Time Shift Episode Guide

Episode Guide

• Alistair Cooke

  Archive footage and broadcasts reveal how the long-running show Letter From America has covered some of the country's biggest news events in the last 50 years, including the assassination of President John Kennedy, the civil rights movement and the terrorist attacks of September 11

• Apes In Hollywood

  Stuart Maconie reports on the host of films starring gorillas

• Apocalypse Now - and Then

  An investigation into society's obsession with the end of the world. The programme reinterprets various doomsday panics throughout history, from the Jehovah's Witnesses' flight to the mountains believing that the great flood was imminent, to the prospect of nuclear winters and the presence of deadly viruses. Plus, an investigation into why mankind continues to believe Armageddon is just around the corner

• Art School

  Insight into how British art schools in the 1960s offered a means of expression and escape for the less privileged who could not afford to enter the hallowed halls of university. Designer Mary Quant and musician Brian Eno were among those who emerged from the era's pop culture, and here they offer their thoughts on how the colleges contributed to all aspects of life in Britain in the 1960s, from music to politics

• Attenborough the Controller

  How veteran presenter David Attenborough was made Controller of BBC Two in 1965 following the channel's disastrous first year of broadcasting, and commissioned classic series including Match of the Day, Not Only : But Also, Horizon, The Likely Lads and The Forsyte Saga

• The Battle for the Ashes

  The history of England and Australia's battle for the Ashes - a sporting battle that has often mirrored the countries' changing relationship over the past 123 years. Featuring interviews with cricketing legends including Ian Botham, David Gower and Shane Warne, as well as 2005's victorious captain Michael Vaughan

• The Black and White Minstrels - Revisited

  Documentary exploring the rise and fall of The Black and White Minstrel Show, which was a television favourite for 21 years, attracting huge audiences and dominating the Saturday night schedule. Although considered by many to be harmless entertainment, the show's connotations sat less comfortably with the viewing public as attitudes toward race changed and it was effectively banned from the airwaves in one of the most extraordinary moves in broadcasting history. Featuring contributions from original minstrels Bob Hunter and Les Want, as well as historians, authors and critics. Eddie Mair narrates

• Blood on the Carpet: Walking with Disc Jockeys

  The shake-up of Radio One during the 1990s, triggered by the decision to court a younger audience and the appointment of Matthew Bannister as the channel's new controller. Several long-standing DJs resigned, and youth-oriented talents such as Trevor Dann and Chris Evans were recruited, bringing the station both listeners and criticism. Narrated by Jim Carter

• A Brief Interlude

  A history of the famous Potter's Wheel, one of the most fondly remembered BBC interlude films of the 1940s and 1950s. Featuring contributions from critics, historians and BBC workers of the era, who discuss the difficulties of promoting television to an audience dubious of its worth

• The British Seaside

  The history of the seaside holiday, from its Victorian origins to its Fifties heyday and current attempts to encourage more people to take breaks in Britain. With contributions from Jonathan Meades, Bill Pertwee and Martin Parr

• The Cannabis Years

  The evolution of the cannabis debate over the past 50 years, using archive footage to examine the changing reaction of the media from hysterical vilification to the more considered debates of the current era. With attitudes softening to the drug and its medical uses becoming more and more apparent, the programme assesses the possibility of changes in the law to keep up with current trends

• The Carnival Years

  Documentary exploring the turbulent history of the Notting Hill Carnival. Civil rights campaigner and journalist Claudia Jones first came up with the idea in 1959 as a vehicle to promote racial harmony, but as its popularity grew over the decades, so did the levels of violence associated with the annual gathering. Recently however, the committee behind the carnival have worked hard to maintain the event's true spirit, prompting its acceptance into mainstream culture - a success reflected by the decision for it to lead the Queen's 2002 Jubilee celebrations

• Cathy Come Home

  Series of reports taken from the archives

• Charles Wheeler : A Shadow Over Europe

  An investigation into why Allied forces sanctioned a move that saw millions of ethnic Germans driven from their Czechoslovakian homes in 1945. Presented by Charles Wheeler, who died recently

• Charles Wheeler : Edge of Frame

  Extended edition of a documentary first shown in 2004, chronicling a selection of the 20th century's most decisive moments, as seen by the late journalist Charles Wheeler, who was at the forefront of news broadcasting for more than 50 years. Contributors including Jeremy Paxman, John Simpson and Wheeler's son-in-law Boris Johnson offer their thoughts on a man renowned for his dedication and modesty

• Child Prodigies : Too Much Too Young?

