Sky Arts

Season 8 Episode 1/12

Return of the programme venturing into the great auction houses of the world, where bidding frenzies, art masterpieces and big money investments are commonplace

Season 1 Episode 23/49

Competition in which budding artists are challenged to paint a scene in just four hours

Season 1 Episode 5/

A look at Ptolemy Dean's Weston Tower, which lies within Westminster Abbey, examining what went into designing the most significant addition to this historic site in 240 years

The Colonel's Lady
Season 9 Episode 2/9

Colonel George Peregrine's comfortable life is disturbed when his wife writes a raunchy novel that becomes a best-seller and he becomes convinced she is having an affair. With Joss Ackland, Pauline Collins, Rupert Frazer and Gareth Thomas

The Surgeon
Season 9 Episode 3/9

A surgeon saves the life of a wealthy patient and receives a wonderful gift - but his new asset proves a fearful liability. Starring John Alderton and Alison Fiske

Cher
Season 4 Episode 3/30

Melvyn Bragg revisits his 1999 meeting with singer and actress Cher, who candidly discussed her career highs and lows

Anish Kapoor
Season 4 Episode 5/30

Melvyn Bragg revisits an episode of his arts programme The South Bank Show from 1999 in which he met British sculptor Anish Kapoor

Discovering: Warren Beatty
Season 8 Episode 8/13

A look at the life and career of the Oscar-winning American actor and director, whose films include Bonnie and Clyde, Reds and Heaven Can Wait

Discovering: Jack Palance
Season 8 Episode 9/13

A look at the life and career of the American actor, who made his name playing gunfighter Jack Wilson in Shane and won an Oscar for his role in 1991 comedy City Slickers

The Verger
Season 9 Episode 4/9

When the new vicar of a church plans radical changes, conflict arises over a secret one of the locals has kept for years

The Facts of Life
Season 9 Episode 5/9

A fencing contest in London lands naive Nicholas Lillie in the middle of a bizarre adventure. Drama, with Benedict Taylor and Jim Broadbent

A Long March to Freedom
Season 1 Episode 5/10

A look at the life and work of Martin Luther King Jr and his courageous efforts to lead the civil rights movement

The State of the Union Is Not Good
Season 1 Episode 5/8

The documentary examines how America went from bad to worse as it dealt with one crisis after another throughout the presidential terms of Gerald Ford and Jimmy Carter

The Reagan Revolution
Season 1 Episode 5/8

A look at the events of Ronald Reagan's two terms in the White House, examining landmark legislative achievements as well as political setbacks

Discovering: George C Scott
Season 8 Episode 10/13

A look at the life and career of the American actor, who won an Oscar for his portrayal of George S Patton in 1970 biographical drama Patton, but refused to accept the award

Discovering: Julie Christie
Season 8 Episode 11/13

A profile of the English actress, who starred in Billy Liar, Doctor Zhivago, Don't Look Now ,The Go-Between and Shampoo and won an Oscar for 1965 film Darling

Landscape Artist of the Year 2019
Season 5 Episode 2/

The contestants' next challenge takes them to the picturesque grounds of Herstmonceux Observatory in East Sussex. Presented by Joan Bakewell and Stephen Mangan

Portrait Artist of the Year 2019
Season 5 Episode 2/10

Stephen Mangan and Joan Bakewell host the second episode of the painting challenge. Nine contestants paint celebrity sitters David Gandy, Anne Reid and Ashley Walters, before the judges decide who to send through to the next round of the competition

Lily Tomlin
Season 2 Episode 2/

Barry Cryer reflects on the life and career of multi-Emmy-winning comedian and actress Lily Tomlin

F***ing Funny
Season 1 Episode 2/8

A look at the work of groundbreaking comedians such as Lenny Bruce and Red Foxx who risked their careers, prison and even their lives as they fought against censorship

Urban Myths: Johnny Cash and the Ostrich
Season 2 Episode 3/8

The tale of the country star's run-in with an ostrich in a Nottingham hotel, much to the surprise of manager Jean. Comedy written by and starring Frank Skinner, with Isy Suttie

Urban Myths: Alice Cooper and Salvador Dali
Season 2 Episode 4/8

Shock rocker Alice Cooper and Spanish artist Salvador Dali spend a weird weekend in 1970s New York City. Comedy, starring Noel Fielding and David Suchet, with Paul Kaye

