The South Bank Show Episode Guide

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Episode Guide

The South Bank Show: Season 32

  • Season 32 Episode 1: The Streets

    Melvyn Bragg presents a profile of Mike Skinner's one-man band the Streets as he puts together his fourth album, working alone in his bedroom and then recording with a symphony orchestra in Prague. Skinner discusses the process of writing and recording, while Pete Doherty, Alexis Petridis and Chris Salmon reveal how he captures the authentic voice of bored and alienated British urban youth

The South Bank Show: Season 31 (2008)

  • Season 31 Episode 10: Lang Lang: The South Bank Show

    Melvyn Bragg presents a profile of the 25-year-old Chinese classical pianist as he jets between Beijing and Shanghai on a punishing schedule of concerts, including an appearance at the Royal Variety Performance. His reputation for showmanship, technique and poetic sensitivity has established him as one of China's best-known musical exports, and given him rock star status in his homeland

  • Season 31 Episode 7: Tim Burton: The South Bank Show

    Melvyn Bragg talks to the film-maker about his latest production Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, and discusses his early career and big-screen influences. Illustrated with clips from his films, the programmes also hears from Johnny Depp and Helena Bonham Carter, both regular stars in his work, and the composer of Sweeney Todd Stephen Sondheim. Plus, exclusive footage of Tim as an animator at Disney in the early 1980s

  • Season 31 Episode 6: Damien Hirst - Addicted to Art

    Internationally renowned artist Damien Hirst, who dominated the British scene during the 1990s, discusses his art collection, which he has been building for several years. He shows presenter Melvin Bragg around Toddington Manor, a £3million stately home that will one day house the collection, outlines his plans for its future and discusses the artists he admires. Hirst is also seen with his teams of assistants in Gloucestershire, where he explains how his studio system works, and how his company Science operates as a business. Contributors include Tracey Emin, Sarah Lucas and Jeff Koons. The programme coincides with an exhibition of a portion of Hirst's collection at the Serpentine Gallery, including work by artists of his own generation, his American contemporaries and his heroes, including Francis Bacon and Andy Warhol

  • Season 31 Episode 5: Annie Lennox

    Melvyn Bragg profiles Annie Lennox, whose career has spanned over 25 years. The programme joins the singer and her band as they rehearse for a live performance, and Annie talks to Melvyn about her sheltered upbringing in Aberdeen and how writing music saw her through her marriage breakup. Plus an insight into her fourth solo album Songs of Mass Destruction, which lends her voice to how she feels about the world and the human race

  • Season 31 Episode 4: Bird and Fortune

    Examining the careers of John Bird and John Fortune, whose writing partnership began in the Cambridge Footlights and has included stage, radio and TV. Melvyn Bragg meets them in their respective homes, where they talk about their working relationship and friendship as well as their individual achievements. Plus, an insight into their working methods as they write and perform a sketch exclusively for the show

  • Season 31 Episode 3: The Mersey Sound: The South Bank Show

    To celebrate its publication 40 years ago, Melvyn Bragg meets up with Roger McGough and Brian Patten, authors, along with Adrian Henri, of the ground-breaking book of poetry. The pair give a special reading of the work at the Queen Elizabeth Hall before revisiting the Liverpool of its Sixties heyday and recounting memories of Jimi Hendrix, John Lennon and Paul McCartney, and Allan Ginsberg. Contributions from Henri's widow Catherine Marcangeli, former Scaffold members Mike McCartney and John Gorman, and playwright Willie Russell

  • Season 31 Episode 2: Ken Follett: The South Bank Show

    Melvyn Bragg profiles author Ken Follet as he researches World Without End, the sequel to his bestseller Pillars of the Earth charting the construction of a cathedral in the Middle Ages. The new book revisits the same town two centuries later as cracks appear in the building and the Black Death decimates the population. Over three years Ken visits significant medieval sites and talks to historians, experts and other authors. The programme offers a unique insight in to the production of an international bestseller in the world of high-stakes publishing

  • Season 31 Episode 1: Joan Didion

    Melvyn Bragg presents a profile of American journalist, essayist and novelist Joan Didion, focusing on The Year of Magical Thinking, her account of grief and mourning following the death of her husband. The author also discusses her other non-fiction works and considers subjects as diverse as the revolutionary women's movement and Charles Manson. Including contributions from Vanessa Redgrave, director David Hare and author Martin Amiss

The South Bank Show: Season 30

  • Season 30 Episode 25: Emma Kirkby - The Unsung Heroine

    Profile of Emma Kirkby, who studied Classics at Oxford and went on to be a schoolteacher. Singing for her own pleasure, she had no expectations of turning professional, but her purity of production, clarity of diction and degree of vocal control has made her a cherished performer of renaissance and baroque music. Melvyn Bragg joins the soprano as she rehearses with the Purcell Quartet. The film then travels with her to Italy to witness her masterclass in Monteverdi madrigals

  • Season 30 Episode 24: Ian Macmillan

    Melvyn Bragg presents in-depth profiles and reports on the arts scene

  • Season 30 Episode 23: Macbeth - A Study of Power for Our Times

    Melvyn Bragg visits Cawdor Castle to set the scene for a consideration of Shakespeare's Macbeth. With its scenes of power struggles, religious intolerance and terrorism the Scottish play closely echoes today's political landscape and contains characters that have become archetypal figures. Including contributions from Ian McKellen, Simon Russell Beale, Kenneth Baker, Shirley Williams and Robert Fisk

  • Season 30 Episode 21: Marianne Faithfull: A Life in Song

    Melvyn Bragg presents a portrait of singer-songwriter Marianne Faithfull, who shot to fame in 1964 with her first release As Tears Go By, co-written by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards. In Paris during her recent concert tour, she talks about her celebrated career and numerous battles with personal demons. The programme also includes footage of Marianne as a young woman

  • Season 30 Episode 20: Michael Sheen on Playing it Real

    Melvyn Bragg talks to actor Michael Sheen about his successful portrayal of real-life characters on stage and screen, including his roles as Tony Blair in The Queen and The Deal, David Frost in Frost/Nixon on Broadway and in London, and Kenneth Williams in Fantabulosa! He meets up with him in his home town of Port Talbot to discuss the creative processes he uses when approaching each performance

  • Season 30 Episode 19: Jarvis Cocker

    Melvyn Bragg presents in-depth profiles and reports on the arts scene

  • Season 30 Episode 18: Shane Meadows

    Melvyn Bragg meets up with British film director Shane Meadows on the set of his next feature This Is England, to talk about his childhood as a skinhead, his filming processes and the persistent themes that penetrate his work. Including contributions from the stars of the film, 15-year-old Thomas Turgoose and Stephen Graham, producer Mark Herbert and notable colleagues including Ken Loach and Bob Hoskins

  • Season 30 Episode 17: Isabel Allende

    Critically acclaimed and best-selling novelist Isabel Allende meets up with Melvyn Bragg in the Chilean capital Santiago. She explores the relationship she has with her homeland and the effect her upbringing and exile in 1975 have had on her writing, and discusses her latest novel, Ines of My Soul, and her feelings about the Pinochet years in Chile

  • Season 30 Episode 16: Humphrey Lyttelton

    The career of late jazz musician, band leader and broadcaster Humphrey Lyttelton spanned more than six decades, from his first performances in 1948 until his death in April. The 87-year-old chaired the Radio 4 quiz I'm Sorry I Haven't a Clue since 1972, and his band continues to tour. Melvyn Bragg met him at the place of his birth and education, Eton College, to talk about his remarkable life

  • Season 30 Episode 15: Victoria Wood

    Melvyn Bragg talks to comedienne, writer and actress Victoria Wood as she prepares for the national tour of comic musical Acorn Antiques

