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Arena
Arena
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Arena
1975 ★ 7.2 4 Seasons EN
Documentary
Arena is a British television documentary series, made and broadcast by the BBC. Voted by leading TV executives in Broadcast as one of the top 50 most influential programmes of all time, it has run …
🎬 Created by: Nicholas Shakespeare, Harold Pinter
Servers
Season 1
Season 1
Season 14
Season 49
Season 50
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🎬
Ep 1 1975-10-01
Theatre
Premiere. Ronald Eyre reviews what's going on in the theatre, Kenneth Tynan talks to Laurence …
🎬
Ep 2 1975-10-08
Art and Design
George Melly looks at how they sold the 70's and a report on the opening …
🎬
Ep 3 1975-10-15
Theatre
An interview with Howard Barker, author of 'Stripwell', and an extract from same; commentary by …
🎬
Ep 4 1975-10-22
Art and Design
Cartoonist Mel Caiman on the New Yorker magazine and its artists, Richard Hamilton at the …
🎬
Ep 5 1975-10-29
Theatre
Peter Hall talks about the history and new South Band location of the National Theater, …
🎬
Ep 6 1975-11-05
Art and Design
Features Observer critic William Feaver on Painting the End of the World, Bill Brandt's selection …
🎬
Ep 7 1975-11-12
Theatre
Extract from a contemporary play and Kenneth Tynan opines.
🎬
Ep 8 1975-11-19
Art and Design
Shirley Conran is the guest columnist; fashion photographer Barry Lategan is filmed working; and Victorian …
🎬
Ep 9 1975-11-26
Theatre
Deborah Norton reviews British stage events, a play extract, and Kenneth Tynan opines about the …
🎬
Ep 10 1975-12-03
Art and Design
Guest columnist Terry Measham; a look into the work of painter and poet Charles Tomlinson.
🎬
Ep 11 1975-12-10
Theatre
Mikhail Baryshnikov and Natalia Makarova rehearse for a BBC New Year Gala Performance; Kenneth Tynan …
🎬
Ep 12 1975-12-17
Art and Design
Filmmaker Roger Graef and journalist Simon Jenkins discuss the destruction of historical buildings, in light …
🎬
Ep 13 1976-01-07
Theatre
Deborah Norton returns with reports, interviews and extracts from what is liveliest and best in …
🎬
Ep 14 1976-01-14
Art and Design
🎬
Ep 15 1976-01-21
Theatre
Jonathan Miller introduces this week's look at what is most stimulating and enjoyable on the …
🎬
Ep 16 1976-01-28
Art and Design
A look at American photographer Paul Strand and recent trends in British photography.
🎬
Ep 17 1976-02-04
Theatre
Arena goes to Scarborough for the British premiere of a new Alan Ayckbourn play "Just …
🎬
Ep 18 1976-02-11
Art and Design
Arena looks at aspects of community art and the work of painter Keith Grant, artist-in-residence …
🎬
Ep 19 1976-02-18
Theatre
Claire Bloom and Kenneth Tynan discuss extracts from Samuel Beckett's 'Happy Days', George Bernard Shaw's …
🎬
Ep 20 1976-02-25
Art and Design
Arena talks with Robert Janz and Dante Leonelli about incorporating time into sculpture.
🎬
Ep 21 1976-03-03
Theatre
Arena brings extracts from Paris' contemporary theatre season, including Frank Wedekind's 'Lulu' and Marguerite Duras' …
🎬
Ep 22 1976-03-10
Art and Design
Arena presents the work of British and American video artists.
🎬
Ep 23 1976-03-17
Theatre
Barbara Jefford, Laurence Olivier, Joan Plowright, Kenneth Tynan Billie Whitelaw and many of the people …
🎬
Ep 24 1976-03-24
Art and Design
Liverpool poet and painter Adrian Henry visits 'The Face of Merseyside'; Boyd and Evans use …
🎬
Ep 25 1976-03-31
Theatre: Happy Birthday Royal Court
Alumni of the Royal Court celebrate its 20th anniversary.
🎬
Ep 26 1976-04-07
Art and Design: Art for Money's Sake?
Barrie Penrose investigates a multi-national art empire and the artists and methods that created it.
🎬
Ep 27 1976-08-25
Edinburgh International Festival 1976: Part 1
Features Elisabeth Schwarzkopf, Galina Visnevskaya in the Scottish Opera's production of Macbeth, The Kantor Theatre …
🎬
Ep 28 1976-09-01
Edinburgh International Festival 1976: Part 2
Features the La Mama Theatre Company from New York; Bunraku, traditional Japanese Puppet Theatre; a …
🎬
Ep 29 1976-09-08
Edinburgh International Festival 1976: Part 3
Writer Germaine Greer and her god-daughter Ruby take a look at a child's Edinburgh Festival …
🎬
Ep 30 1976-09-15
Theatre: A Dream Come True
A look at the opening of the Royal Exchange Theatre in Manchester.
🎬
Ep 31 1976-09-22
Robert Altman
Gavin Miller interviews the director Robert Altman on "M*A*S*H", "Nashville", "Buffalo Bill and the Indians" …
🎬
Ep 32 1976-09-29
Art and Design: After Samuel Palmer
David Gould, the expert who discovered Tom Keating's Samuel Palmer imitations, shows the process of …
🎬
Ep 33 1976-10-06
Frank Westmore
Gavin Millar talks with Frank Westmore, whose family has dominated the make-up departments of American …
🎬
Ep 34 1976-10-13
Theatre
Peter Shaffer, writer of 'Equus', talks about his plays, his life and the theatre with …
🎬
Ep 35 1976-10-20
Cinema: Eric Rohmer
Gavin Millar interviews director Eric Rohmer about 'Die Marquise von O', 'Claire's Knee' and 'Love …
🎬
Ep 36 1976-10-27
Art and Design: The Illustrators: The Work of Mick Brownfield and Allan Manha
British illustrators Mick Brownfield and Allan Manham are documented working on their current projects; Artist …
🎬
Ep 37 1976-11-03
Cinema: Don Siegel
Don Siegel, director of 'The Shootist', 'Charley Varrick', 'Coogan's Bluff', 'Dirty Harry' and many other …
🎬
Ep 38 1976-11-10
Theatre: The Cultural Common Market
A look at Theatre National Populaire, one of France's leading theaters, and Patrice Chéreau's 'La …
🎬
Ep 39 1976-11-17
Cinema
In light of the low proportion of British films in the 20th London Film Festival, …
🎬
Ep 40 1976-11-24
Art and Design: Sculpture for the Blind/Linda Benedict-Jones/James Boswell
Sculpture for the Blind - a special Tate Gallery exhibition; Linda Benedict-Jones, photographer; James Boswell …
🎬
Ep 41 1976-12-01
Cinema
Arena speaks with Spanish directors at the Madrid premiere of 'The Long Vacation of 36'.
🎬
Ep 42 1976-12-08
Theatre: Brecht in Newcastle
20th anniversary tribute to Bertolt Brecht at Newcastle's University Theatre with scenes from 'The Good …
🎬
Ep 43 1976-12-15
Cinema: Christmas Special
A look at the Disney exhibit at the Victoria and Albert Museum; an interview with …
🎬
Ep 44 1977-01-05
Cinema
Gavin Millar talks to Mel Brooks just before the London release of 'Silent Movie'.
🎬
Ep 45 1977-01-12
Art and Design: Sam Smith: Genuine England/Arena Review
An introduction to the magical world of wood-sculptor Sam Smith, plus a look at one …
🎬
Ep 46 1977-01-19
Cinema
Gavin Miller talks to director Martin Ritt, writer Walter Bernstein, and actors Woody Allen and …
🎬
Ep 47 1977-01-26
Theatre: Spokesong/At Home with Mole
An interview with Stewart Parker about his new musical 'Spokesong' with excerpt; a profile of …
🎬
Ep 48 1977-02-02
Cinema
A fortnightly look at the big screen at home and abroad. News, views and interviews …
🎬
Ep 49 1977-02-09
Art and Design: Ralph Steadman
Ralph Steadman illustrates a children's anti-war story, caricatures at his local pub, and speaks about …
🎬
Ep 50 1977-02-16
Cinema
Gavin Miller discusses 'Network' with director Sidney Lumet and Robert Kee; Alberto Cavalcanti talks about …
🎬
Ep 51 1977-02-23
Theatre: The Cultural Common Market: Peter Stein and the Schaubuhne
Peter Stein, director of Die Schaubuhne theatre co-operative, comes to London with his Shakespeare Project. …
🎬
Ep 52 1977-03-02
Cinema
Gavin Millar talks to New Yorker critic Pauline Kael about Costa-Gavras' 'Z' and 'Section Speciale', …
🎬
Ep 53 1977-03-09
Art and Design: What Is a Hologram?/Kit Williams - Ring Around the Moon
Arena investigates holograms and their potential in the arts; artist Kit Williams' vivid folklore paintings.
🎬
Ep 54 1977-03-16
Cinema
On the occasion of the release of the third film version of 'A Star is …
🎬
Ep 55 1977-03-23
Theatre: A Night Out
Arena visits three theatres - the Mercury Theater in Colchester, the Humberside Theatre in Hull, …
🎬
Ep 56 1977-03-30
Cinema
A look at Ealing Studios, including excerpts of many of their popular films.
🎬
Ep 57 1977-04-06
Art and Design: Family Pieces/Both Sides of the Line/The Divine and the Fantastic
Portrait painter Philip Sutton; Helmut Weissenborn, a German WWI soldier who illustrated with wood engravings …
🎬
Ep 58 1977-04-13
Cinema
In a special edition from Rome, Gavin Millar interviews Bernardo Bertolucci, director of 'Last Tango …
🎬
Ep 59 1977-04-20
Theatre: The Prospect Before Us
Prospect Theatre Company reopens the Old Vic. Includes rehearsal footage from 'St Joan', 'Hamlet', 'Antony …
🎬
Ep 60 1977-04-27
Cinema
Gavin Millar talks to director Bernardo Berolucci in Rome about '1900', his new five and …
🎬
Ep 61 1977-05-04
Art and Design: The Continuous Diary/Dine's Drawings
The artist Ian Breakwall gave up painting for the art of a daily diary; Jim …
🎬
Ep 62 1977-05-11
Cinema
Arena looks at erotic films, including 'Je T'Aime Moi Non Plus', 'Hardcore', and 'Come Play …
🎬
Ep 63 1977-05-25
Cinema
An interview with Sophia Loren on the occasion of the opening of 'The Cassandra Crossing'.
🎬
Ep 64 1977-06-08
Cinema
Mr Universe, the Crazy Horse Girls de Paris, Yum Yum Shaw, superstars with police escorts, …
🎬
Ep 65 1977-06-15
Theatre: Playwrights of the 70's
In the last ten years an astonishing number of new writers have emerged. Plays by …
🎬
Ep 66 1977-09-07
Edinburgh Festival
Features the 1977 Edinburgh International Festival with a new production of Carmen, the experimental shows, …
🎬
Ep 67 1977-09-14
Cinema
with Gavin Millar returns for a new season after a visit to Hollywood, which despite …
🎬
Ep 68 1977-09-21
Cinema
🎬
Ep 69 1977-09-28
Art and Design
🎬
Ep 70 1977-10-05
Cinema
Diane Keaton and Woody Allen talk about the filming of 'Annie Hall' and their long …
🎬
Ep 71 1977-10-12
Theatre
🎬
Ep 72 1977-10-19
Cinema: Greece
🎬
Ep 73 1977-10-26
Art and Design: Richard Seifert
🎬
Ep 74 1977-11-02
Cinema
🎬
Ep 75 1977-11-09
Theatre: Hands Off the Classics
In the 17th century Troilus and Cressida was censored and in the 18th century Tate …
🎬
Ep 76 1977-11-16
Cinema: 21st London Film Festival
🎬
Ep 77 1977-11-23
Art and Design: The Family/Wrapping up the Reichstag
🎬
Ep 78 1977-11-30
Cinema: 21st London Film Festival - Part 2
🎬
Ep 79 1977-12-07
Theatre: Leonard Rossiter
🎬
Ep 80 1977-12-14
Cinema: The Deep
🎬
Ep 81 1978-01-11
Cinema: The Force is with us?
Star Wars - the biggest and fastest money-maker in the history of the movies - …
🎬
Ep 82 1978-01-18
Art and Design: 'The Journey' or The Memoirs of a Self-Confessed Surrealist
George Melly explores his lifelong relationship with surrealism in all its forms and prominent personalities; …
🎬
Ep 83 1978-01-25
Cinema: The Force is with us? - Part 2/Howard Hawks
The Force is with us? Star Wars - the biggest and fastest money-maker in the …
🎬
Ep 84 1978-02-01
Theatre: ' But please, this is a farce! ' The story of The Cherry Orchard
But please, this is a farce! ' The story of The Cherry Orchard CHEKHOV: '... …
🎬
Ep 85 1978-02-08
Cinema: Joseph Conrad
A British film The Duellists starring Keith Carradine , Harvey Keitel and Albert Finney won …
🎬
Ep 86 1978-02-15
Art and Design: Carrington
🎬
Ep 87 1978-02-22
Cinema: Claude Renoir
🎬
Ep 88 1978-03-01
Theatre: Hey Kids! Let's Do the Show Right Here ...