Season 2 Episode 3/6

The therapist is visited by roller-skating comedy actress Lucille Ball, a sex-mad Mary Magdalene, gun-toting outlaw Bonnie Parker and ravenous, yeti-eating Mrs Noah. Native American emigrant Pocahontas also drops in to the consulting room to reveal she is disillusioned with modern British life. Comedy sketches, starring Sam Spiro, Sharon Horgan, Morgana Robinson, Mark Benton and Martha Howe-Douglas, with Rebecca Front

Season 2 Episode 4/6

The psychiatrist takes on Lucrezia Borgia in a sword fight, but not before she has given therapy to more of history's most famous women. Among her patients are Egyptian queen Nefertiti, film noir star Barbara Stanwyck, Gertrude Jekyll, Vermeer's Girl with a Pearl Earring, Pandora, Lady Godiva, Wallis Simpson, Marie Antoinette and Salome. Comedy sketches, starring Rebecca Front, Sharon Horgan, Zawe Ashton, Frances Barber, Katy Brand, Alexa Chung, Dustin Demri-Burns, Michelle Gomez, Selina Griffiths and Johnny Vegas

A Long March to Freedom
Season 1 Episode 5/10

A look at the life and work of Martin Luther King Jr and his courageous efforts to lead the civil rights movement

The State of the Union Is Not Good
Season 1 Episode 5/8

The documentary examines how America went from bad to worse as it dealt with one crisis after another throughout the presidential terms of Gerald Ford and Jimmy Carter

The Reagan Revolution
Season 1 Episode 5/8

A look at the events of Ronald Reagan's two terms in the White House, examining landmark legislative achievements as well as political setbacks

Discovering: George C Scott
Season 8 Episode 10/13

A look at the life and career of the American actor, who won an Oscar for his portrayal of George S Patton in 1970 biographical drama Patton, but refused to accept the award

Discovering: Julie Christie
Season 8 Episode 11/13

A profile of the English actress, who starred in Billy Liar, Doctor Zhivago, Don't Look Now ,The Go-Between and Shampoo and won an Oscar for 1965 film Darling

Jessye Norman: Legends of Opera
Season 1 Episode 12/12

A profile of the American soprano, whose roles in Aida and Les Troyen made her an international superstar throughout the 1980s

Season 8 Episode 2/12

A sculpture by Henry Moore comes up for auction at Christie's, while the work of the late Julian Trevelyan and Mary Fedden go under the hammer at Sotheby's

Season 1 Episode 24/49

Competition in which budding artists are challenged to paint a scene in just four hours

Season 1 Episode 6/

Graham Stirk's Macallan distillery on Speyside, a project on which he used his experience of working on the Lloyd's Building and 122 Leadenhall Street in the City of London

The Verger
Season 9 Episode 4/9

When the new vicar of a church plans radical changes, conflict arises over a secret one of the locals has kept for years

The Facts of Life
Season 9 Episode 5/9

A fencing contest in London lands naive Nicholas Lillie in the middle of a bizarre adventure. Drama, with Benedict Taylor and Jim Broadbent

Damien Hirst
Season 4 Episode 6/30

Melvyn Bragg reflects on his South Bank Show meeting with Damien Hirst, which revealed the artist as an avid art collector and businessman

Bee Gees
Season 4 Episode 7/30

Melvyn Bragg reflects on his interview with the Bee Gees in 1998, shortly after the Gibb brothers' triumphant comeback

Discovering: George C Scott
Season 8 Episode 10/13

A look at the life and career of the American actor, who won an Oscar for his portrayal of George S Patton in 1970 biographical drama Patton, but refused to accept the award

Discovering: Julie Christie
Season 8 Episode 11/13

A profile of the English actress, who starred in Billy Liar, Doctor Zhivago, Don't Look Now ,The Go-Between and Shampoo and won an Oscar for 1965 film Darling

Wink Three Times
Season 9 Episode 6/9

A woman joins a dating agency to try to overcome her shyness, but her plan backfires when an out-of-town solicitor tries a one-night stand

Finger of Suspicion
Season 9 Episode 7/9

An American thief faces extradition from a Middle East country for a crime he did not commit. Michael Brandon stars

The British Invasion
Season 1 Episode 6/10

A look at how American culture was changed by the Beatles and the new wave of British bands and artists that followed

Terrorism at Home and Abroad
Season 1 Episode 6/8

A look at the evolution of terrorism, from the fatal TWA Flight 481 to the 1972 Munich Olympics massacre

