Screenwriter and acclaimed novelist Jeanette Winterson looks back on the iconic drama series Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit, which is being shown again as part of the BBC’s centenary celebrations. She recalls how the production came together, what it was like working with cast and crew, and explains why she believes it stands the test of time and remains relevant to this day.
Bernard Hill remembers Boys from the Blackstuff, Alan Bleasdale’s iconic drama, which was once described as ‘TV’s most complete dramatic response to the Thatcher era’. Hill’s performance as Yosser Hughes, with his ‘Gizza job’ catchphrase, captured the public’s imagination in a way that few roles have since. Here he looks back on how he got the part, why it struck such a chord, and what audiences should take from ‘Blackstuff’ today.
Colin Baker looks back on one of his earliest TV roles and discusses the significance of acclaimed 13-part drama series 'The Roads to Freedom', which is being shown on television for the first time since 1977 as part of the BBC’s centenary celebrations. Based on the novels by Jean-Paul Sartre and set in Nazi-occupied France, it has been described as an amazing, potent and subversive viewing experience, that saw taboos broken with every weekly broadcast. That assessment can now be tested by first-time viewers, as well those who saw it at the time and who have long campaigned for the BBC to screen it again.
Writer Hanif Kureishi looks back on how his semi-autobiographical novel The Buddha of Suburbia became one of the defining BBC dramas of the 1990s. He discusses the ways in which it set new standards in representing multicultural Britain, the importance that humour plays in pushing forward serious ideas, and what it was like working with his musical hero, after David Bowie unexpectedly suggested that he write the soundtrack.
Actor Vivien Heilbron and director Moira Armstrong look back on the 1971 BBC Scotland drama Sunset Song, based on Lewis Grassic Gibbon's classic novel. Together, the friends discuss how their collaboration worked and the pressures of filming nude scenes, arguing over accents and working with animals. The pair also consider why Sunset Song was such a significant production and the legacy it has left behind.
To mark the rescreening of Our Friends in the North, as part of the BBC’s centenary celebrations, Christopher Eccleston looks back on Peter Flannery’s acclaimed 1996 drama. Following the lives of four friends from Newcastle over a period of three decades, the series struck a chord with the nation’s viewers and turned its young cast into household names. In this introduction to the series, Eccleston shares behind-the-scenes stories of how the drama was made and assesses the impact it had on audiences, himself and his fellow cast members.
Kenneth Branagh looks back on his experiences working on the first major production of his career: Graham Reid’s Billy Plays trilogy. The three Play for Today dramas won great praise for the way they captured ordinary working class lives in Belfast, set against the backdrop of The Troubles. The acclaim Branagh received for his portrayal of big-hearted, hot-headed Billy got his career off to a perfect start. He gives his perspective on why the drama was so well-received, recalls working with his fellow cast, and casts an experienced, critical eye over his own youthful performance.
Actor David Harewood shares his impressions of John Elliot’s game-changing 1956 BBC drama, which explored the challenges and racism encountered by Windrush immigrants from the West Indies, who had come to Britain after being promised work and a secure future. David discusses the impact A Man From the Sun still holds today, the performances of cast members Errol John, Cy Grant and Earl Cameron, and the context and attitudes of a decade that saw the BBC bring viewers issue-led dramas like this while at the same time creating series such as The Black and White Minstrels.
Award-winning actress Siân Phillips takes a look back at the BBC’s landmark 1975 adaptation of Richard Llewellyn’s classic novel How Green Was My Valley. Siân’s role as Beth, the matriarch and heart of the Morgan family, was crucial to this portrayal of a traditional Welsh mining community during a time of huge upheaval. She recalls how the production came together and what it was like working with her fellow cast, including Welsh icon Stanley Baker in what would be one of his final roles. As well as some of her favourite personal memories, she also considers the drama’s legacy and explores how it has stood the test of time.
Author, politician and member of the House of Lords Michael Dobbs looks back on the TV drama that had 90s Britain hooked on political intrigue and infighting. Based on his best-selling novel, the BBC adaptation of House of Cards introduced television viewers to Francis Urquhart, the chief whip pulling the strings as a Conservative government experiences a leadership crisis that sees reputations and lives destroyed. Lord Dobbs considers the seductive appeal of Urquhart and how Ian Richardson’s portrayal of the character helped him instantly become one of the great TV villains. He also recalls how the very week that the BBC first broadcast House of Cards coincided with a real-life political meltdown as Margaret Thatcher was forced from office, and the fact that the latest screening comes after some of the biggest political upsets for decades. Coincidence? To quote Urquhart himself: ‘You might think that... I couldn’t possibly comment.’
Alison Steadman looks back at Dennis Potter’s The Singing Detective, hailed as one of the most important and influential TV dramas ever made, and once described by Stephen King as ‘television’s Citizen Kane’. From memories of happy times working with leading man Michael Gambon, and the pride of being involved in a piece that got the whole nation talking, to the stresses of being caught up in the controversy surrounding her character’s notorious outdoor sex scene, Alison brings her unique perspective to a series she ranks amongst her favourites.
Considered one of the finest TV adaptations of a novel ever made for television, BBC Scotland’s The Crow Road was first broadcast in 1996, four years after the publication of Iain Banks’s acclaimed bestseller. Here, actor Joe McFadden, who played the central role of Prentice McHoan, looks back on the series that had 90s audiences hooked, and discusses his work alongside an impressive cast that included Bill Paterson, Dougray Scott and Peter Capaldi as Prentice’s mysterious missing Uncle Rory.
Wolf Hall, one of the most critically acclaimed television dramas of recent years, was based on the first two of the late Hilary Mantel’s Thomas Cromwell novels and brought together a stellar cast that included Mark Rylance as Cromwell, Claire Foy as Anne Boleyn and Damien Lewis as King Henry VIII. Director Peter Kosminsky looks back on the making of the drama, with anecdotes and insights into his working with the cast, the joy of collaborating with Mantel herself, and his determination to honour her legacy with the adaptation of the final chapter in Cromwell’s story, The Mirror and the Light.
It’s a trip down rock 'n' roll’s memory lane for Richard Wilson as he recalls his role as manager of The Majestics in John Byrne’s 1987 acclaimed TV drama series Tutti Frutti. When it first hit our television screens, the series was instantly hailed as a modern classic that thrust many of its cast into the mainstream and transformed the career of leading man – and Majestics frontman – the late, great Robbie Coltrane. Here, Richard looks back on his own experience on the series, recalls what it was like being part of the Tutti Frutti success story, and remembers of course what it was like working alongside Robbie on a programme they both loved.
Michael Jayston played George Smiley’s right-hand man Peter Guillam in the BBC’s acclaimed 1979 adaptation of John le Carré’s classic spy tale. As part of the BBC’s Centenary of Drama, and over four decades on, Michael now looks back on the experience, recalling what it was like working on what is still considered one of the best television series ever made, and how he held his own acting alongside one of the finest acting talents of the 20th century, the great Sir Alec Guinness.
Double Oscar winner Glenda Jackson remembers the role that brought her back to television after the huge success she had found on the big screen – Queen Elizabeth I in the BBC’s acclaimed six-part 1971 series Elizabeth R. Here, Glenda recalls how she came to have huge admiration for the real-life Elizabeth, discovering so much more about her life and loves as she prepared to take on the role. She also describes the challenges faced when making an epic drama, and the struggles with costumes, make-up and wigs that eventually saw her having her own head shaved for the sake of ease and accuracy.
Actor Duncan Preston introduces Victoria Wood's comedy drama about two ill-matched sisters.
Stephen Poliakoff introduces his drama about an unexpected pact between two women.
Gyles Brandreth remembers the comedy and musical duo Hinge and Bracket.
Alan Bennett remembers his 1983 television drama, based on the true story of a chance meeting in Moscow between actress Coral Browne and British defector Guy Burgess.
Zoë Wanamaker remembers the 1982 BBC adaptation of Bertolt Brecht’s first play, Baal, in which she appeared with David Bowie.
