Sir Peter Wright is a living legend, celebrated as the founder of Birmingham Royal Ballet and for his much-loved productions of such classics as The Nutcracker and Giselle. Still at work in his 90th year in Britain and Europe, Wright gives his first major television interview about his life and career, with contributions from Darcey Bussell and other great names of the dance world, as well as rare and extraordinary archive.
In his second lecture, chemist Saiful Islam continues his exploration of one of the most important questions facing humankind - how to generate and use energy. He investigates how humans as living pulsing machines actually use energy, asking whether it's possible to 'supercharge' the human body and increase its performance.
Live experiments explore everything from the explosive potential of everyday foods, to what we put into our bodies (and what comes out!), as well as how we measure up to the machines we use every day. Saiful even experiments on himself, showing images captured inside his own stomach.
Every single one of us is an incredibly sophisticated energy conversion machine, finely tuned over millions of years of evolution. So will we ever be able to improve the human body's performance? Can we ever do more with less energy?
Hosted by Gregg Wallace, a show in which ordinary members of the public go toe to toe with the greatest generals, as they refight some of the most significant battles from history in an innovative mix of genuine history and game show competition.
June of the year 451, and the forces of the crumbling Roman Empire are battling the whirlwind military might of the Huns in a field in France. Can the Barbarian hoard bring the Roman Empire to its knees once and for all, or will the mighty Roman military machine put an end to their invasion?
This time, a team of karate veterans take on the role of defending the Roman Empire against attack by Attila and his Hunnish hordes. Can they stop a team of kickboxers from rewriting history and over running Europe? Will the legendary horsemen of Attila or the Roman military machine emerge victorious?
With the help of a team of experts and the latest in 3D scanning technology, Alexander Armstrong, along with Dr Michael Scott, explores the hidden underground treasures that made Rome the powerhouse of the ancient world. In his favourite city, he uncovers a lost subterranean world that helped build and run the world's first metropolis and its empire.
From the secret underground world of the Colosseum to the aqueducts and sewers that supplied and cleansed it, and from the mysterious cults that sustained it spiritually to the final resting places of Rome's dead, Xander discovers the underground networks that serviced the remarkable world above.
Three men travel together across Europe. For two of them the journey involves a confrontation with the acts of their fathers, who were both senior Nazi officers. For the third, the eminent human rights lawyer and author Philippe Sands, it means visiting the place where much of his own Jewish family was destroyed by the fathers of the two men he has come to know. An emotional, psychological exploration of three men wrestling with their past, the present of Europe and conflicting versions of the truth.
WEDNESDAY 28 DECEMBER 2016
WED 19:00 The Mystery of Van Gogh's Ear (b07nswft)
It is one of the greatest and bloodiest mysteries in art: what happened on the December night in 1888 when Vincent van Gogh took a blade to his own ear?
Jeremy Paxman joins art sleuth Bernadette Murphy on her amazing quest to discover the truth - what exactly did the artist do, why did he do it and who was the unknown girl he is said to have handed his severed ear to, her real identity kept secret by her family for over a century? It is an event that defines van Gogh, who created his greatest masterpieces including the Sunflowers at the same moment as suffering mental torture, but what are the real facts?
This revealing detective story travels from Vincent's home in the south of France to the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam, and uncovers key evidence hidden in a Californian library that has created an art-world sensation, as we finally solve the mystery of Van Gogh's ear.
WED 20:00 Royal Institution Christmas Lectures (b086yr10)
2016: Supercharged - Fuelling the Future
Fully Charged
In this year's final Royal Institution Christmas Lecture, chemist Saiful Islam explores one of the most important issues facing the modern world - how to store energy. Over the course of the lecture, he tackles his toughest challenge yet - trying to work out how to store enough energy to power a mobile phone for a whole year and still fit it in his pocket! With the UK generating nearly twenty times as much energy today as it did 80 years ago, finding better ways to store it is vital for all of our futures.
Live experiments include an attempt to break the world record for the most powerful battery made of lemons and a clear-eyed look at the most energy-packed fuel in the world - hydrogen. Along the way Saiful investigates the chemistry of batteries and tells us what the future of energy has in store for us.
WED 21:00 James May: The Reassembler (b086t7c9)
Series 2
James May: The Christmas Reassembler
Much like Santa Claus, James May has spent the year in his workshop getting ready for Christmas, in a festive special in which he reassembles his favourite childhood Christmas present.