🎬
Ep 89 1978-03-08
Close Encounters of the Third Kind
🎬
Ep 90 1978-03-15
Art and Design: Carl Andre
🎬
Ep 91 1978-03-22
Cinema: Dancing Years
🎬
Ep 92 1978-03-29
Theatre: Taking Our Time
🎬
Ep 93 1978-04-05
Art and Design: Way Out West
🎬
Ep 94 1978-04-12
Theatre: Children of the Gods
🎬
Ep 95 1978-04-17
Television: When Is A Play Not A Play?
A tribute to the British filmmaker Alan Clarke (1935-1990).
🎬
Ep 96 1978-05-03
Art and Design: George Melly
🎬
Ep 97 1978-05-10
Theatre: Arnold Wesker
🎬
Ep 98 1978-05-24
Rock: Tubes on Tour
🎬
Ep 99 1978-10-11
Episode 99
Last Saturday in the Francois Truffaut Season now running on BBC2, "L'Enfant Sauvage", one of …
🎬
Ep 100 1978-10-18
Vanessa Redgrave
'She is a creature of fire and light, her voice a golden gate opening on …
🎬
Ep 101 1978-10-25
Arena: Cinema
Hooray for Hollywood? Gavin Millar talks to: Christopher Isherwood has been a Hollywood immigrant for …
🎬
Ep 102 1978-11-22
Arena: Cinema
A new British film has its Royal Premiere tomorrow. It is an English period film …
🎬
Ep 103 1978-12-06
Arena: Cinema
This year's London Film Festival contained five entries from India. It's a reminder that we …
🎬
Ep 104 1979-01-08
Arena: The Museum of Drawers
Arena takes you on a guided tour of the smallest museum in the world - …
🎬
Ep 105 1979-01-15
On Photography
Featuring two of the greatest photographers of the 20th century Jacques Henri Lartigue began taking …
🎬
Ep 106 1979-01-17
Arena: Cinema
Gavin Millar presents another edition in his regular series about the cinema today.
🎬
Ep 107 1979-01-21
Arena: Cinema
Gavin Millar talks to Robert Alt man about his new film A Wedding; plus Karel …
🎬
Ep 108 1979-01-22
Who is Poly Styrene?
wo years ago Marion Elliott , a 20-year-old from Brixton, gave up working in Woolworths …
🎬
Ep 109 1979-01-29
Athol Fugard: A Lesson from Aloes
Aloe: a genus of plant indigenous to South Africa, noted for its ability to survive …
🎬
Ep 110 1979-01-31
Arena: Cinema
Assault on Precinct 13 and Dark Star were two of the ' sleepers ' of …
🎬
Ep 111 1979-02-05
Maler's Requiem - Words and Images
Fibreglass carcasses, a flaming typewriter, and a troop of girl guides - each has been …
🎬
Ep 112 1979-02-12
Piaf AND What Did You Do in 'The Warp' Daddy?
The sell-out success of this year's Royal Shakespeare season at Stratford is the musical play, …
🎬
Ep 113 1979-02-14
Arena: Cinema
John Barry (designer Star Wars and Superman) is now directing Saturn 3. Ridley Scott (The …
🎬
Ep 114 1979-02-26
Other Writers Will Tell You Different and The Moving Picture Mime Show
Other Writers Will Tell You Different.... Lifers in prison cages, comedians in Hollywood, adolescents in …
🎬
Ep 115 1979-02-28
Arena: Cinema
Isabelle Huppert is 23 - ' a stunning actress ', says Claude Chabrol ; 'Best …
🎬
Ep 116 1979-03-05
Ubu
The television premiere of GEOFF DUNBAR'S brilliant animation film. Based on ALFRED JARRY's notorious surrealist …
🎬
Ep 117 ★ 7.0 1979-03-12
My Way
Q. What do the following have in common? Frank Sinatra, Sid Vicious, Dorothy Squires, Barry …
🎬
Ep 118 1979-03-14
Arena: Cinema
Twenty-three years ago Don Siegel made his famous horrorpic Invasion of the Body Snatchers. Now …
🎬
Ep 119 1979-03-19
La Dame aux Gladiolas
Arena presents The Agony and the Ecstasy of Edna Everage In this, the first-ever exclusive …
🎬
Ep 120 1979-03-26
'Let Us Now Praise Famous Men ': Alabama 40 Years On
At the height of the American depression in the summer of 1936, t writer JAMES …
🎬
Ep 121 1979-03-28
Arena: Cinema
with Gavin Millar. Everybody knows about Kung Fu, Run Run Shaw and Bruce Lee. They …
🎬
Ep 122 1979-04-02
Tell Us the Truth
Rock band Sham 69 have a large and loyal following of working-class kids, who call …
🎬
Ep 123 1979-04-09
The King and I AND Journey to the Surface of the Earth
The King and I For David Oxtoby, Elvis is king. He's been painting rock 'n' …
🎬
Ep 124 1979-04-15
Their Lips are Sealed
Arena presents a film about the strange art of ventriloquism with Tattersall and his amazing …
🎬
Ep 125 1979-05-21
Steel Pulse
A film about the popular reggae band Steel Pulse, Whose highly successful debut album ' …
🎬
Ep 126 1979-06-11
Ring Around the Moon
The Paintings of Kit Williams Inspired by the landscape, the wildlife and by his village …
🎬
Ep 127 1979-06-14
Pictures of the Mind
One in six people in Britain will spend some time in a mental hospital. For …
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Ep 128 1979-09-29
Six Days in September
John Hoyland is reckoned by many both here and abroad to be this country's finest …
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Ep 129 1979-01-16
Building for Change
Arena presents a profile of Richard Rogers, one of the most original and controversial talents …
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Ep 130 1980-01-17
Athol Fugard A Lesson from Aloes
Athol Fugard is the author of such celebrated plays as The Blood-knot, The Island and …
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Ep 131 1980-01-23
Lene Lovich Sleeping Beauty
Formerly a professional screamer in horror films, a belly-dancer in the Middle East, Lene Lovich …
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Ep 132 1980-01-30
Mentioned in Dispatches
Arena presents the extraordinary story of Tim Page, war photographer and Vietnam legend-a tale first …
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Ep 133 1980-02-06
Isaac Singer's Nightmare and Mrs Pupko's Beard
Arena presents a hilarious and touching portrait of the great Yiddish writer Isaac Bashevis Singer, …
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Ep 134 1980-02-13
Peggy Taub, the Learned Goat and Other People ...
This week Arena features two highly-individual women artists. Peggy Taub has always wanted to sculpt …
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Ep 135 1980-02-27
Bring Me Back a Song
Irish folk music is one of the oldest unbroken cultural traditions in Europe. As the …
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Ep 136 1980-03-05
' I talk about me - I am Africa'
The growth of black consciousness through the 1970s has produced an explosion of original new …
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Ep 137 1980-03-12
Rudies Come Back or The Rise and Rise of 2-Tone
Adrian Thrills investigates a new and exhilarating musical blend which is taking the country by …
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Ep 138 1980-03-19
Working At It
A profile of Liverpool playwright Alan Bleasdale With two new productions packing them in, in …
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Ep 139 1980-03-26
Victoria Wood and Andrea Dunbar
As prizewinning writer/performer Victoria Wood opens in her latest play, Good Fun, Arena looks at …
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Ep 140 1980-04-02
Climb Every Mountain or Nothing Succeeds Like Failure
"Failure can be fun' is the motto of self-confessed failures David McGillivray and Stephen Pile …
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Ep 141 1980-04-09
Double Vision
The story of an unusual collaboration between rock musician Brian Eno and artist illustrator Russell …
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Ep 142 1980-04-16
Dedicated Followers of Fashion
featuring "Where Did You Get That Hat?" The outrageous hats of designer David Shilling, modelled …
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Ep 143 1980-05-21
Luck and Flaw
One after another mighty politicians have fallen victim to the savage caricatures of Peter Fluck …
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Ep 144 1980-05-28
In Their Own Image AND Facing Up to Myself
In Their Own Image Two women photographers turn the camera on themselves ... Time Release …
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Ep 145 1980-10-04
Making 'The Shining'
Stanley Kubrick's long-awaited film The Shining opens in London this week and throughout the country …
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Ep 146 1980-12-22
Dire Straits
Not so long ago they were playing in London pubs. This week - 16 platinum …
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Ep 147 1981-01-03
Chelsea Hotel
It was in the Chelsea Hotel, New York, that Bob Dylan wrote 'Sad-eyed lady of …
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Ep 148 1981-01-10
Hazell Meets His Makers
Arena eavesdrops on the writing of a new adventure for James Hazell , popular cockney …
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Ep 149 1981-01-17
Getting Away from Sidney
' Uncle Sidney' is the kindly old soul in charge of an institute for the …
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Ep 150 1981-01-24
Private Worlds
This week two genuinely, original English artists introduce you to their work: Sam Smith , …
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Ep 151 1981-01-31
Today Carshalton Beaches ... Tomorrow Croydon
Arena investigates the grass-roots of rock today with John Peel and John Walters ' When …
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Ep 152
Edward Hopper
Arena marks a major retrospective exhibition at London's Hayward Gallery with a film about the …
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Ep 153 1981-02-28
Stages
For the past ten years Peter Brook and his unique company of actors have travelled …
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Ep 154 1981-03-07
The Smallest Theatre
Tonight, from a converted cowshed in the wilds of Scotland, Arena presents The Smallest Theatre …
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Ep 155 1981-03-14
Huston's Hobby
There were these five guys round the table: the Lightweight Boxing Champion of California; an …
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Ep 156 1981-03-21
A Walk with Amos Oz
' Marching the streets of Jerusalem in 67, carrying a sub-machine-gun, I was in an …
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Ep 157 1981-03-28
God's Fifth Columnist
"I don't go out much these days, and when I do I find life infinitely …
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Ep 158 1981-04-04
Did You Miss Me ...?
' It suddenly dawned on me that I was absolutely broke, completely and utterly. I …
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Ep 159 1981-04-15
The Return of Lupino Lane
Lupino Lane , the man who made ' The Lambeth Walk ' famous, was a …
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Ep 160 1981-04-18
The Comic Strip Hero
This week Arena patrols the skies above Metropolis in search of the legend that is …
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Ep 161 1981-05-02
Arena on Clair
Clair thought of himself as a screenwriter as well as a director. He put his …
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Ep 162 1981-05-09
Somewhere Over the Rainbow
As a child, trapped in a crazy Jewish household in a poor Chicago tenement, the …
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Ep 163 1981-05-16
If the Music Had to Stop
Britain's musical reputation is second to none, and depends ultimately on an exceptional tradition of …
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Ep 164 1981-08-16
Curtains? The Future of the National Youth Theatre
Derek Jacobi, Helen Mirren, Martin Jarvis, playwrights Peter Terson and Barrie Keefe - all products …
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Ep 165 1981-09-06
The Cinema of Andrzej Wajda
For 25 years the Polish film director ADRZEJ WAJDA has been making some of the …
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Ep 166 1981-10-02
'I Thought I Was Taller' A Short History of Mel Brooks
From Brooklyn to Beverly Hills - the life and times of a great comic film …
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Ep 167 1981-11-03
Have You Seen the Mona Lisa...?
She is two-and-a-half feet tall and nearly 500 years old. She hangs in The Louvre …
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Ep 168 1981-11-10
Let Them Know We're Here
When JOINT STOCK began their latest project four months ago, they had a writer but …
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Ep 169 1981-11-17
A Pretty British Affair
Only a short while ago Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger were forgotten names in cinema …
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Ep 170 1981-11-24
The Art of Radio Times AND The Eye of the 'Eye'
This week, a total contrast in visual style-the art of RADIO TIMES and the jaundiced …
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Ep 171 1981-12-08
A Tall Story: How Salman Rushdie Pickled All India
Arena profiles one of the most dazzling literary talents of recent years - Saiman Rushdie …
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Ep 172 1981-12-15
Brixton to Barbados
Reggae has its roots in Jamaica, and has found a home in Britain. But there …
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Ep 173 1982-01-19
Private Life of the Ford Cortina
A ski run in Italy, a supermarket manager in Luton, a sandwich bar in London …
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Ep 174 1982-01-26
What Makes Rabbit Run?
John Updike 's new book, Rabbit is Rich, is the third in the Rabbit series …
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Ep 175 1982-02-02
Here They Kill People for It
Osip Mandelstam, one of the greatest poets of the 20th century, died in a prison …
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Ep 176 1982-02-09
True to Life?
