In the heart of the modern East End of London, a Victorian slum has been recreated and a group of 21st-century people are moving in. Michael Mosley joins them to tell the extraordinary story of how the Victorian East End changed our attitude to poverty forever.
The slum dwellers have moved into the 1890s, when Britain was slowly recovering from an economic depression. Cheap foodstuffs and mass-manufactured goods have found their way into the slum's shop, but only some of the residents can afford them.
The Howarths are the lucky ones - they now have a bespoke tailor's shop, and tailor Russell can make good money catering to middle-class Londoners who couldn't afford Savile Row suits. Their relative prosperity means Mandy can turn her attention to being a respectable Victorian housewife.
The Potter family's experience reflects the lives of countless Victorian poor who struggled with low wages and irregular work, but they are offered a lifeline by their neighbour Maria who needs help with her laundry business. But a water shortage during the 1890s makes life even harder, and it forces Maria and her brother John to leave the slum.
Simon Sebag Montefiore looks at how every event in ancient Rome revolved around religion. From the foundation myth through to the deification of emperors, nothing could happen without calling upon the pantheon of Roman gods. Simon investigates how the Romans worshipped and sacrificed to the gods. He discovers that sacredness defined what was Roman and it was the responsibility of every Roman to play their part in the cult. Even the ancient Roman sewer was holy ground!
Charley and the team are separated from Dubai by the Persian Gulf, where a scheduled container ship will depart for India in a matter of days. Despite encountering pirate-infested waters, they reach India, where the team head straight for the streets of Mumbai to soak up the colours, smells and flavours. Before them is a journey on a cramped sleeper train to reach India's capital, Delhi.
Disaster strikes as one of the team gets seriously injured and has to drop out, with an emotional goodbye and a return to London for medical attention.
One man down but determined the expedition will continue, the team reach Varanasi, the holy town on the banks of the sacred river Ganges. Charley watches a traditional Arti ceremony and reflects on how much he is drawn to the incredible and varied country, and how much he is looking forward to the other wonderful places that lie ahead.
West Side Story is one of the best-loved musicals of all time. A modern-day Romeo and Juliet, its timeless story and exhilarating dance and music continue to excite audiences around the globe. Songs such as Maria, Somewhere, Tonight and America have all become some of the biggest hits in showbusiness. And yet, West Side Story had an uneasy birth and was even turned away by producers when it was first put together in the 1950s by Leonard Bernstein, Stephen Sondheim, Jerome Robbins and Arthur Laurents.
Now, as the world prepares to celebrate the 60th anniversary of West Side Story in 2017, dancer Bruno Tonioli and broadcaster Suzy Klein go in search of the true stories behind the inception of this classic show. For the first time on television, they hear first-hand from those involved in the show when it opened on Broadway in September 1957, including Sondheim himself, producer Hal Prince and original cast members from both show and movie, including Chita Rivera, Carol Lawrence and Rita Moreno. With the BBC Symphony Orchestra and specially cast singers, we relive some of the wonderful music and, in the company of Suzy and Bruno, discover how West Side Story placed the 1950s phenomena of racial tension and teenage gangs centre stage to create a hit that changed musical theatre forever.
Sir Cameron Mackintosh was once a theatre stagehand on Drury Lane and is now a musical theatre impresario, with a career spanning 50 years and a catalogue of musical theatre hits to his name - including Cats, Les Miserables, Phantom of the Opera and Miss Saigon - and he is now about to launch the US hit musical Hamilton in London.
Alan Yentob meets Cameron Mackintosh to discover how a timber merchant's son with a passion for song and dance, an abundance of ambition and a keen eye for detail became the most successful man in the musical theatre business and in the process changed the face and sound of musical theatre across the globe.
MONDAY 01 FEBRUARY 2021
MON 19:00 Fred Dibnah's Made in Britain (b0078wfk)
Pattern Making
Fred and the boys are staying with the Howard brothers, some old traction engine friends, and taking a break. The engine is having a few problems so it comes into the shed, where Jack takes the front wheel off to see what the problem is. Luckily there are plenty of helping hands around.