It’s now 50 years since we first met and fell for accident-prone Frank Spencer and his long-suffering wife Betty in the very first episode of Some Mothers Do ‘Ave ‘Em. In all that time, actors Michael Crawford and Michele Dotrice have never sat down together to discuss the programme - until now. Here, we find them reunited and looking back on one of Britain’s most-loved sitcoms, and the parts they both played in its creation. They reveal how they came to be cast, what it was like to film the series, celebrated stunts and all, the impact the show’s phenomenal success had on their lives and careers, and the point at which they knew it was time to stop. It’s a conversation glowing with Michael and Michele’s affection for the series and for each other, and fans should find it as enjoyable as its stars clearly have done.
Novelist William Boyd looks back on his long friendship with fellow writer Martin Amis, who died in May 2023 at the age of 73. Boyd’s focus is on what many consider to be Martin’s most successful work, 1984’s Money, which introduced readers to the hedonistic would-be film-maker John Self. The character would be portrayed by actor Nick Frost in the BBC’s dramatisation of the novel in 2010, and here Boyd also discusses the challenges of screen adaptation generally, and why bringing Amis’s work to the small screen was always going to be particularly challenging.
Sir Derek Jacobi remembers the landmark 1976 TV series I, Claudius.
Award-winning documentary maker Michael Cockerell is a master of the political profile, with a reputation for uncovering the human side of the men and women of Westminster and for really getting under the skin of the great, the good and the not-so-good who have governed postwar Britain. Here, Michael looks back on one of the most challenging encounters of his long career and recounts what it was like dealing with former Conservative prime minister Edward Heath, the man who took us into the European Union but wanted us all to keep very much out of his private life.
Contains some upsetting scenes. When the BBC’s long-running Silent Witness first combined doctors, DNA and detective work back in 1996, nobody could have known that the show that changed the way death was examined in a crime drama would itself be alive and thriving well over 25 years later. Fundamental to that longevity was Amanda Burton, whose portrayal of the show’s original lead character Dr Sam Ryan helped establish the early success of the series. Here, Amanda takes a scalpel to the show’s early days, remembers what it was like playing Sam for eight years and shares her thoughts on how and why Silent Witness became the television institution that it remains today.
Acclaimed political profiler Michael Cockerell tells the story behind his encounter with one of the grand dames of Westminster, the formidable Labour MP Barbara Castle. A female icon of the left, Castle stood out from the herd thanks to her unique charisma, steely nature and her ability to leave members of the opposition, let alone the opposite sex, completely tongue-tied. In her conversations with Michael she speaks openly about the two great love affairs of her life, and the man she was currently keeping an intimidating watch over, the newly elected Labour leader Tony Blair.
Line of Duty writer Jed Mercurio looks back on the first drama he wrote and the start of his extraordinary journey from junior doctor to award-winning TV showrunner. The acclaimed 1994 series 'Cardiac Arrest' featured a cast of then unknown actors, including future Friends star Helen Baxendale, and captured the realities of life working on a hospital ward in 90s Britain. Jed recalls what motivated him to become more than just a series advisor to the point where he ended up taking over script-writer duties; the controversy around the series that saw even the then Health Secretary getting involved, and the real-life stresses he's experienced as a doctor that made their way into the scripts.
Political interviewer Michael Cockerell introduces his acclaimed profile of Roy Jenkins, the man who, as home secretary in the 1960s, helped transform British society by changing laws on homosexuality, abortion and hanging. As Michael explains, his research for the original documentary would confirm rumours of Jenkins’s extra-marital affairs, and he reveals how ‘Woy’ responded when asked on camera to confirm the details of his colourful love-life.
David Tennant looks back on the role he time-travelled into after leaving the Tardis, playing Hamlet in Greg Doran’s award-winning 2008 production for the Royal Shakespeare Company. David’s portrayal was described at the time as ‘athletic, and immensely engaging’, full of ‘vigour and wild humour’ and ‘the best great Dane in years’. Here, he talks about his approach to the part, performing opposite Patrick Stewart, who played the role of Claudius, and the reaction he got when the production became a hit with BBC audiences when it was screened on Boxing Day 2009.
Dame Janet Suzman looks back on her role as Joan of Arc in the BBC adaptations of Shakespeare’s Wars of the Roses. Under the direction of John Barton and Peter Hall at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre, Janet delivered a highly acclaimed performance, and here she recalls the challenges she faced playing a figure as iconic as Joan. She explains how these groundbreaking productions brought a modern relevance to conflict between the Houses of York and Lancaster and shares memories of working with fellow cast members, including Donald Sinden and the great Peggy Ashcroft.
Gregory Doran, former artistic director of the Royal Shakespeare Company, looks back on the challenges he faced bringing together a cast of acclaimed actors and even members of the royal family for his 2016 live BBC extravaganza marking 400 years since the death of William Shakespeare. Gregory explains how he managed to pull off the project and recalls the journey that transformed early ideas into to a huge popular success that resonated with critics and television viewers alike. He also shares his memories of working with the likes of David Tennant, Catherine Tate and a host of acclaimed Shakespeareans, and explains why he thinks the Bard remains so relevant even today.
Actor Simon Russell Beale looks back on the The Hollow Crown, the BBC’s 2012 adaptations of the most vital of Shakespeare’s history plays: Richard II, Henry IV Part 1, Henry IV Part 2 and Henry V. Bringing together a stellar cast that includes Ben Whishaw, Jeremy Irons, Judi Dench, Hugh Bonneville and Sophie Okonedo, The Hollow Crown drew huge praise from critics, and Simon’s acclaimed performance in the role of Falstaff ultimately earned him a Bafta award for Best Supporting Actor. Here, Simon shares his behind-the-scenes insights into how the production came together, his memories of working with his fellow actors and the challenge of bringing Shakespeare to life for a 21st-century television audience.
Actors Damian Lewis and Matthew Macfayden and director Peter Kosminsky reunite to look back on 1999’s BBC drama Warriors and the roles that first set Lewis and Macfayden on the road to international success. The acclaimed series examined the role of British soldiers working as UN peacekeepers in Bosnia, confronting the moral realities of war and the horrors of ethnic cleansing. Damian, Matthew and Peter share the stories behind the making of the programme, from casting process to location filming, and how cast and crew let off steam to help deal with the harrowing storylines. They also discuss the critical response, how the series stands up today and why, for all three of them, Warriors remains a career highlight even over two decades later.
Hugh Quarshie looks back on his highly praised interpretation of Othello in the Royal Shakespeare Company’s 2015 production, directed by Iqbal Khan. He considers the extra responsibility a black actor must take on with a role that for centuries was played only by white performers wearing make-up. He recalls how he made the decision to join the cast after years of turning the play down and examines the frequently asked question ‘Is Othello a racist play?’, drawing on his experiences playing the Moor of Venice for his own conclusion.
Dame Helen Mirren looks back on one of her earliest television roles, filmed before she’d become a household name and international star, playing Rosalind in the BBC’s 1978 production of the Shakespeare comedy As You Like It. She shares her thoughts on the potential that As You Like It’s playing with gender could have for today’s audiences, reflects on the quality of the roles Shakespeare wrote for women and explains why she thinks the Bard will be as significant in 100 years’ time as he is today.
Actress Margi Clarke looks back on the BBC’s popular 1980s comedy drama series Making Out, written by Debbie Horsfield. Acclaimed for being a celebration of working women in the north of England, the series followed the ups and downs of life on the factory floor at the fictional New Lyne Electrics building in Manchester. Margi returns to the hotel where the cast and crew stayed while filming, reveals a selection of behind-the-scenes stories and shares her memories of playing Queenie, the brassy blonde who took no nonsense from the bosses while taking everything she could get from the system.
In 1964, a young Steven Berkoff was cast in one of his earliest screen roles, as a junior player in Hamlet in Elsinore, a BBC co-production with Danish television. Shot in Denmark by director Philip Saville, it starred Christopher Plummer as Hamlet and Michael Caine, in his only Shakespeare role, as Horatio. Here, Berkoff shares his memories of the production and how he got involved, gives his verdict on how the film stands up today, and describes - as only he can - the excitement and inspiration he felt from watching Plummer and Caine at work.
