Barbara Maxwell (13 June 1943 – 3 January 2025) was a British television producer best known for her work on the BBC's political debate programme, Question Time.
Her outspoken response to the police brutality and violence against anti-Vietnam War protesters caught the attention of senior BBC journalists, including Charles Wheeler, which led to her role as a current affairs producer for the corporation.
[1] While working as a producer for Question Time, she clashed with Robin Day, who complained about Maxwell's choice of panellists, particularly those who were not members of the political establishment.
[1] She later berated her bosses as "Stalinist pygmies", and complained about the new style of Question Time, which she said "lost its danger and its sparkle".
[1] She enjoyed art, literature, theatre and politics, and was a passionate supporter of Norwich City Football Club.