Leaving the engine behind, Fred visits David Ragsdale, a skilled pattern maker who just happens to own six steam engines. David explains how it all works, then they go directly to the foundry to see the next stage in the process.
Steam enthusiasts manage to use steam for all manner of things. Fred visits Tom Nuttall, a man who runs a garden centre and museum - all through the power of steam.
The team take a trip out to Ashbourne to visit a clockmaker. The whole workshop is belt driven, just like Fred's garden, and has been a family business since 1826. Fred marvels at the skills and techniques involved in the delicate processes and watches how the tiny teeth are cut into the cogs.
MON 19:30 The Joy of Painting (m000jqyb)
Series 2
Meadow Stream
American painter Bob Ross offers soothing words of encouragement to viewers and painting hobbyists in an enormously popular series that has captivated audiences worldwide since 1982. Ross is a cult figure, with nearly two million Facebook followers and 3,000 instructors globally. His soothing, nurturing personality is therapy for the weary, and his respect for nature and wildlife helps heighten environmental awareness.
Across the series, Ross demonstrates his unique painting technique, which eliminates the need for each layer of paint to dry. In real time, he creates tranquil scenes taken from nature, including his trademark ‘happy’ clouds, cascading waterfalls, snow-covered forests, serene lakes and distant mountain summits.
In this programme, Ross shows you how to paint a beautiful summer scene, with a cabin and rushing rivulet flowing through a luscious green landscape.
Many of Bob’s faithful viewers are not painters at all. They are relaxing and unwinding with Bob’s gentle manner and encouraging words, captivated by the magic taking place on the canvas.
MON 20:00 Secrets of the Museum (m000frqp)
Series 1
Episode 4
Inside every museum is a hidden world, and now, for the first time, cameras have been allowed behind the scenes at the world-famous Victoria and Albert Museum in London.
Only a small part of the two million wonders in the collection are on display to the public. But in this new series we go behind closed doors to explore all the treasures of art, design and performance the museum has to offer.
This week, we meet curators and conservators trying to preserve some of the finest examples of craftsmanship in the world.
Deep in the museum stores, curator Keith is trying to breathe life into an object of extraordinary craftmanship – an original Stormtrooper costume from the Star Wars sequel The Empire Strikes Back, from 1980. He’s hoping to exhibit the costume in a refresh of the V&A’s Theatre and Performance Display. But when he and conservator Susana unpack the moulded-plastic body parts, a key piece is missing – the Stormtrooper’s helmet.
Unable to display the costume without the helmet, Keith contacts a group of prop-makers who specialise in making replicas of movie costumes. The prop-makers agree to make a replica of the original helmet, using the exact techniques pioneered by the Star Wars costume department in the 1970s. But the challenge for Keith’s prop-makers is to turn this box-fresh helmet into an authentic match with the original decades-old costume.
Meanwhile, two of the largest galleries in the museum, the Cast Courts, are undergoing a renovation. These galleries are home to one of the world’s largest collections of 19th century hand-made casts - replicas of some of Europe’s finest sculptures. As few people then could afford the luxury of travel, art works could be brought to them with these painstaking replicas. Now it’s the job of senior sculpture conservator Victor to give these precious casts a facelift.
The final part of the epic renovation is cleaning a piece representing the Assumption of the Virgin, made in 1890. This plaster cast depicts the Virgin Mary ascending to heaven surrounded by angels. It’s a perfect plaster copy of one of a number of 14th-century sculptured panels made for the exterior of the Notre Dame cathedral in Paris. Now the plaster cast will be given its first deep clean since it was made 130 years ago.
The importance of these fragile replicas is brought into sharp focus with news of a terrible fire at Notre Dame. Although many artefacts are destroyed there is relief that the original cast of the Assumption of Virgin has been spared.
The news highlights the importance of preserving the V&A’s delicate cast. But Victor and fellow conservator Adriana discover a crack in its structure, that could prove fatal. Over hours of careful conservation, the team work on supporting the fracture - but the real test will be when they try to hang it back on the gallery wall.
