BBC Documentaries
Stagione 2001
TV-PG
Documentaries produced by or for the BBC.
Dove guardare BBC Documentaries • Stagione 2001
75 Episodi
- Top of the Pops - The True Story
E1Top of the Pops - The True StoryJamie Theakston presents the history of Britain's best-loved music show, spanning four decades of great music and including archive footage of classic performances and backstage antics. As well as interviews with former presenters, such as Jimmy Savile and John Peel, there are also contributions from artists who have appeared on the show, including Pan's People, Robin Gibb, Noddy Holder, Blondie, Holly Johnson, Suggs, Noel Gallagher, Kylie Minogue and Robbie Williams. - Cleopatra: The Film That Changed HollywoodE3
Cleopatra: The Film That Changed HollywoodFeature-length documentary recounting the making of Cleopatra, which starred Liz Taylor and Richard Burton. The 20th Century Fox's 1963 epic film has been called the most expensive film of all time, the biggest ever flop and the film that nearly bankrupted a Hollywood studio, while the scandal of the on-set romance between its two stars caused a media storm. Featuring rare footage, the film's original uncut trailer and interviews with those involved. A Prometheus Entertainment production. - Ravi Shankar: Between Two Worlds
E4Ravi Shankar: Between Two WorldsFilmed over two years in India and the USA, Mark Kidel's award-winning documentary brings together archive footage spanning seven decades of Ravi Shankar's performing life, and provides a definitive account of the late sitar maestro's unique musical career. - The New Romantics: A Fine Romance
E6The New Romantics: A Fine RomanceCulture Club, Spandau Ballet, Visage, Marilyn, Adam and the Ants, Duran Duran, ABC... At the dawn of the 80s, a whole host of strangely dressed men in make-up burst forth onto the music scene brandishing synthesisers and kicking against the visual ugliness of punk. They came mainly from the London club scene, led by gender-bending host Steve Strange and pioneering electronic DJ Rusty Egan, and conquered the charts with classic tracks such as Do You Really Want to Hurt Me, To Cut a Long Story Short, Kings of the Wild Frontier, Planet Earth, Fade to Grey, Calling Your Name and Poison Arrow. Magenta Devine narrates this gay and colourful behind-the-scene documentary of sex & drugs & frocks & hair-rollers, which includes interviews with Boy George, Gary Kemp, Adam Ant, Nick Rhodes, Steve Strange, Rusty Egan, Marilyn, Jonathan Ross, Caryn Franklin, Fiona Bruce and Robert Elms. - Eyes of the Detective: The Murder of James BulgerE8
Eyes of the Detective: The Murder of James BulgerCoinciding with the parole hearing of James Bulger's killers, this program offers a personal account of the murder from the perspective of Albert Kirby, the senior investigating officer. He returns to the crime scene, talks with James' mother Denise, visits a secure unit and talks about the wisdom of releasing the murderers. - The Hunt For The HoodE9
The Hunt For The HoodA look at the expedition leading to the location of the sunken warship HMS Hood. One of the greatest sea battles of World War II ended in the destruction of two of the world's mighty warships and the loss of almost 3500 lives. Sixty years later, an expedition was launched to find Great Britain's HMS Hood and Germany's Bismarck. The Bismarck was discovered on July 9, 2001, 150 miles west of Brest in northern France, and ten days later, the Hood was located in the Denmark Strait in the North Atlantic. - Mine SeekersE13
Mine SeekersUnited Nations statistics show that there are at least 60-70 ! million landmines around the world, and that 25,000 people are killed or maimed by mines every year. This documentary follows the making and trials of a radar-equipped airship which, its makers hope, will revolutionise the international fight against this scourge, and shows how its crew go about their work. Narrated by Robert Lindsay. - When Boxing Ruled the WorldE14
When Boxing Ruled the WorldThis documentary looks back on the golden era of the sport's heavyweight division, which at the dawn of global television broadcasts was dominated by Muhammad Ali. It recalls how Ali's charisma won over the British public, hears from his challengers, and-with Lennox Lewis 's first fight as world heavyweight champion going out live on BBC1 early on Sunday morning- shows how British boxing has developed since his reign. - Get Real ... CasualtyE16
Get Real ... CasualtyFour regular Casualty cast members assume their TV roles for real in this one-off programme which sees Ian - Kelsey (Patrick), Sandra Huggett (Holly), Catherine Shipton (Duffy), and Ian Bleasdale (Josh) thrown in at the deep end of the Royal London hospital's A&E department. - Annie Goes to HollywoodE19
