Hearts and Minds is a politics and current affairs programme presented by Noel Thompson

Noel Thompson

Noel Thompson is a news journalist with BBC Northern Ireland. Thompson is currently the main male presenter of BBC Newsline and political series Hearts and Minds.-Journalism career:...

 for BBC Northern Ireland

BBC Northern Ireland

BBC Northern Ireland is the main public service broadcaster in Northern Ireland.The organisation is one of the three national regions of the BBC, together with BBC Scotland and BBC Wales. Based at Broadcasting House, Belfast, it provides television, radio, online and interactive television content...

. The show is on Thursday nights at 7:30pm on BBC Two

BBC Two

BBC Two is the second television channel operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation in the United Kingdom. It covers a wide range of subject matter, but tending towards more 'highbrow' programmes than the more mainstream and popular BBC One. Like the BBC's other domestic TV and radio...

 and at 11:30pm on BBC One

BBC One

BBC One is the flagship television channel of the British Broadcasting Corporation in the United Kingdom. It was launched on 2 November 1936 as the BBC Television Service, and was the world's first regular television service with a high level of image resolution...

. The show often features the main Politicians to discuss the biggest event in Northern Irish politics of that week.

Format

A section in the middle of the programme called "If you ask me..." features a journalist giving their opinion on certain events that happened in the week and a comedic cartoon is also shown. Journalists who have taken part in this section include Malachi O'Doherty

Malachi O'Doherty

Malachi O'Doherty is a journalist, author and broadcaster in Northern Ireland.He is the producer and presenter of the audio blog Arts Talk ....

. At the end of the show there is always a comedy sketch featuring Tim McGarry

Tim McGarry

Tim McGarry is an Irish actor and comedian from North Belfast in Northern Ireland.He is a member of the comedy group Hole In The Wall Gang, and played "Da", a fictional Sinn Féin spokesman, in the comedy series Give My Head Peace....

, best known for playing 'Da' in Give My Head Peace

Give My Head Peace

Give My Head Peace was a satirical television comedy series on BBC Northern Ireland that pokes fun at political parties, paramilitary groups and the sectarian divide in Northern Ireland...

as a Belfast black taxi driver and picking up Noel Thompson from the BBC Broadcasting House in Belfast. In this sketch McGarry provides a comedic monologue discussing the weekly events.