Some of the most prominent figures in 20th-century British broadcasting helped to create "World in Action", in particular Tim Hewat, "the maverick genius of Granada's current affairs in its formative years", and David Plowright: but also Jeremy Isaacs, Michael Parkinson, John Birt and Gus Macdonald and its most long-serving executive-producer, Ray Fitzwalter. The series developed the skills of generations of journalists and, in particular, film-makers. Michael Apted worked on the original "Seven Up!". Paul Greengrass, who spent 10 years on "World in Action", told the BBC: "My first dream was to work on "World In Action", to be honest. It was that wonderful eclectic mixture of filmmaking and reportage. That was my training ground. It showed me the world and made me see many things." He later told "The Guardian": "If there's a thread running through my career it's "World in Action" – the phrase as well as the programme."