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All Seasons

Season 1

  • S01E01 Against All Odds

    • June 18, 2005
    • BBC Two

    Documentary which traces the story of Live Aid from its humble beginnings, a pop tune cobbled together in the back seat of a taxi, to the eve of the biggest televised event ever staged on both sides of the Atlantic. Against the background of Thatcher's Britain, one scruffy, fading rock star - Bob Geldof - recalls how he and his motley band of pop idols, rock and roll Del Boys and unpaid do-gooders tried to pull off the impossible - a global televised concert, never before attempted, to save the lives of the starving millions in Africa and force the Establishment to sit up and take the problem seriously. With only weeks to go before the big day, Geldof had no stars on board, no line-up, no broadcaster and no venues - all he had was a date in the diary. The film tells the story of the race against time to put together the biggest event in pop history. Geldof remembers how he blagged, bluffed and lied to coerce the biggest stars of the day, while they - Elton John, Queen, Paul McCartney, David Bowie, U2 and others - recall how they finally buckled under the pressure.

  • S01E02 Rockin' All Over The World

    • May 18, 2005
    • BBC Two

    Documentary telling the story of the day that music rocked the world. Bob Geldof recalls how, after 12 weeks of manic preparation, the big day finally arrived. But would it work, would the punters watch, and more importantly would they part with their cash? Bob Geldof and his team recall their fear of how the whole thing might fall apart at any minute. Stars from the day itself - Elton John, Queen, Paul McCartney, David Bowie, U2 and a whole host of others - remember walking out to face a crowd of 72,000 and a global audience of billions. And those who watched it at home, including Tony Blair, JK Rowling and Helen Fielding, recall how they didn't miss a minute of this extraordinary event.