  • Season 30 Episode 14: WH Auden

    Melvyn Bragg begins a new series of the arts strand with a profile of WH Auden, to mark the centenary of the writer's birth. He visits Hadrian's Wall, the northern boundary of Auden's favourite area between Swaledale and Northumberland, and considers how the poet never lost his sense of Englishness despite leaving the UK for America. Contributors include Alan Bennett and Andrew Motion, with verse read by John Woodvine

  • Season 30 Episode 13: Grayson Perry

    Profile of Turner Prize-winning artist Grayson Perry, who raised eyebrows everywhere when he turned up to collect the accolade dressed as his nine-year-old transvestite alter ego, Claire. The artist talks to Melvyn Bragg about the origins of his cross-dressing, his dislike of the contemporary art scene and his latest pieces, including a large tapestry depicting a suicide bomber

  • Season 30 Episode 12: Steve Reich

    Melvyn Bragg examines the career of contemporary composer Steve Reich, who celebrates turning 70 in 2006. Reich discusses the pieces that have cemented his reputation as an original musician, including the seminal Music for 18 Musicians and his latest work Daniel Variations, a tribute to murdered journalist Daniel Pearl. Brian Eno and Michael Nyman are among the contributors

  • Season 30 Episode 11: Nick Park and Aardman Animations

    A Plasticine version of Melvyn Bragg introduces a profile of Aardman Animations' Nick Park, whose small and big-screen hits include Wallace and Gromit, Chicken Run and Creature Comforts, examining the film-maker's stringent working practices and asking why the studio has been so successful. Park also discusses his love of stop-motion animation and its future in a CGI-dominated world

  • Season 30 Episode 10: Peter Blake

    Artist Peter Blake, best known for creating the iconic cover of the Beatles album Sergeant Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, discusses his working process with Melvyn Bragg. A pioneer of pop art and an influence on British painters from David Hockney to Damien Hirst, Blake claims to have retired in the late 1960s, but continues to produce pieces in his curio-filled West London studio

  • Season 30 Episode 8: Lorenzo Da Ponte

    Music critic Anthony Holden marks the 250th anniversary of Mozart's birth with a profile of his collaborator Lorenzo Da Ponte, who wrote libretti for many of the composer's most famous operas including Cosi Fan Tutte, Don Giovanni and The Marriage of Figaro. Holden explores the lyricist's life while making a tour of buildings associated with Da Ponte in London, Vienna, Venice and New York

  • Season 30 Episode 7: Sue Townsend

    Melvyn Bragg interviews author Sue Townsend, the creator of well-loved diarist Adrian Mole, in her home town of Leicester. The writer discusses the impact her failing health and loss of sight has had on her work, particularly her latest novel, Queen Camilla, from which extracts are read by Stephen Mangan. Contributors include Ian Hislop, Richard Ingrams and John Mortimer

  • Season 30 Episode 6: Claire Tomalin on Thomas Hardy

    Award-winning biographer Claire Tomalin joins Melvyn Bragg to trace the personal history of author and poet Thomas Hardy, looking into how his novels, including Tess of the D'Urbervilles and Jude the Obscure, offer an insight into his life and character. Tomalin also visits key areas and locations that were close to the writer's heart

  • Season 30 Episode 5: Spamalot

    As Monty Python-based musical Spamalot prepares to open in the West End after a successful run on Broadway, the arts strand goes behind the scenes of the show and explores how the group's anarchic brand of comedy became such a huge hit. Spamalot writer Eric Idle and fellow Pythons Terry Jones, Terry Gilliam, Michael Palin and John Cleese discuss the group's creative process, while comedian Eddie Izzard explains the enduring appeal of the sketches

  • Season 30 Episode 4: Irvine Welsh

    Irvine Welsh gives Melvyn Bragg a tour of Leith, where he penned his most famous novel Trainspotting. Shrugging off his image as the voice of the 'chemical generation', the writer discusses his love of keeping fit, his views on drug addiction and the moral themes running through his work. The programme also features dramatised excerpts from Welsh's latest book The Bedroom Secrets of the Master Chefs

  • Season 30 Episode 3: Robbie Coltrane

    In anticipation of his return to the small screen in a new episode of Cracker, Robbie Coltrane talks to Melvyn Bragg about his career. After starting out as a stand-up, the actor won acclaim in TV hits including Slab Boys and Tutti Frutti, before becoming a household name as criminal psychologist Fitz. Younger viewers have also taken Coltrane to heart as gentle giant Hagrid in the Harry Potter film franchise

  • Season 30 Episode 2: JG Ballard

    Melvyn Bragg talks to writer JG Ballard, who discusses his childhood in Shanghai and internment in a Japanese prison camp - memories that inspired his novel Empire of the Sun 40 years later. Ballard also talks about the effects of Surrealist painting and the death of his wife on his work, and the controversy that surrounded his most notorious book, Crash. Contributors include Will Self and Martin Amis

  • Season 30 Episode 1: Bill Bryson

    New series of the arts show, beginning with a profile of author Bill Bryson, who discusses his latest book The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid, an account of his youth in Fifties Iowa. Cameras follow the writer as he defends his opinions of his birthplace on a radio show and tours some of his most important childhood landmarks. Featuring contributions by Bryson's mother, brother and best friend Matt Angerer

The South Bank Show: Season 29 (1997)

  • Season 29 Episode 20: Romeo and Juliet

    Melvyn Bragg considers the enduring appeal of star-crossed lovers Romeo and Juliet, travelling to Verona to find out why the pair have become such a potent symbol of enduring union to modern society. In discussion with contributors including Jeanette Winterson and Wayne Sleep he also examines how Shakespeare's well-loved play reveals uncomfortable truths about traditional cultures

  • Season 29 Episode 19: Seu Jorge

    Melvyn Bragg travels to Rio de Janeiro to present a profile of Brazilian singer and actor Seu Jorge, whose music career has flourished alongside his appearances in cult movies City of God and The Life Aquatic. Directors Fernando Meirelles and Wes Anderson discuss his talent, and Jorge performs the Brazilian Team's 2006 World Cup song Copa, an updated version of his 1994 tune

  • Season 29 Episode 18: Dusty Springfield

    Melvyn Bragg profiles singer Dusty Springfield, whose voice and glamorous image shot her to fame during the 1960s. A Motown enthusiast known as 'the white lady of soul', she worked with Carole King and Burt Bacharach before her career crumbled in the 1970s - leading her to seek solace in drink, drugs and self-harming. Contributors include the Pet Shop Boys, tennis star Billie Jean King and Camille Paglia

  • Season 29 Episode 17: PD James

    Melvyn Bragg talks to crime writer PD James, who explains how twin obsessions with death and murder from a very early age shaped her career as a crime novelist. She allows cameras to follow her visit to Hendon Police College, where she watches trainee forensic officers collecting evidence from a mock crime scene, and discusses how the police force's job has changed over the past 50 years

  • Season 29 Episode 16: John Rutter

    Melvyn Bragg talks to John Rutter about his music and his passion for choirs. The programme follows the choral composer as he records plainsong at Ely Cathedral and rehearses his Pie Jesu with a solo chorister, before travelling across the Atlantic for a 400-voice concert at Carnegie Hall

  • Season 29 Episode 15: Jacqueline Wilson

    Melvyn Bragg presents a colourful, in-depth profile of former Children's Laureate Jacqueline Wilson, whose stories are enjoyed by millions of young readers around the world. The film, which is interspersed with children's readings, charts the author's life, ideas and stories, such as Girls in Love and The Story of Tracy Beaker - both of which have been adapted for television

  • Season 29 Episode 14: Manga Mania

    Melvyn Bragg examines the world of manga, the Japanese style of animation popularised by TV, movies and computer games. He visits Tokyo firm Production IG, who created cult film Ghost in the Shell and the cartoon sequence in Kill Bill. Gorillaz animator Jamie Hewlett also discusses how manga has inspired his own work