Greed Is Good
Season 1 Episode 6/8

A look at America's economic growth throughout the 1980s, a decade of junk bonds, savings and loan bailouts and pervasive Wall Street corruption

Discovering: Carole Lombard
Season 8 Episode 12/13

A look at the life and career of the American actress, who starred in a host of screwball comedies during the 1930s and died at the age of 33 in a plane crash in 1942

Discovering: Robert Duvall
Season 8 Episode 13/13

A profile of the American actor, who featured in films including To Kill a Mockingbird, Apocalypse Now and The Godfather and won an Oscar for Tender Mercies

Ingrid Bergman and Roberto Rossellini
A glimpse into the romance between three-time Academy Award-winning actress Ingrid Bergman and film director Roberto Rossellini, a union that got off to a famously scandalous start

Discovering: Richard Dreyfuss
Season 11 Episode 5/

A glimpse into the life and career of the Oscar-winning Hollywood actor who starred in The Goodbye Girl, Jaws and Down and Out in Beverly Hills

Documentary about the Oscar-winning director, whose films include The Exorcist and The French Connection. Featuring contributions from Willem Dafoe and Quentin Tarantino

Discovering: Gene Hackman
Season 7 Episode 5/13

A look at the life and career of the American actor, who won Academy Awards for roles in The French Connection and Unforgiven

Aretha Franklin: Music Icons
Season 1 Episode 5/13

A profile of the singer known as the Queen of Soul, whose hits included Respect, Freeway of Love and I Say a Little Prayer

Gilbert and George
Season 4 Episode 4/30

Melvyn Bragg reflects on an archive edition of the programme featuring pioneering artists Gilbert and George

The British Invasion
Season 1 Episode 6/10

A look at how American culture was changed by the Beatles and the new wave of British bands and artists that followed

Terrorism at Home and Abroad
Season 1 Episode 6/8

A look at the evolution of terrorism, from the fatal TWA Flight 481 to the 1972 Munich Olympics massacre

Greed Is Good
Season 1 Episode 6/8

A look at America's economic growth throughout the 1980s, a decade of junk bonds, savings and loan bailouts and pervasive Wall Street corruption

Discovering: Carole Lombard
Season 8 Episode 12/13

A look at the life and career of the American actress, who starred in a host of screwball comedies during the 1930s and died at the age of 33 in a plane crash in 1942

Discovering: Robert Duvall
Season 8 Episode 13/13

A profile of the American actor, who featured in films including To Kill a Mockingbird, Apocalypse Now and The Godfather and won an Oscar for Tender Mercies

Documentary examining the complex life and revolutionary art of Artemisia Gentileschi, a 16th-century painter who was recognised as a master of light and shadow

Season 8 Episode 3/12

A rare portrait of two young brothers by Titian is the highlight of an Old Masters sale at Sotheby's, while Cartier jewellery is being auctioned at Christie's

Season 1 Episode 25/49

Competition in which budding artists are challenged to paint a scene in just four hours

Season 1 Episode 7/

A look at the National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington DC, designed by British architect David Adjaye and inspired by the art and history of Africa

Wink Three Times
Season 9 Episode 6/9

A woman joins a dating agency to try to overcome her shyness, but her plan backfires when an out-of-town solicitor tries a one-night stand

Finger of Suspicion
Season 9 Episode 7/9

An American thief faces extradition from a Middle East country for a crime he did not commit. Michael Brandon stars

Germaine Greer
Season 4 Episode 8/30

Melvyn Bragg reflects on Germaine Greer's 2003 appearance on the show, where she traced art's obsession with young males, from ancient Greece to the present day

Liza Minnelli
Season 4 Episode 9/30

Melvyn Bragg reflects on his 2008 meeting with actress and singer Liza Minnelli and how she rose to become one of the world's great showbusiness figures

Discovering: Carole Lombard
Season 8 Episode 12/13

A look at the life and career of the American actress, who starred in a host of screwball comedies during the 1930s and died at the age of 33 in a plane crash in 1942

Discovering: Robert Duvall
Season 8 Episode 13/13

A profile of the American actor, who featured in films including To Kill a Mockingbird, Apocalypse Now and The Godfather and won an Oscar for Tender Mercies

A Time to Die
Season 9 Episode 8/9

A romantic Frenchman is forced into a decision when his mistress falls pregnant

Mr Knowall
Season 9 Episode 9/9

A woman discovers the disturbing secret of an archaeologist able to immediately date relics with unerring accuracy