  Documentary featuring archive footage of child prodigies displaying remarkable powers of reasoning, including Mary Ann Sieghart, assistant editor at The Times, who recalls teaching herself to read at the age of three. The programme also looks at how talented youngsters challenge conventional thinking about education and psychologist Joan Freeman explains the downside of their achievements

• A Childhood

  Documentary following 50 inner-city children from Leicester as they embark on a charity-funded holiday to Mablethorpe on the Lincolnshire coast. The youngsters reveal their problems during the break, while adults recall their own childhood vacations to the same location

• Children's News: Time Shift

  Documentary chronicling the development of children's TV news, from its beginning when issues such as how to make a cricket bat were the hot topics, through to the fierce competition to win youth audiences that exists between channels today. Featuring contributions from Michael Buerk, Lizo Mzimba and former Newsround presenter John Craven

• Conchies - Questions of Conscience

  The history of conscientious objectors, from World War One to the current conflict in Iraq, examining the moral, political or religious reasons for their actions and the harsh treatment they have received from society and the military for standing up for their beliefs. The story of Mohsin Khan, an RAF reservist who was arrested for going AWOL when called up to fight against fellow Muslims in Iraq, is used to explore the question of whether servicemen should be entitled to question orders they believe are wrong

• Council Housing

  Series of reports taken from the archives

• Court on Camera

  The history of televised court cases, from the Lindbergh trial of 1935 to OJ Simpson. While it is common practice for cameras to document proceedings in America, British courtrooms remain off-limits. The programme questions whether such restrictions are viable in a democracy, and voices concerns over the dangers such exposure would pose to the legal system. With contributions from Barry Scheck, who represented both Simpson and Louise Woodward, but fears that high-profile coverage can lead to miscarriages of justice

• Dan's Castle

  Profile of T Dan Smith, Newcastle's most influential politician of the 1960s, who predicted a future age of leisure of which Tyneside would be the centre

• Dearly Beloved

  Report taken from the archives

• Drugs in Sport

  A report on the history of drug use in sport, focusing on athletes whose careers have been destroyed after tests revealed performance-enhancing substances in their bodies. Sharron Davies and Diane Modahl are among those talking about their own experiences of drug testing. Narrated by Jo Shinner

• East of Ipswich

  Seventeen-year-old Richard Burrill is dragged to the seaside by his parents where he meets Edwin, another teenager with strong views on life, and a Dutch girl with an eye for the boys. Nostalgic comedy, starring John Nettleton and written by Michael Palin

• ELP

  Report taken from the archives on Emerson, Lake and Palmer

• England Away

  Documentary following the history of English football supporters travelling to Europe over the past 50 years, discovering how, for previous generations, soccer represented the only opportunity of visiting other nations and shaped many attitudes to neighbouring countries. The programme also examines how the culture of drinking and patriotism mutated into hooliganism, giving British fans a bad name throughout the Continent. Narrated by Paul McGann, with contributions from Billy Bragg and former hooligan Dougie Brimson

• Everyman

  Series of reports taken from the archives

• Fantasy Sixties

  How the space race of the 1960s and subsequent boom in technology created a global hunger for imaginative entertainment that was reflected by the creators of TV programmes. Scriptwriter Brian Clemens and actor Gerald Harper are among those exploring how series such as Doctor Who, The Prisoner, The Avengers and Adam Adamant Lives! pushed the boundaries of television - until Neil Armstrong's walk on the moon turned fantasy into reality

• Footballers' Lives

  Investigation into the effect that money and fame have had on footballers. Using archive footage and interviews with Jimmy Armfield, Chris Waddle, Jimmy Hill and Adrian Chiles among others, the film looks at how, since the maximum pay barrier was removed, wages have reached incredible levels, resulting in increasing pressures on players and clubs

