Dan Cruickshank follows in the footsteps of John Stow and John Strype, two of London's greatest chroniclers, to explore one of the most dramatic centuries in the history of London.
The 17th century saw London plunged into a series of devastating disasters. The Civil War, a murderous plague and the destruction that was the great fire should have seen the small medieval city all but destroyed. Yet somehow, London not only survived but emerged as one of the wealthiest and most influential cities in Europe.
Using two remarkable surveys written at either end of this momentous century, Dan discovers how a unique combination of innovation, ambition and sheer spirit of enterprise saw Londoners thrive. His journey reveals the twists and turns of a century that laid the foundations of one of the most important cities on the planet.
Dan Cruickshank explores the mysteries and secrets of the bridges that have made London what it is. He uncovers stories of Bronze-Age relics emerging from the Vauxhall shore, of why London Bridge was falling down, of midnight corpses splashing beneath Waterloo Bridge, and above all, of the sublime ambition of London's bridge builders themselves.
Biographical drama. Once the highly regarded composer to the Viennese Court, Salieri is now an old man, unknown and confined to an asylum. After a suicide attempt he recounts his story to a young cleric, going back 30 years to his heyday at the court of Emperor Joseph II, where he first met the young Mozart. Despite Salieri's Machiavellian attempts to frustrate Mozart's progress, the great young composer attracts the favour of the Emperor. But his lifestyle and attitude may yet prove to be his tragic undoing.
The teenage search for sophistication is recalled in this bittersweet film about the people we were and the luxury items we thought would give us the keys to the kingdom.
Mark Knopfler is one of the most successful musicians in the world. During the past 30 years he has written and recorded over 300 songs including some of the most famous in popular music.
In this in-depth documentary he talks about how these songs have defined him and how they have been influenced by his own life and roots. It features previously unseen photographs from his personal collection and comprehensive footage spanning his career from a struggling musician playing in pubs in Leeds in the 1970s, to the record-breaking success with Dire Straits and his world tour as a solo artist.
Looking back over the 25 years since he wrote the iconic Brothers In Arms album, the film takes an affectionate look at how this formidable, creative man has operated as a musician for three decades and how he continues to do so as a solo artist who is as much in demand as ever.
Jools Holland introduces a one-off studio session from Dire Straits lead singer Mark Knopfler. Featuring songs from his debut solo album Golden Heart, plus Dire Straits hits like Sultans of Swing, Brothers in Arms and Romeo and Juliet. Guests include Irish musicians Donal Lunny, Mairtin O'Connor and Liam O'Flynn, Louisianna slide guitarist Sonny Landreth and Nashville steel guitarist Paul Franklin.
MONDAY 23 JULY 2012
MON 19:00 World News Today (b01l47kk)
BBC World News London Live
The latest national and international news, exploring the day's events from a global perspective.
MON 19:30 Britain's Lost World (b00cb86v)
Episode 2
Series exploring the remote and rocky islands of St Kilda, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Kate Humble goes beneath the waves to find out how St Kilda's wildlife is faring underwater. Dan Snow investigates a World War II plane crash and attempts to trace the story of human habitation on the islands back beyond the Vikings. Steve Backshall tries to find out who or what is harming the islands' most secretive inhabitant, the rare Leach's Storm-petrel.
MON 20:30 Nature's Microworlds (b01l4906)
Serengeti
A look at one of the most famous habitats on the planet, the Serengeti in east Africa, a vast grassland that is home to some of the greatest concentrations of herbivores on the continent. But what is the key to this exceptional grassland that allows such density and diversity?
MON 21:00 Who Killed the Honey Bee? (b00jzjys)
Bees are dying in their millions. It is an ecological crisis that threatens to bring global agriculture to a standstill. Introduced by Martha Kearney, this documentary explores the reasons behind the decline of bee colonies across the globe, investigating what might be at the root of this devastation.
Honey bees are the number one insect pollinator on the planet, responsible for the production of over 90 crops. Apples, berries, cucumbers, nuts, cabbages and even cotton will struggle to be produced if bee colonies continue to decline at the current rate. Empty hives have been reported from as far afield as Taipei and Tennessee. In England, the matter has caused beekeepers to march on Parliament to call on the government to fund research into what they say is potentially a bigger threat to humanity than the current financial crisis.
