BBC Documentaries
Season 1997
TV-PG
Documentaries produced by or for the BBC
Where to Watch Season 1997
23 Episodes
- Swing TimeE1
Swing TimeFor all those bored by the general election, this programme reveals the truth behind election night television coverage and reports on the mistakes, the wobbly sets, the internal battles and the fierce rivalry between the BBC and ITN. Some of the most famous faces on TV can be seen floundering in front of the cameras. In a tale of changing times, the viewers have seen the illegible charts of the fifties give way to the slick graphics of the nineties. - Bigfoot Monster MysteryE9
Bigfoot Monster MysteryThe sasquatch has pervaded American imaginations for generations. Many have dedicated their lives to searching for it. Go with a world-class photographer and group of bigfoot experts on the hunt, and find out what it's like to search for the sasquatch. - Hogarth's ProgressE10
Hogarth's ProgressThe 300th anniversary of the birth of artist and satirist William Hogarth is marked by this film, which ties in with a major exhibition at London's Tate Gallery. The engraver of The Rake's Progress might well have recognised 1997 general election issues such as Euroscepticism and sleaze allegations. Andrew Graham-Dixon, chief art critic of The Independent, explores the fascinating world of Hogarth and visits London sites associated with him, including the Painted Hall of Greenwich's Royal Naval College, Smithfield meat market, Soho and Bloomsbury. - Cigars: Out of the Humidor
E11Cigars: Out of the HumidorThe story of the cigar - from the tobacco fields west of the Cuban capital of Havana into the factories where poetry and daily newspapers are read aloud to the workers, to Hollywood cigar bars and the gentlemen's haunts of St James's, London. With the worldwide cigar market growing, smoking cigars is perceived as glamorous and yet this is occurring at a time when it is nearly impossible to smoke a cigarette in any public place in the United States. Cigar clubs are opening up in America despite the fact that Cuban cigars are banned. The film looks at the rituals and traditions of cigar smoking, the history of cigars and famous cigar smokers from all walks of life. With Lord Grade, Kenneth Clarke, James Belushi, George Wendt and Peter Weller. - The Great Storm: a 999 SpecialE12
The Great Storm: a 999 SpecialAlmost everyone who experienced Britain's devastating "great storm" of 1987 has a story to tell. Ten years on, this programme features reconstructions of extraordinary escapes, as well as amateur video and news footage of the millions of pounds' worth of damage caused across the South. Among the stories is that of an elderly couple who survived the destruction of their caravan (some of their neighbours' vehicles were blown five miles away); a boy who describes a supernatural experience worthy of The X Files; and the pregnant woman who couldn't get to hospital in time. However, the prize for the most extraordinary tale goes to the hotel guest who was found lying in bed exposed to the night sky, having slept through the entire roof being ripped off. - The Essential FA Cup FinalE13
The Essential FA Cup FinalIn tonight's special one-off documentary Alan Hansen and Gary Lineker present a tribute to one of the most popular events in world sport-the FA Cup final. On the eve of the Middlesbrough and Chelsea clash, Sir Stanley Matthews , Ian Rush , Sir Bobby Charlton , JimmyGreaves,lan Wright and Paul Gascoigne are just some of the football personalities who recall their own experiences of the big day. - Radio One Night: One #1 Hit WondersE14
Radio One Night: One #1 Hit WondersA celebration of artists who have enjoyed a top-ten hit and then disappeared without trace. Featuring archive footage, interviews and performances by the likes of Renee and Renato, Joe Dolce, and the Crazy World of Arthur Brown. Producer Daniel Abineri Executive producer Tony Moss - Albert Camus: The Madness of SincerityE15
Albert Camus: The Madness of SincerityThe grand themes of Albert Camus' work and life are documented in three chapters: the Absurd, Revolt, and Happiness. His novels The Stranger, The Plague, The Rebel, The Fall and The First Man are all discussed, as well as his childhood in French Algeria, sometimes difficult friendships, role in The Resistance during WWII, 1957 Nobel Prize, his issues with Communism, living in exile in the '50s, and his accidental death at 47. His life is spoken about by the narrator, his sister-in-law, his son, his daughter, friends, critics, scholars and mistresses. The impression is of Camus as a charismatic, flawed, and yet principled man when it came to the task of confronting human existence without conforming. - Joanna Lumley in the Kingdom of the Thunder DragonE17
Joanna Lumley in the Kingdom of the Thunder DragonActress Joanna Lumley embarks on a oersonal adventure, as she retraces ajourney made by her grandparents in 1931 - through the mysterious kingdom of Bhutan in central Asia, one of the most isolated countries in the world. - Cardigans at ChristmasE19
Cardigans at ChristmasA feast of old chestnuts from the glory days of Christmases past with this look at the rise and demise of the Christmas light-entertainment spectacular. This programme takes a look back at Christmas light entertainment shows from yesteryear, with highlights such as Val Doonican stuffing away until he can 'hang loose', Perry Como trying hard not to look awkward around Leo Sayer, and Petula Clark in a crinoline. - Ten Pound Poms The Real StoryE20
Ten Pound Poms The Real StoryIn 1947, the Assisted Passage Scheme began, devised by the Australian government to bring in white British settlers. For just £10, they could start a new life in a sun-drenched land of opportunity, and over the next 25 years, more than a million people took up the offer. The scheme's pioneers tell their story. - How to Be ChancellorE22
How to Be ChancellorAs Chancellor of the Exchequer Gordon Brown prepares to unveil his first budget, Michael Cockerell presents a guide to howto carry out one of the toughestjobs in government. The programme includes reminiscences from seven former chancellors, and archive film on the secrets and stories behind past budgets. - Labour's Old Romantic: a Film Portrait of Michael FootE23
Labour's Old Romantic: a Film Portrait of Michael FootHis friends describe him as the nicest prime minister Britain never had. His critics might remember him as an old romantic who, in 1983, led the Labour Party to its worst election defeat for 50 years. Michael Cockerell 's intimate portrait of Michael Foot reveals a man of many paradoxes - a passionate socialist with unlikely Tory heroes, atub-thumpingorator, and a literary scholar. Featuring contributions from Foot's wife Jill, relatives, colleagues, and close friends (including Spike Milligan ), as well as from Foot himself, who talks openly about his relationship with Tony Blair.