In a month of continuing controversy about the aims and methods of the ' documentary', …
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Ep 177 1982-02-23
Desert Island Discs
' I love its homeliness. It conjures up the best in traditional British pleasure, like …
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Ep 178 1982-03-09
Listen to Britain AND Housing Problems
Presents two classic films from the early days of documentary. Featured in last month's True …
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Ep 179 1982-05-18
The Orson Welles Story: Part One
Arena presents an exclusive film profile in two parts of one of the great legends …
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Ep 180 1982-05-21
The Orson Welles Story: Part Two
'I should never have stayed in movies. But it's a mistake I can't regret because …
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Ep 181 1982-09-04
Mike Leigh Making Plays
Mike Leigh is a dramatist in a tradition of his own, a fiercely original talent …
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Ep 182 1982-11-09
A Genius Like Us
In April 1967 at the peak of his career as a dramatist, Joe Orton was …
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Ep 183 1982-11-16
A Play for Bridport
One of the most spectacular and unlikely theatre events of last year took place a …
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Ep 184 1982-11-23
Upon Westminster Bridge
It is commonly thought that poets are university-trained intellectuals who occasionally produce slim volumes about …
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Ep 185 1982-11-30
Three Steps to Heaven
Classics like ' Summertime blues , 'C'mon everybody' and Three steps to heaven' made Eddie …
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Ep 186 1982-12-08
Angus McBean
For nearly 50 years everybody who was anybody in the British theatre passed before the …
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Ep 187 1982-12-11
Happy Days (Samuel Beckett Season)
by Samuel Beckett Starring Billie Whitelaw With Leonard Fenton Arena presents the first programme in …
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Ep 188 1982-12-13
Eh Joe (Samuel Beckett Season)
Continues the Samuel Beckett season. Starring Jack MacGowran A rare opportunity to see an early …
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Ep 189 1982-12-14
Rockaby (Samuel Beckett Season)
Arena continues the Samuel Beckett Season with a unique record of his new play Rockaby …
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Ep 190 1982-12-15
Not I (Samuel Beckett Season)
Continues the Samuel Beckett Season. In one of the most extraordinary pieces of modern drama …
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Ep 191 1982-12-16
Quad (Samuel Beckett Season)
Continues the Samuel Beckett Season with a premiere. A play without words. Quad has a …
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Ep 192 1982-12-17
Krapp's Last Tape (Samuel Beckett Season)
Concludes the Samuel Beckett Season. One of the best-known Beckett monologues starring its creator, the …
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Ep 193 1982-12-28
Guernica: The Long Exile
Last year a £13-million painting travelled in top secret from America to Spain. Next day …
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Ep 194 1983-01-18
Classically Cuban: Alicia Alonso and the Cuban National Ballet
Today, in post-revolutionary Cuba, under the benign patronage of Fidel Castro, classical ballet thrives. This …
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Ep 195 1983-02-01
Hair
Tonight Arena takes you on a tour of contemporary British heads, from the exotic to …
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Ep 196 1983-02-08
Boulez Now
Pierre Boulez, leading composer of the post-war generation, later a powerful and innovative conductor, is …
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Ep 197 1983-02-15
Jazz Juke Box
George Melly presents films of the greatest names of swing jazz - but with a …
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Ep 198 1983-02-22
Burroughs
Widely regarded as one of the greatest literary figures of the century, William Burroughs has …
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Ep 199 1983-03-01
The Catherine Wheel
Tonight Arena presents one of the most ambitious dance projects ever seen on television. The …
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Ep 200 1983-03-08
Kurt Vonnegut
Writing about his experiences as a war prisoner in Dresden in the novel Slaughterhouse-5, Kurt …
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Ep 201 1983-05-09
It's All True
Tonight Arena takes an extraordinary journey through the video age. Video pirates, video trials, video …
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Ep 202 1983-08-19
Luis Bunuel
The great Luis Bunuel died last month. Born in 1900, he was undisputably one of …
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Ep 203 1983-11-02
Bette Davis - The Benevolent Volcano
Dear boy, you are out of your mind, this woman will annihilate you, she will …
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Ep 204 1983-11-09
Anthony Powell - An Invitation to the Dance
Anthony Powell's 12-volume epic, A Dance to the Music of Time, is widely regarded as …
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Ep 205 1983-11-12
The Ghost Writer
Starring Claire Bloom, Sam Wanamaker from the novel by Philip Roth with Mark Linn Baker, …
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Ep 206 1983-11-23
Jazz Juke-Box II
Following the success of Jazz Juke-Box I, George Melly presents another selection of jazz shorts …
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Ep 207 1983-11-30
Roman Vishniac
Roman Vishniac is a Russian Jew born in St Petersburg in 1897. His striking images …
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Ep 208 1983-12-07
Classic British Documentaries
Arena shows three film classics from the early years of British documentary, which began 50 …
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Ep 209 1983-12-14
The GPO Story
The GPO Film Unit-50 years old this year-went where no Hollywood film studio would dare …
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Ep 210 1983-12-23
The Everly Brothers Reunion Concert
An Arena special Last September at the Royal Albert Hall Don and Phil Everly performed …
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Ep 211 1983-12-29
George Orwell 1: Such Such Were the Joys
George Orwell is one of the greatest writers England has produced. Tonight and for the …
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Ep 212 1983-12-30
George Orwell 2: The Road to Wigan Pier
Tonight's episode of the five-part Arena biography tells the story of Orwell's marriage to Eileen …
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Ep 213 1984-01-02
George Orwell 3: Homage to Catalonia
Orwell, like many of his generation, enlisted to fight on the Republican side in the …
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Ep 214 1984-01-03
George Orwell 4: The Lion and the Unicorn
For a brief period after the Spanish Civil War, Orwell was a revolutionary socialist, violently …
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Ep 215 1984-01-04
George Orwell 4: Nineteen Eighty-four
The last in this series of Arena films about the life and work of George …
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Ep 216 1984-02-04
Say Amen Someone
Tonight's Arena Special tells the extraordinary story of two of the legendary figures of American …
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Ep 217 1984-02-21
Four Rooms
ANTHONY CARO: 'I wanted to play games with our sense of space ... you experience …
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Ep 218 1984-02-28
The Theatre of Dario Fo
Dario Fo is unique in world theatre. Playwright, actor, clown, teacher and philosopher, he is …
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Ep 219 1984-03-03
Sunset People
Tonight Arena takes a journey down one of the best known streets in the world. …
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Ep 220 1984-03-06
The Caravaggio Conspiracy
On 29 June 1982 a man called John Blake appeared mysteriously bidding in the major …
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Ep 221 1984-03-13
Between Dreaming and Waking
David Inshaw belongs to a great tradition of English Romantic Painting - the tradition of …
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Ep 222 1984-03-20
Ken Russell 's Elgar
Tonight, in the anniversary year of Edward Elgar 's death, Arena plays host to KEN …
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Ep 223 1984-03-27
Jerry Lee Lewis
For the first time on British television, Arena presents a concert by this great legend …
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Ep 224 1984-04-03
True Confessions of an Albino Terrorist
Breyten Breytenbach writes about being an Afrikaner. His poetry was taught in schools and his …
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Ep 225 1984-05-06
My Dinner with Louis
Tonight Arena profiles the French film director Louis Malle. Malle is a director who has …
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Ep 226 1984-05-19
Milan Kundera- Laughter and Forgetting
From the vantage point of his Paris flat, the Czech writer Milan Kundera still obsessively …
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Ep 227 1984-07-07
A Tribute to Joseph Losey
American-born writer and director Joseph Losey died last month in London. He made his home …
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Ep 228 1984-07-12
Beat This! A Hip Hop History
Tonight Arena presents a musical entertainment set in the streets of New York City, an …
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Ep 229 1984-11-02
The Everly Brothers: Songs of Innocence and Experience
Taught to sing from their earliest years, the brothers were raised in a unique cross-current …
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Ep 230 1984-11-09
Billie Holiday: The Long Night of Lady Day
Tonight Arena presents the first film portrait of the greatest of all the jazz singers. …
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Ep 231 1984-11-10
Eubie Blake
The legendary Eubie Blake 's career as a ragtime pianist and composer began in 1883. …
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Ep 232 1984-11-16
Francis Bacon
To mark his 75th birthday, Arena presents this exclusive film portrait of the great British …
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Ep 233 1984-11-23
We Don't Like Your House Either!
This week: a portrait of one of the most individual architectural talents America has produced. …
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Ep 234 1984-11-30
Teacher Don't Teach Me Nonsense: The Music of Fela Kuti
Fela Anikulapo-Kuti is the most popular and controversial musician ever to come out of Africa. …
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Ep 235 1984-12-07
After the Rehearsal
Arena presents the British premiere of Ingmar Bergman 's new film After the Rehearsal. Written …
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Ep 236 1984-12-21
What's Cuba Playing At?
In the 25th anniversary year of the Revolution, Arena traces the Afro-Spanish roots of Cuba's …
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Ep 237 1984-12-22
Music of the other Americas
Every November musicians from all over Latin America come to take part in the international …
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Ep 238 1984-12-26
Pavarotti at Madison Square Garden
For many Luciano Pavarotti is the world's greatest tenor - certainly his place is assured …
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Ep 239 1985-02-18
My Son the Novelist
Howard Jacobson the eldest son of MAX JACOBSON the Manchester conjuror, made a late but …
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Ep 240 1985-02-25
Painting for Pleasure ... and Profit: Five Artists of the 80s
The artists Julian Schnabel , Markus Lupertz , Sandro Chia , Francesco Clemente and Georg …
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Ep 241 1985-02-27
Marcel Carne
Arena this week presents a profile of the man many would consider the greatest living …
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Ep 242 1985-03-11
From an Immigrant's Notebook: Karen Blixen in Africa
Karen Blixen's voyage to Africa in 1913 was a journey away from the 20th century. …
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Ep 243 1985-03-18
How Glorious is the Garden?
Tonight Arena and Newsnight join forces to mount a major studio debate between the embattled …
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Ep 244 1985-03-25
Old Kent Road
From Chaucer's pilgrims to inter-continental juggernauts, generations of travellers have taken this historical route from …
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Ep 245 1985-04-08
Ligmalion
A Musical for the 80s starring Tim Curry, Sting, Alexei Sayle, Gary Glitter and introducing …
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Ep 246 1985-04-15
Them and Uz: A film about Tony Harrison
Tony Harrison is the son of a baker, and his poetry relishes, and mourns for …
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Ep 247 1985-04-22
Marc Chagall
One of the greatest masters of 20th-century painting died last month at the age of …
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Ep 248 1985-04-29
Watch Me Move...