Award-winning director and screenwriter Sir Richard Eyre looks back on his 2018 production of King Lear, which garnered huge critical acclaim upon its release and drew together a stellar cast that included Anthony Hopkins, Emma Thompson, Emily Watson, Jim Broadbent and the then up-and-coming talent of Florence Pugh. Eyre looks back on the challenges he faced when directing such a multitude of star names and the pressures that a screenwriter takes on when choosing to adapt one of the greatest stage plays of all time to the big screen.
Dame Siân Phillips looks back on Dylan Thomas’s Under Milk Wood and her own experiences with the various adaptions that have brought perhaps the world’s most celebrated ‘play for voices’ to cinema and television audiences. She recalls the BBC’s 2014 version that brought together a huge range of Welsh talent, including Tom Jones, Matthew Rhys, Charlotte Church, Michael Sheen and Katherine Jenkins. She also looks further back, sharing the story of her encounters with Dylan Thomas and her part in the 1972 film, which saw her working alongside the great Richard Burton, his wife Elizabeth Taylor and her then-husband Peter O’Toole.
The groundbreaking director, photographer and artist Sir Horace Ové, who died in 2023 aged 86, was best known for his unique work exploring Britain's black culture, using drama and documentary to examine a section of society that was largely overlooked by the mainstream media. The life and career of this true pioneer are remembered by his actor daughter Indra Ové, in a conversation that outlines his commitment to storytelling as seen in his acclaimed 1979 film A Hole in Babylon.
Ricky Tomlinson sits back in his chair and takes a fond look back at the much-loved comedy series The Royle Family, sharing his memories of playing head of the family Jim Royle and his experiences working with the show’s co-creator Caroline Aherne, who, as well as writing the show with co-star Craig Cash, also played Jim’s daughter Denise. Ricky talks about how a chance encounter helped him get the part of Jim, recounts what it was like filming some of the show’s most iconic moments, and tries to get the bottom of the origins of Jim’s famous, below-the-belt catchphrase.
Renowned ballet dancer Dame Darcey Bussell introduces us to a gem from the BBC’s dance archives, The Magic of Dance, which was first transmitted in 1979 to great acclaim and is presented by celebrated ballet dancer, the unforgettable Margot Fonteyn. Darcey describes her favourite moments of the series, including a tap masterclass with the ever-cool Sammy Davis Jr, a beautiful routine by celebrated Latvian dancer Mikhail Baryshnikov and a glimpse of pioneer of modern dance Isadora Duncan.
Penelope Keith casts an affectionate eye back on the much-loved sitcom To the Manor Born and her role as upper-class Audrey fforbes-Hamilton, who finds herself down on her luck and forced to change her circumstances and home after the death of her husband. Penelope tells the story behind how the comedy came into being, what it was like working with fellow cast members Angela Thorne and Peter Bowles, and the challenges she faced taking on a new role after the huge success she’d enjoyed playing Margo in The Good Life.
A truth universally acknowledged is that screenwriter Andrew Davies is one of television’s great ‘adapters’, and here he discusses one of his most successful literary challenges and how he turned Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice into the costume drama series that had a whole nation of viewers gripped. Andrew looks back on how he first approached the novel, describes his processes and explains how he came to make Colin Firth’s Mr Darcey take a swim in a lake without taking his shirt off, thereby creating one of television’s most iconic scenes.
Orson Welles was the genius who changed the face of cinema with his 1941 directorial debut, Citizen Kane, and who became one of the key artistic figures of the 20th century – a great raconteur as well as a great artist, and larger than life in every sense. In 1982, Welles was the focus of a two-part BBC documentary that told the story of his life, The Orson Welles Story, and here, its producer, Alan Yentob, looks back on his encounters with this giant of a man, telling the tale of their behind-the-scenes dealings and explaining why he believes Welles’s legacy is still significant today and why he will always deserve his reputation as a genius of cinema.
In 1965, a young Waris Hussein was perhaps the only experienced Indian director working in British television and was horrified when he discovered that the BBC was planning a TV adaptation of EM Forster’s A Passage to India without him at the helm. As luck would have it, a twist of fate meant he did end up in the director’s chair. Waris shares fond memories of his experiences, describing the filming challenges involved in portraying a true sense of India, recalling what it was like working with a stellar cast that included the likes of Dame Sybil Thorndike, Cyril Cusak and Virginia McKenna, and outlining the pressure to do full justice to one of the great novels of the 20th century.
As BBC Four marks the 50th anniversary of the classic film comedy ‘Blazing Saddles’, Alan Yentob looks back on his experiences working with the great Mel Brooks, recently presented with an Honorary Oscar in recognition of a boundary-breaking career that shocked audiences, but always left them laughing too. Here Alan reflects on what it was like being a producer encountering the comic genius who created ‘The Producers’ and how his and Mel’s working relationship quickly developed into something that one newspaper critic once described as nothing less than a love story.
Claire Bloom introduces a rare screening of the BBC’s 1961 adaptation of Anna Karenina, in which she delivers one of her own personal favourite performances, playing Tolstoy’s tragic heroine. Claire recalls the challenges involved in bringing 'the world’s greatest novel' to the small screen, assesses how successfully the drama captured Anna’s tale and shares her memories of acting opposite a relatively unknown co-star called Sean Connery, who was cast as Anna’s charismatic lover, Vronsky, not long before James Bond turned him into an international superstar.
National treasure Miriam Margolyes looks back on her role in the BBC’s 1995 adaptation of one of the much-loved jewels of 20th-century British literature, Stella Gibbons’s 1930s comic classic, Cold Comfort Farm. Directed by John Schlesinger, who won an Oscar for Midnight Cowboy, the drama brought together an impressive ensemble cast that included Ian McKellen, Eileen Atkins, Joanna Lumley, Stephen Fry and two up-and-coming stars, Kate Beckinsale and Rufus Sewell. Having only watched the drama for the first time recently, Miriam delivers a typically forthright assessment on how she thinks it turned out, critiques the performances of her fellow cast members and shares some fond memories of the overall filming experience.
Alan Yentob shares the fascinating story of how the 1974 broadcast of the great Ella Fitzgerald singing in Ronnie Scott’s nightclub came about. In a tale of tenacity combined with new camera technology, Alan recounts how, as a young TV producer, he managed to persuade Ella’s manager to let the BBC film Ella in full flight at London’s home of jazz, capturing forever what is now considered to be a performance of true musical significance.
Actors William Gaunt and Marcia Warren reunite for a look back at No Place Like Home, the BBC sitcom that ran from 1983 to 1987, and which made them two of the most popular TV stars of the day. William played Arthur Crabtree, a father of four who is looking forward to the freedom of having his children finally leave home, now struggling to come to terms with the realisation that their fleeing the nest seems increasingly unlikely to ever happen. Marcia was the Crabtree’s nosey, noisy and animal-obsessed neighbour Vera Botting – another fly in Arthur’s ointment. Off screen, William and Marcia were firm friends, who now come together to remember their experiences of making the series and share some fond memories of life behind the scenes on a hit TV comedy.
Acclaimed screenwriter Paul Abbott tells the story behind the creation of his 2000 Bafta-winning drama series Clocking Off, which ran for four series until 2003. Set in a Manchester textile factory, each episode focused on the home life, relationships and struggles of a different individual character. The series was notable for its incredible casting, featuring an ensemble of some of the biggest stars of the day and an impressive selection of young actors who would go on to become some of television’s most recognisable faces. Among a long list of acting talent were the likes of Sarah Lancashire, Siobhan Finneran, Christopher Eccleston, John Simm, Philip Glenister, Maxine Peake, Diane Parish, Lesley Sharp and Sophie Okonedo. Paul looks back on how he and the team managed to bring them together with a collection of stories that captured the experiences of the north of England at the turn of the century, and made for truly compelling viewing.