Investigating the problem from a global perspective, the programme makers travel from the farm belt of California to the flatlands of East Anglia to the outback of Australia. They talk to the beekeepers whose livelihoods are threatened by colony collapse disorder, the scientists entrusted with solving the problem, and the Australian beekeepers who are making a fortune replacing the planet's dying bees. They also look at some of the possible reasons for the declining numbers - is it down to a bee plague, pesticides, malnutrition? Or is the answer something even more frightening?
MON 22:00 Arena (b01l4929)
Amy Winehouse - The Day She Came to Dingle
Back in 2006 on a stormy December night, Amy Winehouse flew to the remote, south western corner of Ireland to perform for Other Voices, an acclaimed Irish TV music series filmed in Dingle every winter. Amy took to the stage of Saint James's church, capacity 85, and wowed the small, packed crowd with a searing, acoustic set of songs from Back to Black.
After leaving the stage, a relaxed and happy Amy spoke about her music and influences - Mahalia Jackson, Sarah Vaughan, Ray Charles and the Shangri-Las to name a few. Arena joined forces with Other Voices and went to Dingle to catch up with some of the people that Amy met on that day, including taxi driver Paddy Kennedy, her bass player Dale Davis and Rev Mairt Hanley of the Other Voices church.
This film showcases not only Amy herself, but the musical geniuses that inspired her to forge her own jazz pop style.
MON 23:00 Storyville (b01l8vw7)
The Queen of Africa: The Miriam Makeba Story
A Storyville documentary that takes a look at the life of South African singer and civil rights activist Miriam Makeba. Forced into a life of exile for exposing the harsh realities of apartheid, Makeba was the first African musician to win international stardom.
Always anchored in her traditional South African roots, Makeba's music delivered messages against racism and poverty. Exposing a tumultuous life - Makeba married South African musician Hugh Masekela and Black Panther Stokely Carmichael - this film traces her life and music using rare archive of performances, interviews and intimate scenes.
MON 00:15 Nature's Microworlds (b01l4906)
[Repeat of broadcast at
20:30 today]
MON 00:45 Britain's Lost World (b00cb86v)
[Repeat of broadcast at
19:30 today]
MON 01:45 Who Killed the Honey Bee? (b00jzjys)
[Repeat of broadcast at
21:00 today]
MON 02:45 Arena (b01l4929)
[Repeat of broadcast at
22:00 today]
TUESDAY 24 JULY 2012
TUE 19:00 World News Today (b01l47kq)
BBC World News London Live
The latest national and international news, exploring the day's events from a global perspective.
TUE 19:30 Talking Landscapes (b0074m11)
The Yorkshire Dales
How have generations of Yorkshire families made a living from the bitter winds and stoney soils of the Dales? Aubrey Manning journeys high on the hillsides and deep underground to discover the key to this harsh landscape.
TUE 20:00 Venice 24/7 (b01d26ls)
Winter in Venice
With unprecedented access to Venice's emergency and public services this series goes behind the 15th-century facades to experience the real, living city. From daily emergencies to street sweeping, bridge maintenance to flood defence systems and a death-defying descent across St Mark's Square, this is Venice as you have never seen it before. This is Venice 24/7.
Venice is masked by sheets of snow. The emergency services negotiate choppy waters to deal with daily hazards as well as life-and-death emergencies. There is a sunken boat to save, an elderly lady with a suspected stroke and, in this city built on wood, the most dreaded call of all - fire. We see how Venice deals with thousands of tonnes of rubbish, turning it into power which is fed back into the city. Venice may be over 1,000 years old, but staying afloat requires 21st-century innovation.
TUE 20:30 Venice 24/7 (b01dc66q)
Carnival
With unprecedented access to Venice's emergency and public services, this series goes behind the 15th-century facades to experience the real, living city. From daily emergencies to street sweeping, bridge maintenance to flood defence systems and a death-defying descent across St Mark's Square, this is Venice as you've never seen it before. This is Venice 24/7.
One of the most famous events in the Venetian calendar is Carnevale. This ancient tradition, meaning 'meat is allowed', celebrates all things decadent in the run-up to Lent. Kicking off celebrations is a 400-metre descent from St Mark's campanile by a young Venetian girl. There is a tourist who has had a suspected drug overdose, a beauty pageant, undercover police hot on the tail of thieves and a dead body found near St Mark's Square. In a season where anything goes, the emergency teams have their work cut out reining the city in.
TUE 21:00 The Secret Life of the Motorway (b007x58q)
Falling in Love
Documentary series which celebrates the birth of motorways and hails the achievements of those behind the 'road revolution'. The first episode takes us from the excitement of the building of the first motorway in Britain, the M6 Preston By-pass, to the celebration of the most complex, Spaghetti Junction.