'America gave to the world two original art forms: one was jazz, the other was …
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Ep 249 1985-05-06
Hugh Masekela: The African Ambassador
Hugh Masekela 's career as a musician has been dominated by his determination to take …
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Ep 250 1985-07-25
The Theatre of Robert Wilson
Robert Wilson is one of the most revered and controversial talents in contemporary theatre. He …
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Ep 251 1985-07-27
Blues Night: Introduction
Tonight Arena presents a cornucopia of the blues from the raw sounds of the Mississippi …
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Ep 252 1985-07-27
Blues Night: Sonny Boy Williamson Sings
Blues Night presents rare footage of the harmonica blues player Sonny Boy Williamson, who gave …
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Ep 253 1985-07-27
Blues Night: B.B. King Speaks
John Walters talks to B.B. King - aided by his guitar Lucille - about his …
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Ep 254 1985-07-27
Blues Night: Chicago Blues
Harley Cokliss’ classic blues documentary includes performances by Muddy Waters, Junior Wells and Buddy Guy, …
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Ep 255 1985-07-28
Blues Night: Blind John Davis
The great Chicago broadcaster and journalist Studs Terkel and pianist Blind John Davis meet in …
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Ep 256 1985-07-28
Blues Night: Blues Medley
This medley of the blues features Fred McDowell, Thomas 'Georgia Tom' Dorsey, Sonny Terry and …
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Ep 257 1985-07-28
Blues Night: Big Bill Blues
Hard blues meets film noir as Big Bill Broonzy sings and plays in a Belgian …
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Ep 258 1985-09-12
Buddy Holly
An Arena Special. Lubbock is a small town lost in the great plains of west …
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Ep 259 1985-11-12
Saint Genet
Tonight Arena presents a unique interview with one of the great figures of 20th-century literature, …
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Ep 260 1985-11-19
The Accordion Strikes Back
What do Charles Dickens , Count Leo Tolstoy , Barry Manilow and James Anderton , …
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Ep 261 1985-11-26
The Cinema of Francesco Rosi
Francesco Rosi is one of the foremost figures in post-war Italian cinema. His films have …
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Ep 262 1985-12-03
The Strange Case of Yukio Mishima
Yukio Mishima was one of the outstanding writers of his generation. Nominated three times for …
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Ep 263 1985-12-10
The Apollo Story: part 1
The list of artists who have performed at Harlem's Apollo Theater reads like a Who's …
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Ep 264 1985-12-17
The Apollo Story: part 2
Harlem's Apollo Theater has been the ultimate testing ground for every black American performer from …
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Ep 265 1986-01-08
Tosca's Kiss
Casa Verdi is a rambling mansion in the city of Milan, inhabited by an extraordinary …
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Ep 266 1986-01-11
The New Babylon
Arena presents the first television showing of a rare and extraordinary classic of the silent …
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Ep 267 1986-01-18
Tango Mio
That most erotic and mysterious of dances, the tango, came to life in the suburbs …
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Ep 268 1986-01-21
Cinderella
From its origins in ninth-century China to its modern incarnation as a Christmas pantomime, Cinderella …
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Ep 269 1986-01-28
The Journey Man
Behind the quiet, gentlemanly exterior of Norman Lewis lies the acute Perception of one of …
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Ep 270 1986-02-04
Go-Go in Washington DC
The home of the White House, the Pentagon and the President is also the home …
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Ep 271 1986-02-11
Marguerite Yourcenar
Novelist, poet, essayist and the first woman to be elected to the Academie Francaise, Marguerite …
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Ep 272 1986-02-18
Louise Brooks
The American film actress Louise Brooks, who died last summer, was one of the most …
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Ep 273 1986-03-04
Kurosawa
In 1950 the Grand Prix of the prestigious Venice Film Festival went quite unexpectedly to …
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Ep 274 1986-03-11
Two Painters Amazed
Critical acclaim for a group of recent art school graduates has put Scottish art, and …
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Ep 275 1986-03-25
Home Front
Don McCullin 's powerful pictures of the horrors of war and deprivation have made him …
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Ep 276 1986-06-14
Caribbean Nights: Caribbean Journey
Linton Kwesi Johnson takes a trip home to Jamaica and files a personal report on …
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Ep 277 1986-06-14
Caribbean Nights: Medley
Calypso from Trinidad's Mighty Bomber, dancing from Nicaragua, Jamaican Bob Marley's 'Could you be loved', …
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Ep 278 1986-06-14
Caribbean Nights: Poetry
The celebrated West Indian poet Derek Walcott joins Linton Kwesi Johnson and Guyanese prodigy Fred …
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Ep 279 1986-06-14
Caribbean Nights: Ska
Out of the archives, a skanking delight from Kingston's Sombrero Club, 1964. Featuring Prince Buster, …
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Ep 280 1986-06-14
Caribbean Nights: The Latin Caribbean
Darcus Howe interviews leading Mexican novelist Carlos Fuentes and Trinidadian historian John La Rose on …
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Ep 281 1986-06-14
Caribbean Nights: Maytime on the Mosquito Coast
Despite the dangers and deprivations of war, the people of Bluefields, Nicaragua, still find time …
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Ep 282 1986-06-15
Caribbean Nights: Calypso and Carnival
Fuentes, La Rose and Howe are joined in the studio by this year's Calypso King …
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Ep 283 1986-06-15
Caribbean Nights: Whicker's Caribbean World
From the BBC treasure chest, Alan Whicker explores the forgotten comers of the Caribbean, where …
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Ep 284 1986-06-15
Caribbean Nights: Latin Sound
Filmed on his recent visit to London, Panamanian salsa star and politician Ruben Blades talks …
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Ep 285 1986-06-15
Caribbean Nights: God's Chillun
A bedtime treat from 1936: the GPO Film Unit present the Caribbean through the words …
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Ep 286 1986-06-15
Caribbean Nights Bob Marley
A portrait of the man who made reggae known and appreciated all over the western …
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Ep 287 1986-06-16
Caribbean Nights: C.L.R. James's First Cricket XI
Born in Trinidad in 1901, C.L.R. James came to England in the 1930s and was …
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Ep 288 1986-06-16
Caribbean Nights: Danzon
In an old church in Havana, the Urfe brothers play Danzones, the first popular Cuban …
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Ep 289 1986-06-17
Caribbean Nights: Rasta and the Ball
According to reggae greats Bob Marley and Burning Spear, football and Rastafari are one and …
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Ep 290 1986-06-18
Caribbean Nights: Arturo Sandoval
Cuban jazz is rarely heard over here. Tonight Arena redresses the balance with a performance …
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Ep 291 1986-06-19
Caribbean Nights: Kapo
'I dreamt there were 72 angels, 72 trumpets, 72 vases of flowers - all things …
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Ep 292 1986-09-07
Henry Moore
Speaking from Henry Moore's own studio in Perry Green, Hertfordshire, John Read shares his personal …
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Ep 293 1986-11-21
Salvador Dali
'The only difference between me and a madman is that I am not mad.' So …
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Ep 294 1986-11-22
The Life and Times of Don Luis Bunuel
Following last night's story of Salvador Dali, Arena continues it's Spanish trilogy with this highly-acclaimed …
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Ep 295 1986-11-28
The Spirit of Lorca
Federico Garcia Lorca, perhaps the best-known and loved Spanish poet and dramatist of this century, …
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Ep 296 1986-12-05
Cambodian Witness
When the Khmer Rouge invaded Phnom Penh, the Cambodian capital, they forced the entire population …
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Ep 297 1986-12-12
Scarfe on Scarfe
In this week's Arena Gerald Scarfe takes a long, hard look at himself. In his …
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Ep 298 1986-12-19
Night Moves
Fifty years ago Basil Wright and Harry Watts' classic documentary "Night Mail" celebrated the role …
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Ep 299 1987-01-02
Dylan
Arena presents Bob Dylan, concentrating on his classic songs and backed by Tom Petty and …
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Ep 300 1987-01-16
Stand by Your Dream: Tammy Wynette
Tonight Arena presents the moving story of the first lady of country music. At the …
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Ep 301 1987-01-23
Night and Day
Night and Day is a 24-hour journey through the streets of London spent in the …
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Ep 302 1987-01-30
Dennis Potter
'You can open your veins on television more easily than anywhere. It's the last stronghold …
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Ep 303 1987-02-06
Martin Chambi and the Heirs of the Incas
Tonight Arena tells the story of one of the most extraordinary photographers of the 20th …
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Ep 304 1987-02-13
The Confessions of Robert Crumb
After Robert Crumb , comics could never be the same again. He came to fame …
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Ep 305 1987-02-20
Ruth, Roses and Revolver
David Lynch , director of some of the strangest films in today's cinema, including Eraserhead …
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Ep 306 1987-02-27
A Brother with Perfect Timing
Abdullah Ibrahim formerly Dollar Brand, pianist, composer, arranger, was bom in Cape Town, South Africa, …
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Ep 307 1987-03-13
Tarkovsky's Cinema
In 1986 Andrei Tarkovsky 's remarkable career in the cinema received the accolade of the …
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Ep 308 1987-03-20
Putting Ourselves in the Picture
Jo Spence 's photography defies definition - her work appears in community spaces as well …
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Ep 309 1987-03-27
How Do You Solve a Problem Like Maria?
What do the following have in common? Maria von Trapp, whose story became "The Sound …
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Ep 310 1987-04-03
Bayan Ko Pilipinas
(Lino Brocka 's Philippines) Lino Brocka is the most influential film director in the Philippines, …
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Ep 311 1987-04-10
Talk is Cheap
What is a chat show - a forum for stimulating conversation and the exchange of …
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Ep 312 1987-04-18
The Waugh Trilogy: Bright Young Thing
Twenty-one years after his death Evelyn Waugh looms larger than ever over the English literary …
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Ep 313 1987-04-19
The Waugh Trilogy: Mayfair and the Jungle
The second of three programmes looks at Evelyn Waugh 's most productive period as a …
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Ep 314 1987-04-20
The Waugh Trilogy: An Englishman's Home
Last of three programmes. When Waugh died on Easter Sunday 21 years ago his friend …
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Ep 315 1987-06-06
German Festival: Joseph Beuys
Joseph Beuys was one of the most prominent and controversial German artists of the past …
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Ep 316 1987-08-05
ScreenPlay: Cariani and the Courtesans
by Leslie Megahey A story of intrigue and romance in 16th-century Venice. Starring Paul McGann, …
🎬
Ep 317 1987-11-20
Revolutionary with a Paintbox
The Arena season opens with a profile of Diego Rivera , considered to be the …
🎬
Ep 318 1987-12-04
Invisible Ink
For 200 years British writers have achieved great success with their accounts of life on …
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Ep 319 1987-12-18
Of Cats and Mice
Art Spiegelman is one of America's leading comic-strip artists. Earlier this year he created a …
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Ep 320 1988-01-08
Woody Guthrie
he legend of Woody Guthrie - the rambling guitar player who discovered America from the …
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Ep 321 1988-01-15
The Dandy-Beano Story
Tonight Arena presents, on the occasion of their 50th anniversaries, a tribute to those great …
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Ep 322 1988-01-22
Broadway - The Great White Way
Broadway is one of the most famous streets in the world. Legendary for bright lights, …
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Ep 323 1988-01-29
Ryszard Kapuscinski: Your Man Who is There
The first of two programmes featuring the work of a major figure in contemporary literature …
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Ep 324 1988-02-05
The Emperor
Arena presents JONATHAN MILLER 'S acclaimed production for the Royal Court Theatre of RYSZARD KAPUSCINSKI's …
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Ep 325 1988-02-12
My Name Is Celia Cruz
The Queen of Salsa, Celia Cruz has been the most adored and dynamic singer in …
🎬
Ep 326 1988-02-16
All on a Mardi Gras Day Part One
Today is Shrove Tuesday, in French, Mardi Gras , and tonight is the night before …
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Ep 327 1988-02-16
All on a Mardi Gras Day: Part Two
Continued from BBC2. From the Toulouse Cafe in the heart of downtown New Orleans where …
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Ep 328 1988-02-26
Kerouac
The novelist and poet Jack Kerouac died in 1969, a chronic alcoholic, at the age …
🎬
Ep 329 1988-03-04
An Andalucian Journey: Gypsies and Flamenco 1
The flamenco of southern Spain is more than music and much more than an exhilarating …
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Ep 330 1988-03-05
An Andalucian Journey: Gypsies and Flamenco 2
The flamenco of southern Spain is more than music. It's the soul of a culture …
🎬
Ep 331 1988-03-18
Robert Mapplethorpe
This month the National Portrait Gallery opens its doors to the controversial photographer Robert Mapplethorpe. …
🎬
Ep 332 1988-03-25
The English Thoroughbred
The English Thoroughbred In the late 17th century the fastest, most elegant racing machine known …
🎬
Ep 333 1988-04-01
Byrne About Byrne
Each season Arena invites a distinguished figure in the arts to direct a film. This …
🎬
Ep 334 1988-10-02
Rhythms of the World: Randy Travis at the Albert Hall
Randy Travis is the hottest new singer on the country music scene today. In June …
🎬
Ep 335 1988-11-25
Ten Green Bottles
Arena's new season begins with a special anniversary edition and a chance to see again …
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Ep 336 1988-12-02
Clint Eastwood: The Man with No Name.