  • Season 29 Episode 13: Armando Iannucci

    Melvyn Bragg profiles television writer, director and performer Armando Iannucci, who has worked on critically-acclaimed comedies including The Day Today, I'm Alan Partridge, Saturday Night Armistice and The Thick of It. The film charts his childhood and education at Oxford University and features contributions from David Schneider, Patrick Marber, Rebecca Front and former teacher Ronnie Renton

  • Season 29 Episode 11: Peter Hall - Part Two

    Conclusion of the two-part profile of Peter Hall. Melvyn Bragg interviews the revered theatre and opera director, discussing his childhood in Bury St Edmunds and his studies at Cambridge. Hall's busy schedule is also revealed as he prepares for opera La Cenerentola and attends rehearsals for a production of Much Ado About Nothing. With contributions from Trevor Nunn and Judi Dench

  • Season 29 Episode 10: Peter Hall - Part One

    In the first of two programmes, Melvyn Bragg interviews the theatre and opera director Peter Hall, who began his distinguished career 50 years ago with the ground-breaking production of Waiting for Godot. The founder of the Royal Shakespeare Company has fought tirelessly for funding of the arts and was instrumental in moving the National Theatre to London's South Bank. With contributions from Harold Pinter and David Hare

  • Season 29 Episode 9: Michael Winterbottom

    Film director Michael Winterbottom has produced a collection of controversial, challenging and unpredictable work, and his latest project is no different. Melvyn Bragg introduces an insight into the making of A Cock and Bull Story, which pieces together a narrative from Laurence Sterne's experimental 18th-century novel The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy. The film within a film features stars including Stephen Fry and Rob Brydon

  • Season 29 Episode 8: Argentinian Cinema

    Documentary exploring the recent boom in Argentinian film-making, which has continued despite the country's current economic crisis. Pablo Trapero has carved a reputation for himself as a chronicler of gritty urban life, while Lucrecia Martel has been called one of the most original directors of modern times. Daniel Burman, meanwhile, is often compared to Woody Allen for his acute social observation and dry humour

  • Season 29 Episode 7: Alan Bennett

    Melvyn Bragg meets Alan Bennett, the writer, humorist and actor who, at the age of 71, shows no sign of retiring, having recently published a collection of memoirs and turned his West End play The History Boys into a film. Bennett revisits his childhood haunts in Leeds and discusses his life in London, where he has lived for the past 30 years, revealing how both cities continue to inform his work. Part of Nigel Slater Night

  • Season 29 Episode 6: Maxim Vengerov

    A report on Russian violinist Maxim Vengerov. Mastering the instrument as a child, the revered 31-year-old has achieved much during his short career but recently took a year's sabbatical in order to realise his dreams. Challenging himself to push the boundaries of the genre and his own talent, the programme follows Vengerov as he collaborates with his mentor, studies the electric violin and even learns how to tango

  • Season 29 Episode 5: Eric Sykes

    Melvyn Bragg talks to Eric Sykes about his lengthy career, which began in the 1940s. Starting out as a writer for Frankie Howerd, the celebrated comedian penned scripts for an array of comics before making the transition to the small screen himself. Now virtually deaf and registered blind, the 82-year-old continues to perform on stage and star in films. With contributions from Ken Dodd, Jimmy Tarbuck and Michael Palin

  • Season 29 Episode 4: Karl Jenkins

    A profile of the popular Welsh composer Karl Jenkins, celebrating his latest work Requiem, which was recently performed at Southwark Cathedral. His unique take on music is thanks in part to a passion for jazz which motivated Jenkins to combine the genre with rock. Melvyn Bragg follows the artist as he visits Kazakhstan, where his fusion of Western classical style with ethnic folk has found many new admirers

  • Season 29 Episode 3: Sophie Calle

    The work of Parisian artist Sophie Calle who has used a variety of techniques to create work reflecting the emotional crises and melancholy of modern life. Her unique approach has combined voyeurism with autobiography - but despite her apparent self-exposure she is still an enigma in the art world. With contributions from Damien Hirst and Laurie Anderson

  • Season 29 Episode 2: Margot Fonteyn - Part Two

    The concluding part of a specially commissioned film celebrating the amazing life and career of ballerina Margot Fonteyn. Following her professional and personal relationship with Rudolf Nureyev, Fonteyn spent the last years of her life alone and with very little money, dying of cancer when she was unable to pay for the medical treatment she desperately needed. Presented by Melvyn Bragg, with contributions from colleagues, critics and biographers

  • Season 29 Episode 1: Margot Fonteyn

    Dame Margot Fonteyn narrates a profile of her life.

  • Season 29 Episode 1: Margot Fonteyn - Part One

    Part one of two. Melvyn Bragg presents this specially commissioned film to mark the 40th anniversary of Margot Fonteyn's legendary performance in Romeo and Juliet. Born Margaret Hookham in 1919, the ballerina's extraordinary life included a host of lovers, an assassination attempt on her husband and an electrifying relationship with Rudolf Nureyev. Includes contributions from family, friends, critics and biographers

The South Bank Show: Season 28 (2003 - 2005)

  • Season 28 Episode 22: Paul Abbott

    Screenwriter Paul Abbott talks to Melvyn Bragg about his troubled childhood in Burnley and how it inspired his most recent success Shameless. He discusses his experience of severe depression and why a suicide attempt proved a turning point, prompting him to begin writing, which eventually led to success on Radio 4 and popular TV series State of Play and Clocking Off. Guests including Jimmy McGovern, David Threlfall, and two of Paul's siblings Keith and Elaine offer their thoughts

  • Season 28 Episode 21: VE Day

    To celebrate the 60th anniversary of the end of World War Two, Melvyn Bragg reveals how the artwork held in London's National Gallery survived heavy bombing during the conflict because of the quick thinking of the institute's director Kenneth Clark, who decided to hide the paintings in a disused quarry in the Welsh mountains. Meanwhile, the empty gallery provided the location for lunchtime concerts by pianist Myra Hess and, as the bombings subsided, the Picture of the Month scheme was born. With contributions by author Antony Beevor, art critic Andrew Graham-Dixon and survivors of the war who remember visiting the gallery

  • Season 28 Episode 20: Gambon and Hytner

    An intimate insight into rehearsals for the forthcoming production of Henry IV, Parts One and Two, at the National Theatre in London, capturing the working relationship between director Nicholas Hytner and lead actor Michael Gambon as they attempt to bring Shakespeare's plays to life. Gambon, described by Arthur Miller as 'Britain's greatest living actor' takes on the role of Falstaff alongside Matthew Macfadyen's Prince Hal

  • Season 28 Episode 19: Red Priest

    Profile of baroque ensemble Red Priest as they strive to boost classical music audiences by taking their performances from the chamber music circuit to the theatre stage, complete with lavish costumes, lights and special effects. With contributions by the group's leader Piers Adams, composer Howard Goodall, singer Katherine Jenkins, journalist Norman Lebrecht and classically-trained quartet G4. Melvyn Bragg presents

  • Season 28 Episode 18: John Boorman and the Truth and Reconciliation Commission

    British director John Boorman, famous for films such as Deliverance, Hope and Glory, and Point Blank, talks about his latest project, Country of My Skull. The movie, loosely based on Antjie Krog's book of the same name, is a love story set amid the work of South Africa's Truth and Reconciliation Commission, an organisation created to address human rights violations during the country's apartheid years. Featuring contributions by actors Samuel L Jackson and Juliette Lewis, and TRC Chairman Archbishop Desmond Tutu

  • Season 28 Episode 17: Cosmic Garden

    Melvyn Bragg presents in-depth profiles and reports on the arts scene

  • Season 28 Episode 16: Alina Cojocaru and Johann Kobborg

    Melvyn Bragg presents in-depth profiles and reports on the arts scene

  • Season 28 Episode 15: Khaled and Rachid Taha

    Melvyn Bragg profiles Algerian singers Rachid Taha and Khaled, who have been largely responsible for the phenomenal growth of rai music. Khaled, winner at this year's BBC World Music Awards and dubbed the 'king of rai', journeys to his home town of Oran and discusses the influences on his sound, from traditional Egyptian music to the Beatles. Rachid, who moved to France as a youngster, visits the Algerian immigrant population in Paris and explains why he views his songs as a chance to protest against injustices in French society