In the Rock and Pop archive, curator Vicky is examining a photograph donated after the V&A’s David Bowie Exhibition. It’s a rare print, known as ‘David Bowie is watching you’, taken in 1973 as part of a series of photos by photographer Brian Duffy to become the album cover for Aladdin Sane.
The photograph was donated by the photographer’s son Chris. Vicky wants to know more about the print and invites Chris to the museum. Chris remembers visiting the photoshoot when he was a teenager, and meeting David Bowie.
In paper conservation, senior preservations conservator Simon is dealing with a very different kind of photograph – a 65-metre-long Victorian photograph of the medieval Bayeux Tapestry. This unique photograph was commissioned by the British Government in 1871 and was one of the V&A’s first interactive exhibits, displayed on a moving roller so audiences could spool through the panorama of the battle.
The last time it was on display was over 100 years ago. But years of manhandling have taken their toll. Now, the rolled-up photograph has been summoned to be part a new V&A exhibition, filled with new images by legendary fashion photographer Tim Walker, inspired by objects from the museum’s collection. But first conservator Simon needs to assess if the fragile piece is robust enough to be displayed again.
In the Rapid Response Department, curators Corinna and Johanna feel there is one important everyday object missing from their 20th-century collection.
They have been offered a very British piece of graphic design – a road sign, made in 1961 by graphic designer Margaret Calvert. Before collecting the sign, they visit Margaret at her home, filled with familiar road signs…
We also follow fashion curator Oriole, who alongside fellow curator Susan, is on a mission to acquire a piece representing the best of contemporary British craft. They visit fashion designers Justin Thornton and Thea Bregazzi, known as Preen, at their workshop. Oriole and Susan have the difficult task of choosing one single piece to represent the designers.
MON 21:00 Britain's Lost Masterpieces (m000rxmx)
Series 5
Brighton
Bendor Grosvenor and Emma Dabiri visit Brighton Museum to investigate who painted two neglected pictures of religious subjects.
Bendor believes a grubby image of Mary Magdalene repenting her sins may be by a forgotten master of the Roman baroque, Francesco Trevisani. Emma visits the Fitzwilliam Museum in Cambridge to hear how a medieval pope confused the biblical accounts and gave Mary a completely invented personality.
Bendor then travels to Rome to search for traces of Trevisani, while Emma investigates how Brighton’s lavishly decorated Royal Pavilion ended up an empty shell, ransacked and sold to the local council. The second picture is a sympathetic portrayal of Balthazar, a prince and one of the wise men from the Christmas story, which Bendor thinks may be by 16th-century Antwerp master Joos van Cleve. Examination reveals that it was once the left-hand door of a folding altarpiece. Bendor goes on to Edinburgh to see a similar altar, the finest work by van Cleve in Britain. Emma meets Rev Richard Coles to find out how, despite the lack of any description in the Bible, it became traditional to portray Balthazar as a black African.
MON 22:00 Craftivism: Making a Difference (m000rxn0)
Can you use craft to help make the world a better place, one stitch at a time? Writer, comedian and art lover Jenny Eclair meets people doing extraordinary things with knitting, cross-stitch, banners and felt to change hearts and minds.
Hearing stories from craftivists around the UK and beyond, Jenny visits Bradford on Avon in Wiltshire to see how miniature knickers are discreetly placed around the town to encourage screening for cervical cancer, and learns how felt 'graffiti' has a wellbeing message for visitors to a London park.
From banners at Liverpool Football Club's Anfield Stadium to a huge memorial quilt remembering those who lost their lives to Aids, the initiatives all have one thing in common: a painstaking, thoughtful and beautiful way to get heard.
MON 23:00 MAKE! Craft Britain (b07f2g2v)
Special
Britain is a nation of crafters, and now more than ever we are seeing an explosion in the number of evening classes and craft workshops up and down the country. People are discovering the simple pleasure of learning a new skill and the enormous sense of pride and well-being as hidden talent and latent creativity is unleashed.
On a quest to understand the power of craft, presenter Martha Kearney begins by asking why her mother's dexterity with a quilting needle passed her by - 'Your head was always in a book ...' explains Martha's mum, but she reassures her daughter that it's never too late to start making things with your hands.