But this isn't just any Christmas present, this is the one that changed his life and sent him on to a path of mechanical intrigue and reassembly. This is the Hornby Flying Scotsman with realistic chuffing sounds which James ripped open on Christmas Day 1972.
Laid out in all its 138 tiny component parts, James lovingly reassembles the train as well as his memories of Christmases and toys past. From the exhilarating remagnetising of the motor's magnets to some thrilling wheel-quartering amidst a backdrop of James's continued bafflement of electricity, we watch as James rebuilds the entire train set and hopes at the end his Christmas wish will come true and the train will start up and realistically chuff into the night.
WED 21:30 Pop Quiz: The Comeback (b086tw99)
Episode 1
It was the Saturday night smash hit music quiz show that ran for four years between 1981 and 1984. Over 30 years later it's back, with the original presenter Mike Read hosting the first of two special celebration shows where the biggest pop stars from the 1980s go head to head in a test of their 80s music knowledge. Guests include Toyah Willcox, Tom Bailey (Thompson Twins), Andy McCluskey (OMD), Steve Norman (Spandau Ballet), Mari Wilson and Leee John (Imagination).
WED 22:00 Fleetwood Mac: Don't Stop (b00nq7q9)
Fleetwood Mac are one of the biggest-selling bands of all time and still on the road. Their story, told in their own words, is an epic tale of love and confrontation, of success and loss.
Few bands have undergone such radical musical and personal change. The band evolved from the 60s British blues boom to perfect a US West Coast sound that saw them sell 40 million copies of the album Rumours.
However, behind-the-scenes relationships were turbulent. The band went through multiple line-ups with six different lead guitarists. While working on Rumours, the two couples at the heart of the band separated, yet this heartache inspired the perfect pop record.
WED 23:00 The Everly Brothers: Harmonies from Heaven (b077x1fh)
Documentary which celebrates, over the period covering the end of the 1950s and the beginning of the 60s, the phenomenon of The Everly Brothers, arguably the greatest harmony duo the world has witnessed, who directly influenced the greatest and most successful bands of the 60s and 70s - The Beatles, The Stones, The Beach Boys and Simon & Garfunkel to name but a few.
Don and Phil Everly's love of music began as children, encouraged by their father Ike. Little Donnie and Baby Boy Phil sang on Ike's early morning radio shows in Iowa.
After leaving school, the brothers moved to Nashville where, under the wing of Ike Everly's friend, the highly talented musician Chet Atkins, Don and Phil signed with Cadence Records. They exploded onto the music scene in 1957 with Bye Bye Love, written by Boudleaux and Felice Bryant.
After Bye Bye Love came other hits, notably Wake Up Little Susie, followed by the worldwide smash hit All I Have to Do Is Dream and a long string of other great songs which also became hits.
By 1960, however, the brothers were lured away from Cadence to Warner Bros with a $1,000,000 contract. Their biggest hit followed, the self-penned Cathy's Clown, which sold 8 million copies. Remaining at Warner Bros for most of the 60s, they had further success with Walk Right Back, So Sad and the King/Greenfield-penned track Crying in the Rain.
WED 00:00 Norman Wisdom: His Story (b00vhmqq)
[Repeat of broadcast at
23:00 on Monday]
WED 01:00 The Good Old Days (b086klrg)
[Repeat of broadcast at
22:00 on Monday]
WED 02:00 The Mystery of Van Gogh's Ear (b07nswft)
[Repeat of broadcast at
19:00 today]
WED 03:00 Royal Institution Christmas Lectures (b086yr10)
[Repeat of broadcast at
20:00 today]
THURSDAY 29 DECEMBER 2016
THU 19:00 Digging for Britain (b0864zvq)
Series 5
East
Professor Alice Roberts with the very best in British archaeology 2016 - filmed by the archaeologists themselves, straight from the trenches, so you can see each exciting discovery as it happens. The teams then bring their best finds - from skeletons to treasure - back to the Digging for Britain lab, to examine them with Alice and reveal how they are changing the story of Britain.
This episode looks at the east of Britain.
Finds include: new revelations from 'Britain's Pompeii' - the 3,000-year-old perfectly preserved village in Cambridgeshire - including how our Bronze Age ancestors designed their homes, and their kitchens packed with food and equipment; the theatre where Shakespeare premiered Romeo and Juliet and Henry V, complete with sound effect props and evidence that Shakespeare's original audience was much rowdier than you might expect; evidence that we may have finally found the location of the Battle of Barnet, the famous Wars of the Roses site where Edward IV defeated Warwick the Kingmaker in a bloody battle that would eventually bring the Tudor dynasty to England's throne.