Annie Goes to HollywoodDocumentary following Anne Robinson 's progress as she goes from BBC Watchdog presenter to quiz show host on The Weakest Link, a programme which has also taken America by storm. Exclusive backstage access reveals how Anne Robinson became part of the Hollywood system. - The Oklahoma BomberE22
The Oklahoma BomberIt was the worst domestic terrorist attack in US history - a bomb in Oklahoma six years ago that killed 168 people and injured 500 more. Timothy McVeigh , found guilty of planting the device, was due to be executed earlier today. Donal Maclntyre introduces this documentary about a tragedy that - literally and emotionally - ripped a city apart. - A British Legend - the Search for BluebirdE24
A British Legend - the Search for BluebirdDonald Campbell died when his boat crashed at 300mph on Lake Coniston, Cumbria. For 34 years the crash remained shrouded in mystery, as the wreck of Bluebird lay submerged in the depths of the lake. This documentary follows diver Bill Smith 's four-year quest to find the remains. - There's Only One Madonna
E27There's Only One MadonnaAs Madonna's first world tour since 1993 arrives in London tonight, this film examines her love affair with Great Britain. Friends and contemporaries, including Jean Paul Gaultier , Mel C , Britney Spears, Kylie Minogue and Hearsay, discuss her influence on British art, fashion and gender politics. - Through the Eyes of the YoungE30
Through the Eyes of the YoungFollowing on from the acclaimed Through the Eyes of the Old, director/cameraman Christopher Terrill now turns his attention to the 18-30s who are tackling the world head on. Some are excited, anxious or frightened, but most are determined and still convinced they are immortal. This documentary helps to provide new perspectives on music, sport, drugs, education, love and cyberspace. - A Cruel InheritanceE32
A Cruel InheritanceHuntingdon's disease is the commonest inherited brain disease. Left untreated symptoms involve losing control of mind and body. This documentary follows the fate of two people who volunteer to undergo a brain operation which for the first time offers the chance of a cure. - Cheer for CharlieE33
Cheer for CharlieDocumentary following gardening makeover expert Charlie Dimmock as she swaps water features for the circus ring to transform herself into a flying trapeze artist for a night. But with only a matter of months to learn her new skills from scratch, and a sell-out performance in front of family and friends looming, will Charlie cut the mustard? - Trips Money Can't Buy with Ewan McGregorE34
Trips Money Can't Buy with Ewan McGregorA one-off documentary in which survival expert Ray Mears offers actor Ewan McGregor the chance to go on a trek of a lifetime. The star of Trainspotting and Moulin Rouge rises to the challenge and joins Mears on a trip deep into the Honduran jungle, accompanied also by explorer Dr Chris Begley of the University of Kentucky. After just a few basic lessons in survival, the team set off in search of a lost civilisation. How will McGregor cope with all that the Central American rainforest throws at him? - Paul Daniels in a Black HoleE35
Paul Daniels in a Black HoleOne-off documentary in which Britain's best-known magician tries to hit the big time in the United States. Beginning in Illinois, Daniels must rely on the skills acquired during 30 years of performing to build a new career in just four weeks. - Lions - Spy in the DenE36
Lions - Spy in the DenA one-off special documentary following the cubs of a pride of lions on the African plains. Using "bouldercam" - a remote camera disguised as a rock - the film follows the cubs as they make their journey from infancy to adulthood. Narrated by David Attenborough. - The Walton Girls Come of AgeE37
The Walton Girls Come of AgeIn November 1983. at odds of 104 billion to one, Janet and Graham Walton gave birth to the only surviving all-girl ' sextuplets in the world. As Hannah, Lucy, Ruth, Sarah, Kate and Jenny approach their 18th birthday, they talk about their hopes for the future and their memories of the past. - Big FamiliesE38
Big FamiliesA one-off documentary featuring one summer in the lives of three large families. Featured are the Langleys, who already had ten children and needed a vasectomy reversal for number 11. In the Wells household Grace is expecting her 12th babay, while the third family are juggle to put six of their nine children through private school. - Threads of LifeE42
Threads of LifeThe human genome contains the secret of human life, recording our evolution and holding the key to our future. In this one-off documentary, Robert Winston shows how the genome demonstrates how to build and run a person, thereby offering us the potential to interfere with fate. - ChallengerE44