Siân Phillips is joined by directors Moira Armstrong and Waris Hussein to look back on the 1974 drama series Shoulder to Shoulder, which told the story of the Pankhurst family and the birth of the women’s suffrage movement. Over six episodes, the series followed the challenges that faced the Pankhursts as they launched the fight for women's right to vote. Siân took on the key role of matriarch Emmeline Pankhurst, while Moira and Waris shared directing responsibilities. The trio recall the challenges they themselves faced bringing this crucial slice of British history to life and doing justice to the story of the struggle. They also share fond memories of working with one of the key figures behind the series’ success, acclaimed BBC producer Verity Lambert.
Mary Beard delivers a personal introduction to Kenneth Clark’s landmark 1969 series, Civilisation, which became one of the most acclaimed and influential programmes ever made, bringing art history to the audiences of millions both in the UK and, notably, in America too. Here, Mary describes the programme’s influence on her as a young girl and how it helped set her on the journey that led to her own highly successful career. She also considers the series from a 21st-century perspective, highlighting the changes that have occurred in the world of academic history since it was first transmitted and revealing how Clark’s conclusions - and even his much-praised performances in front of the camera - can still divide critics and historians to this day.
Peter Egan looks back on the BBC’s 1987 adaptation of John le Carre’s A Perfect Spy, one of the writer’s most acclaimed novels, dramatised a year after the book’s publication. Egan starred as British intelligence officer and double agent Magnus Pym, in a role that was a departure from the comedies he was best known for. Here, he talks about the making of A Perfect Spy, the challenges that came with adapting the work of such an acclaimed writer and what he hopes viewers coming to the drama for the first time will take from their viewing experience today.
Dame Helen Mirren looks back on her role in Dennis Potter’s seminal 1979 TV drama Blue Remembered Hills, one of the best-known episodes of the BBC’s much-admired Play for Today series. The drama famously featured adult actors taking on the roles of seven-year-old children as they explore, play and fight during a day of adventure in the Forest of Dean, where Potter himself spent time as a boy. The unusual casting was a deliberate choice of Potter’s that aimed to challenge conventional ideas around the innocence of childhood, and here Dame Helen describes how they prepared for the roles, the effect that playing children had on the group and why it still remains one of the productions that she is most proud of.
Carla Lane’s Butterflies was one of the best-loved sitcoms of the 1970s, following the life of frustrated housewife Ria, living in a male-dominated household with her husband Ben and two sons, Adam and Russell, and tempted by the potential excitement of an affair with successful businessman Leonard. Wendy Craig starred as Ria, and here she looks back fondly on her experiences working with Carla Lane and the cast, the response from male viewers to the possibility that Ria might commit adultery, and how she became television’s most notoriously dreadful cook, yet still managed to publish a best-selling cookbook.
Writer Roy Clarke is the man responsible for some of the BBC’s longest running and most popular sitcoms: Open All Hours, Keeping Up Appearances and Last of the Summer Wine. Despite the success of those series, the piece he’s proudest of is A Foreign Field, a one-off drama telling the story of war veterans returning to the beaches of France, remembering not just fallen comrades, but also their romantic escapades back in the day. Here Roy tells the story of how A Foreign Field came to life, the role that the great Sir Alec Guinness played in getting the drama off the ground and his feelings on seeing one of his scripts being performed by a cast of film icons - not just Sir Alec, but also French screen legend Jeanne Moreau and one of the greats of Hollywood’s golden age, Lauren Bacall.
Director Renny Rye looks back on the part he played in Karaoke, one of television’s most unusual commissions – a unique collaboration between the BBC and Channel 4, engineered by the writing force that was the late Dennis Potter. Karaoke, along with its sister piece, Cold Lazarus, was broadcast in 1996 on both channels as a tribute to Potter – the man behind someone of British television’s most celebrated and groundbreaking moments – who had written both dramas in the knowledge that he was soon to die of cancer. Here, Renny Rye discusses how Karaoke fits alongside Potter’s other celebrated screenplays, looks back on the pressures that he faced in bringing Potter’s final works to reality and recalls his experiences working with an extraordinary cast, made up of some of the best of British acting talent, including Albert Finney, Keeley Hawes, Richard E Grant, Julie Christie, Anna Chancellor and Saffron Burrows.
For over ten years and more than 100 episodes, Death in Paradise has delivered fans an irresistible cocktail of sun, sea and sin - demonstrating through a succession of murder mysteries that the ugly side of human nature is ever present, even in the beautiful setting of the Caribbean. Watching over events from the very start and overseeing the activities of the show’s changing cast of leading detective inspectors has been Police Commissioner Selwyn Patterson, played by the much-loved actor Don Warrington. Here, Don joins forces with acclaimed TV writer and producer of Death in Paradise Tony Jordan to look back on the show’s origins, share some stories from behind the scenes and discuss what it is - beside the beaches and blue skies - that has made the series such an enduring hit.
Dame Eileen Atkins takes us back to 1920s France and a fantastic world of foul play, chateaus, dungeons and fast cars in Tom Sharpe’s 1978 adaptation of Dornford Yates's She Fell Among Thieves. Atkins’s performance as the villainous Vanity Fair, where she starred alongside Malcolm McDowell, was among the most sinister and scene-chewing of her career. Here, she recalls how this tale of mystery and murder was brought to life by the deadly femme fatale who always had her claws out and her tongue wedged firmly in her cheek.
In 1998, the BBC unveiled its latest look at the world of crime and policing, a new series called The Cops. Set in an unnamed northern town, it was gritty, hard-hitting and uncompromising, capturing a world where the line between criminal and crime-fighter is thin as well as blue. Many viewers were at first unsure if they had sat through a drama or a documentary, thanks in no small part to the talents of the cast of actors playing a team of police officers under pressure. Here, two members of that cast, Katy Cavanagh-Jupe and John Henshaw, look back on their experiences on the show – Katy on her role as party-loving new recruit Mel, and John on his time as Roy, the hard-faced old-timer who likes helping justice along with a clip around the ear. Together, Katy and John discuss the joys of improvisation for an actor, the personal touches they brought to their characters and the pride that came with being part of a show that won instant acclaim from critics and audiences alike.
In 1997, the film version of Virginia Woolf’s Mrs Dalloway was released in cinemas, based on a screenplay by Dame Eileen Atkins and with her friend Vanessa Redgrave playing the title role, a party-throwing socialite remembering the freedoms of her younger life. Here, we join Eileen Atkins looking back just as her heroine does – telling the story of her lifelong fascination with Woolf and recalling how she took on the challenge of adapting of one of the 20th century’s great novels for the big screen, and ended up winning the praise of the critics of the day, who called the resulting film ‘sensitive’, ‘delicate’ and ‘compelling’.
In the 1950s and 60s, Doris Day ranked amongst cinema’s biggest box office stars, thanks to roles in films such as musical Calamity Jane, Hitchcock’s The Man Who Knew Too Much, and especially a string of hit romantic comedies, including the classic Pillow Talk. Amongst the movie icon’s millions of fans across the world was a young Gloria Hunniford, who in 1995, years after Doris had unexpectedly stepped back from Hollywood and swapped fame for anonymity, was invited to Doris’s home in Carmel, USA, for an exclusive opportunity to interview her heroine. Here, ahead of a special screening of that rare interview, Gloria draws back the curtain on her encounter with one of cinema’s great female idols and shares her memories of how the meeting came together, and the special behind-the-scenes moments that TV viewers of the day never got to see.
From its first appearance on our screens in 2000, Waking the Dead had viewers gripped by the activities of Detective Superintendent Peter Boyd and the ‘cold case’ unit he led, investigating unsolved murders from the past with the help of the forensics and psychological profiling experts within his team. Playing DS Boyd over nine series and for eleven years was actor Trevor Eve, who here casts his own forensic eye over the past - looking back on how the series came together, explaining the psychology needed to stay fresh in a high profile role for such a sustained period of time, and analysing what it was like to be part of a series that was such a hit with audiences in the UK and across the world for so long.