  • Season 28 Episode 14: Going Sane

    Psychoanalyst Adam Phillips takes a look at the cultural obsession with madness, via the worlds of art and literature, investigating whether society's definitions of sanity have contributed to mental illness. He visits the Bethlem Royal Hospital Archives and Museum, which celebrates the achievements of people with mental health problems, before drawing conclusions on what it really means to be sane

  • Season 28 Episode 13: Ian McEwan

    Melvyn Bragg talks to prize-winning novelist Ian McEwan about his new book Saturday, a story set in London on the day of the country's biggest ever anti-Iraq war march. He also discusses his impressive collection of work including First Love, Last Rites, The Cement Garden, The Comfort of Strangers and his last novel Atonement, and explains why he deliberately set out to create an impact by writing dark and violent novels

  • Season 28 Episode 12: Pete 'n' Dud : The Lost Shows

    Melvyn Bragg presents highlights from Goodbye Again, four comedy sketch shows made by Peter Cook and Dudley Moore in 1968 for ATV, after Lew Grade lured them away from the BBC. Fellow collaborator Rodney Bewes and series director Shaun O'Riordan recall how the duo were at the height of their comic prowess, fresh from the success of Not Only - But Also, which followed hit revue Beyond the Fringe. Combining excerpts as well as interviews with colleagues and comedians, sketches which have languished in the archives, unseen for 35 years, receive a long overdue airing. With contributions from Richard Ingrams, Rob Brydon, Ned Sherrin and Neil Shand

  • Season 28 Episode 11: Howard Goodall
  • Season 28 Episode 11: Howard Goodall - A Musical Nation

    Composer Howard Goodall examines the state of British music, focusing in particular on the classical scene. Rebutting gloomy predictions of a terminal decline, he points to positive developments in many schools where music education is undergoing a long-overdue revival. Goodall argues that, as more young people interact with music, they will help build bridges between different traditions to ensure a healthy and vibrant future for the art form

  • Season 28 Episode 10: Ruth Rendell

    Melvyn Bragg presents a profile of crime novelist Ruth Rendell who has written more than 50 books over a 40-year period, including the Inspector Wexford series which was made into the popular TV series in the late 1980s. Melvyn asks her about the inspiration for her stories and how she manages to create such evil characters, before discussing her work under the pseudonym Barbara Vine, including the recent The Blood Doctor. Plus, contributions from fellow writer and friend PD James

  • Season 28 Episode 9: Iggy Pop

    A profile of Iggy Pop, who achieved fame in the late 1960s with his rock band the Stooges, but left the group twice as a result of his destructive drug habit. The 57-year-old musician, born James Newell Osterberg, talks to Melvyn Bragg about his career, including the Stooges' reunion tour and his solo album Lust for Life, recorded while in Berlin with David Bowie in the 1970s. With contributions by Wayne Kramer, Danny Fields and band members Scott and Ron Asheton

  • Season 28 Episode 8: The Darkness

    Brothers Justin and Dan Hawkins, Frankie Poullain and Ed Graham formed British rock band the Darkness in 2000 and within three years had released multimillion-selling album Permission To Land, funded and produced by the musicians themselves. They talk to Melvyn Bragg about their early lives in Lowestoft, rapid rise to fame and the inspiration behind their music. Plus, backstage footage of the Brit Awards and unseen concert material

  • Season 28 Episode 7: Michael Frayn

    Melvyn Bragg presents a profile of playwright and novelist Michael Frayn, from his early career as a journalist with the Guardian and Observer newspapers to his works of comic fiction including The Tin Men and Towards the End of the Morning. Featuring an interview with Frayn himself, who discusses his recent stage play Democracy and his Whitbread prize-winning novel Spies, and reveals what drives him to continue to write at the age of 71

  • Season 28 Episode 6: Robert Frank

    Documentary tracing the life and career of photographer Robert Frank, most famous for his book The Americans, which captured life in mid-Fifties USA and films including Pull My Daisy. The 80-year-old talks about the loss of his children and life with his wife, the painter June Leaf, split between homes in New York and Nova Scotia

  • Season 28 Episode 5: Malcolm Arnold : Part Two

    Second of a two-part celebration of the life of British composer Malcolm Arnold, writer of the soundtrack for The Bridge on the River Kwai. Despite a successful career, boasting nine symphonies and more than 120 film scores, Arnold has battled with depression and alcoholism throughout his life. Tony Palmer talks to the 83-year-old about his life, while friends including lyricist Tim Rice, film director Richard Attenborough and chef Rick Stein are among the contributors

  • Season 28 Episode 4: Malcolm Arnold
  • Season 28 Episode 4: Malcolm Arnold : Part One

    First of a two-part celebration of the life and career of Malcolm Arnold, one of Britain's most popular composers, who wrote nine monumental symphonies and more than 120 film scores, including The Bridge on the River Kwai. Tony Palmer interviews the 83-year-old about his early years in the London Philharmonic Orchestra and the battles with alcoholism and depression which plagued his life. The programme also features music from his many films and contributions from family and friends, including Tim Rice, Richard Attenborough and Rick Stein

  • Season 28 Episode 3: Willie Nelson

    Melvyn Bragg profiles 71-year-old country music star Willie Nelson. A veteran of the record industry who began his incredible singing career at the tender age of 11, he still spends most of the year on the road with his band, touring and writing new material. Despite being snubbed by detractors in Nashville, he survived to become one of the biggest names in the industry, and explains what drives him on and where his inspiration stems from

  • Season 28 Episode 2: Ronnie Wood

    An exclusive look behind the public image of rock icon Ronnie Wood, who shot to fame in the 1960s with Rod Stewart and the Faces, before joining what many consider the greatest band in the world - the Rolling Stones. The guitarist gives a tour of his music and art studios and explains how he balances his hectic lifestyle with his interest in painting, and talks candidly about his ongoing battle with alcohol addiction. With contributions from Wood's family and friends, including wife Jo, Rod Stewart, Jools Holland and Keith Richards

  • Season 28 Episode 1: Street Music

    Four highly contrasting musicians reveal what compels them to busk on the streets of London - are they looking to be discovered or simply trying to survive? The programme features a man who plays reggae under the gaze of the London Eye, a soprano who sings in Covent Garden, a busker who has already attracted the attention of record companies and a former accountant who decided to give up the rat race

The South Bank Show: Season 27 (1995 - 2004)

  • Season 27 Episode 13: Ian McKellen

    A profile of actor Ian McKellen.