The Space Race
Season 1 Episode 7/10

A look at the beginning of space exploration and the competition between the United States and the Soviet Union to be the first to land on the moon

Battle of the Sexes
Season 1 Episode 7/8

A look at how the dramatic shifting of gender roles and the relaxing of censorship created new artistic and social directions in America

Tear Down This Wall
Season 1 Episode 7/8

A look at how Mikhail Gorbachev's rise to power in the Soviet Union sparked a chain of events that culminated in the dramatic conclusion of the Cold War

Discovering: Jack Nicholson
Season 9 Episode 1/13

A profile of the Oscar-winning American actor, whose film credits include Easy Rider, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, The Shining, A Few Good Men and The Departed

Discovering: Jane Fonda
Season 9 Episode 2/13

Movie experts look back at the life and career of Jane Fonda, who won Oscars for her performances in both neo-noir crime-thriller Klute and wartime drama Coming Home

Duran Duran - Rio
Documentary exploring the success of Duran Duran's album Rio, which propelled the band into the limelight during the 1980s with its optimistic feel against a backdrop of mass unemployment and the Falklands War. Featuring interviews with original members of the band including Simon Le Bon and Nick Rhodes, as well as contributions by Bob Geldof and Anthony Price

Music Icons: Women Who Rock
Season 4 Episode 4/

The 1960s, which saw A-list bands fronted by artists such as Grace Slick and Janis Joplin. Meanwhile, the women's liberation movement birthed more female rockers like Suzi Quatro

Music Icons: Songs for the People
Season 4 Episode 5/

Folk music, which gained its power with acts like the Freedom Singers, focusing on the Civil Rights Movement and paving the way for legends like Joan Baez and Pete Seeger

Season 1 Episode 1/4

Leading drummers discuss their passion for music and the fellow musicians who inspire them, demonstrating how famous beats and solos are created

A performance from London's Roundhouse in October 2015, celebrating the former Cream bassist's life and career, and featuring the likes of Ginger Baker and Vernon Reid

Cream: Music Icons
Season 1 Episode 3/13

A look at the music of the 1960s British rock trio, consisting of Ginger Baker, Eric Clapton and Jack Bruce

The Space Race
Season 1 Episode 7/10

A look at the beginning of space exploration and the competition between the United States and the Soviet Union to be the first to land on the moon

Battle of the Sexes
Season 1 Episode 7/8

A look at how the dramatic shifting of gender roles and the relaxing of censorship created new artistic and social directions in America

Tear Down This Wall
Season 1 Episode 7/8

A look at how Mikhail Gorbachev's rise to power in the Soviet Union sparked a chain of events that culminated in the dramatic conclusion of the Cold War

Discovering: Jack Nicholson
Season 9 Episode 1/13

A profile of the Oscar-winning American actor, whose film credits include Easy Rider, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, The Shining, A Few Good Men and The Departed

Discovering: Jane Fonda
Season 9 Episode 2/13

Movie experts look back at the life and career of Jane Fonda, who won Oscars for her performances in both neo-noir crime-thriller Klute and wartime drama Coming Home

A performance of Sergei Prokofiev's cantata, telling the story of the Bolshevik revolution and the birth of the Soviet Union.

Oscar-winning film about Holocaust survivor and pianist Alice Herz-Sommer, who shares her views on how to live a long and happy life, and discusses music, laughter and how to remain optimistic come what may. Herz-Sommer lived in Belsize Park in north-west London and died in February at the age of 110, just a week before Malcolm Clarke's film won Best Short Subject Documentary at the Academy Awards

Scrimshaw
Season 8 Episode 4/4

A lonely alcoholic is delighted when she bumps into an old friend from university, but he might have an ulterior motive for seeing her

Skeleton in the Cupboard
Season 9 Episode 1/9

An echo from the past comes back to haunt a ruthless executive, and his wife becomes suspicious

The Colonel's Lady
Season 9 Episode 2/9

Colonel George Peregrine's comfortable life is disturbed when his wife writes a raunchy novel that becomes a best-seller and he becomes convinced she is having an affair. With Joss Ackland, Pauline Collins, Rupert Frazer and Gareth Thomas

The Surgeon
Season 9 Episode 3/9

A surgeon saves the life of a wealthy patient and receives a wonderful gift - but his new asset proves a fearful liability. Starring John Alderton and Alison Fiske