This film is a tale of two workshops. On the edge of the Yorkshire moors embroiderer Marna Lunt welcomes a mixed group of students to her two-day course making embroidered lampshades. Ex-copper Tony is a complete beginner, while textiles student Catherine has been sewing all her life. Under Marna's instruction, they quickly master the basic stitches and learn how to draw inspiration from the colours and sounds of the moors.
Meanwhile, on a Sunday morning in London, six students take up their scalpels for a crash course in paper-cutting. Teacher/practitioner Christine Green explains the long heritage of this new craft craze, teaches them the basics of designing, cutting and finishing, and gets them going on their 3D cards. They are all complete beginners. Richard and Mark draw inspiration from their local park, Crystal Palace, while newlyweds Eri and Jamie make cards that celebrate their one-year 'paper' anniversary.
In both workshops, the students get completely absorbed by the process and the room falls almost silent in quiet concentration and creative 'flow'. Both teachers give 'how to' demonstrations that are easy to follow so that viewers at home can try their hand at these crafts too.
Harnessing the breadth of the craft community through social media, and especially BBC's Get Creative page, MAKE! also features jaw-dropping images of beautiful handmade crafts sent in by viewers.
MON 00:00 Handmade in Africa (m000lwds)
Series 1
Dorze House
Filmed in the remote Gamo highlands of southern Ethiopia, this episode tells the story of Dorze house builders as they weave a traditional bamboo home for an elderly woman in their community.
The Dorze are a minority ethnic group who live in the mountains and have retained their distinct culture and dialect. They are renowned as producers of colourful cloth and for their unique houses, which are woven from strips of bamboo.
The film follows village elder Admasu Ourage as he oversees the building of a new house for his friend Dasanshi, whose old house is falling down. The whole process is captured, from the moment Dasanshi’s old house is moved, and the cutting and preparation of the bamboo, to the construction and completion of the new house. Their work is a window on to the significance of Orthodox Christian faith in Ethiopia; each stage of the build is accompanied by blessings and prayers of thanks, led by Admasu.
The film is also a portrait of a community in flux, as more and more Dorze people choose to build their houses with corrugated iron roofs instead of traditional, woven bamboo. For the Dorze, the construction of a new woven house is like ‘a child being born’. It is testament to a thriving community. Once complete, the whole village comes together to sing and dance in celebration.
MON 00:30 Britain's Lost Masterpieces (m000rxmx)
[Repeat of broadcast at
21:00 today]
MON 01:30 The Joy of Painting (m000jqyb)
[Repeat of broadcast at
19:30 today]
MON 02:00 Fred Dibnah's Made in Britain (b0078wfk)
[Repeat of broadcast at
19:00 today]
MON 02:30 Secrets of the Museum (m000frqp)
[Repeat of broadcast at
20:00 today]
TUESDAY 02 FEBRUARY 2021
TUE 19:00 Fred Dibnah's Made in Britain (b0078wjp)
Engines at Work
Fred meets up with a few old friends at the North Staffs and Cheshire Traction Engine Club. All
the engines are in steam so Fred is in his element, chatting to his mates and enjoying a pint or two. The next day Fred goes to see Len Crane at Bratch Pumping Station, where Len has spent the last six years restoring a great triple expansion engine that was used to pump the water.
They call in at the Severn Valley Railway at Bridgenorth for a chat about the locos and a tour round the workshops. Unfortunately Fred does so much chatting he misses his chance to have a ride on the footplate.
Moving on from Bridgenorth Fred, Alf and Jimmy visit the Black Country Living Museum to learn about the rich mining history of the area.
TUE 19:30 The Joy of Painting (m000jr02)
Series 2
Nature's Edge
Imagine yourself nestled in a Bob Ross cabin, hidden in the midst of a plush green forest and surrounded by the sounds of nature.
TUE 20:00 Last of the Summer Wine (b007c1q1)
Series 24
The Secret Birthday of Norman Clegg
Yorkshire sitcom. To avoid all the fuss associated with birthdays, Clegg has the ideal solution - a discreet lunch at a nice quiet hotel.