• Gambling Britain

  An investigation into the government's attempts to legislate gambling in Britain, charting the nation's obsession with having a flutter on all manner of weird and wonderful things, as reflected in the success of the National Lottery, launched in 1994. With contributions from John McCririck, Willie Thorne and Viv Nicholson

• The Grove Family

  The opening episode of the BBC's first-ever soap opera The Grove Family. Launched in 1954, it told the story of a hard-up couple struggling to provide for their children in the post-war era of austerity. The drama quickly built up a following of almost nine million viewers, including the Queen Mother

• The Grunwick Strike

  The tensions caused by the Grunwick film processing plant workers' strike in the late 1970s: a turning point in British industrial relations as the business employed mainly Asian and women workers who were not trade union members. With contributions by those involved and key players in the dispute

• Gurus

  How the philosophy and ideology of Indian gurus have transcended cult status to become part of mainstream British society

• Hard Drive Heaven - The History of the Home Computer

  The story of the PC, following the transition from computers that filled entire rooms to the modern accessible devices that have almost become a household necessity

• Heath Robinson : Suburban Subversive

  The life and work of satirical cartoonist William Heath Robinson, exploring how his bizarre contraptions lampooned the 20th century's belief in the power of machines. Michael Rosen reveals the evolution of his work, from illustrations exposing the absurdity of World War One, to jibes aimed at middle-class society, and tries his hand at assembling a working Heath Robinson machine

• Hey Mr DJ - The Rise and Rise of the DJ

  The history of the disc jockey, focusing on the revolution of the 1960s, when pirate radio stations began to shake up the institutionalised sound of the networks. DJs are now global trend-setters and style icons, worshipped as superstars and commanding huge fees for performances. Featuring interviews with Pete Tong, Annie Nightingale, Johnnie Walker and Ranking Miss P. Narrated by David Hepworth

• High Culture for All in Post-War Britain

  Francine Stock narrates the story of the Third Programme, a radio show launched in 1946 with the intention of bringing the best in high culture to the entire nation. The programme examines how the show was instrumental in changing attitudes to the arts in Britain, but also encountered difficulty as attitudes changed. With contributions from historian Asa Briggs, novelist Alan Sillitoe, broadcaster Richard Baker and actress Jill Balcon. Part of the Lost Decade season

• High Rise Dreams

  Eddie Mair tells the story of how a group of idealistic architects changed the face of council housing in Britain. New materials and the modernist philosophy brought the concept of high-rise accommodation to the inner cities - only for the dream to founder on the economic realities of public finance and to ultimately perish with the scramble for home ownership during the Thatcherite era

• The History of Pubs

  The recent history of the British pub, regarded as an essential part of the community since medieval times, but which has undergone radical changes during the past 50 years. Narrated by Arthur Smith, with contributions from Jeremy Hardy, Rowan Pelling and Pete Brown

• I Hate the Sixties - The Decade That Was Too Good to Be True

  David Aaronovitch, Terry Eagleton, Peregrine Worsthorne, Anne Atkins and Cristina Odone are among the personalities exploding the myths surrounding the Swinging Sixties. They argue that the golden glow customarily cast over the iconoclastic decade belies a harsher reality, one of a fragmented society that left a legacy of incoherent beliefs and moral permissiveness, shattering a value system that had remained unchallenged for decades

• Jack Rosenthal

  Documentary about prolific screenwriter Jack Rosenthal's work. His death last year brought an end to a career which spanned four decades, during which time he was responsible for a plethora of television programmes, including Coronation Street and London's Burning. Rosenthal also drew on his own experiences for inspiration, creating classics such as The Evacuees, The Lovers and Bar Mitzvah Boy. Featuring contributions from his widow Maureen Lipman, David Puttnam, Chris Dunkley and Tim Firth

• Jewish Entertainers - The Story of a Showbusiness Tradition

  The history of Jewish involvement in the entertainment industry, in both Britain and America. After World War Two, members of the Jewish community in Britain found a niche in the world of theatre and showbusiness but in many cases still felt the need to mask their ethnicity, while their US counterparts, such as Lenny Bruce and Woody Allen, were able to celebrate their heritage and use it as a rich source of material. Narrated by Emma Freud, with contributions from Barry Cryer and Alan Yentob