Dirty Harry and the other characters in the Eastwood repertory have dominated the box office …
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Ep 337 1988-12-09
Moving Across the World on Horses
Born in Sri Lanka in 1943, educated in Dulwich and now living in Canada, Michael …
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Ep 338 1988-12-16
History Boys on the Rampage
From Dundalk to Dungannon, Ballycastle to Belfast, Field Day, Ireland's foremost touring theatre company, journeys …
🎬
Ep 339 1988-12-23
The Unforgettable Nat King Cole
When Nat King Cole died in 1965, the world lost its greatest ballad singer. Last …
🎬
Ep 340 1989-01-06
Tales from Barcelona
Award-winning director Jana Bokova presents a typically idiosyncratic portrait of Europe's most fashionable city. An …
🎬
Ep 341 1989-01-13
Blackpool
With more visitors than the whole of Greece and more holiday beds than Portugal, Blackpool …
🎬
Ep 342 1989-01-27
The Tip of the Iceberg
Breasts/bosoms/bust/boobs/bristols/knockers... we live in a breast-obsessed society and 'tits' are by no means the preserve …
🎬
Ep 343 1989-02-03
Laurens van der Post and Albert Sample
Arena presents two films by award-winning director Georg Troller , made for West German television's …
🎬
Ep 344 1989-02-10
New York - The Secret African City
eyond the familiar world of Wall Street and Madison Avenue, there is another New York, …
🎬
Ep 345 1989-02-17
Eugene Ionesco : the Joke's on Us
The absurdity of life has been Eugene lonesco's theme and preoccupation since he wrote the …
🎬
Ep 346 1989-02-24
John Cassavetes
Actor and director, John Cassavetes, who died earlier this month was one of the few …
🎬
Ep 347 1989-03-03
Power in the Blood
Ten years ago, Vernon Oxford turned his back on the bright lights of Nashville and …
🎬
Ep 348 1989-03-17
The Old Brass Plate Rattle Test - the Englishman and his Jukebox
Elton John's jukebox sold at Sotheby's for £16,000. It has come a long way since …
🎬
Ep 349 1989-03-19
Juke Box Jury
Arena continues its centenary celebration of the jukebox with a special edition of one of …
🎬
Ep 350 1989-03-31
Berthold Lubetkin
Born in Georgia in 1901, Berthold Lubetkin is one of the most outstanding and influential …
🎬
Ep 351 1989-04-07
Heavy Metal
Ever since its noisy birth out of the primitive fuzzboxes of the 1960s, heavy metal …
🎬
Ep 352 1989-04-21
The Other Graham Greene
For some 25 years the author Graham Greene found himself the victim of a bizarre …
🎬
Ep 353 1989-10-22
Slim Gaillard's Civilisation 1: A Traveller's Tale
'Look at the clocks - it doesn't matter if they're wrong. Somewhere in the world …
🎬
Ep 354 1989-10-29
Slim Gaillard's Civilisation 2: How High the Moon
In 1938 jazz legend and international star Slim Gaillard went to Hollywood to appear in …
🎬
Ep 355 1989-11-05
Slim Gaillard's Civilisation 3: My Dinner with Dizzy
This week Slim Gaillard cooks dinner for his old friend Dizzy Gillespie. They discuss the …
🎬
Ep 356 1989-12-16
Animal Night: Smashing Pigs
Some people see the pig as representing dirt, sloth and obesity; others view it with …
🎬
Ep 357 1989-12-16
Animal Night: Sacred Elephant
A film version of Heathcote Williams 's epic poem, an impassioned hymn of praise to …
🎬
Ep 358 1989-12-16
Animal Night: Great Wildlife Presenters Through the Ages
The animals in wildlife films have always been vying for attention with that eccentric breed …
🎬
Ep 359 1989-12-16
Animal Night: John Daniel the First
In the 1920s a middle-aged spinster went to buy a yard of ribbon and came …
🎬
Ep 360 1989-12-16
Animal Night: A Day in the Life of Sam the Dog
What does Sam get up to when he's left on his own all day? This …
🎬
Ep 361 1989-12-16
Animal Night: Animals on Trial
Novelist Julian Bames, philosopher Nicholas Humphrey and French historian Dr Michel Rousseau help to uncover …
🎬
Ep 362 1989-12-16
Animal Night: The Animal Night Debate
Speciesism, vivisection, vegetarianism, farming, sport, zoos, circuses and pets will be some of the topics …
🎬
Ep 363 1989-12-27
25 x 5: the Continuing Adventures of the Rolling Stones
The phenomenal career of the Rolling Stones has taken them from being the bad boys …
🎬
Ep 364 1990-01-19
Numbers
So says Gregory Chaitin, one of the world's three leading mathematicians, addressing the camera from …
🎬
Ep 365 1990-01-26
Oblomov
Oblomov is a slob. Even Gorbachev is said to have denounced him from the podium: …
🎬
Ep 366 1990-02-02
Jerry Lee Lewis
This is the story of 'the Killer', the ultimate wild man of rock, from his …
🎬
Ep 367 1990-02-09
Roberto Rossellini
The great Italian film director, who died in 1977, was the founder of 'neo-realism'. Following …
🎬
Ep 368 1990-02-23
Next Time Dear God Please Choose Someone Else
Traditional Jewish humour flourished in adversity. Religious persecution and life in the ghetto nurtured its …
🎬
Ep 369 1990-03-02
Salif Keita
Salif Keita - the golden voice of Mali - is one of the first African …
🎬
Ep 370 1990-03-09
Fred Zinnemann: A Director's Life
Fred Zinnemann, best known for the classic western High Noon, has had a career in …
🎬
Ep 371 1990-03-16
Spike and Company - Do It a Cappella
Actor and director Spike Lee joins actress Debbie Allen on a journey in search of …
🎬
Ep 372 1990-03-23
Peggy and Her Playwrights
Now in her 80s, Peggy Ramsay is the most powerful and unconventional play agent in …
🎬
Ep 373 1990-03-30
The English Rose
The term 'English rose' conjures up a variety of images which fall somewhere between the …
🎬
Ep 374 1990-04-06
Paris Is Burning
They call themselves the 'Children'. By day they are cycle-messengers, assistants in department stores, prostitutes …
🎬
Ep 375 1990-04-13
Dear America: Letters Home from Vietnam
On 4 July 1967, Private Raymond Griffiths was killed in Vietnam. He was 19 years …
🎬
Ep 376 1990-04-15
Havana
Cuba's legendary capital, once a playground for the rich, has an extraordinary faded beauty with …
🎬
Ep 377 1990-04-20
The Princess
Niccolo Machiavelli 's infamous The Prince is a short book about power - how to …
🎬
Ep 378 1990-05-04
The Ten Commandments of Krzysztof Kieslowski
Krzysztof Kieslowski is the foremost director to have emerged in Poland since Andrzej Wadja. His …
🎬
Ep 379 1990-05-11
Le Paris Black
Paris's love affair with the black world stretches from the Cubists' discovery of African sculpture …
🎬
Ep 380 1990-05-18
Kino Perestroika
Tonight's programme looks at the Soviet cinema since perestroika and examines the work of some …
🎬
Ep 381 1990-05-25
The Daily Worker Story
When Lenin told the newly formed Communist Party of Great Britain that its survival depended …
🎬
Ep 382 1990-06-01
Oooh Er, Missus! - The Frankie Howerd Story
Considered by many to be our greatest living stand-up comedian, the incomparable Francis Alick Howerd …
🎬
Ep 383 1990-09-20
Agatha Christie - Unfinished Portrait
This Arena Special celebrates the centenary of Dame Agatha Christie's birth with the first film …
🎬
Ep 384 1990-09-29
The Fever
A new musical, Township Fever, is about to open on Broadway. Written by Mbongeni Ngema …
🎬
Ep 385 1990-12-15
Food Night: Introduction
Tonight Arena brings you an evening of short films and a debate devoted to that …
🎬
Ep 386 1990-12-15
Food Night: Modern Food
Today's hypermarket is an Aladdin's cave compared to the grocery store of 30 years ago. …
🎬
Ep 387 1990-12-15
Food Night: Great Moments in Food History
A salute to four great thinkers. If Rossini had not preferred food to music there …
🎬
Ep 388 1990-12-15
Food Night: The Story of Food in 27 Minutes and 43 Seconds
Food has had a part to play in religion, politics, science and war, and throughout …
🎬
Ep 389 1990-12-15
Food Night: Good Manners
Some lessons in manners from the silver screen - Five Easy Pieces, Tampopo, Oliver Twist …
🎬
Ep 390 1990-12-15
Food Night: What's Kosher?
This film explores the application of kosher dietary laws which have helped to preserve the …
🎬
Ep 391 1990-12-15
Food Night: The Last Supper
Louisiana State Penitentiary recently released a list of the last meals ordered by prisoners about …
🎬
Ep 392 1990-12-15
Food Night: The Complete History of the Potato
With the help of potato experts from all over the world Food Night pays homage …
🎬
Ep 393 1990-12-15
Food Night: I Just Happen to Have One Here I Made Earlier
A chance to sample some favourites from the kitchens of such legends as Fanny Cradock, …
🎬
Ep 394 1990-12-15
Food Night: Movable Feast - the Politics of Disgust
Mealworms served in a cherry tomato, grasshoppers rolled in bacon - these are just a …
🎬
Ep 395 1990-12-15
Food Night: Eating for One
Left to your own devices, what do you eat, when do you eat it and …
🎬
Ep 396 1990-12-15
Food Night: Fasting and Abstinence
As Christmas approaches, time to contemplate self-denial.
🎬
Ep 397 1990-12-15
Food Night: Debate
As the evening's climax, Arena assembles a forum of distinguished politicians, economists, nutritionists, moralists and …
🎬
Ep 398 1990-12-28
Lifepulse - a Natural Thriller
A spectacular musical celebration of life, capturing evolution in all its glorious diversity, and the …
🎬
Ep 399 1991-01-18
Miller Meets Mandela
Nelson Mandela, since his release, has become one of the most famous people in the …
🎬
Ep 400 1991-01-25
Derek Jarman - a Portrait
Derek Jarman is a uniquely British outsider: a painter, film-maker and a self-appointed enfant terrible …
🎬
Ep 401 1991-02-01
Anselm Kiefer : Operation Sealion
Kiefer is Germany's most controversial and reclusive artist. He is also its most successful. The …
🎬
Ep 402 1991-02-08
The Strange Story of Joe Meek
On 3 February 1967, Joe Meek, composer of Telstar and pioneer independent producer, shot his …
🎬
Ep 403 1991-02-22
The Other Roci
Rocky is the name of American artist Robert Rauschenberg's pet turtle. It is also the …
🎬
Ep 404 1991-03-01
Caroline 199 - A Pirate's Tale
December 1990: a rusty ship drifts silently in the North Sea. As the Government and …
🎬
Ep 405 1991-03-08
Staring at the Ceiling
This profile of Keith Waterhouse follows him through his hectic diary. As a columnist for …
🎬
Ep 406 1991-03-15
Three Irish Writers
It has been said that the English hoard words like misers and the Irish spend …
🎬
Ep 407 1991-03-16
One Irish Rover
For more than two decades, Van Morrison has been fusing different musical influences, creating a …
🎬
Ep 408 1991-03-17
The Importance of Being Oscar
This one-man show based on the life of Oscar Wilde was the jewel in the …
🎬
Ep 409 1991-03-22
The Other
Roci Rocky is the name of American artist Robert Rauschenberg 's pet turtle. It is …
🎬
Ep 410 1991-04-05
Kenneth Anger's Hollywood Babylon
When Kenneth Anger first published his classic expose of Hollywood's best-kept secrets and scandals, it …
🎬
Ep 411 1991-04-12
Elmore Leonard 's Criminal Records
Top US crime writer Elmore Leonard 's street-wise characters range from violent hoodlums in and …
🎬
Ep 412 1991-04-19
The Human Face
In the last of the current series of Arena, musical performance artist Laurie Anderson presents …
🎬
Ep 413 1991-04-24
Texas Saturday Night
A show as big as the Lone Star State this is an epic voyage through …
🎬
Ep 414 1992-01-19
The Grass Arena
Brutalised at home and school, John Healy drinks a promising boxing career into the "grass …
🎬
Ep 415 1992-01-23
Billy, How Did You Do It? 1
The first of a special three-part presentation in which American film director Billy Wilder discusses …
🎬
Ep 416 1992-01-24
Billy, How Did You Do It? 2
Second of three in-depth conversations with the film director and writer Billy Wilder. He recalls …
🎬
Ep 417 1992-01-25
Billy, How Did You Do It? 3
Last of a special three-part presentation in which American director Billy Wilder discusses his career. …
🎬
Ep 418 1992-01-31
Masters of the Canvas
When pop artist Peter Blake confessed in a magazine article that his fantasy was to …
🎬
Ep 419 1992-02-07
Oliver Stone
A portrait of the controversial American film director, Oliver Stone, whose work often arouses the …
🎬
Ep 420 1992-02-14
Fatwa
On 14 February 1989 Salman Rushdie was sentenced to death by the Ayatollah Khomeini. Tonight, …
🎬
Ep 421 1992-02-21
Six Degrees of Separation: a New York Tale
In 1983, David Hampton was arrested for pretending to be the son of actor Sidney …
🎬
Ep 422 1992-02-28
The Incredible Case of Comrade
Rockstar Dean Read was the biggest rock star the communist world had ever seen. Virtually …
🎬
Ep 423 1992-03-06
Croatia - the Artists' War
This film asks how the culture of a country survives amid gunfire. Ivan Rabuzin , …
🎬
Ep 424 1992-03-13
Otto Dix : a Tale of Two Germanies
"I'll either be famous or infamous," declared the controversial German painter who died in 1969. …
🎬
Ep 425 1992-03-20
Chi-Chi the Panda
Refused entry to America from China in 1958 because of the embargo on "communist goods", …
🎬
Ep 426 1992-03-27
Armistead Maupin Is a Man I Dreamt Up
Tales of the City first appeared in the 70s as a daily column in the …
🎬
Ep 427 1992-04-03
Last Supper - Frank on Frank
A self-portrait of photographer and film maker Robert Frank. Often called the "eyes of the …
🎬
Ep 428 1992-04-10
A Spanish Odyssey - a Portrait of Javier Mariscal
Javier Mariscal is an artist who cannot be categorised - a designer who thinks a …
🎬
Ep 429 1992-04-17
An Argentinian Journey: 1: The Gaucho and the Pampas
Three films which take a journey through the rich musical heritage of Argentina. The story …
🎬
Ep 430 1992-04-18
An Argentinian Journey: 2: Zamba, Chacarera and Chamame
Three films which take a journey through the rich musical heritage of Argentina. In the …
🎬
Ep 431 1992-04-19
An Argentinian Journey: 3: Pacha Mama - Sacred Land
The Calchaquies valleys in the Andes and the Humahuaca canyon form the most underdeveloped and …
🎬
Ep 432 1992-07-18
Sportswriter: the Fight, the Match and the Race
Few activities in modern life can rival sport for creating excitement, passion and commitment. Arena …
🎬
Ep 433 1992-12-26
Linda McCartney, behind the Lens
In her first television profile, Linda McCartney talks about her life in photography and, with …
🎬
Ep 434 1993-01-08
The Graham Green Trilogy: England Made Me (1904-39)
Arena's 1993 season opens with this three-part exploration of the life and work of the …
🎬
Ep 435 1993-01-09
The Graham Greene Trilogy: The Dangerous Edge (1940-60)
Disloyalty, secrecy and spying fascinated Greene both in his work and in his private life. …
🎬
Ep 436 1993-01-10
The Graham Greene Trilogy: A World of My Own (1961-91)
Last of the biographical films, with extracts read by Sir Alec Guinness. A World of …
🎬
Ep 437 1993-01-15
On the Road with Boggs
In the 1980s American artist J S G Boggs stunned the art world by holding …
🎬
Ep 438 1993-01-22
The Grateful and the Dead
The story of the unlikely and unpublicised relationship between a 60s American rock band and …
🎬
Ep 439 1993-01-29
A Tribute to Dizzy Gillespie
Elder statesman of jazz and a co-founder of the style that became bebop in the …
🎬
Ep 440 1993-01-05
Larry Kramer
One of the world's leading figures in the battle against Aids is not a doctor, …
🎬
Ep 441 1993-02-12
Edward Said: the Idea of Empire
Palestinian writer, academic and exile, Edward W Said takes a journey into the worlds of …
🎬
Ep 442 1993-02-19
The Last Soviet Citizen
For three decades the Soviet Union's obsession with space stirred the soul of the nation …
🎬
Ep 443 1993-02-20
Derek Walcott
An interview with the poet who last December won the Nobel prize for literature, and …
🎬
Ep 444 1993-03-12
Zhang Yimou
One of China's most successful film directors, Zhang Yimou , talks about his life, his …
🎬
Ep 445 1993-03-19
Philip Roth
To mark his 60th birthday, and the publication of his new book Operation Shylock, Philip …
🎬
Ep 446 1993-03-26
Only the Names Have Been Changed
To the innocent reader, the characters in a work of fiction are the author's inventions. …
🎬
Ep 447 1993-04-02
Weegee
Chronicling New York low and high life, Weegee's photographs have often shocked the world. His …
🎬
Ep 448 1993-04-02
Duchamp's Fountain
In 1917, Marcel Duchamp entered a white porcelain object in a New York exhibition. it …
🎬
Ep 449 1993-04-12
Edgar Reitz: Return to Heimat
An Arena special which documents the making of Reitz's second great German epic, The Second …
🎬
Ep 450 1993-04-17
Tales Of Rock And Roll: Peggy Sue
The arts series returns with four films tracing the origins of classic rock songs. The …
🎬
Ep 451 1993-04-18
Not a Bad Girl
Brenda Fassie is South Africa's answer to Madonna. A black singer for black people, she …
🎬
Ep 452 1993-04-24
Heartbreak Hotel
The second documentary in this Arena series telling the true stories behind classic rock songs …
🎬
Ep 453 1993-05-01
Walk on the Wild Side
All the characters named in the song were real people who frequented Andy Warhol's studio …
🎬
Ep 454 1993-05-08
Highway 61 Revisited
Last programme in the Arena series tracing the origins of classic rock songs. This musical …
🎬
Ep 455 1993-12-18
Arena: Radio Night: Introduction
Your television and radio are cast as personalities (played by Peter Cook and Josie Lawrence) …
🎬
Ep 456 1993-12-18
Radio Night: The Seven Ages of Radio: First: the Infant.
