Sky Arts Thursday

Simon Butteriss explores the success of The Mikado and the rewriting of Ruddigore, and hears how a sceptical Jonathan Miller set about directing a Gilbert and Sullivan operetta

Violinist Rachel Podger joins the Academy of Ancient Music for a performance of Vivaldi's most popular work, featuring the sounds of wintry blizzards and hazy summer days

Artist Bob Ross paints a river scene featuring luscious green grass and fresh evergreens, with a purple and pink sky giving the water a perfect glow

Bob Ross paints a scene depicting a cabin, hidden in the midst of a plush green forest surrounded by the sounds of nature

A hijacker takes a stewardess hostage and demands a million dollars and a parachute. Starring Denis Quilley, Suzanne Danielle and Simon Cadell

A fashion model loses her glamorous lifestyle and is ditched by her boyfriend - but years later she sees an opportunity to win him back

Gangster Dan Varrel has just been released from prison and goes looking for the woman he holds responsible for his brother's death

William Callew is involved in a bad traffic accident on a rural road that leaves him so paralysed he appears lifeless, and when help arrives they think he is dead

A look at the life and career of Kathryn Bigelow, who is the only woman to have won an Academy Award for Best Director, for the 2008 war thriller The Hurt Locker

A selection of performances by the Dutch violinist at historic venues around the world

A woman eavesdrops on a private conversation while at lunch, which has disastrous repercussions on her marriage

A retired thief tries to break into a new safe as a publicity stunt, but the money inside proves too much of a temptation for the ex-convict. Starring John Mills and June Ritchie

Documentary about the life of the actor, comedian, director and stunt performer, who made almost 200 movies and was a huge star of the silent film era

Frank Skinner and Denise Mina follow in the footsteps of Alexander Pope and Jonathan Swift, two of the most brilliant humorists in the history of literature

A look at the life and career of Quentin Tarantino, whose films include Reservoir Dogs, Pulp Fiction, Django Unchained and Once Upon a Time in Hollywood

A profile of the American actress, who starred in Steel Magnolias Mrs Doubtfire and Forrest Gump, and won Academy Awards for her roles in Norma Rae and Places in the Heart

A writer uncovers an intriguing story when he revisits his wartime lodgings. Drama, starring Leslie Caron and James Aubrey

An eccentric stranger arrives in town and bewitches the children with his magic, but he appears to have something else up his sleeve. Drama, starring Derek Jacobi

Stephen Mangan invites nine artists to paint celebrity sitters Melvin Odoom, Max Beesley and Emily Atack as Tai Shan Schierenberg, Kathleen Soriano and Kate Bryan judge the efforts

Ian Nathan takes a look at the 1949 Ealing comedy about the inhabitants of a London street who discover documents proving they are really citizens of Burgundy

The life and work of American film-maker and choreographer director Stanley Donen, best known for co-directing On the Town and Singin' in the Rain with Gene Kelly

A look at the life and career of the actor, who starred in The Graduate, Midnight Cowboy and Tootsie and won Academy Awards for his roles in Kramer vs Kramer and Rain Man

Family and friends of the iconic Hollywood actor come together to share memories of his life and fruitful career

A profile of the actress and singer, with archive footage and interviews revealing her triumphs, struggles with addiction and resilient spirit

An interview with the award-winning jazz, pop and classical singer Cleo Laine, combining stories of her past with previously unseen footage from her personal archives

Documentary about the museum in Bilbao, looking at the daily work of maintenance staff, art conservation experts and those who organise the exhibitions there

Three artists battle it out in the Midlands heat for the chance to create the UK's next major landmark in this series hosted by Gemma Cairney

In London, Ingles & Hayday sells a rare Stradivarius violin, while masterpieces by Gerhard Richter, Georg Baselitz and Jean Dubuffet are auctioned at Sotheby's

An 1897 painting by Gustav Klimt goes on sale at Sotheby's in New York City after years in a private collection, while a work from the later years of Renoir is auctioned