• Kenneth Tynan

  New Yorker drama critic John Lahr traces the rise and fall of Kenneth Tynan, the controversial theatre impresario who brought four-letter words to the BBC and nudity to the West End. Featuring contributions from Tynan's two daughters Tracy and Roxana

• The Kneale Tapes

  Profile of TV writer Nigel Kneale, who terrified TV viewers with the Quatermass series during the 1950s, and went on to create modern classics The Year of the Sex Olympics and The Stone Tape. In a candid interview, he reveals what it took to bring his vision to the screen and how his works reflected the issues of the time, yet anticipated the future. Featuring contributions from fans including the stars of The League of Gentlemen, who discuss how Kneale influenced their work

• Ladies and Gentlemen

  Documentary chronicling Malcolm Muggeridge's exhaustive 1965 lecture tour of America

• Launch Amber

  Series of reports taken from the archives

• The Lie of the Land

  Insight into how far the British rural heritage has been perpetuated by cultural tradition, blinding the population to the reality of rural poverty. The question of whether such an idyll really exists is asked, in the wake of post-war farming and urban sprawl on the land. Featuring contributions from Jonathan Dimbleby, Roger Scruton, Oliver Walston and Marion Shoard

• Life on Mars

  Documentary offering an update on the search for life on Mars. Despite space probes in the 1970s suggesting the red planet was too cold to support life, recent missions have suggested conditions could be conducive. Part of the 1973 season

• Live on the Night

  A look back at the early days of TV drama, when the programmes had to be broadcast live. Although this method soon gave way to pre-recorded showings, which allowed for a polished production and word-perfect performances, the virtues of live drama are now being rediscovered. Narrated by Bill Nighy, with contributions from Brian Blessed and The Bill's Trudie Goodwin

• The Lost Road - Overland to Singapore

  David Attenborough tell the story of his 1955 drive from London to Singapore, in which six men took the then-TV producer and two Land Rovers over 12,000 miles. Their trip went through Beirut during peacetime, a pre-militarised Burma, Nepalese gorges and across the Ganges on a tiny ferry. Featuring contributions by members of the expedition and original footage from the journey

• The Lost World of Red Robbo

  Profile of militant trade union shop steward Derek Robinson, who earned the nickname Red Robbo during a series of disputes at British Leyland's Longbridge car plant in the 1970s. The battles marked the beginning of a breakdown of union power across Britain as the Government asserted its authority, and heralded the new world of work familiar today, consisting of absolute management power, casualisation and the gradual introduction of the short-term contract. Part of the 1973 season

• Lucky Sunil

  Satirical drama, telling the story of Sunil, an Indian law student who travels to London in the hope of making it big. But he finds his new life is not quite as easy as he expected it to be, and descends into a world of hefty debts and dodgy deals among Britain's Asian emigres

• The Magic Roundabout Story

  A celebration of the enduring success of children's TV classic The Magic Roundabout. Originally created in Paris in the early 1960s by French animator Serge Danot, the plots were a million miles away from the series that English actor Eric Thompson and animator Ivor Wood rescripted, revoiced and reinterpreted for a British audience. Its continued appeal has led to the recent film version by Bristol-based animation team the Bolex Brothers, with Jim Broadbent, Kylie Minogue, Joanna Lumley and Ian McKellen voicing the cult characters

• Malcolm Muggeridge : Swimming Against the Stream

  Profile of Malcolm Muggeridge, who went from a Marxist outsider to being fondly remembered as the father of modern satire. He eventually became an evangelist but continued to divide opinion until his death in 1990. Featuring contributions from Anthony Howard and Cormac Murphy O'Connor

• A Man from the Sun

  Seminal BBC play from 1956, British television's first attempt to portray West Indian immigrants in a sympathetic light

• Maxwell : The Downfall

  Tom Bower looks back on the career of Robert Maxwell, the tycoon whose career allowed him to rub shoulders with the rich and powerful, before he died in mysterious circumstances following the revelation of devious mishandling of his employees' pension money