Ian McKellen ruminates on the distinct eras of radio broadcasting, characterised as Shakespeare's seven ages …
🎬
Ep 457 1993-12-18
Radio Night: TV Talk, Radio Rabbit What does the voice reveal?
🎬
Ep 458 1993-12-18
Radio Night: The Seven Ages of Radio 2: The Schoolboy.
🎬
Ep 459 1993-12-18
Radio Night: Heard But Not Seen
Alistair Cooke, whose weekly epistle has been broadcast on radio since 1946, explains why it …
🎬
Ep 460 1993-12-18
Radio Night: Back to Square One
The story of early radio's method of broadcasting live football, referring to a numbered grid …
🎬
Ep 461 1993-12-18
Radio Night: The Seven Ages of Radio 3: The Lover.
🎬
Ep 462 1993-12-18
Radio Night: Sunday Dinner
Family Sunday meals conjure up for many Family Favourites, Round the Home and The Billy …
🎬
Ep 463 1993-12-18
Radio Night: The Seven Ages of Radio 4: The Soldier.
🎬
Ep 464 1993-12-31
Radio Night: Pirates
On just one estate in east London there are five pirate stations, battling to stay …
🎬
Ep 465 1993-12-18
Radio Night: The Seven Ages of Radio 5: The Judge.
🎬
Ep 466 1993-12-18
Radio Night: TV Theft, Radio Rip-Off
Does TV steal radio's best comedy ideas? Included in the debate are Frank Muir, Denis …
🎬
Ep 467 1993-12-18
Radio Night: The Seven Ages of Radio 6: The Old Man.
🎬
Ep 468 1993-12-18
Radio Night: The Spot FX Man
Harold Listings, a frustrated radio technician, takes revenge.
🎬
Ep 469 1993-12-18
Radio Night: The Seven Ages of Radio 7: Senility.
🎬
Ep 470 1993-12-18
Radio Night: It's Life, Jim
Nasa scientists are using giant radio antennae to pick up communications from ET.
🎬
Ep 471 1993-12-18
Radio Night: The Time Signal
Dr Carl Dolmetsch finds out why the pips changed pitch.
🎬
Ep 472 1993-12-18
Radio Night: The Two Voyages of Donald Crowhurst
The tragic story of the lone yachtsman and his radio.
🎬
Ep 473 1993-12-19
Radio Night: The Shipping Forecast
Live on TV for the first time, Fisher, German Bight, Dogger.
🎬
Ep 474 1993-12-19
The Next Voice You Hear
Concluding BBC2's Arena Radio Night, a film drama starring James Whitmore, Nancy Davis (later Reagan). …
🎬
Ep 475 1994-01-29
In Search of Oz
An exploration of the phenomenal popularity of L Frank Baum 's famous children's story The …
🎬
Ep 476 1994-02-05
Who Is Vladimir Pozner?
In the 1980s Vladimir Pozner , once dubbed "Ivan the Telegenic", became the second most …
🎬
Ep 477 1994-02-12
The Dark Side of Black
The new stars of ragga and gangster rap - Shabba Ranks, Ice Cube, Public Enemy, …
🎬
Ep 478 1994-02-26
The Ring - a South London Tale
For centuries, bare-knuckle boxing has been going on behind closed doors. Nigel Finch's unusual film …
🎬
Ep 479 1994-03-05
Glitterbug
During the 1970s and 1980s Derekjarman kept a Super-8 film diary, chronicling the cultural high …
🎬
Ep 480 1994-03-12
Theatre without Actors
In 1960 an American film called Primary changed the notion of what a documentary could …
🎬
Ep 481 1994-03-19
Kalashnikov
Seventy million Kalashnikov (or AK-47) guns are scattered across the world. It was the Russians' …
🎬
Ep 482 1994-03-26
Trouble Man - the Last Years of Marvin Gaye
On 1 April 1984 former Motown star Marvin Gaye provoked his father once too often, …
🎬
Ep 483 1994-03-31
Relics Introduction
The idea that power exists in the remains of heroes and the things they leave …
🎬
Ep 484 1994-04-01
Relics: Einstein's Brain
"Move Albert Einstein ," declares Japanese professor Kenji Sugimoto at the start of a bizarre …
🎬
Ep 485 1994-04-02
Relics: Curse of the Firebeetle
A film drama set against civil war in Peru. When Ortiz, a professional graverobber, stumbles …
🎬
Ep 486 1994-04-03
Relics: The Grave Case of Charlie Chaplin
In 1978 Charlie Chaplin 's coffin was stolen from his grave in Vevey, Switzerland, and …
🎬
Ep 487 1994-04-09
Philip K Dick - a Day In the Afterlife
The author of the stories behind Blade Runner and Total Recall grew up in California …
🎬
Ep 488 1994-04-23
Voices from the Island
Robben Island is South Africa's Alcatraz. For three decades Nelson Mandela , Walter Sisulu and …
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Ep 489 1994-04-24
Cindy Sherman - Nobody's Here but Me
Using herself as the model, American artist Cindy Sherman has produced hundreds of photographs exploring …
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Ep 490 1994-05-07
Bahia of all the Saints
Brazil's major slave-trading port for nearly three centuries, Bahia has a black population of over …
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Ep 491 1994-05-20
Sandra Bernhard - Confession of a Pretty Lady
Sandra Bernhard 's outrageous one-woman show deals with many normally taboo subjects and controversy runs …
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Ep 492 1994-08-06
Louise Bourgeois
This Arena special profiles sculptor Louise Bourgeois, who has suddenly become fashionable at the age …
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Ep 493 1995-02-11
The Peter Sellers Story 1
Arena returns with a three-part special, presenting a film portrait of one of the world's …
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Ep 494 1995-02-18
The Peter Sellers Story: 2: Jack to Jacques
The second of a three-part film portrait of one of the world's great comic actors.
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Ep 495 1995-02-25
The Peter Sellers Story: 3: I Am Not a Funny Man
The last of a three-part film portrait of one of the world's great comic actors. …
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Ep 496 1995-08-20
Punk and the Pistols
In August 1975, the face of British rock music was fundamentally changed: the Sex Pistols …
🎬
Ep 497 1996-01-01
The Burger and the King
The passion fans had for his music was matched only by the passion Elvis Presley …
🎬
Ep 498 1996-07-14
Stories My Country Told Me
What is a nation? From Corsica to Kashmir, from Quebec to Bosnia, violent separatist movements …
🎬
Ep 499 1996-12-22
Tony Bennett's New York
At 70 years of age, singer Tony Bennett has been dubbed the King of Cool …
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Ep 500 1996-12-24
Caesar's Writers
The legendary Sid Caesar was one of America's favourite TV stars in the fifties. His …
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Ep 501 1997-01-02
There's No Such Thing as a Small Head of State
On 22 October 1995, for the first time, all the world's leaders gathered together in …
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Ep 502 1997-01-18
Dear Antonioni
A portrait of the Italian film-maker Michelangelo Antonioni , who has directed such films as …
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Ep 503 1997-03-28
Busby, Stein and Shankly - the Football Men: Underground
Sports writer Hugh Mcllvanney presents the first of a trilogy of programmes for the Easter …
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Ep 504 1997-03-29
Busby, Stein and Shankly - the Football Men: Football is the Faith
Hugh Mcllvanney presents the second in a trilogy of programmes about three great football managers; …
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Ep 505 1997-03-30
Busby, Stein and Shankly - the Football Men: The Price of Glory
Concluding the three-part series presented by sports writer Hugh Mcllvanney about three great football managers; …
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Ep 506 1997-12-24
The Banana
Tonight's programme considers musa sapientum, the fruit of the wise. The Velvet Underground's John Cale …
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Ep 507 1997-12-25
Cigars - out of the Humidor
In 1962, before John F Kennedy signed the embargo banning the importation of cigars into …
🎬
Ep 508 1998-04-11
The Noel Coward Trilogy: The Boy Actor
The first of a three-part profile of the writer, composer and actor covers Coward's meteoric …
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Ep 509 1998-04-12
The Noel Coward Trilogy: Captain Coward
The second of three programmes celebrating the life and career of Noel Coward focuses on …
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Ep 510 1998-04-13
The Noel Coward Trilogy: Sail Away
Concluding the three-part Easter special with a look at the last 30 years of Noel …
🎬
Ep 511 1998-05-15
Frank Sinatra: The Voice of the Century
Arena explores the rise of the legendary crooner Frank Sinatra from his early family background …
🎬
Ep 512 1998-05-25
The Brian Epstein Story: The Sun Will Shine Tomorrow
The first of a two-part documentary telling the story of Brian Epstein. Gay when homosexuality …
🎬
Ep 513 1998-12-26
The Brian Epstein Story: Tomorrow Never Knows
Concluding the two-part profile of the pop manager who brought global success to the Beatles. …
🎬
Ep 514 1999-01-02
Cuba Night: the 40-Year Face-off
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Ep 515 1999-01-02
Cuba Night: Eisenhower, Kennedy and Khrushchev: How It All Began
Newsreel footage from 1962, when Fidel Castro's arrangement with then-Soviet premier Nikita Khrushchev to install …
🎬
Ep 516 1999-01-02
Cuba Night: A Diamond in the Rough
Cuba's baseball prowess has been long estabished. Fidel Castro himself was once scouted by a …
🎬
Ep 517 1999-01-02
Cuba Night: LBJ, Nixon and Brezhnev: the Middle Years
Cuba's place in world politics, from mid-sixties to mid-eighties.
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Ep 518 1999-01-02
Cuba Night: The Simpsons: The Trouble with Trillions
Homer swaps jobs with Fidel Castro, who goes to work at the nuclear power plant …
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Ep 519 1999-01-02
Cuba Night: Reagan and Gorbachev: Castro, Cuba and the Fall of Communism
The effects of the demise of the dominant political ethos in the east.
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Ep 520 1999-01-02
Cuba Night: Who Owns Che? The Importance of Not Being Ernesto
Since his death in 1967, the face of Cuban revolutionary Che Guevara has stared down …
🎬
Ep 521 1999-01-02
Cuba Night: The Clinton Years: Cuba Today and Tomorrow
Cuba's relations with the United States in recent times.
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Ep 522 1999-04-22
Salman Rushdie and the Ground beneath His Feet
In Salman Rushdie 's new novel The Ground beneath Her Feet. singer Vina Aspara is …
🎬
Ep 523 1999-11-07
Looking for the Iron Curtain
The Iron Curtain ran north to south through Europe and divided the world for 50 …
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Ep 524 1999-12-20
Casanova
The legendary 18th-century lover has been immortalised in books, films and on television, but are …
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Ep 525 1999-12-24
Blondes - Jayne Mansfield
In 1957, Jayne Mansfield was riding high as the most photographed woman in the world. …
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Ep 526 1999-12-26
Blondes - Diana Dors
This second blonde-bombshell profile focuses on Britain's home-grown prototype, Diana Dors. The Rada-trained actress emerged …
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Ep 527 1999-12-27
Blondes - Anita Ekberg
Perhaps best remembered as the shapely blonde who waded into the Trevi Fountain in La …
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Ep 528 2000-01-02
The Fine Art of Separating People from Their Money
Actor Dennis Hopper plays the eccentric host to this guide to the world of commercial …
🎬
Ep 529 2000-05-20
The Veil
More and more young Muslim women today are wearing the veil, saying that it frees …
🎬
Ep 530 2000-07-02
Wisconsin Death Trip
An edition in the occasional arts documentary strand. Wisconsin Death Trip. Inspired by a book …
🎬
Ep 531 2000-12-24
Clint Eastwood: Out of the West
The first of a two-part Christmas special profiling the Hollywood actor and director Clint Eastwood. …
🎬
Ep 532 2000-12-25
Clint Eastwood: American Film-maker
Concluding the two-part profile of the life and work of Hollywood actor and director Clint …
🎬
Ep 533 2001-05-06
James Ellroy's Feast of Death
The art strand Arena returns with a new seven-part series. Best known for such novels …
🎬
Ep 534 2001-05-13
And the Winner Is ...
