Petticoat Line

Petticoat Line was an all-woman panel show on the BBC Home Service chaired by Anona Winn which discussed listeners' letters and problems. It started on 6 January 1965 and ran for 11 years. It was devised by Anona Winn and Ian C. Messiter. The panellists always included Renée Houston (who was rationed to saying "bloody" no more than three times per show); Sheila van Damm and Katharine Whitehorn also appeared quite often. Winn originally proposed a more serious show called "The Ombudswomen" but this lighter and funnier show came into existence instead.