Production Team: Mary Phelps, Pamela Smith, Avril Stewart
Assistant Producer: Jonathan Crane
Executive Producer: Karl Sabbagh
Producer: Patrick Uden
Music release
A three track single of Peter Howell's music from this single was released on 7" vinyl in 1981. These tracks were issued as bonus tracks in the Record Store Day exclusive 6-CD box set Four Albums 1968 - 1978 29 August 2020.