In 1978, the BBC crime drama Law and Order so shocked the nation with its realistic depiction of a police force riddled with corruption that questions were asked in the House of Commons, the BBC’s director general was summoned by ministers to explain himself, and the programme was effectively banned from being broadcast again for 30 years. The man who helped television escape the dramatic handcuffs of shows like Dixon of Dock Green and Z Cars was Law and Order’s writer and creator GF Newman, who here looks back on both the series and the controversy. Newman recounts how secrecy and intrigue played a part in getting the drama onto our screens, explains where he found the inspiration for his groundbreaking storylines and characters, reveals how real police officers responded to the show and concludes why he believes the themes of Law and Order remain relevant to this day.
Historian, author and presenter David Olusoga looks back on how his 2015 documentary Britain's Forgotten Slave Owners helped shine a light on the extent of Britain's involvement in the slave trade and the repercussions that has had on our country right up to modern day. David looks at how research undertaken by a team at University College London revealed the true extent of the number of people in Britain who owned enslaved people, and how it was actually far more widespread than anyone had previously realised. He also emphasises that many people were unaware that the compensation paid at the end of slavery was not to the slaves themselves, but to their owners. David discusses how the documentary acted as a precursor to the toppling of statues of slave owners around the UK and how it helped facilitate a wider dialogue about how we should look more critically and openly as a nation at our past in order to move forward.
Actor Richard Harrington looks back on his role as DCI Tom Mathias in Hinterland, the acclaimed crime drama set in Aberystwyth that took a groundbreaking approach to language barriers and inclusivity by filming the entire series in both English and Welsh. Richard outlines the challenges that presented for him and recalls how Hinterland’s gorgeous cinematography and scenes, filmed in some of Wales’s most extraordinary landscapes, elevated the series into something truly special. He also recalls the show’s dramatic impact on his own personal circumstances - helping to inspire his love of cross-country running at a time when it helped him deal with a family tragedy, and as the setting for meeting the fellow cast member who would eventually become his partner and soulmate.
Acclaimed comedy writer Roy Clarke has an extraordinary legacy when it comes to popular British sitcoms - creating Last of the Summer Wine, Open All Hours and the classic comedy that he looks back on here, Keeping Up Appearances – the series that introduced the world to the extraordinary Hyacinth Bucket (pronounced, of course, ‘Bouquet’). Roy speaks of the relief he felt when learning that the acting force of nature that is Patricia Routledge had agreed to play the part of Hyacinth, and how having her onboard fed into the character’s development over the series. He also celebrates the crucial role played by the supporting cast, explains why the series eventually had to come to an end and shares a personal view of his famous creation – Mrs Bucket may be a nightmare, but Roy really rather likes her.
Amanda Redman, James Bolam and Alun Armstrong, who formed the first incarnation of UCOS (Unsolved Crime and Open Case Squad), look back on police comedy drama series New Tricks.
Celebrated theatre, film and television director Richard Eyre has forged links with some of Britain’s finest writers - one of the most notable being Trevor Griffiths, whose landmark piece, Comedians, he directed, as well as this prescient and still relevant production, Country. Set on the night of the Labour Party’s momentous election victory in 1945, Country contains the rage and compassion for which Griffiths was well known. Richard takes us through the genesis of the project and recalls how persuading Leo McKern to play the part of Sir Frederick Carlion unlocked the door to the stellar cast that followed. He talks of Griffiths’s belief in the power of television to make arguments and tells us about the surprising links between Country and The Godfather!
British screen legend Peter Davison sits down to give us an invaluable insight into the iconic 1989-1990 mystery drama series Campion, the BBC’s second adaptation of Margery Allingham’s highly celebrated set of detective novels. In a string of mysteries that call for a Lagonda-fuelled romp through 1930s England, Campion captivated audiences with its imaginative storytelling and string of inspired characters. Davison reveals how he embodied Campion’s gleaming eccentricities, what the preparation was like for his third leading role in a major BBC series, following on from his successes in Doctor Who and A Very Peculiar Practice, and what it was like to be immersed in the world of one of Britain’s most-loved authors from the golden age of detective fiction.
The Inspector Lynley Mysteries first appeared on our screens in 2001 and had viewers instantly hooked by the combination of puzzling crimes and murder investigations, spiced up with the added clash-of-class relationship between its two main cast members: Nathaniel Parker, as DI Thomas Linley, 8th Earl of Asherton, and Sharon Small, as his far less sophisticated Detective Sergeant, Barbara Havers. We join Nathaniel and Sharon as they look back on the series, their roles and those of some very familiar guest stars, and the unique chemistry the pair managed to create over the years that helped make the show a favourite with fans of crime drama over six impressive series.
Dame Maureen Lipman shares her experiences of playing her own mother-in-law in the TV film The Evacuees, an autobiographical account written by her late husband Jack Rosenthal of his experiences as a young evacuee in wartime. Lipman discusses the depths of Rosenthal's touching, funny and political play, which documents the experiences of two young Jewish brothers as they navigate life in the cold, unfeeling home of Mr and Mrs Graham. Directed by Alan Parker as one of his first full length features, Maureen talks about working with the then up-and-coming director, and how his filmic touch made this Play for Today something truly special. A moving account of Jewish working class life during wartime, The Evacuees won an International Emmy and a Bafta on its release, and Lipman explores how its themes are still relevant today.
Dame Patricia Routledge recalls how the character of Hyacinth Bucket first entered her life and looks back on the part she played in bringing to life one of TV’s most formidable comedy characters. She describes the pleasures of working with her fellow cast members, shares her thoughts on why Hyacinth’s husband Richard endured all the years with his social-climbing wife, and explains why – despite her fondness for every element of the programme – it was she who eventually decided to call time on the show, when all others would have loved for it to continue.
Miss Pym's Day Out saw Dame Patricia Routledge portray legendary author Barbara Pym in an RTS Award-winning episode of Bookmark, set on the day of the 1977 Booker Prize Awards, of which Pym’s Quartet in Autumn was nominated. The novel marked a huge revival and interest in Pym’s work after 16 years, and in this introduction, Patricia gives us a sense of what it was like to tell this incredible story, from the encounters with Pym’s family that were involved in the project, to reading the diary entries and letters included in the script.
Dame Patricia explains what attracted her to playing the woman who discovers an extraordinary talent for sleuthing in her sixties, cracking the case where all else fail, and why such roles are so vital in an industry that places a focus on youth over experience. The contrasts between Hetty and Hyacinth Bucket were a huge part of the appeal, and Patricia shares her thoughts on why the sort of variety the series presented is so important to her as an actor. She also shares her affection for her fellow cast members and her disdain for the BBC bosses who presented her and Hetty with a case they never managed to solve – the mystery around why the programme was cancelled in its prime, and how they managed to break the news to her quite so incompetently.
Talking Heads was Alan Bennett’s acclaimed series of one-off tele-plays, written specifically for a selection of some of his favourite actors, including the great Dame Patricia Routledge. Here, Patricia recalls what it was like to receive the scripts that were so perfectly suited to her comic abilities: A Woman of No Importance, A Lady of Letters and Miss Fozzard Finds Her Feet. She describes the challenges of bringing three unique characters to life for television, reveals which of her three episodes was her least favourite, and shares the feelings of delight that Bennett’s writing gave her, and her appreciation of his mastery of language – a quality that has always been of utmost importance throughout her career.
Line of Duty creator, writer and showrunner, Jed Mercurio, and leading cast member Martin Compston, aka DI Steve Arnott, enter the interrogation room, press the record button, and once the famous beep has signalled, it is time to begin as they grill each other on their personal memories and experiences of being assigned to the BBC’s record-breaking cop corruption series. How did Martin get cast in the first place? What is Jed’s approach to the writing of each series? What are their thoughts on the show’s phenomenal success? And is the work of AC-12 really over, or will Martin ever need to be fitted for a new waistcoat, worthy of a return for a potential new series?
Writer Sally Wainwright looks back on the origins of her Bafta-winning drama Happy Valley, which first appeared on the nation’s TV screens in 2014, and instantly established itself as one of the great television experiences of recent years. With a cast led by Sarah Lancashire, James Norton and Siobhan Finneran, it was a case of characters, crime and countryside all combining beautifully to create unmissable television, that has continued to hook millions of viewers. Here, Sally reveals just how happy those early days of Happy Valley really were - sharing the inside story of how the show first came together, the challenges faced in those early days and the pressures of living up to expectations once the series had established itself as an acclaimed success.