• Middle Classes: Their Rise and Sprawl

  Series of reports taken from the archives

• Missing Believed Wiped

  The story of the quest to uncover recordings of BBC TV programmes long thought destroyed, an endeavour that resulted in the restoration of several priceless missing episodes of Dad's Army. With contributions from John Cleese, Terry Jones, Steve Bryant, the head of the National TV Archive, Dicky Fiddy of the BFI, historian Professor John Ellis and Christine Slattery of the BBC Treasure Hunt archives

• MPs on the Box

  How politicians have been portrayed on TV over the past 50 years, from the satirical creations of Spitting Image and Yes Minister, to real-life dramatisations such as The Alan Clark Diaries. Featuring contributions by Ian Hislop, Armando Iannucci and Roy Hattersley

• New Age Travellers

  A history of New Age travellers, using footage from the archives. Beginning in the 1970s, the hippie way of life offered an idealistic alternative to the rat race, but legislation and fragmentation have resulted in the lifestyle losing its appeal, and fewer people adopting its free-living culture. Narrated by Paul McGann

• New Masters: Le Corbusier

  Classic German documentary dating from 1972 about the work of the modernist architect Le Corbusier, who advocated the need for a new style of design suitable for the industrial age and taught the world that a house was a machine for living in

• Nigel Kneale

  Report taken from the archives

• Notting Hill Riots

  Documentary recalling the Notting Hill race riots of 1958, which gave rise to black activism in Britain and inspired the famous annual carnival - as well as setting the tone for black relations with the police for generations. Including archive footage and interviews with those involved

• Painted Babies

  Report on the five-year-old beauty queens who undergo song, dance and deportment training in preparation for the Southern Charm Pageant in Atlanta. The rewards for ambitious parents are substantial, but competition organisers worry that the whole business has become too professional. Are these children being short-changed simply to meet the high expectations of stagestruck parents?

• Pay Attention Britain! - Public Information Films

  The work of the Central Office of Information over the past 60 years, featuring footage of their often amusing and sometimes alarming public announcements on topics like road safety. The programme examines how characters such as Charley the Cat became part of the cultural landscape

• The Philpott File: Another Little Drink

  A Trevor Philpott report from 1977 on the brewing industry and the organisations controlling it

• Play for Today : Spend, Spend, Spend

  Jack Rosenthal's 1977 drama Spend, Spend, Spend, which follows the story of a working-class woman whose life changes forever when she wins the pools. Starring Susan Littler, John Duttine, Helen Beck, Joe Belcher and Stephen Bill

• Political Thrillers

  The hidden history of TV political thrillers, from the banned 1950 Cold War drama Party Manners to State of Play. Michael Dobbs examines the impact House of Cards made during a real-life Tory leadership crisis, and Edge of Darkness writer Troy Kennedy Martin reveals the secrets behind his work. With contributions from Mark Lawson, Chris Mullin, Chris Dunkley and Jack Kibble-White

• Pop Svengalis

  Annie Nightingale narrates an overview of how managers came to dominate the pop industry over the past 50 years, questioning whether they are merely exploitative or play a vital role in shaping the development of music. With contributions from Paul Morley, Marti Wilde, Joe Brown, Les McKeown and Simon Napier-Bell

• The Potter's Wheel Is 50

  A history of the famous Potter's Wheel, one of the most fondly remembered BBC interlude films of the 1940s and 1950s

• Professional Foul

  Performance of Tom Stoppard's 1977 Cold War play Professional Foul, which highlighted the plight of dissidents in Czechoslovakia. A mild-mannered English philosopher gets involved with a group of cynical soccer journalists while visiting Prague. Peter Barkworth, Patrick Monckton and Richard O'Callaghan star

• Prog Rock Britannia

  Report taken from the archives on the history of progressive rock, the musical style that divided listeners into those who applauded its ambitious blend of classical and modern sounds, and those who dismissed it as self-indulgent rubbish. The birth of punk supposedly heralded the end of prog, but some suggest this much-maligned genre is still going strong. Broadcasters John Peel and Bob Harris, critic Charles Shaar-Murray, Yes drummer Bill Bruford and Genesis guitarist Steve Hackett share their views