TUE 20:30 Wallace and Gromit: A Matter of Loaf and Death (b00g8hbw)
Wallace and Gromit have opened a new bakery - Top Bun - and business is booming, not least because a deadly Cereal Killer has murdered all the other bakers in town. Gromit is worried that they may be the next victims, but Wallace does not care, as he has fallen head over heels in love with Piella Bakewell, former star of the Bake-O-Lite bread commercials. So Gromit is left to run things on his own, when he would much rather be getting better acquainted with Piella's lovely pet poodle Fluffles.
But then Gromit makes a shocking discovery which points to the killer's true identity. Can he save his master from becoming the next baker to be butchered? And does Fluffles know more than she is saying? It all adds up to a classic 'who-doughnut' mystery, as four-time Academy Award-winning director Nick Park creates a hilarious new masterpiece in the tradition of 'master of suspense' Alfred Hitchcock.
Featuring the voices of Peter Sallis (Wallace) and Sally Lindsay (Piella Bakewell).
TUE 21:00 Life of a Mountain (b04y4gd7)
A Year on Scafell Pike
A beautifully cinematic documentary following a year in the life of England's highest mountain, Scafell Pike, through the eyes of the farmers who work the valleys and fells, those who climb the mountain for pleasure and those who try to protect its slopes.
Filmed over a twelve-month period, it follows the seasons on the mountain from spring lambs through to winter snows. The contributions of the British Mountaineering Council and National Trust volunteers make clear the crucial importance of maintaining the landscape quality of England's highest peak for future generations.
TUE 22:00 The Great Mountain Sheep Gather (m000hb4r)
Scafell Pike is England’s tallest mountain and home to a flock of native Herdwick sheep. Every summer, their shepherd must gather these notoriously hardy sheep and bring them down to the farm for shearing.
The Great Mountain Sheep Gather charts this journey across the fells with epic bird’s-eye view photography descending into the valley below. This timeless event has taken place in the Lake District for over a thousand years. Opening at dawn with the shepherd blindly navigating the foggy peaks and crags, this film reveals the skill, knowledge and bravery needed to care for a flock in this rugged land.
As the fog lifts to expose the breathtaking landscape, and the small pockets of sheep merge into one big group, the voice of Lakeland shepherd Andrew Harrison allows us to see this unique world through his eyes – the knowledge of the dogs, farmers and sheep passed down from generation to generation for centuries, the challenges of life in the fells, and the conflict posed by visitors and the 21st century.
Specially commissioned poetry written by Mark Pajak and read by Maxine Peake provides a counterpoint to the shepherd’s insights throughout this film. The programme’s unique visual perspective includes riding along on a dog, a sheep and with the shepherd himself. The bleats, barks and birdsong echoing down the valley create an evocative natural soundtrack.
Once the flock has assembled as one, this immersive chronicle follows the group as they descend and are greeted by sunshine and a sense of relief once they arrive at the farm. Five hundred sheep must now be sheared - the tale of a shepherd’s life.
TUE 23:40 Spiral (p091v6zk)
[Repeat of broadcast at
21:00 on Saturday]
TUE 00:35 Spiral (p091v6zm)
[Repeat of broadcast at
21:55 on Saturday]
TUE 01:45 The Joy of Painting (m000jr02)
[Repeat of broadcast at
19:30 today]
TUE 02:10 Fred Dibnah's Made in Britain (b0078wjp)
[Repeat of broadcast at
19:00 today]
TUE 02:40 Life of a Mountain (b04y4gd7)
[Repeat of broadcast at
21:00 today]
WEDNESDAY 03 FEBRUARY 2021
WED 19:00 Fred Dibnah's Made in Britain (b0078wmp)
Chains and Copper
Fred, Alf and Jimmy continue their investigation of the Black Country by watching the skills of an authentic chain maker, producing chains in the same way as they would have been in 1910. After all that hard work they sit down to enjoy fish and chips washed down with a pint of local ale.
They have a long journey ahead, travelling all the way from Dudley to Anglesey to visit Parys Mountain, a vast copper mine that was once the largest in the world.
