Saturday 16th March 2013
| Churchill and the Fascist Plot |
The compelling story of how Winston Churchill and MI5 hunted down a group of British fascist aristocrats who were plotting to bring down the government and forge an alliance with Hitler.
| Dancing on the Edge: Interviewing Louis |
This hour-long drama is a series of interviews undertaken by Stanley for his Music Express magazine. They take place at the peak of fame for the Louis Lester band and Louis, Jessie and Carla give an insight into their thoughts about fame as well as their personal stories. The interviews are intercut with footage of the band playing, whilst Stanley's voiceover gives his inner thoughts on the characters.
Louis and Stanley remember the First World War, in which Louis's father fought. Louis talks about what it is like to be a black musician in London, and they discuss the band's exotic attraction to the aristocracy. Stanley talks to Carla and Jessie, who open up about their upbringings and their feelings on becoming famous. And Louis describes a chilling story about a female fan, when what started as a prank phone call became something much more sinister.
| Britain on Film |
Throughout the 1960s, the Rank Organisation produced hundreds of short, quirky documentaries that examined all aspects of life in Britain. Shot on high-quality colour film stock, they were screened in cinemas, but until now very little of the footage has been shown on television. This series draws on this unique archive to offer illuminating and often surprising insights into a pivotal decade in modern British history. This episode examines the films that recorded developments in one of 1960s Britain's most dynamic, innovative industries - the glamorous and fast-moving world of fashion.
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Sunday 17th March 2013
| Our Queen |
With behind-the-scenes access to the Queen throughout her diamond jubilee year, this intimate view of the modern monarchy lifts the lid on the events of 2012 - that Olympic James Bond moment, the secrets of a royal reception, and what really happens when the prime minister sits down with the sovereign. The programme includes contributions from the Prince of Wales and other members of the royal family. Corgis, Boris Johnson, a Robbie Williams serenade and a room full of fellow monarchs bring some added sparkle and colour to the first feature-length royal documentary in more than 20 years.
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Monday 18th March 2013
| Iraq - Ten Years On |
Storyville: Surviving the Tsunami - My Atomic Aunt
BBC 4, 10.00pm - 11.15pm
Storyville: Marking the second anniversary of the Fukushima nuclear catastrophe, this documentary tells an insightful and surprisingly funny story of a family adjusting to life after the tsunami.
Director Kyoko Miyake revisits her Aunt Kuniko, who was forced to abandon her businesses and home following the disaster. Now living aimlessly in temporary accommodation on the edge of the contaminated zone, Aunt Kuniko is determined to return home as soon as possible. Miyake is puzzled as to why she and the family are not angry. As the first year after the disaster unfolds, she unearths the uncomfortable past that prevents things being so clear cut.
Through the attempts of the warm and indefatigable Aunt Kuniko to adapt at her ripe age, this deeply personal film explores notions of homeland, nuclear power and family love.
| The Spies Who Fooled the World |
On the eve of the tenth anniversary of the Iraq War, Panorama reveals how key aspects of the secret intelligence used by Downing Street and the White House to justify the invasion were based on fabrication, wishful thinking and lies. Peter Taylor tracks down some of those responsible and reports on the remarkable story of how, in the months before the war, two highly-placed sources - close to Saddam Hussein - talked secretly to the CIA and MI6. Their intelligence said Iraq did not have an active WMD programme - but it was simply dismissed.
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Tuesday 19th March 2013
| What Do Artists Do All Day? |
'I don't have any grand plan, I just go where instinct takes me.' - Norman Ackroyd.
Norman Ackroyd is one of the country's most celebrated landscape artists. Born in Leeds in 1938, he attended the Royal College of Art in the 1960s. After experimenting with pop art, he gradually turned to his first love, the landscape, and over the last thirty years he has documented some of the most remote corners of Britain.
Norman tells the story of his artistic journey and gives a unique glimpse into his working life. Filmed in the converted London warehouse where he lives and works, we follow Norman as he embarks on the final stages of one of his monochrome prints. From delicate work on the copper plate, through preparation of the aquatint resin that brings shade and texture to the image and the application of the acid which etches the final picture from the copper, the film captures each stage of the process behind his craft.
At the end of the day, without knowing how the piece will turn out, Norman passes it through the printing press, revealing for the first time his latest work, capturing the atmospheric craggy cliff of Muckle Flugga in the Shetland Islands.
| Edwardian Insects on Film |
In 1908 amateur naturalist Percy Smith stunned cinema goers with his surreal film The Acrobatic Fly. Featuring a bluebottle juggling a series of objects, the film became front page news. Now wildlife cameraman Charlie Hamilton-James attempts to recreate this fascinating film.
Along the way, Hamilton-James (helped by Sir David Attenborough who saw Smith's films as a boy) tells the story of Percy's remarkable career and reveals the genius behind this forgotten pioneer of British film.
| The Railway: Keeping Britain on Track (6/6) |
From some of the UK's busiest urban commuter routes to frozen highland mountains, keeping trains running on Scotland's rail network is a huge challenge. With winter looming large, the country's train, station and engineering staff are entering their toughest season.
When overhead power lines are ripped down by a freight train, it spells chaos for the country's West Coast Main Line and days of disruption for passengers at Glasgow Central Station. Yet even without engineering problems, this is a network under constant strain.
