Presenter Tony Wilson said "After Dark kept its participants apart before the transmission" Presenter John Underwood reckons the first give-away is guests' choice of seats when they enter the studio: "Power figures, people used to being listened to, plump themselves down opposite the host. The seat on the presenters' right, a bit in the shadows, is chosen by dark horses whose contributions are few but deadly." He also relishes the unexpected alliances that are formed and the genuine dialogue that becomes possible.