C4 takes abortion as theme

Channel 4, which has often caused controversy with its themed nights on prostitution and lesbianism, is to present a mini- season on abortion.

The centrepiece of the theme night, which will be shown around the beginning of November, is the film If These Walls Could Talk, which angered pro- life groups in America when it was released last year. One scene shows Demi Moore attempting to give herself an abortion using a knitting needle. It was described as "almost unwatchable" by one film critic.

The evening, screened to mark the 30th anniversary of the 1967 Abortion Act, will also include documentaries and a series of short films in which men and women talk about their experience of abortion. A spokesman for Channel 4 said last night: "Abortion is often presented as a black and white issue. Television has yet to tackle these difficult grey areas and this series of programmes aims to correct this fault."