ChallengerDocumentary recalling the events of 28 January 1986, when the space shuttle Challenger exploded soon after its launch killing the crew of seven outright. The programme includes expert opinion and interviews with Nasa's senior manager at the time, Jud Lovingood , engineer Roger Boisjoly , and Grace Corrigan , mother of school teacher turned-astronaut Christa McAuliffe. - The Life and Lyrics of Kirsty MacCollE45
The Life and Lyrics of Kirsty MacCollDocumentary tribute to the singer-songwriter who died in a freak boating accident last year. The daughter of choreographer Jean Newlove and folk singer Ewan MacColl , she will be best remembered as the foil to a drunken Shane MacGowan on the Pogues Christmas hit Fairytale of New York. Contributions come from her partner James Knight , her mother and brother, and a host of music industry stars, including Bono, Billy Bragg , Johnny Marr and Janice Long. - Fertility TouristsE46
Fertility TouristsA documentary following a small but growing band of would-be parents who, in their pursuit of the child they desire, refuse to be bound by their country's laws, rendering fertility an international business. Alan and Louise Masterton hope to use a controversial technique which can predetermine the sex of a child after losing their young daughter in an accident, while sixtysomething Jenny is seeking help abroad to become pregnant after being refused fertility treatment in the UK. - Little Women - a Day in the Life of the TweenagerE47
Little Women - a Day in the Life of the TweenagerThere is a new generation of pre-teen girls who possess the confidence, sense of style, and to some degree, the emotional complexities of a teenager, but who are aged between 7 and 11 years old. The marketing industry, who has recognised their spending power, coined the term "tweenagers" to describe them. This documentary follows three sets of best friends of this age group, from diverging backgrounds, through an average day. - Positive WomenE48
Positive WomenThere are now more new cases of HIV infection among heterosexuals each year than among homosexual men, and most of the 10,000 HIV-positive heterosexuals in Britain are women. In this moving documentary, three infected women talk openly about their experience of, and ways of living with, the virus. - Magic - Art of DarknessE50
Magic - Art of DarknessA documentary which shows that arcane wizardry is not just the preserve of horror films and Harry Potter novels. For accounts assistant Andrew Stockall , it is a serious pursuit. Over the years he has taught a band of magicians for whom casting spells, conjuring up demons and putting curses on people are all part and parcel of everyday life. - Forgotten Heroes: Korea RememberedE51
Forgotten Heroes: Korea RememberedFifty years ago this weekend, a heroic last stand was fought against the Chinese Army by British troops serving with the UN in Korea. Veterans of the Battle of the Imjin river recall the event and the cruel aftermath in PoW camps. - Are You Captain Corelli?E52
Are You Captain Corelli?As the biggest British film of the year opens in London, this documentary recalls the shocking wartime events that inspired the original novel, Captain Corelli's Mandolin. On the Greek island of Cephalonia, 90-year-oid Amos Pampaloni , who like the fictional Captain Corelli survived the worst military massacre of the Second World War, recalls how German reprisals left 9,000 of his fellow Italians dead. He also talks candidly about his relationship with a young Greek girl. The programme includes contributions from the novel's author, Louis de Bernieres , and the film's director John Madden. Narrated by Sean Pertwee. - America, America - the Films of Ken BurnsE53
America, America - the Films of Ken BurnsA profile of celebrated film-maker Ken Burns, showing as a prelude to the first episode of his epic musical series "Jazz". At his home in the New Hampshire town of Walpole, the man who has been hailed as America's greatest documentary maker talks about his formative influences, his fascination with history and his previous award-winning series, "Baseball" and "The Civil War". - Hajj - the Journey of a LifetimeE55
Hajj - the Journey of a LifetimeDocumentary following several British pilgrims astheyjoin three million Muslims from around the world to perform the Hajj -the annual pilgrimage to the sacred shrine at Mecca. The Islamic faith decrees that every Muslim who has the means should make this epic journey at least once in their lifetime and, this year, more than 20,000 travelled from various parts of Britain to Saudi Arabia for the event. - Ian Botham: 100 Per Cent BeefyE58
Ian Botham: 100 Per Cent BeefyAs an antidote to England's 2001 Ashes defeat, a celebration of the 20th anniversary of cricketing all-rounder Ian Botham 's triumph in the 1981 Third Ashes Test. It offers a profile of one of Britain's most entertaining and best-loved sporting stars, but also reveals how his volatile personality ensured that he was rarely out of the public eye. - Lee Miller - a Crazy Way of SeeingE59