There is seemingly no endeavour for which there is not an award, from Preacher of …
🎬
Ep 535 2001-05-19
Budd Schulberg - a Contender
Eighty-six-year-old novelist Budd Schulberg talks to old friend Hugh McIlvanney about his life and his …
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Ep 536 2001-05-28
The Source
Tonight's film dramatises the story behind the leading artists who personified the Beat Generation, which …
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Ep 537 2001-05-30
Salgado - the Spectre of Hope
During the past 30 years the photographic work of Brazilian-born Sebastiao Salgado has helped to …
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Ep 538 2001-05-31
Stalin - the Red God
Joseph Stalin is seen outside his native land as one of history's most deplorable tyrants, …
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Ep 539 2001-10-06
According to Beryl
A one-off film in which author Beryl Bainbridge chronicles the extraordinary relationship during the 18th …
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Ep 540 2001-12-26
Night of Entertainers: Sykes and a Day
Writer, performer and director, the late Eric Sykes was the renaissance man of British comedy. …
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Ep 541 2001-12-25
Night of Entertainers: Drake's Progress
Charlie Drake is perhaps best known as the "little man" taking on the world in …
🎬
Ep 542 2001-12-25
Night of Entertainers: The 1812 Overture in E Flat Major Opus 49
The sketch, first shown in 1967, that took the Golden Rose at Montreux. Drake plays …
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Ep 543 2001-12-25
Night of Entertainers: Max Bygraves - I Wanna Tell You a Story
Since a 1951 breakthrough appearance on the long-running radio series 'Educating Archie', Bygraves has proved …
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Ep 544 2001-12-26
The Private Dirk Bogarde: Part 1
In 1986, Dirk Bogarde burnt most of his personal papers at his home in southern …
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Ep 545 2001-12-26
The Private Dirk Bogarde: Part 2
The second of Arena's two-part film about Bogarde plots his progress to the forefront of …
🎬
Ep 546 2002-05-18
Estonia Dreams of Eurovision
As the 2001 winner, the Baltic state of Estonia, prepares to host this year's Eurovision …
🎬
Ep 547 2002-06-15
Kurosawa: Part One
First in a two-part profile of Japanese film-maker Akira Kurosawa, looking at his childhood, early …
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Ep 548 2002-06-22
Kurosawa: Part Two
Concluding the profile of Japanese filmmaker Akira Kurosawa. International acclaim followed masterpieces like the influential …
🎬
Ep 549 2002-08-24
The Peter Sellers Story: As He Filmed It
Arena revisits its 1995 BAFTA-nominated Sellers trilogy, this time using only film shot by the …
🎬
Ep 550 2002-10-26
Harold Pinter: 1: The Room
This edition chronicles Pinter's East End childhood, his work as an actor, the critical appraisal …
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Ep 551 2002-10-26
Harold Pinter: 2: Celebration
This programme focuses on the relationship between the public and private aspects of Pinter's life …
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Ep 552 2002-10-26
One for the Road
Harold Pinter takes the lead role in the Gate Theatre, Dublin's production of his play, …
🎬
Ep 553 2002-10-30
Politics and Pinter
A 70th birthday tribute to Harold Pinter in three parts. The first section acknowledges Pinter's …
🎬
Ep 554 2002-11-05
The Room
An anxious recluse deals with the pressures of the outside world. A play by Harold …
🎬
Ep 555 2002-12-26
Radio Ha! Meet the Dead Ringers
In a world of mimicry and satire, do the Dead Ringers team know who they …
🎬
Ep 556 2002-12-26
Radio Ha! It's Time for Just a Minute
Not many can talk for a minute without hesitation, repetition or deviation - but, for …
🎬
Ep 557 2003-01-14
I Am from Nowhere
The story of Mikova, the remote Slovakian village where the family of icon Andy Warhol …
🎬
Ep 558 2003-06-12
The Real Jane Austen
Gillian Kearney plays the author in an Arena docudrama. With Anna Chancellor.
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Ep 559 2003-08-24
The Many Lives of Richard Attenborough: Part One
As he becomes an octogenarian, a two-part Arena special celebrates the life and distinguished career …
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Ep 560 2003-08-25
The Many Lives of Richard Attenborough: Part Two
The conclusion to this two-part profile, which accompanies the Attenborough at 80 season of films …
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Ep 561 2003-09-20
Imagine Imagine
The huge and enduring popularity of John Lennon 's song, Imagine, is examined in this …
🎬
Ep 562 2003-11-22
Dylan Thomas - from Grave to Cradle
In the 50th year since his tragic death, author and broadcaster Nigel Williams examines the …
🎬
Ep 563 2003-12-19
Buffalo Bill's Wild West: How the Myth Was Made
Buffalo Bill was instrumental in transforming the Wild West into the caricatured setting portrayed in …
🎬
Ep 564 2003-12-29
Alec Guinness, a Secret Man
The acting career of Alec Guinness spanned more than five decades. Although readily identifiable in …
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Ep 565 2004-05-29
Pavarotti - the Last Tenor
For 40 years, Luciano Pavarotti has been hailed as one of the greatest tenors of …
🎬
Ep 566 2004-07-09
Searching for the Wrong-Eyed Jesus
Country singer Jim White takes a road trip through the rural white American South in …
🎬
Ep 567 2004-10-02
Shadowing the Third Man
Examining the battles between the film's producers, and the demands of star Orson Welles.
🎬
Ep 568 2004-12-09
Remember the Secret Policeman's Ball?
A documentary chronicling the series of Amnesty International fundraising concerts, which brought together a wealth …
🎬
Ep 569 2004-12-25
Painting the Clouds - a Portrait of Dennis Potter
The Potter at the BBC strand marking the 10th anniversary of his death starts with …
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Ep 570 2005-01-02
Dennis Potter: It's In the Songs! It's In the Songs!
How the playwright used popular songs as a powerful dramatic device and to express the …
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Ep 571 2005-01-09
Potter on Television
A portrait of the late playwright, featuring extracts from his work - read by Keith …
🎬
Ep 572 2005-02-05
Hank Williams - Honky Tonk Blues
From Elvis to Norah Jones , Hank Williams 's songs have been recorded more often …
🎬
Ep 573 2005-02-12
Calling Hedy Lamarr
Cited as being the most beautiful star in the Hollywood firmament during the 1930s and …
🎬
Ep 574 2005-03-19
Francis Bacon's Arena
Haunting and ferocious, Francis Bacon's paintings made an indelible impression on art history. His life …
🎬
Ep 575 2005-09-03
Arena at 30
Bob Dylan, Jean Genet, Orson Welles and Francis Bacon are among the subjects in a …
🎬
Ep 576 ★ 8.0 2005-09-26
Bob Dylan: No Direction Home: Part 1
Director Martin Scorsese enlists the help of Dylan himself, Joan Baez , film-maker DA Pennebaker …
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Ep 577 ★ 8.0 2005-09-27
Bob Dylan: No Direction Home: Part 2
Martin Scorsese delicately balances Dylan's internal world with signpost images from the external as he …
🎬
Ep 578 2005-09-28
Dylan in the Madhouse
Surprisingly, Bob Dylan first came to the attention of the British public through his role …
🎬
Ep 579 2005-11-08
The Princess and Panorama
An incredible 22.8 million viewers were agog as Diana, Princess of Wales spoke candidly of …
🎬
Ep 580 2005-12-10
Routemasters! The Double Decker Bus Conductors
Documentary celebrating one of London's great characters, the bus conductor. The film tells the stories …
🎬
Ep 581 2005-12-25
Galton and Simpson
Hancock's Half-Hour and Steptoe and Son - two persuasive reasons for making Ray Galton and …
🎬
Ep 582 2006-11-12
Pete Doherty
A one-off documentary following six months in the life of Libertines and Babyshambles frontman Pete …
🎬
Ep 583 2006-12-17
Saints
The phenomenon of sanctity is examined in a documentary asking what makes a saint, comparing …
🎬
Ep 584 2007-01-01
The Archers
Marking its 56th year on the air, Arena examines the enduring appeal of Radio 4's …
🎬
Ep 585 2007-03-18
The Underground
Documentary about the Tube, the world's oldest underground system, with its own unwritten rules of …
🎬
Ep 586 2007-06-03
Bob Marley - Exodus 77
The year 1977 was a crucial one in the life of reggae superstar Bob Marley. …
🎬
Ep 587 2007-07-13
Encountering Bergman
Examining the life and work of film director Ingmar Bergman , through people who know …
🎬
Ep 588 2007-07-13
Bergman and Faro Island
In his remote home at the seashore on Sweden's Faro Island, Ingmar Bergman talks about …
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Ep 589 2007-07-14
Bergman and the Cinema
Ingmar Bergman examines his cinema career, which began when his first script was filmed in …
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Ep 590 2007-09-02
Flames of Passion: the Other Side of British Cinema
Britain's postwar cinema was not well looked upon by many critics. The melodramas, crime films …
🎬
Ep 591 2007-10-04
The Original Archers
The earliest surviving episode in the BBC archives of The Archers, originally broadcast 11th March …
🎬
Ep 592 2007-10-06
Tribute Bands - into the Limelight
Affectionate documentary that goes behind the scenes of the Limelight Club in Crewe, where for …
🎬
Ep 593 2007-10-06
Tribute Bands - Live at the Limelight
Live performances by tribute bands such as Limehouse Lizzy, Are You Experienced, The Jamm and …
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Ep 594 2007-10-14
Dylan's Folk - the Pure, the Bad and the Holy
A look at the Newport folk festival and the American folk revival of the 60s, …
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Ep 595 2007-10-14
The Other Side of the Mirror - Bob Dylan at the Newport Folk Festival
Murray Lerner's documentary features Bob Dylan's performances at the Newport folk festival between 1963 and …
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Ep 596 2007-10-14
Dylan in the Madhouse
Arena goes in search of the Bob Dylan starring 1962 BBC drama Madhouse on Castle …
🎬
Ep 597 2007-12-24
Ken Dodd's Happiness
A tribute to the Liverpudlian comedian, who turned 80 last month. Here, he discusses his …
🎬
Ep 598 2008-04-10
The Strange Luck of V.S. Naipaul
Profile of the Nobel Prize-winning British writer, VS Naipaul. Filmed in Wiltshire, India and his …
🎬
Ep 599 2008-07-26
Cab Driver
Documentary which gets to the heart of that much-maligned and stereotyped character, the London cabbie, …
🎬
Ep 600 2008-09-20
The Hunt for Moby-Dick
Writer Philip Hoare embarks on an epic journey to investigate humankind's ongoing fascination with the …
🎬
Ep 601 2008-09-21
Whale Night: The Whale in the Museum
BBC4's Whale Night begins with an insight into the the construction of the Blue Whale …
🎬
Ep 602 2008-09-21
Whale Night: Philip Hoare's Guide to Whales: Episode 1: Baleen
Author and whale-watcher Philip Hoare takes us into the world of baleen whales, the largest …
🎬
Ep 603 2008-09-21
Whale Night: Philip Hoare's Guide to Whales: Episode 2: Toothed
Author and whale-watcher Philip Hoare takes us into the world of toothed whales, from the …
🎬
Ep 604 2008-09-21
Whale Night: Philip Hoare's Guide to Whales: Episode 3: Arctic
Philip Hoare follows the historical trail of the whale hunters to the frozen seas of …
🎬
Ep 605 2008-10-25
The Agony and Ecstasy of Phil Spector
Legendary, reclusive and controversial, Phil Spector changed the face of pop with his reverbladen "wall …
🎬
Ep 606 2008-12-24
Paul Scofield
A host of theatrical greats pay tribute to the accomplished actor, who died in March …
🎬
Ep 607 2009-02-14
Tony Bennett: the Music Never Ends
Crooner Tony Bennett reflects on his life with his friend and jazz enthusiast Clint Eastwood. …
🎬
Ep 608 2009-04-03
Cool
Archive film shows how American jazz culture spread across the world in the 1940s and …
🎬
Ep 609 2009-06-06
TS Eliot
The Poetry Season continues with this in-depth look at the life of one of the …
🎬
Ep 610 2009-07-26
Harold Pinter Night: The Birthday Party
A performance of his critically acclaimed 1958 play about a man tormented by two mysterious …
🎬
Ep 611 2010-01-22
Brian Eno - Another Green World
Brian Eno, former Roxy Music keyboardist and a pioneer in ambient music, engages with fellow …
🎬
Ep 612 2010-01-24
Harold Pinter - A Celebration
In June 2009, a group Britain's leading actors gathered for one night only to perform …
🎬
Ep 613 2010-04-04
Johnny Mercer - The Dream's on Me
Documentary telling the story and examining the legacy of Johnny Mercer, one of America's greatest …
🎬
Ep 614 2010-12-03
Dave Brubeck - In His Own Sweet Way
Profile of the influential jazz pianist Dave Brubeck as he approaches his 90th birthday, who …
🎬
Ep 615 2010-12-29
Rolf Harris Paints His Dream
Arena enlists supermodels Lily Cole and Lizzy Jagger and actresses Dervla Kirwan and Emer Kenny …
🎬
Ep 616 2011-04-25
Produced by George Martin
Profile of record producer Sir George Martin, with his wife Judy, son Giles, Sir Paul …
🎬
Ep 617 2011-11-12
George Harrison: Living in the Material World: Part 1
Martin Scorsese's portrait of George Harrison, which traces his life from his beginnings in Liverpool …
🎬
Ep 618 2011-11-13
George Harrison: Living in the Material World: Part 2
Martin Scorsese's portrait of George Harrison looks at his post-Beatles days as a member of …
🎬
Ep 619 2012-01-10
Dickens on Film
An exploration of Charles Dickens's contribution to the history of film and television, using archive …
🎬
Ep 620 2012-02-17
Sonny Rollins: Beyond the Notes
Documentary about the great saxophonist Sonny Rollins, built around his 80th birthday concert, where he …
🎬
Ep 621 2012-02-17
Sonny Rollins '74: Rescued!