THU 20:00 King George and Queen Mary: The Royals Who Rescued the Monarchy (b0195qtj)
King George V
A two-part portrait of Elizabeth II's grandparents, King George V and Queen Mary, which examines the lasting legacy of the couple who rescued the monarchy from potential disaster, and whose influence persists to this day.
This episode focuses on King George V. George could not have been a more unlikely moderniser. Born and brought up in the Victorian age he was conservative to his fingertips. Yet in the face of unstoppable social change after the First World War he turned out to be a remarkable innovator, creating the House of Windsor, embracing democratic reform, and reinventing many of the royal traditions that we know today. When he celebrated his silver jubilee in 1935 the monarchy was more popular than ever.
But as a parent King George V was far less successful - he bullied his children and alienated his eldest son and heir, Prince Edward. As one courtier remarked at the time, 'the royal family are like ducks, they sit on their children'. By contrast, King George had a loving relationship with his granddaughter and much of Queen Elizabeth's style and commitment to duty can be traced back to this early influence.
THU 21:00 Flying Scotsman: Sounds from the Footplate (b087k5rf)
Another chance to enjoy the view from the driving seat of the world's most famous steam locomotive as Flying Scotsman travels the length of the Severn Valley Railway.
Special 'cab cameras' and microphones capture all the action from the footplate - this time without commentary. Viewers can appreciate the evocative sound of steam transportation as this magnificent engine attracts crowds from far and wide.
Veteran driver Roger Norfolk and fireman Ryan Green guide Scotsman on the leisurely journey through the countryside of the English midlands, from Bridgnorth in Shropshire to Kidderminster in Worcestershire. Hundreds of enthusiasts also watch and wave from platforms, bridges and surrounding fields.
THU 22:00 The Queen Mary: Greatest Ocean Liner (b07d2wy4)
With exclusive access to the magnificent liner and its extensive archive of film and photographs, this documentary explores the action-packed life of the Clyde-built ship - an epic journey through some of the most dynamic periods of the 20th century.
Built with the blood and sweat of the master craftsmen of the Clydebank shipyards, she helped drag a nation from the depths of the great depression and set sail as a symbol of new hope and a better future. Leaving Southampton on 27 May 1936, her maiden voyage to New York set a new benchmark in transatlantic travel. Designed in peacetime to link the old world with the new, she ferried movie stars, politicians and royalty across the Atlantic, luxuriously cocooned in an art-deco floating palace.
Then, in 1939, she was transformed to challenge the fury of the Nazis in the Battle of the Atlantic. With a wartime record to rival that of the highest-ranking general, she carried whole armies through enemy-infested seas. Hitler offered a bonus of $250,000 and the Iron Cross to any U-boat captain who could sink the Queen Mary.
When the war was over, the Queen Mary gave passage to thousands of British war brides and children who planned a new life in the New World. The Queen Mary was a great attraction to the rich and famous celebrities of the 1950s and 60s.
From an exclusive interview with singer Johnny Mathis, we find out what it was like to perform on the rough seas of the Atlantic. The liner continued in service until 1967 and is now a floating luxury hotel and museum docked in a custom-made lagoon in Long Beach, California.
THU 23:00 Billy Fury: The Sound of Fury (b077x1fk)
Documentary which recounts the story of Billy Fury and the birth of British pop music. His first album, The Sound of Fury (released in 1960), has become a landmark record in British rock 'n' roll history.
Born in Liverpool during the Second World War, Ronnie Wycherley became an overnight sensation in 1958 when he was asked to go on stage and sing a couple of his self-penned songs by showbiz impresario Larry Parnes. Ronnie's knees shook with nerves, but over 2,000 screaming girls welcomed the new star of British rock 'n' roll and the headline in the local newspaper the following day was 'Dingle boy with a hot guitar'.
With more Top 40 hits than The Beatles during the 60s, Billy Fury's major hits included Halfway to Paradise, Wondrous Place, Jealousy, Last Night Was Made For Love and many more.
Aged just 42, Billy died of heart failure after a recording session. But his fans have never forgotten him, and every year on the anniversary of his death they gather to pay their tributes at Mill Hill cemetery. Lord Puttnam sums up Fury's contribution to modern music in the programme by saying that, 'without Billy Fury, I honestly don't think The Beatles would have happened'.