• The Pub

  Report taken from the archives

• Raj to Rhondda : How Indian Doctors Saved the NHS

  How a generation of Indian doctors left the sub-continent to follow their careers in Britain, becoming the backbone of the NHS. Despite encountering prejudice and discrimination, many became part of the medical establishment, and, as they collectively reach retirement age, the UK's healthcare system is left facing a potential crisis

• Ready Meals: Britain in a Box

  Documentary examining how ready meals have become increasingly popular in Britain. The programme considers the factors that have led to their ubiquity and ponders the possible consequences, such as a decline in communal family eating and cooking skills. With contributions from journalists and food magnates

• Reefer Madness

  A chance to see an abridged version of 1936 anti-cannabis propaganda film Reefer Madness, in which a high-school principal narrates the story of a young couple whose lives are turned upside down by drug abuse. Though regarded as delivering a serious social message on its original release, the film is now thought of as little more than an entertaining cult work offering an outdated view of marijuana

• The Rise and Fall of the Comedy Straight Man

  Mark Lamarr narrates a history of the comedy straight man, from beginnings in the circus and variety shows to eventual television success : which finally became the medium of his demise. With contributions from Syd Little, Nicholas Parsons, Barry Cryer, Carol Cleveland and Henry McGee, and clips from classic shows including Morecambe and Wise, Benny Hill and Monty Python

• Rock Family Trees

  Report taken from the archives

• Rover - The Long Goodbye

  Documentary tracing the rise and fall of car giant Rover. The British badge became the epitome of taste when its P5 and P6 models were launched during the 1950s and 1960s. Controversial joint ventures with Japanese and Indian manufacturers followed, before the firm collapsed in 2005. Contributors include motoring expert Quentin Willson, journalists Zog Zeigler and Jonathan Glancey, and design historian Stephen Bayley

• Rude Britannia

  Documentary celebrating the role of rudeness in Britain's cultural identity, revealing how it has helped resolve social problems and rejecting the belief that manners are worse now than in past generations. Featuring a celebration of the nation's finest plain-speaking individuals and contributions from broadcaster Clement Freud, Dennis Skinner MP, anthropologist Kate Fox and historian Paul Langford

• Russell T Davies Unscripted

  Profile of screenwriter Russell T Davies, who discusses his earlier career in children's programmes before finding fame as the creator of Queer as Folk. The programme examines his subsequent work, including controversial drama The Second Coming and the recent Casanova, as well as his role overseeing the resurrection of Doctor Who. With contributions by TV critic Mark Lawson, actor Christopher Eccleston and presenter Andi Peters

• The Sailing Sixties

  How newly developed boating materials kick-started the sailing revolution of the 1960s, which saw thousands build their own vessels and take to the seas, the most famous of whom were Barry Bucknell and Jack Holt, who were sponsored by the Daily Mirror to create a home-made dinghy made of only plywood and glue. With contributions from Robin Knox-Johnston, who won the famous Sunday Times Golden Globe race by becoming the first man to circumnavigate the world non-stop alone

• Sherlock Holmes

  Report taken from the archives

• Six Days to Saturday

  John Boorman's documentary which was rediscovered in the BBC archives, featuring footage from 1963. The film follows the lives of the players and manager of Swindon Town Football Club and gives a fascinating glimpse of the profession before it became embroiled with the big business of sponsorship and multi-million pound transfer deals. Part of the Football Worlds season

• Smith and Frank Visit Wales

  Report taken from the archives

• Speak No Evil - The Story of the Broadcast Ban

  Examination of the broadcast ban placed on representatives of paramilitary groups in Northern Ireland, the most direct form of government censorship since World War Two. The Thatcher government developed the law as a means of denying these organisations the 'oxygen of publicity' - but broadcasters soon found they could circumvent the rules by dubbing over the politicians with other voices. Featuring contributions from former BBC Director-General John Birt and actor Stephen Rea

• Spend Spend Spend

  The story of pools winner Viv Nicholson who blew her 1960s win in a massive spending spree which left her penniless in a very short time

• Stephen Poliakoff: A Brief History of Now

  Writer Stephen Poliakoff reveals the preoccupations that have shaped his work. His two major new films for 2006, Friends and Crocodiles and Gideon's Daughter, address cultural changes in Britain over the past 20 years. Including contributions by Miranda Richardson, Robert Lindsay and Jodhi May

