Editing My Word! (section)

==Later series==
The programme ran for 38 series, until 1988. Muir and Norden were in every series, always on opposing teams. As Muir's partner, Barnett was succeeded during the first series by the novelist and critic [[E. Arnot Robertson]]. On Robertson's death in 1961 the film critic and [[Greek language|Greek]] scholar [[Dilys Powell]] took her place until the show finished, when she was aged 87. Norden's first partner was Nancy Spain; after her death in 1964 she was succeeded by the journalist [[Anne Scott-James]], and then from 1979 by the historian [[Antonia Fraser]]. In the one season in which Fraser took the chair her place as Norden's teammate was taken by [[Irene Thomas]].<ref name=bbc>[https://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/search/0/20?adv=1&media=radio&order=asc&q=%22My+Word!%22&yf=1956&yt=1988#search "My Word!"], BBC Genome. Retrieved 3 May 2021</ref>

After 20 years in the chair, Longland retired from the programme at the end of the 1977 series. He was succeeded by [[John Julius Norwich]] for four series, followed by Fraser for a single series and finally [[Michael O'Donnell (physician)|Michael O'Donnell]] for the last five series, from late 1983 to 1988.<ref name=bbc/>

From time to time guests substituted for absent regulars. Neither Spain nor Powell ever missed a broadcast during their time as panellists, but Robertson and Scott-James missed one apiece, their absences covered respectively by [[Pamela Frankau]] and [[Katherine Whitehorn]].<ref name=bbc/> [[Lionel Hale]] (one of the intended contestants in the pilot show)<ref>Muir, p. 210</ref> deputised for both Muir and Norden in 1967 as did [[John Wells (satirist)|John Wells]] in 1975 and [[Barry Took]] on four occasions between 1978 and 1982. [[Ted Kavanagh]] took Muir's place for two programmes in 1957, and [[Edward Blishen]] stood in for Norden in two episodes in 1985. Fraser's absences between 1986 and 1988 were covered by [[Joan Bakewell]], [[Victoria Glendinning]], [[P. D. James]], [[Libby Purves]] and [[Gay Search]].<ref>[https://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/page/68dce9995c08499f82876d2e237ee6c4 "The Home Service, Tuesday 1 January"], ''Radio Times'', 30 December 1956, p. 24; [https://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/search/0/20?adv=1&order=asc&q=%22My+Word%22&yf=1957&yt=1957#search "My Word, 1957"]; BBC Genome. Retrieved 3 May 2021; [https://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/search/0/20?order=asc&q=%22My+Word%22+AND+%22Lionel+Hale%22#search "My Word, Lionel Hale"] BBC Genome. Retrieved 3 May 2021; [https://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/search/0/20?order=asc&q=%22My+Word%22+AND+%22Barry+Took%22#search "My Word! Barry Took"]; BBC Genome. Retrieved 3 May 2021; [https://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/search/0/20?adv=1&q=%22My+Word%22&media=all&yf=1986&yt=1986&mf=1&mt=12&tf=00%3A00&tt=00%3A00#search "My Word, 1986"]; BBC Genome. Retrieved 3 May 2021; [https://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/search/0/20?adv=1&order=asc&q=%22My+Word%22&svc=9371569&yf=1988&yt=1988#search "My Word! 1988"], BBC Genome. Retrieved 3 May 2021</ref>

After Mason's death in 1971 Longland took over responsibility for compiling the questions, and was joined in that role by Peter Moore in 1972. After Longland's retirement Moore continued to set the questions until 1987. For the final season, in 1988, O'Donnell combined the roles of chairman and question-setter.<ref name=bbc/>