THU 00:25 Flying Scotsman: Sounds from the Footplate (b087k5rf)
[Repeat of broadcast at
21:00 today]
THU 01:25 James May: The Reassembler (b086t7c9)
[Repeat of broadcast at
21:00 on Wednesday]
THU 02:00 Rome's Invisible City (b05xxl4t)
[Repeat of broadcast at
22:00 on Tuesday]
THU 03:00 King George and Queen Mary: The Royals Who Rescued the Monarchy (b0195qtj)
[Repeat of broadcast at
20:00 today]
FRIDAY 30 DECEMBER 2016
FRI 19:00 Top of the Pops (b086xg7z)
Simon Bates presents the weekly chart show, first broadcast on 9 December 1982. Includes appearances from Shalamar, Soft Cell, Shakin' Stevens, Yazoo, Junior, Lionel Richie, The Jam, Renee & Renato, and David Bowie & Bing Crosby.
FRI 19:30 Top of the Pops (b086xg81)
David Jensen presents the weekly chart show, first broadcast on 23 December 1982. Includes appearances from The Maisonettes, David Bowie & Bing Crosby, Incantation, Shakin' Stevens, Imagination, ABBA, Keith Harris & Orville, Renee & Renato and Modern Romance.
FRI 20:00 King George and Queen Mary: The Royals Who Rescued the Monarchy (b01974m3)
Queen Mary
A two-part portrait of Elizabeth II's grandparents, King George V and Queen Mary, which examines the lasting legacy of the couple who rescued the monarchy from potential disaster, and whose influence persists to this day.
Episode two focuses on Queen Mary, who came from a relatively humble royal background, but was picked as a future queen consort by Queen Victoria. At first she was betrothed to Prince Eddy, heir to the throne. But when Eddy died she was unceremoniously passed to his brother George.
Despite the arranged marriage, King George and Queen Mary had a loving relationship. Mary revered the monarchy and obeyed her husband in all things - even the length of her dresses. She always put duty and service first. But when King George died in 1936, this once rigidly formal character emerged as a determined if eccentric royal matriarch with a mind of her own.
When the abdication crisis threatened the future of the House of Windsor, she was the rock to which the nation turned as a symbol of stability and continuity. Queen Mary died in 1953, having lived to see her granddaughter Elizabeth ascend to the throne.
FRI 21:00 George Michael at the Palais Garnier, Paris (b0401m8s)
George Michael introduces his unique live solo performance at the historic Palais Garnier Opera House in Paris, recorded in 2012 for his live album Symphonica. He was the first contemporary artist ever to perform there. The film brings together a compilation of live stage performances interspersed with behind-the-scenes footage and insights featuring George, his orchestra and the legendary producer Phil Ramone, shortly before his death in 2013.
In between performances of his classic songs, George describes the stories behind some of his favourite tracks, and we see black-and-white studio footage of conversations with Ramone, along with rehearsals with the Symphonica orchestra and George's backing singers.
Before the end, George pays a moving tribute to the late Ramone, whom he describes as the most accomplished producer of the 20th century: 'He understood more about music than anyone I had ever met... And it breaks my heart that he's not around to see this album released or to watch this documentary.'
Performed tracks:
Through
My Baby Just Cares for Me
A Different Corner
Cowboys and Angels
John & Elvis Are Dead
You've Changed
Going to Town
Brother Can You Spare a Dime
Let Her Down Easy
You've Been Loved
Roxanne
Wild is the Wind
Praying for Time
Feeling Good.
FRI 22:00 A Year in the Life of a Year (b086twq2)
2016
A comic cultural review of 2016, told through mash-up and manipulated archive footage.
FRI 22:30 TOTP2 (b00sl2g5)
Wham! Special
Mark Radcliffe with some classic Wham! performances on Top of the Pops.
FRI 23:00 Strictly Ballroom (b00749zg)
Offbeat satire in which a young ballroom dancing sensation causes uproar among the traditionalist Australian Dance Federation when he tries out some radical new steps.
His new routine horrifies all but the ugly duckling of his dance class who's just waiting to blossom. When she persuades him to partner her, he discovers a true soulmate who dares to be daring on the dance floor.
FRI 00:35 Bob Monkhouse: The Last Stand (b086tw3q)
[Repeat of broadcast at
21:00 on Monday]
FRI 01:35 Top of the Pops (b086xg7z)
[Repeat of broadcast at
19:00 today]
FRI 02:10 Top of the Pops (b086xg81)
[Repeat of broadcast at
19:30 today]
FRI 02:40 King George and Queen Mary: The Royals Who Rescued the Monarchy (b01974m3)
[Repeat of broadcast at
20:00 today]