As a new Labour government settles into power with a huge majority under Keir Starmer, director Peter Kosminsky considers this an ideal time to revisit and reflect on the lessons to be learned from his 2002 BBC drama The Project. The two-part series told the fictional story of the MPs and activists behind Tony Blair’s election victory in 1997 and focused on their challenges, love affairs and personality clashes that were all a vital part of the Labour Party’s success at the ballot boxes after years stuck in opposition. The Project featured an exciting young cast that included future stars like Matthew Macfadyen and Naomie Harris, and here Peter looks back on casting them as well as exploring why this was the particular story that he chose to tell and the importance of the show’s much-missed screenwriter, the late Leigh Jackson.
As fans prepare for the arrival of series nine of the BBC’s long-running crime drama Shetland, actor Alison O’Donnell, who plays the much-loved character Tosh, takes an affectionate look back on the series. She recalls how she got the part and her experiences of working on the show – from the instant rapport she struck up with leading man Douglas Henshall to fake-vomiting in episode one with mouthfuls of cold potato soup, courtesy of the props department. Alison also talks about the challenges that came when cast and crew all thought Shetland was coming to an end in series seven and the experience of swapping Douglas for new leading lady Ashley Jensen when the news came that the show would be running well into next year… and beyond?
Philip Glenister fires up the Cortina GXL one more time and takes a trip back in time to reflect on the hugely popular 1970s-set drama series Life on Mars, with writer and creator Matthew Graham joining him for the ride. Together, they discuss the challenges of recreating the 70s, analyse why Life on Mars seemed to grab the public’s imagination from the very beginning, and share their memories of creating and playing one of television’s greatest unreconstructed tough men: hard-drinking, chain-smoking, skull-cracking DCI Gene Hunt.
Edward Mirzoeff, former BBC executive documentary producer and series editor of flagship series 40 Minutes, looks back on his time at the helm of one of the most innovative and exciting strands of documentary-making ever to appear on British television. Mirzoeff recollects how the series came into being and how the format grew from observational storytelling into an important time capsule, capturing and documenting the everyday lives of ordinary British citizens like never before. He talks specifically about some of the standout films from the series, and the impact they had on him, the viewers and documentary film-making for years to come.
Sir Simon Schama’s first foray into TV presenting, Landscape and Memory, presented a unique take on the links between nature and art. The series was based on his 1995 book, about which he had said, 'If ever there was a book that was impossible to televise, this would be it.' He tells us how he was persuaded otherwise. Simon explains the background to this thought-provoking series, in which each episode had an aspect of nature - forests, seas, rivers and mountains - as its theme. We discover how it came to combine the imaginative use of a studio, stunning landscape shots and fascinating archive. Join us as we learn how a baby crocodile and some Nile toads helped explain why a mosaic of the flooded Nile ended up in Rome, how Simon discovered Tom Waits and how his love of film helped inspire some of the series’ standout moments.
Ahead of a rare rescreening of the BBC’s apocalyptic drama Threads, director and producer Mick Jackson looks back to 1984 and shares the story behind the creation of this acclaimed vision of Britain suffering the effects of nuclear war. Taking Sheffield as the focal point for the aftermath, the film was highly praised for its examination of the social, economic and environmental damage that such a war would bring and has been described as one of the most haunting and unforgettable dramas of the 1980s.
Angela Rippon buckles up for a trip down memory lane and checks the rear-view mirror before sharing her memories of working on the very first series of Top Gear. This was years before it became, in her eyes, all about the 'boys and their toys', yet she still offers a glimpse of the fun she had working on the show as an avowed car lover, and also how the experience she gained from one particular filming trip ended up saving her life.
Angela Rippon’s love of dancing dates back to the ballet lessons she took as a young girl, and here – as she celebrates her 80th birthday – she looks back on the days when her profession and her passion came together perfectly, through her hosting role on the BBC’s long-running dance series Come Dancing. Angela shares memories of the joy she experienced working on the original Come Dancing series, how it would open the door to her collaborating with some of her great dance heroes and what it was like years later to re-ignite her love affair with dance, thanks to Strictly Come Dancing.
Actors Christopher Timothy and Peter Davison share their memories of working on the popular BBC drama series All Creatures Great and Small.
Joan Bakewell looks back on what she describes as the greatest moment of her career, her scoop interview with Nelson Mandela as he left prison in 1990. She explains how the interview came about and how they beat news crews to the story - proving that, in this industry, contacts are everything. She describes meeting the man, imprisoned and silenced for 27 years, and how he relished the opportunity to send his message to the world.
Joan Bakewell remembers her interview with legendary French artist and sculptor Marcel Duchamp, just months before his death in 1968. At a time when artists were unlikely talk show guests, Marcel came to Television Centre, armed with a couple of his sculptures, and proceeded to talk to Bakewell about his anarchic views on art and his influence on Cubism and the Dada movements, all through vast clouds of cigar smoke.
Playwright Peter McDougall looks back at his bittersweet Play for Today from 1976, which starred Billy Connolly.
Joan Bakewell looks back fondly on her evening spent with the legendary screen actor Bette Davis in 1972. Joan was in awe of such an icon of the golden age of cinema but was careful not to let that put her off the job at hand. She talks about how they bonded backstage, and how Bette made a wonderful interviewee - kind, warm, interesting and totally delighted to speak to an audience of her fans.
David Nicholls's 2008 adaptation of Thomas Hardy’s Tess of the D’Urbervilles provided Gemma Arterton with her first lead role on television. She joined a cast of young talent, including Eddie Redmayne and Jodie Whitaker, as well as established names like Anna Massey and Kenneth Cranham. Gemma tells us how she got the part, the research she did for it and the skills she had to learn, such as riding a horse and milking a cow. She talks about her favourite scenes and the day Eddie Redmayne had to repeatedly carry four women across a flooded path. She discusses Nicholls’s adaptation, written before he made his name with novels like One Day and Us, and the book’s central themes: class, faith and misogyny, subjects which still hold relevance to this day.
Thomas Hardy’s classic story of class, love and familial heartbreak was so shocking at the time of its release that Hardy never wrote another novel. Christopher Eccleston looks back on the 1996 film version of Jude and how this tale from 1895 remains as relevant today as it was then. Jude’s struggle to pull himself out of his working class roots to gain a higher education holds real resonance with Christopher as he looks back on his own journey as an actor and reflects on how hard it is for those entering the industry today. Christopher fondly remembers his time working with actress Kate Winslet, at the very cusp of her rise to superstardom, and how director Michael Winterbottom saw the light and shade in this tale of grief and hardship.
Professor Mary Beard is known for her explorations of the ancient world, but here looks back on her more recent past, and the making of her acclaimed four-part 2016 series Ultimate Rome. She explains how the series wasn’t just an education for her in regard to the Roman Empire, but also provided her with some valuable lessons in the art of film-making, and reveals some behind-the-scenes stories that will add new context for viewers of the main episodes – including the importance of pizza, and how her claim to be the first to wear an antique Roman helmet was way off the mark.
Acclaimed novelist David Nicholls, perhaps best known for the best-selling One Day, looks back on the 2015 film of Thomas Hardy’s Far From the Madding Crowd, starring Carey Mulligan as the headstrong heroine Bathsheba Everdene. As a huge Hardy fan, Nicholls outlines the challenges he faced adapting the novel into a modern screenplay, how he wrestled with decisions about what to leave out and whether that would upset fellow fans, and how John Schlesinger’s celebrated 1967 film, starring Julie Christie, impacted on his own approach to the story.
Don Cupitt, one of Britain’s leading Christian philosophers, once described by the Church Times as 'an ecclesiastical version of Tony Benn', marks 40 years since the broadcasting of his seminal 1984 series, The Sea of Faith. Cupitt’s thought-provoking and challenging approach invited everyday viewers, as well as members of the Anglican clergy itself, to confront the reality of falling church attendances in the UK and to explore why and how attitudes to religion had changed over the years. Here, Cupitt recalls the impact of the series at a time when a programme dealing with major issues could still make the front cover of the Radio Times and considers where such debate is taking place today.