The Verger
Season 9 Episode 4/9

When the new vicar of a church plans radical changes, conflict arises over a secret one of the locals has kept for years

Landscape Artist of the Year 2019
Season 5 Episode 2/

The contestants' next challenge takes them to the picturesque grounds of Herstmonceux Observatory in East Sussex. Presented by Joan Bakewell and Stephen Mangan

Discovering: Robert Taylor
Season 8 Episode 6/13

A profile of the American actor, who was one of the most popular leading men of the 1930s and '40 in films including Magnificent Obsession and Bataan

Discovering: Montgomery Clift
Season 8 Episode 7/13

A look at the life and career of the American actor, who starred in films including Red River, A Place in the Sun and From Here to Eternity

Discovering: Warren Beatty
Season 8 Episode 8/13

A look at the life and career of the Oscar-winning American actor and director, whose films include Bonnie and Clyde, Reds and Heaven Can Wait

Discovering: Jack Palance
Season 8 Episode 9/13

A look at the life and career of the American actor, who made his name playing gunfighter Jack Wilson in Shane and won an Oscar for his role in 1991 comedy City Slickers

Discovering: George C Scott
Season 8 Episode 10/13

A look at the life and career of the American actor, who won an Oscar for his portrayal of George S Patton in 1970 biographical drama Patton, but refused to accept the award

Documentary following four musicians as they prepare for a concert in their home country of Mali, which has become increasingly subject to Sharia law

The American blues singer-songwriter recounts his story of a rise to prominence in the music industry, earning him the title 'King of the Blues'. Born into a world of oppression in the cotton plantations outside Berclair, Mississippi, he went on to assemble his own band under the guidance of Millard Lee and found widespread popularity with his Singin' the Blues album in the Elvis-charged swinging zeitgeist of 1956. His talent showed no bounds, and more than half a century later he released his 42nd studio album, One Kind Favor, by which time he was well into his eighties - and showing no sign of giving up. Filmed in locations across the States, as well as the United Kingdom, and featuring contributions by a range of fellow musicians including Eric Clapton, Bono, George Benson and Mick Hucknall. Narrated by Morgan Freeman

A profile of Toots Hibbert, featuring an interview with the reggae musician and archive footage of his performances. The film traces his career from his early days as a singer in a Jamaican church to becoming a Grammy award-winning artist, and features contributions by Eric Clapton, Keith Richards, Jimmy Cliff, Bonnie Raitt, Willie Nelson, Marcia Griffiths and Paolo Nutini

Documentary exploring the origins and impact of the Jamaican label, which provided the musical soundtrack that inspired and influenced a new generation of British youth

A 1977 performance by the singer at London's Rainbow Theatre, filmed shortly after the release of his album Exodus. Accompanied by backing band the Wailers, he performs well-known tracks including No Woman No Cry, Exodus, No More Trouble and Trenchtown Rock

Documentary by Don Letts exploring the links he forged between the roots reggae sounds of his Jamaican heritage and the quickly growing punk scene in London in the 1970s

Trailblazers: Two Tone
Season 1 Episode 3/19

Noddy Holder narrates a documentary examining key moments that have shaped musical history from the 1960s to the 1990s, with this edition focusing on Two Tone

Documentary exploring the origins and impact of the Jamaican label, which provided the musical soundtrack that inspired and influenced a new generation of British youth

The American musician performs a mix of rock, R&B and soul at the jazz festival in 1997, featuring Georgia On My Mind, I Can't Stop Loving You and What I'd Say

A collection of television performances spanning the singer's heyday in the 1940s and 50s. Featuring Ol' Man River, High Hopes and Luck Be a Lady

The Dutch violinist and the Johann Strauss Orchestra perform a selection of romantic melodies, including Air on the G String, Romance from The Gadfly Suite and Salut d'Amour

The Facts of Life
Season 9 Episode 5/9

A fencing contest in London lands naive Nicholas Lillie in the middle of a bizarre adventure. Drama, with Benedict Taylor and Jim Broadbent

Wink Three Times
Season 9 Episode 6/9

A woman joins a dating agency to try to overcome her shyness, but her plan backfires when an out-of-town solicitor tries a one-night stand

Finger of Suspicion
Season 9 Episode 7/9

An American thief faces extradition from a Middle East country for a crime he did not commit. Michael Brandon stars