  • Season 27 Episode 13: A Year in the Life of Ian McKellen

    In 1984, The South Bank Show documented a year in the life of Ian McKellen, who at the time was Britain's foremost classical actor. Twenty years on, roles in X-Men and the Oscar-winning Lord of the Rings trilogy have turned McKellen into an international superstar. Cameras follow him around the world to capture another year in the life of this popular actor

  • Season 27 Episode 12: Othello

    Melvyn Bragg celebrates the 400th anniversary of Othello, Shakespeare's tragedy which touches on themes of racism, jealousy, power relations, and good and evil. Susan Shaw's film explores the play's performance history and its changing interpretation over four centuries, as well as featuring rehearsals from the Royal Shakespeare Company's new production, which stars Sello Maake Ka-Ncube in the title role and Antony Sher as Iago, arguably the most famous villain in Shakespeare's universe

  • Season 27 Episode 11: Johnny Hallyday

    Melvyn Bragg talks to 60-year-old French rock legend Johnny Hallyday, who discusses his beginnings as a child star and reveals the artists who have influenced his lengthy career. The programme explores why Hallyday has proved successful only in the French-speaking world - to whom he has sold more than 100 million records - and features a few lesser-known facts, including the part he played in discovering guitarist Jimi Hendrix. Former culture minister Jack Lang is among those contributing

  • Season 27 Episode 10: Jeanette Winterson

    Leading novelist Jeanette Winterson joins Melvyn Bragg to discuss her work, strict religious upbringing and passion for art. She talks about her Whitbread Prize-winning semi-autobiographical debut Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit, recalls writing such popular tales as The Passion, Written on the Body and The Powerbook, and promotes her new release Lighthousekeeping

  • Season 27 Episode 9: Dance Theatre of Harlem

    The history of respected US ballet company the Dance Theatre of Harlem, tracing the career of janitor's son Arthur Mitchell, who founded the company in an effort to get young people off the streets. Shown to mark the group's UK tour, the film follows Mitchell as he discusses his work and rehearses for future performances, and features contributions from dancers, choreographers and teachers

  • Season 27 Episode 8: Jack Vettriano - The People's Painter

    Melvyn Bragg chronicles the career of self-taught artist Jack Vettriano, who followed his father into a career as a mining engineer and went on to become one of Britain's most popular painters. He discusses the inspiration for the sexually troubled subjects often portrayed in his work, and shares his experience of receiving an OBE. With contributions from crime writer Ian Rankin, The Eclipse of Art author Julian Spalding, design guru Terence Conran and The Erotic Review editor Rowan Pelling

  • Season 27 Episode 7: John Lennon's Jukebox

    Melvyn Bragg reports on the discovery of John Lennon's personal jukebox, which features a tracklist comprising a range of artists who influenced the legendary Beatle. Musicians including the Isley Brothers, Ritchie Barrett, Bobby Parker, Little Richard, John Sebastian and Sting discuss what the collection says about Lennon and his career, and there are archive performances by the likes of Gene Vincent, Wilson Pickett and Otis Redding

  • Season 27 Episode 6: The Wilson Twins

    Melvyn Bragg introduces a documentary chronicling a year in the lives of visual artist twins Jane and Louise Wilson, as they produce their new work A Free and Anonymous Monument, an installation commissioned by the Baltic Centre for the Contemporary Arts in Gateshead, which comprises 13 screens inspired by Victor Pasmore's Pavilion in Peterlee. The programme offers viewers a first glimpse of the piece, and features a selection of their other works

  • Season 27 Episode 5: Jamie Cullum

    Melvyn Bragg profiles self-taught jazz musician Jamie Cullum, who made the headlines in 2003 by signing a record-breaking £1million recording contract - the highest awarded to a British star of the genre. Cullum shares his thoughts through a video diary as his career goes from strength to strength

  • Season 27 Episode 4: TV Drama Stories - Part Two

    Conclusion to last week's episode. Melvyn Bragg assesses whether TV drama gives an accurate reflection of the state of the nation, explores the role of politics on the small screen and reports on whether docu-drama sticks closely enough to the facts. With contributions from leading writers including Paul Abbott, Tony Marchant and Russell T Davies, as well as actors, directors and commissioning editors. Plus, footage of several dramas to be shown this year

  • Season 27 Episode 3: TV Drama Stories - Part One

    First in a two-part instalment which sees Melvyn Bragg assess what makes drama TV's most popular genre, exploring how characters and storylines contribute to the programmes' ratings, and talking to the writers who bring the stories to life. He compares Tracy Barlow's pregnancy in Coronation Street to the memorable return of Dirty Den to EastEnders, considers reasons for the demise of Brookside and examines the enduring appeal of police and medical dramas. With contributions from critics and writers including Germaine Greer, Jimmy McGovern and Paul Abbott

  • Season 27 Episode 2: Daniel Barenboim and the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra

    Documentary following conductor Daniel Barenboim and the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra during rehearsals in Seville prior to a Proms performance at the Royal Albert Hall. In a final interview prior to his death in September, co-founder Edward Said discusses the development of the orchestra with Barenboim, and reveals how he views the group's music as a metaphor for what can be done to resolve problems in the Middle East

  • Season 27 Episode 1: Germaine Greer

    Author and academic Germaine Greer challenges conventional concepts of physical attraction, arguing that although Western artists have traditionally used the female nude to suggest perfection of form and physique, the adolescent male is actually a far more potent embodiment of human beauty. Expanding on themes set out in her controversial new book The Beautiful Boy, she analyses works by artists ranging from Michelangelo and Caravaggio to Van Dyck, and talks to boy band Westlife about their appeal to millions of fans

The South Bank Show: Season 26 (2002 - 2006)

  • Season 26 Episode 25: Ewan McGregor

    Since his early Nineties debut in such cult classics as Shallow Grave and Trainspotting, Ewan McGregor has become one of Britain's most sought-after talents, appearing in Hollywood blockbusters including Moulin Rouge and the Star Wars prequels. Here, cameras follow McGregor as he embarks on promotional trips to Cannes and New York for his upcoming offerings Down with Love and Young Adam. On the way, he talks frankly about his career and shares his thoughts on preparing for roles. With contributions from his uncle, fellow actor Denis Lawson, as well as Danny Boyle, John Hodge and Andrew MacDonald : the team who originally shot McGregor to stardom : who discuss their plans for a sequel to smash-hit Trainspotting

  • Season 26 Episode 24: Andrew Lloyd Webber: The Full Picture

    Andrew Lloyd Webber offers viewers a preview of the forthcoming exhibition of his collection, Pre-Raphaelite and Other Masters, which opens at the Royal Academy of Arts later this month. A lifelong collector who can now afford to indulge his passion, he ruefully recalls spotting Frederic Leighton's masterpiece, Flaming June, in a junk shop window in Fulham Road when he could not scrape together the #115 to buy it, though he now numbers works by Picasso and Stanley Spencer among his prized possessions

  • Season 26 Episode 23: Robert Harris Takes on Rome

    Interview with best-selling author Robert Harris, who discusses how he went about tackling the world of the ancient Romans for his new thriller Pompeii. The writer visits the village, infamously destroyed during an eruption of Mount Vesuvius, to meet vulcanologists and historians, who paint a vivid picture of the disaster. Presented by Melvyn Bragg

  • Season 26 Episode 22: Albert Camus

    Special edition of the arts programme comprising a one-off drama chronicling a fictional aftermath of the early death of poet, novelist and Nobel Prize-winner Albert Camus. Beginning with his untimely demise in a car crash, the surreal film follows the intellectual as he directs a new movie and attempts to seduce a woman who is constantly shadowing him, trying to gain an insight into his ambiguous character and fending off his advances in the process. Starring Catherine McCormack, Ciaran Hinds, Steven Berkoff and Struan Rodger

  • Season 26 Episode 22: Albert Camus: Broken Morning
  • Season 26 Episode 21: Nick Cave

    Melvyn Bragg conducts a candid interview with Australian singer-songwriter Nick Cave, who discusses his early songs of self-loathing, murder, drug addiction and love, and his recent ventures as an author. Cave recalls arriving in Britain with his first band, the Birthday Party, in the early 1980s, his work with later collaborators the Bad Seeds and his current passion for writing romantic songs with an air of melancholy. The programme features contributions from Wim Wenders, Will Self and members of the Bad Seeds

  • Season 26 Episode 21: Singer-Songwriter, Nick Cave
  • Season 26 Episode 20: Juan Diego Florez

    Melvyn Bragg introduces a profile of Peruvian opera singer Juan Diego Florez, chronicling his eagerly anticipated return to Lima to perform in front of a 3,000-strong crowd, and hearing from his father, a well-known folk singer who heavily influenced his son's career. Global stars Luciano Pavarotti and Placido Domingo are among those paying tribute to Florez in this documentary, which also features a performance by the vocal sensation