Acclaimed director Martin Scorsese introduces the BBC’s much-anticipated season of films by the legendary team of Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger. Scorsese reveals why they resonate so strongly with him and are on his recommended list of essential viewing for any fan of cinema. The season features I Know Where I’m Going, The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp, The Red Shoes and A Matter of Life and Death - all seemingly a world away from what most movie-goers would associate with the director of Mean Streets, Taxi Driver, Raging Bull and Goodfellas. But Powell and Pressburger rank amongst the biggest influences on Scorsese’s career, and here, he kicks off the season with a special explanation of why it’s so important for him to celebrate their work.
Director Renny Rye looks back on the BBC TV adaptation of John Masefield's 1935 fantasy children's novel.
Actor Timothy Spall shares his memories of working alongside Benjamin on the 1992 comedy drama Dread Poets Society. This one-off production was inspired by the real-life outrage that followed Benjamin’s nomination to become an Oxford don and featured a cast that included Alan Cumming, Alex Jennings, Dexter Fletcher and Emma Fielding as the ghosts of Byron, Keats and Percy and Mary Shelley – while Benjamin was given the easier task of playing himself.
Dame Judi Dench shares her memories of Talking to a Stranger, the groundbreaking 1960s drama by celebrated Z-Cars creator John Hopkins. The four-part piece followed four members of an outwardly everyday suburban family that is hit by tragedy one weekend, with each episode focusing on the individual family members' perspective on events as they unfold. Amongst several stellar performances, Judi’s portrayal of Terry, the family’s troubled daughter, was the stand-out, earning her the first of her BAFTA awards and establishing her as an exciting new talent to watch for the future.
Dame Judi Dench looks back on her role in 1985s Mr and Mrs Edgehill, a one-off drama based on a Noel Coward short story, which saw her and Sir Ian Holm playing husband and wife Eustace and Dorrie Edgehill. Set around the start of World War II and filmed in Sri Lanka, the story follows the Edgehills as they change their plans to return home to the UK and instead take on a new set of responsibilities – a little too enthusiastically in the eyes of the British government. Here, Dame Judi recalls her experience of filming on the beaches of Sri Lanka, working with a close friend and creating the character of Dorrie, who turned out to be one of her favourites.
Mackenzie Crook shares what inspired him to write his hit series Detectorists - a funny and touching series about a group of metal detectorists (not detectors) in the fictional town of Danebury in Essex. Mackenzie describes how he intended his show to be a snapshot of everyday English life, the normalcy of male friendships and a celebration of Britain’s hobbyists. Mackenzie talks about how important the casting of the characters was in bringing his creation to life and how some unexpected advice from Ricky Gervais opened up a new directing career for him. Ten years on from the show’s first transmission, Mackenzie is ultimately delighted that his ‘gentle’ series is still finding new audiences and, most importantly, making people laugh.
Fifty years on from when the prison doors first slammed shut on Norman Stanley Fletcher, Dick Clement and Ian La Frenais look back at a landmark British comedy. Dick and Ian explain the origins, how they nearly wrote a series about a gambling-mad Welsh family instead, and talk of the magical chemistry of the cast and the particularly close bond between Ronnie Barker and Richard Beckinsale. They also tell us the tricks they used to get round the obligatory bad language in prison and how the claustrophobic setting at first intimidated and then inspired them. With references to their favourite characters and scenes, enjoy the freedom as you revel in tales of one of television history’s best-loved comedies.
Actor Zoë Wanamaker recalls the BBC's 1999 star-studded adaptation of the Dickens classic.
Sir Derek Jacobi looks back on the filmed version of Franco Zeffirelli’s famous 1960s production of Much Ado About Nothing - a performance that brought together Robert Stephens, in the role of Benedick, and his soon-to-be wife - the late, great Maggie Smith - in the key role of Beatrice. For years, this recording was considered to be ‘lost’ by Shakespeare fans and TV historians, until a copy was found in the US in 2010 and then restored. Here, Derek recalls how working under ‘Zeff’ with such an impressive cast made for one of his personal career highlights, helped in no small part by the presence of Dame Maggie onstage and the friendship they enjoyed behind the curtain.
A self-confessed comedy hero to Ruth Jones, Hattie Jacques was a core part of postwar British comedy history. Roles in the Carry On films and TV sitcoms such as Sykes and Hancock cemented her place in the nation’s heart. Yet her off-screen life was just as extraordinary – married to Dad’s Army star John Le Mesurier, she began an unconventional affair with her driver, a scandal that could have ended her career. Ruth looks back at Hattie, a one-off drama that captures the astonishing story. She discusses the origins of the project and the prep work she did for playing such an icon. She talks of the attention paid to period detail, the loving recreation of classic screen comedies, her joy in the costumes and the astonishing cast. And she tells us how Hattie Jacques was so much more than the larger-than-life persona we saw in the movies, a comic genius and role model who broke the mould.
Actress Vivien Heilbron looks back on the 1982 drama series Cloud Howe, the second part of the BBC’s acclaimed adaptation of Lewis Grassic Gibbon’s classic trilogy A Scots Quair. Vivien’s character Chris is now moving on from the death of her first husband, newly married to a church minister and trying to manage a new life in a small town where gossip and rumour runs rife.
First broadcast in 1983, Grey Granite was the third and final part of Lewis Grassic Gibbon’s A Scots Quair trilogy that the BBC adapted for television. Leading actress Vivien Heilbron looks back on her time making the series and the challenges she faced when taking on the key role of Chris Guthrie one last time, over ten years since she was first cast in the part in Sunset Song. Grey Granite finds Chris struggling with the radical politics of her son Ewan and the amorous attentions of a friend from the past. Vivien outlines the challenges of bringing Gibbon’s story to the screen once again and shares an overview of her memories from across the entire trilogy, working with some of Scotland’s finest acting talent.
From Tony Hancock to Martin Luther King, Yoko Ono to Salman Rushdie, Face to Face interrogated some of the key figures in 20th-century culture. From its start in 1959, to its return 30 years later, it pushed contributors into revealing places and gave insights into their characters. It reduced What’s My Line star Gilbert Harding to tears, and Evelyn Waugh into a sweating heap. It also saw Paul Eddington discussing the cancer that eventually killed him, and Edith Sitwell describing her connection to Dylan Thomas. David Herman, who produced Face to Face on its TV return in 1989, takes us through his memories, including an emotional screening of Spielberg’s Schindler’s List with Jeremy Isaacs and meeting Yoko Ono at the Dakota hotel. David also recalls John Freeman’s groundbreaking original and explains why it was right to resurrect the show. He brings to life a programme that has firmly established itself in British TV history.
Actor Adrian Lester looks back on the celebrated 1996 Donmar Warehouse revival of the Stephen Sondheim musical Company.
Writer Tony Marchant looks back on his 1989 drama Take Me Home, a troubled love story set amidst a political backdrop of changing attitudes, technological advances and residential development. The drama was Tony’s first serial for television, and he remembers its journey from page to screen, including the casting of well-known faces Keith Barron, Reece Dinsdale, Maggie O’Neill and Annette Crosbie. Tony reflects on how the drama has not lost its relevance. The story of two lost souls, both at odds with the fast-paced development of the modern world, coming together is just as meaningful today as it ever was.
Historian David Olusoga looks back on the 1986 BBC drama documentary Artists and Models, which had a profound influence on him as a young man. David remembers how the series ignited in him a love of art and history that would go on to determine his own career and lifelong passions. The series was influential in its day for its use of long, thoughtful shots of classical artwork, which David says has had a lasting impact on the television series he makes today.
The great opera singer Sir Willard White recalls his experiences on the first televised production of Porgy and Bess, based itself on Trevor Nunn’s acclaimed 1986 Glyndebourne staging of George Gershwin’s classic opera, and conducted by Sir Simon Rattle. Willard recalls the unusual challenges that arose during the project, including lip-syncing and performing in a TV studio instead of a stage, as well as what Porgy and Bess has meant to him throughout his esteemed career.