A Time to Die
Season 9 Episode 8/9

A romantic Frenchman is forced into a decision when his mistress falls pregnant

Mr Knowall
Season 9 Episode 9/9

A woman discovers the disturbing secret of an archaeologist able to immediately date relics with unerring accuracy

Discovering: Julie Christie
Season 8 Episode 11/13

A profile of the English actress, who starred in Billy Liar, Doctor Zhivago, Don't Look Now ,The Go-Between and Shampoo and won an Oscar for 1965 film Darling

Discovering: Carole Lombard
Season 8 Episode 12/13

A look at the life and career of the American actress, who starred in a host of screwball comedies during the 1930s and died at the age of 33 in a plane crash in 1942

Discovering: Robert Duvall
Season 8 Episode 13/13

A profile of the American actor, who featured in films including To Kill a Mockingbird, Apocalypse Now and The Godfather and won an Oscar for Tender Mercies

Discovering: Jack Nicholson
Season 9 Episode 1/13

A profile of the Oscar-winning American actor, whose film credits include Easy Rider, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, The Shining, A Few Good Men and The Departed

Discovering: Jane Fonda
Season 9 Episode 2/13

Movie experts look back at the life and career of Jane Fonda, who won Oscars for her performances in both neo-noir crime-thriller Klute and wartime drama Coming Home

Ingrid Bergman and Roberto Rossellini
A glimpse into the romance between three-time Academy Award-winning actress Ingrid Bergman and film director Roberto Rossellini, a union that got off to a famously scandalous start

The Orchestre de Paris celebrate the 200th anniversary of the composer's birth with a performance from the Salle Pleyel

Landscape Artist of the Year 2019
Season 5 Episode 2/

The contestants' next challenge takes them to the picturesque grounds of Herstmonceux Observatory in East Sussex. Presented by Joan Bakewell and Stephen Mangan

Documentary about the American soul singer

Otis Redding: Music Icons
Season 2 Episode 1/13

The life and legacy of the soul singer Otis Redding, who died in a plane crash in 1967 at just 26 years of age

Marvin Gaye: Music Icons
Season 3 Episode 4/13

The life and work of the soul singer and songwriter, whose hits included How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved by You), I Heard It Through the Grapevine and Sexual Healing

The Grammy Award-winning American jazz singer performs tracks from across his career at the Berliner Philharmonie concert hall in May 2016

Documentary charting the entertainer's life and career, from being the first African-American to star in a major film to aiding the French Resistance during the Second World War

The soul and funk pioneer's performance at the Swiss jazz festival in 1981, including classics Papa's Got a Brand New Bag and Get Up (I Feel Like Being a) Sex Machine

Carlos Santana and his band play classics including Black Magic Woman and Oye Coma Va at the 2011 Montreux Jazz Festival in Switzerland

A performance from London's Roundhouse in October 2015, celebrating the former Cream bassist's life and career, and featuring the likes of Ginger Baker and Vernon Reid

The American blues singer-songwriter recounts his story of a rise to prominence in the music industry, earning him the title 'King of the Blues'. Born into a world of oppression in the cotton plantations outside Berclair, Mississippi, he went on to assemble his own band under the guidance of Millard Lee and found widespread popularity with his Singin' the Blues album in the Elvis-charged swinging zeitgeist of 1956. His talent showed no bounds, and more than half a century later he released his 42nd studio album, One Kind Favor, by which time he was well into his eighties - and showing no sign of giving up. Filmed in locations across the States, as well as the United Kingdom, and featuring contributions by a range of fellow musicians including Eric Clapton, Bono, George Benson and Mick Hucknall. Narrated by Morgan Freeman

A look at the life and art of Raphael, exploring the High Renaissance master's quest for beauty, reflected most notably in his work Portrait of a Young Woman

Season 8 Episode 4/12

A sketch by John Constable is expected to fetch £300,000 at Bonhams, while Sotheby's is selling the art collection of David Bowie

Season 1 Episode 26/49

Competition in which budding artists are challenged to paint a scene in just four hours

Season 1 Episode 8/

A look at the architecture behind London's new Design Museum in Kensington, a result of minimalist John Pawson's vision

A Time to Die
Season 9 Episode 8/9

A romantic Frenchman is forced into a decision when his mistress falls pregnant

Mr Knowall
Season 9 Episode 9/9

A woman discovers the disturbing secret of an archaeologist able to immediately date relics with unerring accuracy