  • Season 26 Episode 19: George Orwell

    DJ Taylor introduces a profile of George Orwell, investigating his life, beliefs and attitudes, and meeting those who knew him and his family in an effort to paint a portrait of the celebrated writer. The presenter assesses the author's work, and contemplates how Orwell would have reacted to the turbulent events of recent times

  • Season 26 Episode 18: Ang Lee

    As comic-book blockbuster Hulk is prepared for release, Melvyn Bragg heads for special effects company Industrial Light and Magic in California to meet director Ang Lee, who discusses the ambitious project. Plus, interviews with the character's creator Stan Lee, Oscar-winning visual effects expert Denis Muren and Marvel Comics chief Avi Arad

  • Season 26 Episode 17: Brazil Through the Eyes of Caetano Veloso

    Melvyn Bragg talks to acclaimed Brazilian singer-songwriter Caetano Veloso and his fellow musician Gilberto Gil, about how their art-form has helped implement change in their homeland. The film features a performance by the collaborators at this year's Salvador Carnival and explores the impact of the so-called Tropicalia movement on the country. With contributions from musician David Byrne and critic Nelson Motta

  • Season 26 Episode 17: Caetano Veloso
  • Season 26 Episode 16: Herbie Hancock

    Melvyn Bragg chronicles the illustrious career of jazz pianist Herbie Hancock, who shot to fame after joining the celebrated Miles Davis quintet alongside Wayne Shorter, Ron Carter and Tony Williams, and went on to pioneer a blend of jazz and funk, culminating in the release of classic album Headhunters, the most successful of its genre over a 20-year period. The programme features the pianist and composer performing Watermelon Man and Maiden Voyage, as well as contributions from guitarist Carlos Santana, iconic producer Quincy Jones and Radio 1 DJ Gilles Peterson

  • Season 26 Episode 15: Conor McPherson

    Melvyn Bragg talks to acclaimed Irish playwright Conor McPherson, whose latest project, feature film The Actors, is currently on release and boasts a cast including Michael Caine, Dylan Moran and Miranda Richardson. McPherson discusses how he found fame with award-winning 1997 play The Weir, and went on to write Port Authority, The Good Thief and Dublin Carol, and also reveals how his battle with alcohol is reflected in his work

  • Season 26 Episode 14: Caryl Phillips

    Melvyn Bragg talks to award-winning novelist Caryl Phillips, the West Indian-born writer brought up in Leeds and now based in New York, who discusses his internationally acclaimed work and the prejudice he has encountered during his illustrious career. Cameras follow the author as he returns to his native St Kitts, an island which provided much of his inspiration, and the West Yorkshire city of his upbringing, where he reveals why he has chosen to address Britain's social problems in his latest novel, A Distant Shore

  • Season 26 Episode 13: Philip Pullman

    Profile of popular author Philip Pullman, best known for The Amber Spyglass, the Whitbread Prize-winning final instalment of the trilogy, collectively entitled His Dark Materials. Melvyn Bragg examines the powerful imagery apparent in Pullman's work and assesses the controversy his writing has generated, particularly among religious organisations

  • Season 26 Episode 12: Felix Dennis
  • Season 26 Episode 12: How to Get Rich

    Melvyn Bragg chronicles the life of publishing tycoon Felix Dennis, whose current periodicals include popular news digest The Week and hugely successful men's lifestyle magazine Maxim. The presenter also investigates Dennis's turbulent private life, which has seen the impresario battle crack-cocaine addiction, have 14 mistresses and struggle with ill health, before turning his hand to poetry

  • Season 26 Episode 11: Hanif Kureishi

    Melvyn Bragg talks to acclaimed writer Hanif Kureishi, the scribe behind controversial Oscar-winning film My Beautiful Launderette and BBC drama The Buddha of Suburbia. He discusses his upbringing as the only Asian child at his suburban school in Kent, racist attacks he has suffered and his new project Mother, the story of a widow who embarks on a relationship with her daughter's boyfriend

  • Season 26 Episode 10: Gerhard Richter

    Melvyn Bragg travels to San Francisco to talk to Gerhard Richter : the German painter regarded by many as one of the world's greatest living artists : midway through his 40 Years of Painting touring exhibition. Richter also offers a glimpse into his Cologne home, where he enjoys a relaxing break before embarking on a series of new works

  • Season 26 Episode 9: Irek Mukhamedov

    Melvyn Bragg profiles Russian-born dancer Irek Mukhamedov, who defected to Britain in 1990 while a major star of the Bolshoi Ballet. After working with the Royal Ballet, he is currently appearing as Drosselmeyer in English National Ballet's new production of The Nutcracker, and overseeing his own production of Swan Lake in Warsaw

  • Season 26 Episode 8: James MacMillan

    The life and work of Scottish composer James MacMillan, who first claimed public attention at the Proms 12 years ago. Since then, his critically acclaimed compositions have inspired musicians around the world, recently leading to a collaboration with dancer Darcey Bussell and choreographer Christopher Wheeldon to turn an orchestral piece into a ballet. Melvyn Bragg discovers how his Ayrshire childhood impacted on his music, hears about his love of football and finds out about how his faith has helped him through difficult times

  • Season 26 Episode 6: Joan Rivers Special
  • Season 26 Episode 5: Andrew Davies

    Melvyn Bragg talks to TV dramatist Andrew Davies, the writer behind adaptations of classic novels such as Pride and Prejudice, Vanity Fair and the forthcoming Daniel Deronda, as well as modern fiction including Michael Dobbs' House of Cards trilogy. No stranger to controversy, Davies was also responsible for BBC Two's recent lesbian period piece Tipping the Velvet. Here he talks about his early career as a teacher at Warwick University : which inspired quirky Eighties drama A Very Peculiar Practice : as well as subsequent successes, from the set of his latest production Doctor Zhivago, which starts on ITV1 next week

  • Season 26 Episode 4: Craig David

    Melvyn Bragg follows a year in the life of singer-songwriter Craig David, the Southampton-born sensation whose first album has sold 10 million copies worldwide. Veterans of the music industry, including Elton John and Sting, discuss his rapid rise to stardom and ask why his style is so globally popular, and there's a chance to see the man himself as he celebrates his 21st birthday and works on his eagerly anticipated second album, which hits the shops tomorrow

  • Season 26 Episode 3: Graham Vick

    Opera director Graham Vick reveals his ambitious plan to stage a full scale production of Beethoven's Fidelio at Aston Park, Birmingham. Both professional singers and local community groups will take part, in line with Vick's passionate belief that opera should be available to people from all walks of life and this programme follows the rehearsal process

  • Season 26 Episode 3: Graham Vick: Beethoven in the Big Top
  • Season 26 Episode 2: Akram Khan

    Melvyn Bragg profiles acclaimed dancer Akram Khan, who blends traditional Indian classical techniques with Western styles and has been appointed the Royal Festival Hall's Choreographer in Residence. The film follows Khan as he embarks on a sell-out tour with Kaash, his most ambitious dance project to date, on which he has worked with internationally acclaimed sculptor Anish Kapoor and award-winning composer Nitin Sawhney

  • Season 26 Episode 1: Mike Leigh

    Melvyn Bragg is joined by acclaimed British director Mike Leigh, who talks about his latest cinematic offering, All or Nothing which is currently on general release. He also looks back over a long and distinguished career, during which he has attempted to capture the lives of the working classes in films including Nuts in May and Abigail's Party. Famed for his improvisational approach to film-making he was, nonetheless, nominated for best screenplay Oscar for Topsy-Turvy in 2000, and this programme offers an insight into the directorial process

The South Bank Show: Season 25 (2001 - 2002)

  • Season 25 Episode 19: Bernie Taupin

    Melvyn Bragg reviews the career of acclaimed lyricist Bernie Taupin, long-time collaborator with Elton John, who opted to take a back seat as his associate stole the limelight. The programme reveals his earliest influences and Lincolnshire farm beginnings and features contributions from friends and colleagues including Tim Rice, Alice Cooper, Baz Luhrmann, Hal David and Barney Hoskyns