Scotland's trains have to cope with millions of foreign visitors every year - most them using Edinburgh Waverley Station. Everyday, dispatcher Ronnie Park has to guide thousands of confused tourists as they rush for their trains, whilst parisian cleaner Patrice and his team have just 10 minutes to make trains sparkle before their onward journeys. Even when services are running smoothly it is a challenging place to work - but when delays south of the border impact on Edinburgh's rush hour, the task for Ronnie and his colleagues becomes almost impossible.
Yet what really makes Scotland stand-out from the rest of the UK are its vast and remote wilderness railways, such as the West Highland Line. This is where rail engineer Iain MacKinnon spends his days inspecting miles of mountain track on foot, clearing dead stags from the line and tightening every loose bolt that he finds. It is a lonesome job but 'a beautiful place to work' and it keeps the Scottish railways running.
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Wednesday 20th March 2013
| Iraq: Did My Son Die in Vain? |
Ten years after the invasion of Iraq, retired headteacher, Geoff Dunsmore, travels to Basra to follow in the footsteps of his son Chris, an RAF reservist who was killed there in 2007.
Geoff has never believed for a second that Chris died in vain, saying that his son believed in what he was doing and believed in why he was going to Iraq. Now, Geoff is going to see exactly where his son was killed and find out the impact of the war and occupation on the lives of the ordinary people of Basra. Has the western involvement in Iraq improved things for ordinary Iraqi people?
Accompanied by local guide, Mazin Altayar, Geoff hears firsthand what life was like for Iraqis under the dictator Saddam Hussein. He visits a rundown primary school that British troops tried to help during the occupation and hears from a man who claims 12 of his family were killed when American soldiers opened fire on his vehicles.
For the most part, with the country still suffering from terrorist violence, the repercussions of the conflict have been devastating and long lasting. Yet on the streets of Basra Geoff also meets a group of young people who have grown up knowing nothing but war but believe that they can build a different future in Iraq today.
| We're Having a Baby |
BBC 3, 9.00pm - 10.30pm
An intimate, poignant and life affirming documentary, as young people from across the UK turn the cameras on themselves and tell the story of pregnancy and birth as it's never been told before.
One in four babies in Britain are born to parents under 25 - this is their story, in their own words. Armed with handheld cameras, they film themselves over nine months as they embark on one of the most significant and remarkable journeys of their lives.
Following the twists and turns of pregnancy - from the moment they find out, all the way to the delivery room - they take us on a rollercoaster ride of raw emotion and unflinching reality.
We're Having a Baby explores up-close the fundamental issues surrounding pregnancy and birth in 21st century Britain, from a completely fresh perspective
| Gareth Thomas: Sports Life Stories |
Series in which sporting legends speak honestly and candidly about their careers giving a fascinating insight into the mind set required to reach the very top of their game. In this episode, Gareth Thomas - the first Welshman to get a 100 caps, he captained Wales to their first Grand Slam in 27 years, and became the first major British sports star to come out as gay. He talks about his turbulent life and career. Plus Hollywood legend Mickey Rourke explains why he was so moved by Gareth's story that he is making a movie about it.
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Thursday 21st March 2013
| Britain's Secret Shoppers (6/6) |
Justin goes behind the scenes at John Lewis' winter sale and shows how to negotiate deals on a leather sofa and a smart TV, and he give tips on designer fashion and holiday bargains.
| Who Killed My Dad? - the Death of Terry Lloyd |
Documentary marking the tenth anniversary of the death of ITV News war reporter Terry Lloyd, who was shot dead as he covered the Allied invasion of Iraq. Terry's daughter Chelsey retraces his steps, seeking answers to the questions that have troubled her family for a decade. Now accompanied by ITV News presenter Mark Austin - a friend of Terry's, Chelsey returns to the scene of her father's tragic death. As part of her deeply personal search for the truth, she meets and talks to the people who were there at the time.
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Friday 22nd March 2013
| Goodbye to Television Centre |
It was the dream factory, the symbolic home of British television - iconic, eccentric, more than just a building. After 53 years Television Centre, the BBC's TV headquarters, is closing its doors. Host Michael Grade gathers together many of its best-loved faces as they stroll down memory lane for the very last time.
| Britain: My New Home (1/3) |
Long-term series documenting five years in the lives of three children who migrated to Britain. This first new episode catches up with Imran, Altynay and Marshal as they turn 16.
| Richard Thompson BBC Four Session: Goodbye Television Centre |
As part of the Goodbye TV Centre celebrations, guitarist, singer and songwriter Richard Thompson plays a one-off concert filmed in TC8.
Thompson has been performing in BBC TV studios since 1969, starting on Top of the Pops with Fairport Convention and then making frequent appearances on the Old Grey Whistle Test, The Late Show and Later with Jools Holland as a solo artist and bandleader.
Filmed before the opening night of the tour celebrating the Top 20 placing of his album Electric, Thompson leads his current power trio through songs from that album, including Salford Sunday and Stony Ground, alongside classics from his songbook like I Want to See the Bright Lights and Tear Stained Letter. Thompson is joined on a couple of acoustic songs by former Fairport bandmate and master fiddler Dave Swarbrick, frequent collaborator Pete Zorn adds sax to Al Bowlly's In Heaven and his daughter Kami Thompson harmonises on Waltzing for Dreamers.
Filmed before a small studio audience in the bare style of some of the previous BBC music shows on which Thompson has appeared, this concert celebrates Thompson and a tradition of popular music performance from TV Centre.