The copper from Parys Mountain would be made into sheets and taken to a copper spinner just like the one Fred goes to visit in the East Midlands. The spinning process may look easy but, as Fred discovers, there is a lot of skill involved.
After leaving Anglesey they travel further down into Wales making an overnight stop at Ffestiniog railway, originally built to transport slate from Ffestiniog to Porthmadog. While the others look after the traction engine, Fred enjoys a ride and drive on the footplate of an 1891 slate shunting engine. He also takes a look around the maintenance yard where he sees Prince - possibly the oldest working steam engine in the world, dating back to 1863.
WED 19:30 The Joy of Painting (m000jy2j)
Series 2
Morning Mist
Watch Bob Ross create a peaceful and dewy scene of brown mountains in the morning, complete with a lake and succulent evergreens.
WED 20:00 Digging for Britain (b0851gnz)
Series 5
North
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 is from the north of Britain, where finds include: evidence for the first Roman siege in Britain, including the biggest cache of Roman bullets discovered anywhere; Britain's most famous monastery - Lindisfarne - rediscovered for the first time since it was violently sacked by the Vikings 1,000 years ago; and the incredible discovery of the ancient Scottish man-made islands that entirely rewrite our understanding of Stone Age tech.
WED 21:00 Egypt's Lost Cities (b011pwms)
It is possible that only one per cent of the wonders of ancient Egypt have been discovered, but now, thanks to a pioneering approach to archaeology, that is about to change.
Dr Sarah Parcak uses satellites to probe beneath the sands, where she has found cities, temples and pyramids. Now, with Dallas Campbell and Liz Bonnin, she heads to Egypt to discover if these magnificent buildings are really there.
WED 22:30 The Man who Discovered Egypt (b01f13f4)
Documentary about English Egyptologist Flinders Petrie, the pioneer of systematic methodology in archaeology. Ancient Egypt was vandalised by tomb raiders and treasure hunters until this Victorian adventurer took them on. Most people have never heard of him, but this maverick undertook a scientific survey of the pyramids, discovered the oldest portraits in the world, unearthed Egypt's prehistoric roots - and in the process invented modern field archaeology, giving meaning to a whole civilisation.
WED 23:30 Craftivism: Making a Difference (m000rxn0)
[Repeat of broadcast at
22:00 on Monday]
WED 00:30 The Joy of Painting (m000jy2j)
[Repeat of broadcast at
19:30 today]
WED 01:00 Fred Dibnah's Made in Britain (b0078wmp)
[Repeat of broadcast at
19:00 today]
WED 01:30 Digging for Britain (b0851gnz)
[Repeat of broadcast at
20:00 today]
WED 02:30 Britain's Lost Masterpieces (m000rxmx)
[Repeat of broadcast at
21:00 on Monday]
THURSDAY 04 FEBRUARY 2021
THU 19:00 Coast (b01p6sv4)
Series 5 Reversions
Loch Creran
Coast visits Loch Creran on the Scottish west coast, where industrious little worms have constructed a remarkable 'worm city' that is one of the biggest of its kind in the world.
THU 19:05 Fred Dibnah's Made in Britain (b030qgzv)
A Lifetime's Achievement (Part 1)
Fred Dibnah reaches the final stage of his monumental journey around Britain on his traction engine.
This episode begins in the mountains of Snowdonia, where Fred is on his way to Wales's National Slate Museum. However, to get there he must first get over the Llanberis Pass - a big test for the engine. At the slate museum, Fred and Alf take a look in the workshop, where all the machinery is driven by a line shaft an eighth of a mile long. In the pub, they meet up with a couple of the ex-quarry workers and have a chat over a pint.
On their way back home to Bolton, the duo stop in to have a look at the world's first boat lift in Cheshire. The Anderton boat lift was built in 1875 as an alternative to a series of locks. Whilst here, Fred takes a trip on the lift to learn a bit more about its history. Before arriving home, Fred visits a couple of local works that over the years have supplied him with his pressure gauges and lots of nuts and bolts.