• The Stone Tape

  Nigel Kneale's 1972 ghost story The Stone Tape, a chilling tale of ghost detection and recorded memory. Starring Michael Bryant and Jane Asher

• The Supermarket

  Examining the origins of supermarkets, focusing on their amazing growth over the past 50 years and their impact on modern-day society

• The Take: Flying Tonight : The Love Generation

  Alan Whicker's journey through San Francisco in the 1960s, at the height of flower power. Plus, Mark Lamarr endures Holiday Hell at a nightmare resort

• Temporary Person Passing Through

  Mori Cameron speaks frankly about the life of her late husband, journalist James Cameron, who was an active campaigner for a number of contentious causes. Notable moments include his damning commentary of the Hiroshima atomic bomb, which exposed the horror of the event, and the time he decided to tell the Vietnamese people's side of the war

• Threads

  Harrowing drama about the consequences of nuclear war, focusing on two Sheffield families in the days leading up to : and the years following : a direct hit on the city. First shown in 1984, the award-winning film pulls no punches in its depiction of the fallout. Reece Dinsdale and Karen Meagher star

• Three-Day Week

  Documentary examining Edward Heath's controversial response to the energy crisis of the early 1970s, cutting industrial production in a bid to control electricity use. Part of the 1973 season

• Time Shift: A Story of the Circus

  How the circus experience was embraced by millions in the comfort of their own homes thanks to the power of television, with archive footage including the first-ever live outside broadcast, showing a French big-top performer in Calais. Narrated by Veronika Hyks

• Time Shift: Car Crazy

  The story of Britain's love of the motor car, from the earliest days of mass production in the 1920s to today's post-modern Minis. Despite the number of environmental threats, congestion charges and tolls, individuals seem destined to hold vehicles in high esteem : is this ever likely to change?

• Time Shift: Cold War Kids

  Documentary chronicling the experiences of children who grew up during the Cold War, exploring how they became the focus of political propaganda. Featuring personal testimony including one man's recollections of a Soviet labour camp, a child's memories of growing up in a London suburb with communist parents and how a teenage girl became an ambassador to Russia thanks to Jimmy Savile

• Time Shift: The Jet Set

  A look back at the glamorous heyday of the jet set, from the 1950s to the 1970s, examining a time when the notion of the rich and famous flying to exotic locations around the world was a source of fascination and admiration for the general public. Racing driver Jackie Stewart, psychologist Dr Martin Dyer Smith, columnist Ross Benson and Concorde pilot Christopher Orlebar reflect on how society's attitude to celebrity has changed over the years

• Timeshift: Pile It High, Sell It Cheap

  Examining the origins of supermarkets, focusing on their amazing growth over the past 50 years and how they have impacted on modern-day society

• Timeshift: Star Men

  Adam Hart-Davis investigates the world of amateur astronomy, revealing how many great discoveries were made by ordinary people rather than scientists. Over the course of the 20th century, the exploration of the cosmos has increasingly become the preserve of professional organisations, but new technological developments are now allowing members of the public to study the night sky in far greater detail than before. Featuring contributions from Terry Pratchett, who offers a tour of his personal observatory, Professor Colin Pillinger of the Beagle 2 project, and Patrick Moore, who reflects on his life's work

• Timeshift: The Lost Pictures of Eugene Smith

  Writer and broadcaster Dai Smith searches for the missing photographs taken for Life magazine by American journalist W Eugene Smith during the 1950 general election. He traces some of the people of South Wales whose images have become part of photographic history

• Too Much Too Young

  Report on projects designed to help children deal with the mental problems they face when they spend most of their youth looking after sick and disabled parents

• The Truth About Sixties TV

  Mark Lawson trawls the archives to take a fresh look at what has been called the 'golden age' of television - the 1960s. He reveals that while landmark programming such as Cathy Come Home and Civilisation certainly lived up to such an accolade, other shows fell short of the mark, citing Miss World and The Black and White Minstrel Show as prime examples. Lawson asks whether viewers were more forgiving of the new medium, and whether this has contributed to the myths surrounding early broadcasting