With amazing archive and often hilarious public information films, we take a trip back to a time when not only were motorways exciting and new, but there was also no speed limit. Interviews with the engineers who designed them, the navvies who built them and the people who drove on them bring to life and celebrate an achievement that we now take so much for granted.
TUE 22:00 Ford's Dagenham Dream (b00j0gnm)
Documentary which tells the story of a dream of happy families on wheels that the Ford Motor Company brought from Detroit to Dagenham, then sold to Britain.
From the 1950s onwards Ford revolutionised the cars we drove, producing dream cars for the average British family. In the 60s and 70s Ford sold dreams to boy racers too, but it came at a price. The mass production of motor cars required an army of assembly line workers who did jobs that were infamous for their soul-destroying monotony.
At its peak Dagenham was producing more than 3,000 cars every day and its most popular dream car, the Cortina, sold around five million in Britain alone. But the assembly line workers had a love-hate relationship with the cars they made and for some the dream became a nightmare.
Illustrated with powerful first person testimony and rare archive, this is the story of the rise and fall of Ford's Dagenham dream.
TUE 23:00 The Treasures of Tutankhamun (b0084xgd)
Magnus Magnusson's guide to the Egyptian king Tutankahmun's celebrated visit to a London museum in 1972.
TUE 23:50 The Pharaoh Who Conquered the Sea (b00pq9gs)
Over 3,000 years ago legend has it that Queen Hatshepsut, Egypt's first female pharaoh, sent a fleet of ships to the wonderful, distant land of Punt. A bas-relief in the temple where she is entombed in Luxor shows them bringing back extraordinary treasures. But did this expedition really happen? And if it did, where exactly is the land of Punt?
Drawing upon recent finds, archaeologist Cheryl Ward sets out to recreate the voyage in a full-size replica of one of these ancient ships, sailing it in the wake of Hatshepsut's fleet in search of the mythical land of Punt. A human adventure as well as a scientific challenge, the expedition proves that, contrary to popular belief, the ancient Egyptians had the necessary tools, science and techniques to sail the seas.
TUE 00:50 Venice 24/7 (b01d26ls)
[Repeat of broadcast at
20:00 today]
TUE 01:20 Venice 24/7 (b01dc66q)
[Repeat of broadcast at
20:30 today]
TUE 01:50 The Secret Life of the Motorway (b007x58q)
[Repeat of broadcast at
21:00 today]
TUE 02:50 Ford's Dagenham Dream (b00j0gnm)
[Repeat of broadcast at
22:00 today]
WEDNESDAY 25 JULY 2012
WED 19:00 World News Today (b01l47kw)
BBC World News London Live
The latest national and international news, exploring the day's events from a global perspective.
WED 19:30 Top of the Pops (b01l4fyj)
30/06/77
Noel Edmonds looks at the weekly pop chart from 1977 and introduces John Miles, Hot Chocolate, Jesse Green, Cliff Richard, Queen and Legs & Co.
WED 20:00 The Joy of Motoring (b00hq385)
Tristram Hunt shows how motoring has gone from allowing us to explore the beautiful English countryside to the present day of speed cameras, congestion charges and environmental issues. Along the way, he looks at different cars through the ages that define a decade and a generation.
WED 21:00 A History of Art in Three Colours (b01l4fyl)
Gold
For the very first civilisations, the yellow lustre of gold is the most alluring and intoxicating colour of all. From the midst of prehistory to a bunker deep beneath the Bank of England, Fox reveals how golden treasures made across the ages reflect everything that has been held as sacred.
WED 22:00 Natural World (b00790k2)
2005-2006
The Iceberg That Sank the Titanic
Documentary which explores one crucial piece of the Titanic jigsaw that always escapes attention - the iceberg that caused the catastrophe. Where did this force of nature come from, and what was it doing in the shipping lanes that fateful night? Conceived 15,000 years before the Titanic, its life story is every bit as fascinating.
With the help of ice scientists, the origins of the infamous berg are revealed amid the stunning landscapes of the north - its creation in the heart of the Greenland ice sheet and 4,000-mile journey through Arctic seas towards a terrible date with destiny.
WED 22:50 Treasures of the Anglo Saxons (b00t6xzx)
Art historian Dr Nina Ramirez reveals the codes and messages hidden in Anglo-Saxon art. From the beautiful jewellery that adorned the first violent pagan invaders through to the stunning Christian manuscripts they would become famous for, she explores the beliefs and ideas that shaped Anglo-Saxon art.
