Ian Hislop's Age Of The Do-Gooders

Ian Hislop's Age Of The Do-Gooders 2010

1

Ian Hislop rescues the reputation of the maverick 'Do-Gooders' who he believes fixed the 19th century's version of 'broken Britain' in this new history series. Irresistibly easy to mock, these busy bodies are highly unfashionable today. But they are heroes to Ian - extraordinary men and women who precipitated the most remarkable period of social change in British history and, Ian argues, left us with a nation worth living in. And yet unlike notable Victorian royals, inventors, politicians and generals, many of them have been all but forgotten.

2010

Exploring China: A Culinary Adventure

Exploring China: A Culinary Adventure 2012

6.50

Exploring China: A Culinary Adventure is a four-part British documentary television series that aired on BBC Two. Chefs Ken Hom and Ching He Huang, both Chinese food specialists, describing their travels through China and the recipes and personal stories they find there.Hom and Huang will travel to Beijing, learning about Peking Duck, and on to the Silk Road, Kashgar, and the Sichuan Province,together bringing a unique and authoritative perspective on Chinese food that will surprise and inform.Ken and Ching undertake an epic 3000-mile culinary adventure across China - not only to reveal its food, but its people, history, culture and soul.BBC Books has acquired and published the title to accompany the BBC Two series of four hour-long episodes.

2012

Living in the Past

Living in the Past 1978

1

A group of young people live and work on a replica of a prehistoric Iron Age settlement at a secret location in the West of England. Cut off from the modern world, the group try to re-create the way of life of Celtic tribesmen in the third century BC.

1978

Dara & Ed's Road to Mandalay

Dara & Ed's Road to Mandalay 2017

8.00

Comedians Ed Byrne and Dara O Briain embark on an expedition of a lifetime, crossing 3,500 miles from the bright lights of modern day Malaysia to the jungles of Myanmar

2017

Mediterranean with Simon Reeve

Mediterranean with Simon Reeve 2018

9.00

Simon Reeve embarks on an extraordinary four-part journey around the Mediterranean, uncovering the wild extremes that lie behind the tourist veneer.

2018

World's Most Secret Homes

World's Most Secret Homes 2019

7.00

From extravagant underground bunkers to cabins on remote islands. Homeowners discuss what attracted them to such unusual and secluded properties. A round the world tour of some spectacular homes, using drone photography to explore the natural surroundings of each home and 'fly-through' tours of their interiors and secret passages, to reveal what makes them unique. The owners explain why they wanted to live in such an unusual property, and how they found their secluded plots.

2019

Shakespeare On the Estate

Shakespeare On the Estate 1970

1

Award-winning documentary in which theatre director Michael Bogdanov tries to persuade residents of a Birmingham estate to perform the Bard. After initial indifference, in three weeks he builds a company of enthusiastic amateur actors whose performances of scenes from the plays are riveting. Here's a thuggish Caliban, a black Shylock full of conviction, and exuberant gang members from Romeo and Juliet. It's only a temporary triumph, but it does demonstrate the power and appeal of Shakespeare, and you wonder at the talent going to waste.

1970

Inside Europe: Ten Years of Turmoil

Inside Europe: Ten Years of Turmoil 2019

1

For the first time on television, David Cameron’s top advisers - including George Osborne and William Hague - reveal the discussions that led to the decision for which Cameron will go down in history: to hold an in/out referendum. The programme lifts the lid on the prime minister’s desperate attempts to get a new deal for Britain in Europe. Top leaders, including presidents Tusk, Juncker, Sarkozy and Hollande, reveal the details of their negotiations with Cameron. From beers in Prague to dinners at Chequers, the prime minister tries to convince his partners to give him something to show Britain can claw back power from Brussels – especially on immigration – but he keeps getting knocked back.

2019

Syria: The World's War

Syria: The World's War 2018

1

Lyse Doucet tells the story of the Syrian war through extraordinary testimony from those who have lived through it on the ground as well as politicians who tried to shape events.

2018

Blitz: The Bombs That Changed Britain

Blitz: The Bombs That Changed Britain 2017

1

Documentary series examining the effects of individual bombs that fell during the Blitz, from their initial impact on individual lives right through to their consequences for World War Two and the present day.

2017

China: A New World Order

China: A New World Order 2019

1

Examining the controversial presidency of Xi Jinping and how he is reshaping the world order.

2019

Operation Snow Tiger

Operation Snow Tiger 2013

9.00

The Siberian tiger is one of Earth's rarest and most elusive animals, with as few as 300 remaining. It is so rare, more scientists have been to space than have seen one in the wild. In this series, Liz Bonnin, a former tiger biologist herself, travels to the frozen forests of the Russian Far East to help a team of scientists studying these big cats. Their goal is to uncover the hidden world of this mysterious predator, determine why they are declining and what can be done to save them.

2013

Making Tracks

Making Tracks 1993

7.00

A BBC documentary series exploring steam and heritage railways worldwide. Hosted by Bob Symes and Mary‑Jean Hasler. Produced by Lineside Location Productions.

1993

Are Our Kids Tough Enough? Chinese School

Are Our Kids Tough Enough? Chinese School 2015

6.70

In a unique experiment, five teachers from China take over the education of fifty teenagers in a Hampshire school to see whether the high-ranking Chinese education system can teach us a lesson.

2015

SOS: Extreme Rescues

SOS: Extreme Rescues 2024

10.00

Saving lives in a place like no other takes an emergency service like no other. In the stunning, wild landscape of Eryri, also known as Snowdonia, dedicated teams stand by to help.

2024

Cornwall with Simon Reeve

Cornwall with Simon Reeve 2020

1

Simon Reeve travels through glorious Cornwall as the county emerges from lockdown and investigates what the future holds for one of Britain’s favourite tourist destinations.

2020

Inside the Cult of the Jesus Army

Inside the Cult of the Jesus Army 2025

7.00

In the 1970s, a group of idealistic Christians, led by firebrand preacher Noel Stanton, attempted to create a heaven on Earth in rural Northamptonshire. With testimony by former members, their children and community Elders, this compelling series traces the story of the Jesus Fellowship from its hippy origins to the high-profile launch of the Jesus Army in the late 1980s, followed by its shocking demise in the 2000s.

2025

Olivier Awards

Olivier Awards 1981

1.00

Annual awards ceremony presented by the Society of London Theatre to recognise excellence in professional theatre in London.

1981

Friday Night, Saturday Morning

Friday Night, Saturday Morning 1979

6.00

Friday Night, Saturday Morning was a television chat show with a revolving guest host. It ran on BBC2 from 28 September 1979 to 2 April 1982, broadcast live from the Greenwood Theatre, a part of Guy's Hospital. It was most notable for being the only television show to be hosted by a former British Prime Minister and for an argument about the blasphemy claims surrounding the movie Monty Python's Life of Brian. The programme was the idea of Iain Johnstone and Will Wyatt, who insisted on a changing presenter every fortnight. Another innovation was that the presenters chose the guests they were to interview.

1979