• TV and Charity

  Investigation into the effect TV and charity appeals have had on the public, from the early days of Christmas collections for needy children to Live Aid and Comic Relief. Delving deeper, the programme also looks at whether the shows are broadcast with the best intentions or merely as an attempt to boost ratings

• Two World Wars and One World Cup

  Exploring the nature of the British and German relationship and its turbulent history, including a focus on the attitudes of Germans who have made their lives in the UK

• Tyneside

  A celebration of Tyneside's cultural renaissance from the 1980s to the current day, including the Angel of the North and the success of Andy Capp, which was inspired by the region's working class macho culture

• Vicars : Dearly Beloved?

  Documentary revealing the changing role of the Church of England's priests during the past 40 years. The public's perception varies from patriarchal pillars of the community and fundraisers, to modern evangelists, while the struggle to maintain an ever-faithful congregation remains an ongoing one

• Watching You

  Journalists Donal MacIntyre, Paul Kenyon and Tony Wilkinson discuss the rise of reality TV and the use of hidden cameras, while Nigel Kneale talks about his 1969 play The Year of the Sex Olympics, which parodied a TV game show and is remarkably close to today's Big Brother and Fame Academy-style programming

• Wedding on Saturday

  Documentary following preparations for a wedding in the Yorkshire mining village of South Emsall, with contributions from friends, family and residents building a picture of this small community

• West Indians

  The troubles working-class Afro-Caribbean people faced trying to settle in Britain in the 1960s. Barbadian poet and writer George Lamming narrates

• What Have the Germans Ever Done For Us?

  Investigation into German influences on British culture, examining everything from VW beetles to wine. Including archive interviews with politicians and celebrities, the film sets out to discover how Teutonic the UK is, and asks why ingrained prejudice against Germany still exists

• Whatever Happened to the Working Class?

  Though some politicians, sociologists and property-market experts claim there is no modern working class, two thirds of the UK population still believe they belong in this group. This programme examines the history of the class struggle, and features contributions from Julie Birchill, Tim Lott and Arthur Scargill among others

• Whicker's World : The First Million Miles

  Legendary reporter Alan Whicker looks back over his travels to exotic locales around the world, and recalls notable interviews conducted during a TV career spanning 50 years

• Whistle-Blowers : The Stories that Didn't Want to be Told

  An insight into the impact and fate of whistle-blowers who risked their careers to speak out of conscience or to highlight malpractice, including the recent cases of Cathy Massiter, Sarah Tisdall and Clive Ponting, who chose to break the confines of the 1911 Official Secrets Act and expose the government's policy and practices. They brought to an end the administration's ability to use the law courts to prevent sensitive information from being made public, but, as the examples of scientist David Kelly and GCHQ translator Katherine Gun reveal, there can be a high price to pay for noble actions

• Wise Guys

  Report taken from the archives

• The World of Georgie Best

  Hugh McIlvanney's 1970 documentary about former Manchester United star George Best, recalling a time when he garnered considerable tabloid coverage because of his unique talent rather than his alcohol-fuelled lifestyle and eventual fall from grace

• Writers on TV
• The Writer's Trade

  Professor John Sutherland trawls the archives to find out how the image of the novelist has changed from that of a remote figure to today's celebrity writers. With contributions by Mark Lawson, Martyn Goff, Alexandra Pringle and Andrew O'Hagan

• A Year in the Life : For the Curate

  Paul Watson's archive film depicting the Church of England during the 1960s as he followed Nicholas Bury, who is now Dean of Gloucester, during his first year as a curate

• The Year of the Sex Olympics

  Nigel Kneale's legendary 1969 TV play The Year of the Sex Olympics, a bleak futuristic drama about a group of people who opt out of society and escape to a small island, unaware they are being filmed 24 hours a day. Leonard Rossiter, Brian Cox, Tony Vogel and Suzanne Neve star

• Z Cars

  A vintage episode of police drama Z Cars, first broadcast in December 1963. Barlow, Smith and Weir investigate a shop-lifting case, the mysterious disappearance of thousands of bricks, and a few unbuilt houses. Starring Stratford Johns, Brian Blessed and Joseph Brady