Writer Jimmy McGovern looks back on The Lakes, his 1997 drama that showed viewers one of Britain’s most-loved beauty spots in a whole new light, riddled with crime, drugs, sex and adultery. Jimmy talks about the inspiration behind the series, working with cast members like John Simm, and how he feels looking back on the show today.
Screenwriter Jimmy McGovern looks back on his acclaimed, but controversial, 1995 drama Priest, explaining how an initial desire to explore the notion of celibacy for Catholic priests became a tale tackling homosexuality. He discusses the writing of what were then eye-opening sex scenes and talks about the film’s far darker storyline, exploring child sexual abuse and the sanctity of confession. On its release, Priest would be boycotted by some but embraced by many others, from surprising quarters, and it remains to this day one of the screenplays that Jimmy is most proud of.
Gary Wilmot looks back fondly on his time presenting Showstoppers, a 1995 series jam-packed with well-known hits from musical theatre. The series started life as a one-off special and was then extended to include a further six episodes after huge audience demand. Gary reminisces on what made the show so popular, working with the incredible BBC Concert Orchestra and learning more show tunes than he thought possible! Gary also shares his memories of the special guests on the show, from Luther Vandross and Sir Cliff Richard to stage greats Anthony Newley, Tom Conti and Elaine Paige and television favourites Bob Monkhouse and Dennis Waterman.
Screenwriter Jimmy McGovern remembers his 2014 drama Common, which explores the concept and consequences of the law of joint association through the story of a fictional murder involving a group of Liverpool teenagers. Jimmy explains how he came to be persuaded to write Common, his approach and what he was trying to achieve, and whether he considers the endeavour to be a success.
Elaine Paige looks back on A Night on the Town – a musical extravaganza from the early 1980s, filmed with a mostly American cast of singers and dancers, such as Ann Reinking, Hinton Battle, Frank Gorshin and the wonderful Eartha Kitt. Elaine recalls being drawn to the production, as it featured so many songs from writers she most admires – Irving Berlin, Cole Porter and Noel Coward. She had to play several parts, as each musical number had its own vignette, which allowed her to play a very loud and broad hat check girl from the 1930s, a dame from the Deep South and a Russian countess – much to the delight of fellow actor Lewis Collins, with whom she had great fun on set.
AJP Taylor was rightly renowned as one of Britain’s finest historians, combining his academic work at Oxford with a successful career as author and broadcaster. Taylor established a reputation as one of the first television historians, noted for his ‘lecture’ style, programmes he made with no notes, covering subjects such as the Russian Revolution, the First World War and warlords. Historian Andrew Roberts looks back on Taylor's 1976 series The War Lords, in which he examines the lives and motives of the key leaders in the Second World War. Find out why Mussolini’s rise to power came despite an obvious laziness; why Churchill believed the Battle of Britain was as much a key moment in history as the Battle of Trafalgar; and that coincidentally, Mussolini, Churchill and Stalin were all published authors - Stalin’s book being particularly boring!
Sir Simon Schama looks back on his 2006 series The Power of Art, which examined the works of eight artists and explored the question 'How powerful is art, can it change your life?'. It was a forensic study not of an artist’s life but of a moment in that life. A piece of work that was an unexpected triumph or a catastrophe. A look at the world in which that work was created and going back in time to explore what lead the artist to that moment. We find out why the series settled on a ‘no men with beards’ policy, every part played by established actors, including Andy Serkis and Allan Corduner. We see Simon’s joy in remembering his young self, discovering the power of Mark Rothko. We hear about the freedom they had to film some of the world’s finest artworks, given free rein in the Palazzo Borghese for Bernini for example. As Simon Schama explains, 'art has dreadful manners, it’s there to make us see the world in a different way.'
Laurence Rees' landmark 1997 series explored the reasons why Germany fell in thrall to the Nazis. Combining astonishing archive, storytelling and interviews with figures at the heart of Hitler’s rise to power, it tells us of the Nazi mentality and the reasons behind their beliefs. Chillingly, it looks at those who still think the Nazis were right. Rees is an author and broadcaster, perfectly placed to look back at the series he wrote and produced. He tells us of the origins of the series - how the fall of the Berlin Wall opened possibilities for interviews with people who previously had been unreachable. He recalls the powerful moments when some of those closely associated with the horrors were challenged. And he explains how the regime rose out of chaos, both in Germany and within the Nazis themselves. Join Laurence as he takes us behind the scenes of this award-winning series, that has resonance to this day.
Acting giant Brian Cox has enjoyed a stellar career and is known for the intensity of characters like Hannibal Lecter and Succession’s Logan Roy - but here we join him taking a fond look back at a character who, perhaps surprisingly, occupies a very special place in his heart – the would-be MP for Broughty Ferry, Bob Servant. Brian relates how Dundee and the east coast of Scotland, with its distinct brand of humour, was always part of Bob’s appeal and how he partly based his performance on his own brother. He also reveals how, despite the wide acclaim he’s received over the years for his unforgettable dramatic roles, he’s always considered himself to be more of a comic performer, for whom Bob Servant and his eccentric ways ended up being a perfect fit.
National treasure Alison Steadman tells the story of one of the most groundbreaking and yet also most overlooked moments in British television. Despite the popular perception that Channel 4’s Brookside broadcast TV’s first lesbian kiss in 1994, in reality it was Alison and Myra Frances who first broke the taboo 20 years earlier, in the 1974 drama Girl. Once thought lost forever, due to the fact that not every programme was archived back in those times, the drama later resurfaced, thanks to a random video recording – giving Alison the opportunity to share her memories of how she approached the moment and the reaction it received.
Actor Brian Cox looks back on the filming of the 1991 movie The Lost Language of Cranes, about a man struggling to come to terms with his sexuality and family secrets.
Romola Garai shares her experiences of filming the much-loved 2009 series Emma, recalling how she drew on the text to bring Austen’s complicated heroine to life.
Katharine Schlesinger looks back on the filming of the 1987 adaptation of Jane Austen's Northanger Abbey.
Actors Amanda Root and Sophie Thompson look back on their roles in the BBC’s 1995 adaptation of Jane Austen's Persuasion, a story of missed opportunities and lost love.
Frank McGuinness and Julie Nicholson look back on the 2015 drama that explored the impact of the 7/7 bombing at Edgware Road tube station.
Producer George Gallaccio explains how Agatha Christie’s tales of death and deception were brought to life for the small screen and describes the pleasures of working with actress Joan Hickson.
Screenwriter Debbie Horsfield shares the story of how her TV adaptation of Winston Graham's novels came about and describes the challenges of bringing it up to date for a modern audience.
Nicholas Shakespeare looks back on the film he made for Omnibus that followed his friend and fellow writer Mario Vargas Llosa in his bid to become president of Peru.
Writer Debbie Horsfield looks back on Cutting It, her drama series following the personal and professional rivalries of two competing Manchester hair salons.
Patrick Marber looks back on his 1995 adaptation of August Strindberg's classic play Miss Julie.
Helen Mirren looks back on her role in Robert Altman’s acclaimed and multi-award-winning 2001 film Gosford Park, written by Downton Abbey creator Julian Fellowes.
Dame Helen Mirren looks back on one of her earliest television roles in the BBC’s 1975 adaptation of JM Barrie’s The Little Minister
Michael Aspel looks back on the BBC nuclear war drama documentary The War Game.
Paul Lewis provides a glimpse into the life and career of a performer assured of his place as one of the greatest musicians of the postwar era, classical pianist Alfred Brendel.
Stephen Poliakoff looks back on his 1999 TV series Shooting the Past, revealing how he was given the brief to write something 'totally different from anything seen before'.
Comedy hero Jasper Carrott marks hitting his 80th year with a look back over the unique career that has seen him gracing our screens for the past five decades.
Stephen Poliakoff gives an insight into the making of his landmark BBC drama Perfect Strangers.