Akram Khan
Season 4 Episode 10/30

Melvyn Bragg revisits a 2002 profile of dancer Akram Khan

Jamie Cullum
Season 4 Episode 11/30

Melvyn Bragg reflects on his 2004 meeting with jazz musician Jamie Cullum, which was broadcast shortly after the release of his album Twentysomething

Discovering: Jack Nicholson
Season 9 Episode 1/13

A profile of the Oscar-winning American actor, whose film credits include Easy Rider, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, The Shining, A Few Good Men and The Departed

Discovering: Jane Fonda
Season 9 Episode 2/13

Movie experts look back at the life and career of Jane Fonda, who won Oscars for her performances in both neo-noir crime-thriller Klute and wartime drama Coming Home

The Man from the South
Season 1 Episode 1/12

A man on holiday in the West Indies become involved in a bizarre bet with a stranger. Starring Pamela Stephenson, Jose Ferrer and Michael Ontkean

Mrs Bixby and the Colonel's Coat
Season 1 Episode 2/12

An unfaithful wife receives a mink coat from her lover - and must explain the gift to her husband's satisfaction. Starring Richard Greene, Julie Harris and Michael Hordern

1968
Season 1 Episode 8/10

A look at the events of 1968, which saw the assassinations of Robert F Kennedy and Martin Luther King Jr, as well as the escalation of the Vietnam War and civil rights protests

Crimes and Cults
Season 1 Episode 8/8

A look at the wave of violent crime that gripped the US throughout the 1970s, from the Son of Sam murders in New York to serial killer John Wayne Gacy

Technology Gets Personal
Season 1 Episode 8/8

A look at how the personal computer, the internet and video games all became part of daily life thanks to technological innovations made during the 1980s

Discovering: Peter Finch
Season 9 Episode 3/13

A profile of the actor best known for his portrayal of anchorman Howard Beale in 1976 film Network, for which he received the first-ever posthumous Oscar

Discovering: Gene Wilder
Season 9 Episode 4/13

A profile of the American actor, writer and director, best known for his roles in The Producers, Blazing Saddles, Young Frankenstein and Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory

Heidi Thomas
Season 9 Episode 4/6

Melvyn Bragg meets Call the Midwife creator Heidi Thomas, chatting to her about her life and career, including her adaptations of Little Women and Ballet Shoes

A performance by the Dutch violinist, recorded at the Color Line Arena in Hamburg in December 2002, with pieces including Flight of the Bumblebee and The Merry Widow

Landscape Artist of the Year 2019
Season 5 Episode 2/

The contestants' next challenge takes them to the picturesque grounds of Herstmonceux Observatory in East Sussex. Presented by Joan Bakewell and Stephen Mangan

Music Icons: Women Who Rock
Season 4 Episode 4/

The 1960s, which saw A-list bands fronted by artists such as Grace Slick and Janis Joplin. Meanwhile, the women's liberation movement birthed more female rockers like Suzi Quatro

Music Icons: Songs for the People
Season 4 Episode 5/

Folk music, which gained its power with acts like the Freedom Singers, focusing on the Civil Rights Movement and paving the way for legends like Joan Baez and Pete Seeger

Ingrid Bergman and Roberto Rossellini
A glimpse into the romance between three-time Academy Award-winning actress Ingrid Bergman and film director Roberto Rossellini, a union that got off to a famously scandalous start

1968
Season 1 Episode 8/10

A look at the events of 1968, which saw the assassinations of Robert F Kennedy and Martin Luther King Jr, as well as the escalation of the Vietnam War and civil rights protests

Crimes and Cults
Season 1 Episode 8/8

A look at the wave of violent crime that gripped the US throughout the 1970s, from the Son of Sam murders in New York to serial killer John Wayne Gacy

Technology Gets Personal
Season 1 Episode 8/8

A look at how the personal computer, the internet and video games all became part of daily life thanks to technological innovations made during the 1980s

Discovering: Peter Finch
Season 9 Episode 3/13

A profile of the actor best known for his portrayal of anchorman Howard Beale in 1976 film Network, for which he received the first-ever posthumous Oscar

Discovering: Gene Wilder
Season 9 Episode 4/13

A profile of the American actor, writer and director, best known for his roles in The Producers, Blazing Saddles, Young Frankenstein and Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory

Documentary unravelling the story of how the gardens of Pompeii played an integral role in the lives of the ancient Roman city's people

Season 8 Episode 5/12

Bonhams auctions 10 cars that tell the story of early British motoring, including an 1897 Daimler, which could fetch up to £250,000