  • Season 25 Episode 18: Moby

    Portrait of chart star Moby, who won plaudits in the early 1990s for his work in the dance and techno genres, including interview material and footage from a concert held in Manhattan to promote new album 18, a follow-up to the hugely successful Play. Anecdotes from contemporaries and friends, notably artist Damian Loeb, help flesh out the picture, and the video for new single Extreme Ways is previewed

  • Season 25 Episode 17: Cinema of Fire

    New Iranian cinema flourishes despite being subjected to censorship before, during and after the toppling of the Shah in 1979. Following the Islamic Revolution, the religious authorities clamped down on film-makers with strict rules about the representation of women and the regime. Here, four luminaries of the genre : Bahram Beizai, Abbas Kiarostami, Dariush Mehrjui and Jafar Panahi : discuss the subtle and creative ways in which directors question the status quo

  • Season 25 Episode 16: Neil LaBute

    Melvyn Bragg meets controversial American playwright and film-maker Neil LaBute, director of the critically acclaimed In the Company of Men and big-budget hit Nurse Betty. Accompanied by extracts from both his film and theatre work, he talks about his career and his Mormon faith, with contributions from actors Aaron Eckhart and Rachel Weisz

  • Season 25 Episode 15: REM

    Melvyn Bragg explores the surprisingly sane world of American rock band REM, who have sales of 30 million records behind them and continue to share all profits equally. Band members Michael Stipe, Mike Mills and the now infamous Peter Buck talk about their roots in the Deep South and the departure of drummer Bill Berry, while U2's Bono helps to explain their enduring appeal to a worldwide audience

  • Season 25 Episode 14: Fay Weldon

    Fay Weldon, best-selling author of such novels as The Fat Woman's Joke and The Life And Loves Of A She-Devil, recalls her literary career and early work as an advertising copywriter, which included the famous Seventies slogan 'Go To Work on an Egg'. She also speaks out on a variety of topical issues and discusses her forthcoming memoir, the wittily titled Auto Da Fay

  • Season 25 Episode 13: Mario Vargas Llosa

    Celebrated Peruvian novelist Mario Vargas Llosa talks to Melvyn Bragg about literature, politics and his new novel The Feast of the Goat, based on the notorious General Rafael Trujillo, one-time ruler of the Dominican Republic and probably the most brutal Latin American dictator of all. The author discusses his own extraordinary life, during which he scandalised his family by marrying his aunt and stood for president of his homeland against Alberto Fujimori

  • Season 25 Episode 12: Johnnie Ray

    Melvyn Bragg presents a profile of Fifties rock 'n' roll singer Johnnie Ray, who provides a missing link between crooners like Frank Sinatra and the upbeat sounds of the 1960s, but remains largely the forgotten man of pop. Overcoming deafness following a childhood accident, Ray promoted black music against the tide of fashion and broke all the rules with his wildly emotional stage show to become the world's biggest recording star. Tony Bennett, Kay Starr and Frankie Laine reminisce

  • Season 25 Episode 11: Meera Syal

    Goodness Gracious Me star Meera Syal, whose first book Anita and Me won the prestigious Betty Trask prize, discusses how she drew on her background as an Asian brought up in the Midlands to write the script for Andrew Lloyd Webber's new musical Bombay Dreams

  • Season 25 Episode 10: Why the Novel Matters

    Novelist and critic Howard Jacobson tours literary events around the country in this personal celebration of the novel. Strolling along the DH Lawrence heritage trail at Eastwood, joining costumed revellers at a Dickens street festival in Rochester and sharing the enthusiasm of Jane Austen aficionados in Bath, he concludes that the novel is far from dead, and remains the most democratic of art forms

  • Season 25 Episode 9: Leif Ove Andsnes

    A profile of Norwegian virtuoso Leif Ove Andsnes, widely described as the most musical pianist of his generation. The film follows his return home to the city of Bergen, where he tackles Grieg's Lyric Pieces on the composer's own instrument, as well as his long-awaited Russian debut in St Petersburg, performing Rachmaninov's challenging Third Piano Concerto

  • Season 25 Episode 8: The Sopranos

    Melvyn Bragg investigates the murky underworld which gave rise to popular TV Mafia drama The Sopranos, created by writer and director David Chase. Cast members Edie Falco and Steve Van Zandt discuss the quirky mix of sentiment and post-Godfather grit that has scooped countless awards for the show, and prompted the New York Times to hail it as 'the greatest work of American popular culture of the last quarter century'

  • Season 25 Episode 7: Ladies and Gentlemen, Miss Renee Fleming

    Profile of American Renee Fleming, widely regarded as one of the greatest singers in the world. Whether leading carols at the White House, comforting the bereaved in a memorial service at Ground Zero or topping the bill at the world's major opera houses, she has already become a national institution in her native country. Equally at home singing jazz, musical comedy and opera, her astonishing vocal ability has led to favourable comparisons with Maria Callas. This intimate portrait, filmed in Europe, America and Japan, explores the private and sometimes distressing agony of stardom on the world stage

  • Season 25 Episode 6: JRR Tolkien's Lord of the Rings
  • Season 25 Episode 6: Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings

    Melvyn Bragg examines the phenomenon of JRR Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings, one of the most popular literary works of all time, charting its influence on a generation of artists and fantasy writers, including best-selling novelist Terry Pratchett. He talks to Peter Jackson about his ambitious film trilogy based on the mythical adventure, the first part of which : The Fellowship of the Ring : is scheduled for UK release on 19 December

  • Season 25 Episode 5: Dr John

    Profile of soulful R'n'B artist Dr John, also known as Mac Rebenack, as he returns to his New Orleans roots to relive his eventful life and career. A former heroin addict and failed pimp, he has become one of America's most respected musicians, whose work perfectly reflects the myriad culture of the city : an intoxicating mix of jazz, blues, rock 'n' roll and funk. Featuring an exclusive concert and interviews with key figures from the New Orleans music scene

  • Season 25 Episode 4: Norman Foster

    Architect Norman Foster gives Melvyn Bragg a guided tour of the British Museum's recently opened Great Court, and talks about the technological developments and new thinking giving shape to the urban environment in the 21st century

  • Season 25 Episode 3: Rachael Whiteread

    A year in the life of British sculptor Rachael Whiteread, who made her name and sparked a fierce debate in 1993 with a controversial piece entitled House : the concrete cast of a condemned London building. The film follows her work over a 12-month period, finding her subsequent projects to be on a similar scale : including the cast of a floor, staircase and two flats, a Holocaust memorial, and a sculpture sited in Trafalgar Square

  • Season 25 Episode 3: Rachel Whiteread
  • Season 25 Episode 2: Night Mail II

    To mark the show's 25th season poet Tony Harrison revisits the classic film Night Mail, which told the story of the overnight post train from London to Scotland. Made in 1936, and boasting a verse commentary by WH Auden, the landmark feature represented a double first, establishing both the documentary genre and the arts programme. Following an examination of the original, Harrison airs his updated film-poem Crossings

  • Season 25 Episode 1: High and Low Culture in the Age of Television

    The second of two 90-minute programmes kicking off a new series of the cultural platform. Melvyn Bragg leads a debate on the controversial subject of fostering a more inclusive ethic in the arts, questioning the elitism of those who champion the theatre over television, and classical over popular music. The panel, which includes Professors John Carey and Lisa Jardine as well as Grey Gowrie, former Chairman of the Arts Council, seek to redefine a narrow artistic vision, which appears to ignore the breadth and variety of public taste in favour of increasingly outmoded, traditional notions of culture

The South Bank Show: Season 24 (1995 - 2006)

  • Season 24 Episode 25: Tracey Emin

    Profile of controversial artist Tracey Emin, who shot to the nation's attention after gaining a Turner Prize nomination for exhibiting her messy bed, and whose forthright opinions have often landed her in trouble. Here, she talks to Melvyn Bragg about her solo show and looks back on a career that has had its fair share of ups and downs