Lee Miller - a Crazy Way of SeeingDocumentary charting the fascinating life and work of Lee Miller , a model for Vogue in 1920s New York who became the only female photojournalist to cover the Second World War. Having given up photography in later life and virtually disowned her own work, Miller's extraordinary archive of 40,000 negatives was only rediscovered after her death. George Melly , David Hare , friends, colleagues and her only son, Tony Penrose , trace the story of her unconventional life through her own remarkable pictures and photographs, as well as rarely seen archive footage. - Fashion Victim - the Killing of Gianni VersaceE61
Fashion Victim - the Killing of Gianni VersaceThe murder of Gianni Versace in July 1997 on the steps of his Miami mansion sent shockwaves around the fashion world. Versace's name had become associated with the best in designer fashion, and he was the couturier of choice for celebrities including Diana, Princess of Wales, Madonna and Elton John. This film, from the documentary strand Storyville, tells the strange story of his life and death. - The Concorde StoryE62
The Concorde StoryIn July 2000 a Concorde crash in France killed many people, bringing its unparalleled safety record in civil - aviation to a shocking end. This documentary tells the story of British Airways' flagship aircraft, showing how it gained its reputation as the last word in luxury air travel, and examines both the human tragedy of the crash and the war of words between the English and French as the accident's causes began to emerge. - The Show Must Go OnE63
The Show Must Go OnA documentary follows Baz Luhrmann , the director of Strictly Ballroom and William Shakespeare 's Romeo and Juliet, as he travels round the world on a six-month promotional tour for his new film, which opens here tomorrow. A colourful reinvention of the film musical, Moulin Rouge stars Ewan McGregor and Nicole Kidman , contributors to this travelogue which culminates in the opening weekend in America. - Cabinet ConfidentialE65
Cabinet ConfidentialA revealing one-off documentary that provides an inside view of how Tony Blair and former prime ministers - including Harold Wilson , Margaret Thatcher and John Major - have run their cabinet, the highest decision-making body in the land. Through candid interviews, rare archive footage and filming inside No 10, presenter Michael Cockerell opens the door to the Government's own chamber of secrets as he seeks the answer to the question: is the notion of cabinet government an obsolete concept? - Police 2001E66
Police 2001Nearly 20 years on from his series Police, criminologist and film-maker Roger Graef pays a return visit to Thames Valley Police to see how the service has evolved against the backdrop of social change. New problems have emerged over the years but, as this documentary shows, the service has responded with initiatives of its own to tackle them. - We Stand Alone Together - the Men of Easy CompanyE67
We Stand Alone Together - the Men of Easy CompanyThe men on whom Band of Brothers was based recall the reality of conflict in the Second World War. With Richard Winters , Fred "Moose" Heyliger, JB Stokes , Darrell "Shifty" Powers, Edward "Babe" Heffron, William "Wild Bill" Guarnere, Carwood Lipton , Robert "Popeye" Lynn, Lester "Leo" Hashey, Robert Strayer , Antonio Garcia and Donald Malarkey. - Profile: The World of Philip Pullman
E72Profile: The World of Philip PullmanIn this documentary, originally screened on BBC Knowledge, author Philip Pullman explores Oxford, where he was a student in the 1960s. The city provided the inspiration for the fictional Jordan College in Pullman's His Dark Materials trilogy. The writer explains how his childhood and student days have fed into the imagined worlds of his books. Critics and literary experts also contribute, sharing their own insights into Pullman's work, including I Was a Rat! and the Sally Lockhart adventures. - Cruikshank: 1,000 Ways of Getting Drunk in EnglandE73
Cruikshank: 1,000 Ways of Getting Drunk in EnglandArt critic Andrew Graham-Dixon reveals a fascinating history of the nation's love affair with the bottle as George Cruikshank 's forgotten masterpiece The Worship of Bacchus goes on show in the Tate Modern. Cruikshank's little known work depicts Victorian society's ambivalent relationship with the "demon drink" and still hits a nerve in contemporary Britain because it pinpoints the moment in our nation's history when going out to become intentionally drunk became the British leisure activity of choice. - The Tories: the Curse of the MummyE74
The Tories: the Curse of the MummyFilm revealing the inside story of William Hague 's doomed attempt to engineer a recovery after the Tories' landslide defeat four years ago. Nick Robinson asks whether Hague's successor, lain Duncan Smith , can fare any better, and if Thatcherism will always loom large over the Conservative Party.