After a bit of tinkering at home, Fred and Alf begin their journey to Buckingham Palace, where Fred is due to receive his MBE. They stop off in Loughborough at the Great Central Railway for a ride on a 1912, 04 class engine, before making one final detour to the Crossness Pumping Station in London, where a group of volunteers have been working for 18 years to restore four of the largest beam engines in the world.
THU 19:35 The Joy of Painting (m000jy3f)
Series 2
Whispering Stream
Bob Ross, in his own unmistakable style, paints a narrow, winding and rocky creek that moves closer and closer, flowing aimlessly through a happy little meadow forest.
THU 20:05 All Creatures Great and Small (p031d2mg)
Series 1
Horse Sense
Newly qualified, James Herriot arrives in the Yorkshire town of Darrowby to be interviewed for his first job. It's 1936, and work is hard enough to find, but his prospective employer Siegfried Farnon seems to have completely forgotten the appointment.
THU 21:00 Quartet (b03ftm2k)
An opera star arrives at a performers' retirement home amidst fraught preparations for a fundraising concert. Her presence adds to the tension, but it also offers an opportunity to reunite a successful quartet. The diva's one-time husband is upset to see her, while the two other former members relish the challenge.
THU 22:30 Face to Face (m000rxpf)
Billy Connolly
Jeremy Isaacs talks to Scottish comedian Billy Connolly about stand-up comedy, bodily functions and the night someone set fire to his hair.
THU 23:10 Britain's Lost Masterpieces (m000rxmx)
[Repeat of broadcast at
21:00 on Monday]
THU 00:10 Handmade in Africa (m000m2dj)
Series 1
Kora
Master kora-maker Seydou Kane crafts a new kora from scratch in his studio in downtown Dakar, Senegal. Dating back to the 13th century, the kora, also known as a west African lute or harp, has long been of sacred importance to the people of Senegal. Many believe it to be imbued with the essence of Allah, and that it has the power to ward off evil spirits.
The film follows Seydou as he gathers the natural materials he needs to make the kora: cow hide, a calabash gourd and rosewood. Seydou shows how making a kora involves several intricate processes and skills, from tightening the cowskin to carving wooden handles and tuning the strings. The instrument is the principal instrument of the griots, a caste of musicians, storytellers and oral historians who, a little like European minstrels, are cultural custodians of traditional myths and stories. They sing songs of royal legend and Islamic faith. With the kora complete, the film culminates in a performance of a traditional song by a local griot musician.
THU 00:40 The Joy of Painting (m000jy3f)
[Repeat of broadcast at
19:35 today]
THU 01:10 Fred Dibnah's Made in Britain (b030qgzv)
[Repeat of broadcast at
19:05 today]
THU 01:40 The Great Mountain Sheep Gather (m000hb4r)
[Repeat of broadcast at
22:00 on Tuesday]
FRIDAY 05 FEBRUARY 2021
FRI 19:00 Sound of Musicals with Neil Brand (b08bqfd2)
Seasons of Love
Series in which composer Neil Brand explores how musical theatre evolved over the last 100 years to become today's global phenomenon. Neil hears the inside story from leading composers and talent past and present, and recreates classic songs, looking in detail at how these work musically and lyrically to captivate the audience.
In the concluding episode, he explores why musical theatre is thriving in the 21st century. He charts the rise of the 'megamusical' phenomenon, with shows like Cats and Les Miserables, learns the behind-the-scenes story of how Disney transformed The Lion King from a cartoon into a record-breaking stage success, and sees how musicals have captured contemporary life in shows like Rent and Avenue Q. Neil recreates classic numbers to reveal the secrets of their songwriting, including The Rocky Horror Show's Sweet Transvestite, Don't Cry for Me Argentina from Evita, and Les Miserables' Empty Chairs at Empty Tables. Neil meets a host of top musical theatre talent, including master lyricist Tim Rice, Lion King director Julie Taymor, and leading composers Alan Menken (Beauty and the Beast) and Robert Lopez (Avenue Q and Frozen).
FRI 20:00 ABBA at the BBC (b03lyzpr)
If you fancy an hour's worth of irresistible guilty pleasures from Anni-Frid, Benny, Bjorn and Agnetha, this is the programme for you. ABBA stormed the 1974 Eurovision song contest with their winning entry Waterloo, and this programme charts the meteoric rise of the band with some of their greatest performances at the BBC.
