In 1948, the BBC issued guidelines on taboo subjects for variety programmes: lavatorial jokes, “effeminacy in men and immorality of any kind” were out, as were suggestive references to honeymoon couples, chambermaids, fig leaves, commercial travellers and ladies’ underwear. Such were the origins of public service broadcasting (page 22). Underwear, the subject of this week’s Inside Story, is “theatre under the skirts”, according to a Japanese sociologist (page 8). And for more conventional drama, see this week’s Subject Focus (pages 24-29).