Lenny Henry, looking rather sexy with a goatee, presented this light hearted and irreverent look back at the Open University which brought education to the great unwashed. It didn’t matter who you were, if you had the drive and commitment to study for a degree, the OU made it possible, and still does…

From prisoners to pensioners, the OU revolutionised learning, and did so via men and women who may or may not have just smoked a joint before recording their lectures which were aired in the bowels of the night. I recall well watching men with dreadful comb-overs and women with tight polo necks and checked skirts delivering knowledge late at night, aided/hampered by uncooperative props and appalling lighting.

So in this show, Lenny – a graduate of the OU himself – guided us through its history, right from its inception to present day, and it’s an interesting story that’s full of anecdotes and fond reminiscences. One of my favourites of those was when David Attenborough – who was controller of BBC2 donkey’s years ago – told Lenny how he met Jennie Lee, the Labour minister who doggedly pushed forward the idea of the OU… Read more & comment »