It begins in 1974 with their first Top of the Pops appearance, and we even get to see the band entertaining holidaymakers in Torbay in a 1975 Seaside Special. There are many classic ABBA tunes from the 1979 BBC special ABBA in Switzerland, plus their final BBC appearance on the Late Late Breakfast show in 1982.
This compilation is a must for all fans and includes great archive interviews, promos and performances of some of ABBA's classics including Waterloo, Dancing Queen, Does Your Mother Know, Thank You for the Music, SOS, Fernando, Chiquitita and many more.
FRI 21:00 Top of the Pops (m000rxph)
Bruno Brookes presents the pop chart programme, first broadcast on 2 August 1990 and featuring Dream Warriors, Duran Duran and Prince.
FRI 21:30 Top of the Pops (m000rxpk)
Gary Davies presents the pop chart programme, first broadcast on 9 August 1990 and featuring Hothouse Flowers, Bombalurina and Tricky Disco.
FRI 22:00 Hip Hop: The Songs That Shook America (m000rxpm)
Series 1
Rock Box, by Run-DMC
How one song tore down the barriers between rock and hip-hop, race and class on American radio and television.
FRI 22:40 Hip Hop: The Songs That Shook America (m000rxpp)
Series 1
Elevators, by Outkast
Hip-hop's southern voice breaks through with an unsuspecting song that redefines rap's cultural and geographic boundaries.
FRI 23:25 Britain's Most Dangerous Songs: Listen to the Banned (b048wwlk)
From My Little Stick of Blackpool Rock to God Save the Queen, this is the story of ten records from the 1930s to the present day that have been banned by the BBC. The reasons why these songs were censored reveals the changing controversies around youth culture over the last 75 years, with Bing Crosby and the Munchkins among the unlikely names to have met the wrath of the BBC.
With contributions from Carrie Grant, Paul Morley, Stuart Maconie, Glen Matlock, Mike Read and John Robb.
FRI 00:25 Hits, Hype & Hustle: An Insider's Guide to the Music Business (b09p6stj)
Series 1
On the Road
Music promoter John Giddings takes us on an entertaining ride behind the stage lights to tell the story of how live performance has become a billion-pound industry.
As the founder and promoter of the modern Isle of Wight festival and one of the world's biggest live promoters, John knows more than most how to put a show on the road. And how the world of live performance has changed.
Where once bands would tour to promote an album, in the age of downloads and disappearing record sales, the live arena is a huge business. Bigger than ever before.
For a genuine behind-the-scenes insight into the scale and logistics of the modern mega-tour, John takes us backstage at U2's latest stadium spectacular. We also join John behind the scenes at Isle of Wight 2017, the festival he runs and where Rod Stewart and Run DMC are among the big names on the line-up.
But we also travel back to tell the story of the original Isle of Wight Festival, where a bunch of young promoters with big ideas persuaded Bob Dylan, The Who and Leonard Cohen to perform. A tale of unpaid artists, frantic last-minute negotiations and general mayhem, it was an event that transformed the music industry. And for a young John Giddings, who was in the audience, it was the beginning of a whole career.
Along the way, some of the biggest names in rock and pop share their insights from life on the road and how the world of live performance has changed.
Phil Collins reminisces about his youthful trips to the Marquee Club. Earth, Wind & Fire reveal the extraordinary planning that went into their theatrical stage shows. Stewart Copeland recalls The Police's pioneering international tours, including a memorable visit to India at the invitation of a local women's organisation, The Time and Talents Club. Melanie C talks of her nerves taking to the road with the Spice Girls, who unlike most touring bands had no real experience of live performance. And Alex James remembers the thrill of live performance but also the reality behind some of their tours... not just to please the fans but to pay the taxman.
FRI 01:25 ABBA at the BBC (b03lyzpr)
[Repeat of broadcast at
20:00 today]
FRI 02:25 Sound of Musicals with Neil Brand (b08bqfd2)
[Repeat of broadcast at
19:00 today]