Season 1 Episode 27/49

Competition in which budding artists are challenged to paint a scene in just four hours

Season 1 Episode 9/

A look at the work of John Simpson, a modern architect who creates breathtaking classical buildings - including his own Hampshire home

The Man from the South
Season 1 Episode 1/12

A man on holiday in the West Indies become involved in a bizarre bet with a stranger. Starring Pamela Stephenson, Jose Ferrer and Michael Ontkean

Mrs Bixby and the Colonel's Coat
Season 1 Episode 2/12

An unfaithful wife receives a mink coat from her lover - and must explain the gift to her husband's satisfaction. Starring Richard Greene, Julie Harris and Michael Hordern

Jeanette Winterson
Season 4 Episode 12/30

Melvyn Bragg looks back on Jeanette Winterson's appearance on the show in 2004, when the writer discussed her strict religious upbringing

Tom Jones
Season 4 Episode 13/30

Melvyn Bragg revisits singer Tom Jones's 2000 appearance on The South Bank Show

Discovering: Peter Finch
Season 9 Episode 3/13

A profile of the actor best known for his portrayal of anchorman Howard Beale in 1976 film Network, for which he received the first-ever posthumous Oscar

Discovering: Gene Wilder
Season 9 Episode 4/13

A profile of the American actor, writer and director, best known for his roles in The Producers, Blazing Saddles, Young Frankenstein and Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory

William and Mary
Season 1 Episode 3/12

By persuading a surgeon to perform a macabre experiment, a man continues to dominate his wife after his death. Elaine Stritch and Marius Goring star

Lamb to the Slaughter
Season 1 Episode 4/12

The killing of a policeman proves baffling - the murder weapon cannot be determined, nor can it be found. Susan George and Brian Blessed star

The Times They Are a-Changin'
Season 1 Episode 9/10

A look at the changing social landscape of America in the 1960s, from growing environmental concerns to civil rights and the women's movement

Documentary about the American soul singer

Season 2019 Episode 30/32

Interviews with authors

Discovering: Laurence Harvey
Season 9 Episode 5/13

A look at the life and career of the actor, best known for his Oscar-nominated performance in 1959 drama Room at the Top and his role in 1962 thriller The Manchurian Candidate

Discovering: Donald Sutherland
Season 9 Episode 6/13

A profile of the Canadian actor, whose numerous credits include The Dirty Dozen, MASH, Klute, Don't Look Now and Invasion of the Body Snatchers

Landscape Artist of the Year 2019
Season 5 Episode 2/

The contestants' next challenge takes them to the picturesque grounds of Herstmonceux Observatory in East Sussex. Presented by Joan Bakewell and Stephen Mangan

Landscape Artist of the Year 2019
Season 5 Episode 3/

The contestants head to the banks of the River Tyne, where they have to paint a scene featuring Gateshead Millennium Bridge. Joan Bakewell and Stephen Mangan present

Steve McQueen and Ali MacGraw
The relationship between Steve McQueen and Ali MacGraw, which began when the pair starred in 1972 crime film The Getaway

Lily Tomlin
Season 2 Episode 2/

Barry Cryer reflects on the life and career of multi-Emmy-winning comedian and actress Lily Tomlin

Discovering: Richard Dreyfuss
Season 11 Episode 5/

A glimpse into the life and career of the Oscar-winning Hollywood actor who starred in The Goodbye Girl, Jaws and Down and Out in Beverly Hills

Landscape Artist of the Year 2019
Season 5 Episode 3/

The contestants head to the banks of the River Tyne, where they have to paint a scene featuring Gateshead Millennium Bridge. Joan Bakewell and Stephen Mangan present

The Times They Are a-Changin'
Season 1 Episode 9/10

A look at the changing social landscape of America in the 1960s, from growing environmental concerns to civil rights and the women's movement

Documentary following four musicians as they prepare for a concert in their home country of Mali, which has become increasingly subject to Sharia law

Discovering: Laurence Harvey
Season 9 Episode 5/13

A look at the life and career of the actor, best known for his Oscar-nominated performance in 1959 drama Room at the Top and his role in 1962 thriller The Manchurian Candidate

Discovering: Donald Sutherland
Season 9 Episode 6/13

A profile of the Canadian actor, whose numerous credits include The Dirty Dozen, MASH, Klute, Don't Look Now and Invasion of the Body Snatchers