Newly-discovered film footage of tenor sax legend Sonny Rollins at Ronnie Scott's in 1974, with …
🎬
Ep 622 2012-03-17
The Dreams of William Golding
An insight into the private obsessions and insecurities of the author of Lord of the …
🎬
Ep 623 2012-03-31
Jonathan Miller
Documentary exploring the life of Sir Jonathan Miller CBE, theatre and opera director, humorist and …
🎬
Ep 624 2012-07-23
Amy Winehouse - The Day She Came to Dingle
Documentary telling the story of the day Amy Winehouse recorded a stunning acoustic performance in …
🎬
Ep 625 2012-10-06
The Beatles' Magical Mystery Tour: Episode 1: Magical Mystery Tour Revisited
The making of The Beatles' controversial 1967 film, featuring previously unseen archive footage.
🎬
Ep 626 2012-10-06
The Beatles' Magical Mystery Tour: Episode 2: 'The Beatles' Magical Mystery Tour
Fully restored and with a remixed soundtrack, 'The Beatles' Magical Mystery Tour comes out of …
🎬
Ep 627 2012-12-22
Screen Goddesses
Documentary about the early female movie stars: Greta Garbo, Marlene Dietrich, Rita Hayworth, Marilyn Monroe …
🎬
Ep 628 2012-12-25
Sister Wendy and the Art of the Gospel
Documentary telling the personal story of Sister Wendy Beckett, who travelled the world telling the …
🎬
Ep 629 2013-04-21
aka Norman Parkinson
To mark the centenary of his birth, Arena examines the glamorous life and exceptionally long …
🎬
Ep 630 2013-10-24
Arena: The National Theatre: Part One - The Dream
First of two documentaries celebrating the National Theatre's 50th anniversary, with contributions from artistic directors, …
🎬
Ep 631 2013-10-31
Arena: The National Theatre: Part Two - War and Peace
Peter Hall, Richard Eyre, Trevor Nunn and Nicholas Hytner talk about running the new National …
🎬
Ep 632 2014-03-20
Whatever Happened to Spitting Image?
Documentary telling the story of the genesis of the satirical puppet show Spitting Image, with …
🎬
Ep 633 2014-04-02
The National Theatre: Learning Zone
Made specially for schools, this version of Arena examines the history and purpose of the …
🎬
Ep 634 2014-06-29
The 50 Year Argument - The New York Review of Books
Martin Scorsese's documentary film charting literary, political and cultural history as per the New York …
🎬
Ep 635 2015-06-26
Nicolas Roeg - It's About Time
Profile of Nicolas Roeg, examining his personal vision of cinema as evidenced in his films, …
🎬
Ep 636 2015-11-22
Night and Day
To celebrate Arena's 40th anniversary, a new film made entirely from its own archive, evoking …
🎬
Ep 637 2016-03-18
Loretta Lynn - Still a Mountain Girl
With contributions from her family and fellow musicians, now in her early eighties and still …
🎬
Ep 638 2016-04-24
All the World's a Screen - Shakespeare on Film
Documentary exploring the rich, global history of Shakespeare in the cinema, with a treasure trove …
🎬
Ep 639 2016-07-24
1966 - 50 Years Ago Today
Documentary marking the year pop music and popular culture ripped up the rule book, as …
🎬
Ep 640 2016-10-23
The Roundhouse - The People's Palace
The tragicomic rollercoaster story of a unique venue, the Roundhouse in north London, which has …
🎬
Ep 641 2017-02-10
Alone with Chrissie Hynde
Arena spends the summer with supercool self-confessed rock chick, Chrissie Hynde. Featuring a glorious live …
🎬
Ep 642 2017-05-21
American Epic: Episode 1: The Big Bang
Series telling the stories of the pioneers of American roots music. The 1920s saw record …
🎬
Ep 643 2017-05-28
American Epic: Episode 2: Blood and Soil
Series telling the stories of the pioneers of American roots music. The second episode explores …
🎬
Ep 644 2017-05-29
Kirsty Young: 75 Years of Desert Island Discs
As Desert Island Discs reaches 75, today's custodian of the island, Kirsty Young, introduces the …
🎬
Ep 645 2017-06-04
American Epic: Episode 3: Out of the Many, the One
The story of the pioneers of American roots music explores Hawaiian music, Cajun music and …
🎬
Ep 646 2017-06-09
American Epic: Episode 4: The Sessions
Today's music superstars use a lovingly reassembled old machine to record in the same way …
🎬
Ep 647 2018-02-04
Stanley and his Daughters
Exploring the relationship of artist Stanley Spencer's daughters, Unity and Shirin, as they try to …
🎬
Ep 648 2018-03-30
Bob Dylan – Trouble No More
A Bob Dylan performance of songs expressing his new-found Christianity in the late 70s, enhanced …
🎬
Ep 649 2018-06-02
Nothing Like a Dame
A chance to hang out with Eileen Atkins, Judi Dench, Maggie Smith and Joan Plowright …
🎬
Ep 650 2018-11-04
Make Me Up!
Multimedia artist Rachel Maclean takes a satirical look at the contradictory pressures faced by women …
🎬
Ep 651 2019-04-06
Unstoppable: Sean Scully and the Art of Everything
A year in the life of abstract artist Sean Scully, one of the world's wealthiest …
🎬
Ep 652 2019-07-07
That Summer
A long-lost film of the creative community formed by Peter Beard, Jackie Kennedy's sister Lee …
🎬
Ep 653 2019-07-28
Cindy Sherman #untitled
A rare insight into the work of Cindy Sherman, one of the world's leading, and …
🎬
Ep 654 2019-09-01
Kusama: Infinity
Documentary profiling Japanese contemporary artist Yayoi Kusama whose work, including her much-visited Infinity Mirror Room …
🎬
Ep 655 2019-09-21
Nomad: In the Footsteps of Bruce Chatwin
When legendary writer and adventurer Bruce Chatwin was dying of Aids, his friend and collaborator …
🎬
Ep 656 2019-09-22
Bergman: A Year in the Life
Documentary that exposes a darker, less well-known side of film director Ingmar Bergman, focusing on …
🎬
Ep 657 2019-09-23
The $50 Million Art Swindle
This feature-length documentary for Arena by acclaimed director Vanessa Engle tells the remarkable story of …
🎬
Ep 658 2019-11-04
A British Guide to the End of the World
Haunting film about Britain and the nuclear age, from the first bomb tests to our …
🎬
Ep 659 2019-11-10
Everything Is Connected - George Eliot's Life
Contemporary artist Gillian Wearing celebrates the legacy of Victorian novelist George Eliot in an experimental …
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Ep 660 2019-12-30
Seamus Heaney and the Music of What Happens
Born into a farming family in rural Northern Ireland, Seamus Heaney became the finest poet …
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Ep 661 2020-03-07
Hilary Mantel: Return to Wolf Hall
Made across six months in the run-up to publication of 'The Mirror and the Light', …
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Ep 662 2020-05-18
The Changin’ Times of Ike White
In 1974, Ike White recorded an album while serving life for murder. The album became …
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Ep 663 2020-06-20
I Am Not Your Negro
Through the words of James Baldwin, this film touches on the lives and assassinations of …
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Ep 664 2020-07-04
Keith Haring: Street Art Boy
The definitive story of international art sensation Keith Haring, told using previously unheard interviews. Haring …
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Ep 665 2020-11-21
Fela Kuti: Father of Afrobeat
xclusive testimony reveals the multifaceted man behind the maverick performer Fela Kuti, who created a …
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Ep 666 2021-03-21
My Father and Me
For decades among the foremost names in documentary, Nick Broomfield has often implicated himself in …
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Ep 667 2021-05-16
Delia Derbyshire: The Myths and the Legendary Tapes
Docudrama portrait of Delia Derbyshire, the electronic sound pioneer behind the Doctor Who theme tune, …
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Ep 668 2021-05-22
African Apocalypse
British-Nigerian poet and activist Femi Nylander travels to West Africa to discover the modern-day impact …
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Ep 669 2021-05-29
Dark Matter: A History of the Afrofuture
An exploration – from Jean-Michel Basquiat to Grace Jones – of how black artists use …
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Ep 670 2021-10-31
Painted with My Hair
How a US lifer survived long-term solitary confinement through a remarkable pen-pal friendship and the …
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Ep 671 2021-11-21
B. Catling: Where Does It All Come From?
An investigation into the extraordinary life and work of B. Catling, an eye-popping insight into …
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Ep 672 2021-11-28
The Vasulka Effect
An Arena documentary about the life and work of video art pioneers Steina and Woody …
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Ep 673 2022-02-13
The Most Beautiful Boy in the World
Documentary that follows Björn Andrésen, the boy catapulted to fame when Luchino Visconti chose him …
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Ep 674 2022-07-25
River
River takes its audience on a journey through space and time spanning six continents, showing …
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Ep 675 2022-09-07
James Joyce’s Ulysses
A hundred years after its publication, this film reveals the tawdry, shocking, poetic, uplifting and …
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Ep 676 2022-10-22
T.S. Eliot: Into the Waste Land
2022 marks the centenary of one of the defining poems of the 20th century, 'The …
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Ep 677 2022-11-27
Kanaval: A People's History of Haiti in Six Chapters
A visually arresting feature documentary, set in the present but which tells the rich story …
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Ep 678 2023-04-22
Little Richard: King and Queen of Rock 'n' Roll
he life and career of the pioneering musician, a black artist who grew up in …
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Ep 679 2023-04-26
The Mysterious Mr Lagerfeld
With unique access to Karl Lagerfeld’s inner circle - many having never spoken publicly before …
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Ep 680 2023-05-15
The Stones and Brian Jones
A look at the relationships and rivalries within The Rolling Stones in their formative years, …
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Ep 681 2023-06-04
All the Beauty and the Bloodshed
A profile of artist and activist Nan Goldin, using slideshows, interviews, photography and rare footage …
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Ep 682 2023-09-15
Coco Chanel Unbuttoned
Gabrielle 'Coco' Chanel transformed women's fashion, a truly revolutionary designer whose influence is still evident …
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Ep 683 2023-11-29
Being Kae Tempest
Poet, rapper, playwright and recording artist Kae Tempest is one of the most viscerally exciting …
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Ep 684 2023-12-25
Caroline Aherne: Queen of Comedy
A celebration of the unique life and talent of Caroline Aherne, featuring unseen photographs and …
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Ep 685 2023-12-26
Mad About the Boy: The Noel Coward Story
The story of Noel Coward, the most prolific writer, director and entertainer of the 20th …
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Ep 686 2024-12-29
Maria Callas: The Final Act
In this new film from Arena, a cast of musical experts and admirers uncover the …
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Ep 687 2024-12-13
Alan Bennett 90 Years On
In May 2024, Alan Bennett turned 90. This film celebrates the life and long career …
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Ep 688 2024-12-14
Loaded: Lads, Mags and Mayhem
Launched 30 years ago, Loaded magazine epitomised the 90s in its irreverence and appetite for …
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Ep 689 2024-12-15
From Roger Moore with Love
Friends, family and co-stars take part in this revealing and entertaining look at British icon …
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Ep 690 2024-12-16
Steven McRae: Dancing Back to the Light
At the peak of his career, acclaimed ballet dancer Steven McRae severely damages his Achilles …
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Ep 691 2024-12-17
My Brain: After the Rupture
The incredible story of broadcaster, journalist, musician and author Clemency Burton-Hill's recovery following a devastating …
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Ep 692 2024-12-18
McCartney: The Hunt for the Lost Bass
The disappearance of McCartney’s original Höfner bass over 50 years ago is one of rock …
First Air Date
1975-10-01
Last Air Date
2024-12-29
Status
Returning Series
Language
EN
Seasons
4
Total Episodes
695
Episode Runtime
90 min
Rating
7.2 / 10
Votes
9
Network
BBC Four, BBC Two
10
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