The Context (TV programme)

The Context, also styled as The Context with Christian Fraser, is a live current affairs programme that airs Monday to Friday on the international and UK feeds of the BBC News channels from 20:00 GMT till 22:00 GMT.

The programme aims to provide a discussion about international news with interviews of select guests and BBC News correspondents from around the world.

The Context is the BBC's flagship panel programme focusing on politics and government, with a particular focus on UK and US view.

History
The programme debuted in 2017 as 100 Days and aired daily to document the first one hundred days of US president Donald Trump in administration. After the first 100 days of President Trump's presidency passed, the programme continued; it was briefly called 100 Days+ before it was launched in September 2017 as Beyond 100 Days in the same timeslot Monday to Thursday right after Focus on Africa and BBC News at Six. Beyond 100 Days was originally an edition of World News Today. It was jointly hosted live by Katty Kay from Washington, D.C., and Christian Fraser from London. It focused on the current US Administration, global politics, Brexit and news from around the world, with attempted punches of irreverent wit and fun.

The show was presented from various locations during this time such as Brussels (during European Council meetings), BBC News Singapore (for a week during the 2018 North Korea–United States summit). The show was also presented For a week in May 2018, from London and Windsor during the wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, both Kay and Fraser in London and Windsor respectively.

The programme also aired on other networks. It premiered on 2 January 2018 on PBS stations in the United States. It appears that it had been cancelled on PBS after the introduction of an hour long Amanpour & Company programme debuted the week of 10 September 2018. It also aired on BBC Four.

In late August to December 2019, Kay moved to Senegal with her family to write her latest book. Michelle Fleury was the main stand-in Washington anchor during this period.

In March 2020, the programme was suspended due to COVID-19 pandemic, however, Kay and Fraser often co-presented a half-hour weekly look at what's going on both sides of the Atlantic at 19:30 on Thursday and/or Friday.

On 17 August 2020, the programme returned as BBC News with Katty and Christian.

On 24 June 2021, the last programme in its previous format aired. In the back half of the final programme, frequent contributors Jon Sopel and Ron Christie featured, as well as a compilation of some of the show's highlights over the years.

In January 2022, after having been off air for six months following Katty's departure, the programme was relaunched as The Context and since has been styled as The Context with Christian Fraser which aims to provide a discussion about international news with interviews of select guests and BBC News correspondents from around the world.

In September 2022, Kay has briefly returned as co-presenter and panellist following the Death of Queen Elizabeth II and they both presented the week of the 2022 United States elections. Also for the 2023 England Local Elections and for coronation of Charles III and Camilla.

Since the restructuring of the BBC News Channel in April 2023, the programme was moved into a primetime slot from 20:00 till 22:00 GMT, Christian Fraser was named a Chief Presenter on the News Channel as a whole, and the graphics and logo of the programme were updated to suit the channels new digital vision.

Format
The one hour-long programme originally aired at 19:00 GMT/BST weekdays on the BBC News Channel in the UK, which meant 14:00 EST on BBC World News. In August 2020, the show moved to 21:00 GMT/BST in the UK, 16:00 EST on BBC World News.

Since April 2023, the programme is now aired and broadcast for two hours from 20:00 GMT/BST weekdays on BBC News around the world and across the UK. The programme uses Studio C, with the backdrop of London at night, the main anchor (usually Fraser) in the Broadcasting House studio and guests appearing via video for segments such as The Panel.

Interviews have previously been carried out both in the Washington studio and the London studio, with Kay and Fraser contributing to each other's interviews. Regular contributors to the programme included Ron Christie, a Republican strategist who served as a former adviser to George W. Bush, BBC North America editor and relief presenter Jon Sopel, and political correspondents Rajini Vaidyanathan (Washington), Adam Fleming and Iain Watson (Westminster). In mid-2019, Vaidyanathan moved to Delhi and left the programme and John Pienaar - a former contributor - left the BBC to join Times Radio.

Presenters
When Christian Fraser presents, the title sequence ends by stating 'The Context with Christian Fraser '. When other presenters present the programme the title only shows ' The Context ', regardless of the presenter.