  • Season 24 Episode 24: Ravi Shankar

    Profile of Ravi Shankar, the ground-breaking sitar player who first brought Indian music to the West in the 1960s, inspiring The Beatles, whose interest spawned a cultural revolution among the hippie generation, and led to collaborations with Western musicians including Yehudi Menuhin, Andre Previn and Philip Glass. His influence also permeates the work of current stars Mercury Prize-winner Talvin Singh and songwriter Nitin Sawhney

  • Season 24 Episode 23: Steve Coogan

    Comedian Steve Coogan talks to Melvyn Bragg about his solo career, the problems of instant fame and his recent move into feature films. Characteristically going against the flow as an impressionist in the 1980s, when alternative stand-up was all the rage, he made his name in the ground-breaking TV show The Day Today, and the creation of alter ego Alan Partridge established him as a major talent able to tap into the national psyche with a persona to stand alongside Captain Mainwaring and Basil Fawlty

  • Season 24 Episode 22: Edmund White

    Profile of novelist Edmund White, whose autobiographical work A Boy's Own Story, published in 1982, celebrated homosexual lust thriving amid the homophobia of Fifties America. His latest book The Married Man has been hailed as his best yet, recounting in fictionalised form his relationship with a man dying of Aids

  • Season 24 Episode 21: Ian Bostridge

    Renowned tenor Ian Bostridge discusses the history of lieder : songs for voice and piano : from German Romanticism to the early 20th-century developments in England. He also explores Czech composer Janacek's subversion of the form, and performs a new work written specifically for his voice by Hans Werner Henze

  • Season 24 Episode 20: Ian Rankin

    New series of interviews and biographies, starting with the private life and working world of best-selling crime writer Ian Rankin, highlighting the similarities between him and John Rebus, the fictional detective he created while he was a student in 1987. Melvyn Bragg visits the Edinburgh haunts frequented by both Rankin and Rebus, and discovers how a number of the city's landmarks are incorporated into the novels

  • Season 24 Episode 19: Bill Bryson

    Melvyn Bragg meets renowned tourist Bill Bryson, whose quirky travellers' tales have won him critical acclaim on a global scale. Returning to the scenes of some of his most amusing and contentious writing, the author of bestsellers including A Walk in the Woods and Notes from a Small Island strives to grapple with a bear on the Appalachian Trail, reassesses his personal opinion of Bradford in the company of the city's mayor, and nips into the Millennium Dome for a quick tour and a comment before its controversial doors are finally shut

  • Season 24 Episode 18: Elvis Costello with Anne Sofie von Otter

    Behind the scenes of a unique collaboration between Elvis Costello and Swedish mezzo-soprano Anne Sofie von Otter, who have recorded an album of songs by the likes of Paul McCartney, Abba and Nina Simone. Cameras follow them in the recording studios as they put the collection together and perform it on stage for the first time in Vienna

  • Season 24 Episode 17: Greta Garbo

    The life of Swedish screen goddess Greta Garbo, often remembered for her desire to be alone. Featuring interviews with close friends and co-stars, the programme offers a glimpse into the actress's intensely isolated world and includes a glimpse of private letters, currently housed in a museum, written by the actress to those she loved

  • Season 24 Episode 16: Amos Oz

    Focus on the life and work of Israeli novelist Amos Oz, who discusses his latest novel The Same Sea, a radical departure from his usual style, with an autobiographical slant and shades of sexual imagery. His personal character is revealed through interviews with Melvyn Bragg and occasional insights from his long-standing friend Shimon Peres

  • Season 24 Episode 15: Russell Watson

    Profile of young opera star Russell Watson, exploring his rise to fame from the early days struggling to make ends meet to his first widespread exposure at Old Trafford when the Manchester United Board invited him to sing before a big game. Despite receiving poor reviews from the music press, he's proved it's possible to make the genre more accessible to the masses, and his debut album raced straight to the top of the charts on its release. Featuring contributions from his critics and fans, including Alex Ferguson

  • Season 24 Episode 14: Shirin Neshat

    The work of artist Shirin Neshat, an Iranian exile now living in New York. Through art, she hopes to communicate her understanding of religion and politics, seeking to provide an insight into both the Palestinian conflict and the present ideological isolation of her homeland. The programme follows her attempts to make three films that deal with the subjects of madness, apocalypse and desire : all controversial themes in modern-day Iran

  • Season 24 Episode 13: Ken Russell

    Melvyn Bragg profiles one-time colleague and self-professed enfant terrible of British cinema, Ken Russell. Now in his seventies, the celebrated director of big-screen classics including Women in Love, The Music Lovers, The Devils, Tommy and The Boy Friend discusses his extravagant past, his fall from feature film grace and his recent reincarnation as an Internet movie-maker

  • Season 24 Episode 12: Tom Jones

    Melvyn Bragg interviews singing superstar Tom Jones about his extraordinary rags-to-riches career. Jones recalls his upbringing in the Welsh mining community of Pontypridd, the time spent in the musical wilderness : when over-excited women pelted him with knickers during his Las Vegas shows : and his current rediscovery as an icon of cool by a new generation of fans

  • Season 24 Episode 5: Mark Morris

    Choreographer Mark Morris rehearses a new work.

  • Season 24 Episode 1: Andrew Lloyd Webber

The South Bank Show: Season 23 (2005)

The South Bank Show: Season 21 (1997 - 1998)

The South Bank Show: Season 20 (1996 - 1998)

The South Bank Show: Season 19 (1995 - 1997)

The South Bank Show: Season 18 (1994 - 2003)

The South Bank Show: Season 17 (1994 - 1995)

The South Bank Show: Season 16 (1993 - 1994)

The South Bank Show: Season 15 (1993)

The South Bank Show: Season 14 (1993)

The South Bank Show: Season 13

The South Bank Show: Season 12

The South Bank Show: Season 11 (1994)

The South Bank Show: Season 10

The South Bank Show: Season 9 (1993 - 1995)

The South Bank Show: Season 8 (1995)

The South Bank Show: Season 7 (1995)

The South Bank Show: Season 6 (1995)

The South Bank Show: Season 5 (1995)

The South Bank Show: Season 4

The South Bank Show: Season 2 (1993)

The South Bank Show:

  • Cildo Meireles

    Melvyn Bragg presents a profile of Cildo Meireles. Now aged 60, the Brazilian artist's politically inspired works are manifested as all-enveloping installations made from everyday domestic objects such as balls, fences, gates, glass and furniture. Cameras observe Meireles in his Rio studio and around his home nation. The artist's upcoming retrospective at London's Tate Modern is also previewed

  • The One Ronnie

    Ronnie Corbett talks to Melvyn Bragg about modern comedy and takes a film crew around his homes in Scotland and London, where he and his wife Anne indulge their love of leisure. Archive material along with contributions by David Frost and Michael Palin chart his career from working with Danny La Rue to his big break in Lionel Bart's flop musical Twang! and pairing with Ronnie Barker on The Frost Report

  • Out of Nigeria - Part One

    The first of two programmes profiling Nigerian writers Chinua Achebe, one of Africa's leading novelists, and Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, the continent's newest literary star. The documentary explores how, despite being from different generations, their paths have often crossed - Adichie was brought up in Achebe's old house and her debut novel Purple Hibiscus revisits the themes of Things Fall Apart, his acclaimed novel of 1958

  • Out of Nigeria - Part Two

    Part two of two. Profiles of Nigerian writers Chinua Achebe and Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, exploring the connections between their lives and work. After predicting a coup in his 1966 novel A Man of the People, Achebe and his family escaped assassination and then faced the Biafran War - the setting for Adichie's Orange prize-winning book Half of a Yellow Sun. With contributions by Nobel laureate Nadine Gordimer