Examining many of the greatest Anglo Saxon treasures - such as the Sutton Hoo Treasures, the Staffordshire Hoard, the Franks Casket and the Lindisfarne Gospels - Dr Ramirez charts 600 years of artistic development which was stopped dead in its tracks by the Norman Conquest.
WED 23:50 Borgen (b01bfrvb)
Series 1
See No Evil, Hear No Evil Speak No Evil
When surveillance equipment is found in the offices of an extreme left-wing political party, it looks like the work of the Danish Security and Intelligence Service - but why? Illegal monitoring of a legal political party is a serious offence, and it quickly becomes clear that Birgitte and minister of justice Hoxenhaven have very different opinions of the case and its consequences. Birgitte's home life suffers from her absence. Katrine, who has otherwise been in good spirits, must make a difficult decision.
WED 00:45 Top of the Pops (b01l4fyj)
[Repeat of broadcast at
19:30 today]
WED 01:15 The Joy of Motoring (b00hq385)
[Repeat of broadcast at
20:00 today]
WED 02:15 Natural World (b00790k2)
[Repeat of broadcast at
22:00 today]
WED 03:05 A History of Art in Three Colours (b01l4fyl)
[Repeat of broadcast at
21:00 today]
THURSDAY 26 JULY 2012
THU 19:00 World News Today (b01l47l3)
BBC World News London Live
The latest national and international news, exploring the day's events from a global perspective.
THU 19:30 BBC Proms (b01l58cp)
2012
Barenboim Conducts Beethoven Symphonies 5 and 6
Daniel Barenboim's complete cycle of Beethoven symphonies reaches its mid-point, as he conducts his ensemble of young Arab and Israeli musicians, the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra, in a programme that includes both the Pastoral Symphony and that most iconic of all orchestral masterpieces, Beethoven's Fifth Symphony. Alongside, Barenboim programmes two short works by Pierre Boulez - Memoriale for flute and ensemble, and Messagesquisse, which showcases the virtuosity of the orchestra's cello section.
THU 21:30 The Story of Musicals (b0192pyj)
Episode 1
Three-part series which tells how the British musical became a driving force behind musical theatre around the world - a tale of titanic shows, phenomenal daring, epic rivalries, prodigious talent and gargantuan fortunes, all set in just a single square mile.
The first episode looks at how, from unpromising beginnings in the period after the Second World War, British musicals went on to reclaim the West End from American domination. Highlights include the quintessentially British show The Boyfriend and its failure to conquer Broadway, the riches-to-rags story of Lionel Bart and his masterpiece Oliver, and the extraordinary partnership of Sir Tim Rice and Lord Andrew Lloyd Webber, from the moment they burst onto the scene with Jesus Christ Superstar until their final collaboration of the 1970s, Evita.
Featuring first-hand accounts from the great and the good of musical theatre including Andrew Lloyd Webber, Sir Cameron Mackintosh, Sir Tim Rice, Elaine Paige, Ron Moody, Bill Kenwright, Sheila Hancock, Harold Prince, Robert Stigwood, Tommy Steele, Paul Nicholas and Willy Russell.
THU 22:30 Doris Day - Virgin Territory (b0074rwd)
Doris Day has often been dismissed as an actress and overlooked as a singer, despite career highs such as Calamity Jane and Pillow Talk. Covering her early years as a band singer, and her troubled private life, this documentary re-evaluates one of the screen's most enduring legends.
THU 23:30 Arena (b01l4929)
[Repeat of broadcast at
22:00 on Monday]
THU 00:30 Nature's Microworlds (b01l4906)
[Repeat of broadcast at
20:30 on Monday]
THU 01:00 The Story of Musicals (b0192pyj)
[Repeat of broadcast at
21:30 today]
THU 02:00 Doris Day - Virgin Territory (b0074rwd)
[Repeat of broadcast at
22:30 today]
THU 03:00 Arena (b01l4929)
[Repeat of broadcast at
22:00 on Monday]
FRIDAY 27 JULY 2012
FRI 19:00 World News Today (b01l47l8)
BBC World News London Live
The latest national and international news, exploring the day's events from a global perspective.
FRI 19:30 BBC Proms (b01l58xg)
2012
Barenboim Conducts Beethoven Symphonies 7 and 8
Daniel Barenboim continues his journey through the complete Beethoven symphonies with the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra by performing a pair of contrasting later symphonies - the exquisitely compact Eighth alongside the expansive, majestic and athletic Seventh. Within this frame, Barenboim's son Michael Barenboim performs Anthemes 2 for violin and live electronics by Pierre Boulez.
FRI 21:15 Legends (b00xln7l)
Thin Lizzy: Bad Reputation
Affectionate but honest portrait of Thin Lizzy, arguably the best hard rock band to come out of Ireland.
Starting with the remix of the classic album Jailbreak by Scott Gorham and Brian Downey, the film takes us through the rollercoaster ride that is the story of Thin Lizzy. From early footage of singer Phil Lynott in Ireland in his pre-Lizzy bands the Black Eagles and Orphanage, it follows his progress as he, guitarist Eric Bell and drummer Brian Downey form the basic three-piece that was to become Thin Lizzy - a name taken from the Beano.
Using original interviews with Bell, Downey, the man who signed them and their first manager, it traces the early years leading to the recruitment of guitarists Brian 'Robbo' Robertson and Scott Gorham - the classic line-up. The film uses a number of stills, some seen on TV for the first time, archive from contemporary TV shows and a range of tracks both well known and not so famous.
There are hilarious self-deprecating anecdotes, from the stories behind the making of the Boys are Back in Town to the hiring of Midge Ure. We hear about the 'revolving door' as guitarist after guitarist was fired and hired, and the recording of Bad Reputation and Live and Dangerous - where producer Tony Visconti pulls no punches in talking about how he recorded the latter - putting the controversy to bed for the final time. Except that Downey and Robertson still disagree with him.
Finally, we hear how drugs and alcohol impacted on the band and how the music suffered, how one member later substituted golf for heroin and how addiction and the related lifestyle led to the death of Phil Lynott.
Contributors include Brian Downey, Scott Gorham, Eric Bell, Brian Robertson, Midge Ure, Bob Geldof, Tony Visconti, Joe Elliot and many others.
FRI 22:15 Forever Young: How Rock 'n' Roll Grew Up (b00sxjls)
Documentary which looks at how rock 'n' roll has had to deal with the unthinkable - namely growing up and growing old, from its roots in the 50s as music made by young people for young people to the 21st-century phenomena of the revival and the comeback.
Despite the mantra of 'live fast, die young', Britain's first rock 'n' roll generations are now enjoying old age. What was once about youth and taking risks is now about longevity, survival, nostalgia and refusing to grow up, give up or shut up. But what happens when the music refuses to die and its performers refuse to leave the stage? What happens when rock's youthful rebelliousness is delivered wrapped in wrinkles?
Featuring Lemmy, Iggy Pop, Peter Noone, Rick Wakeman, Paul Jones, Richard Thompson, Suggs, Eric Burdon, Bruce Welch, Robert Wyatt, Gary Brooker, Joe Brown, Chris Dreja of The Yardbirds, Alison Moyet, Robyn Hitchcock, writers Rosie Boycott and Nick Kent and producer Joe Boyd.
FRI 23:15 Storyville (b00sxgsn)
Anvil! The Story of Anvil
At 14, Toronto school friends Steve 'Lips' Kudlow and Robb Reiner made a pact to rock together forever. Their band Anvil went on to become the 'demi-gods of Canadian metal', releasing 1982's Metal on Metal, which influenced a musical generation including Metallica, Slayer and Anthrax.
All those bands went on to sell millions of records but Anvil's career would take a different path - straight into obscurity. But Lips and Robb never gave up on their childhood dream and kept rocking, always believing that one day Anvil would taste the success that had so long eluded them.
The film follows Lips and Robb, now in their 50s, as they gear up to record their thirteenth album, This is Thirteen. Coping with increasingly impatient families, crippling mortgages and the effects of old age, they know this is their last chance to really make it.
FRI 00:35 Krautrock: The Rebirth of Germany (b00nf10k)
Documentary which looks at how a radical generation of musicians created a new German musical identity out of the cultural ruins of war.
Between 1968 and 1977 bands like Neu!, Can, Faust and Kraftwerk would look beyond western rock and roll to create some of the most original and uncompromising music ever heard. They shared one common goal - a forward-looking desire to transcend Germany's gruesome past - but that didn't stop the music press in war-obsessed Britain from calling them Krautrock.
FRI 01:35 Legends (b00xln7l)
[Repeat of broadcast at
21:15 today]
FRI 02:35 Forever Young: How Rock 'n' Roll Grew Up (b00sxjls)
[Repeat of broadcast at
22:15 today]