Arena - Season 1
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| Title | : | Arena - Season 1 |
|---|---|---|
| Genre | : | Documentary |
| Air Date | : | 1975-10-01 |
| Season Number | : | 1 |
| Total Episodes | : | 687 |
| Stars | : |
| Arena is a British television documentary series, made and broadcast by the BBC. Voted by leading TV executives in Broadcast as one of the top 50 most influential programmes of all time, it has run since 1 October 1975 with over five hundred episodes made, directed by the likes of Martin Scorsese, Alan Yentob, Roly Keating, Frederick Baker, Volker Schlondorff and Vikram Jayanti. Arena's subjects are a roll-call of the world's best known cultural figures from the 20th and 21st centuries, from singers Bob Dylan and Amy Winehouse to academics Edward Said and Eric Hobsbawm, from writers Jean Genet and V S Naipaul to artists Francis Bacon and Louise Bourgeois. The current series editor is Anthony Wall. |
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Episodes List
Episode 14 : Art and Design
January 14, 1976
Episode 25 : Theatre: Happy Birthday Royal Court
Alumni of the Royal Court celebrate its 20th...
March 31, 1976
Episode 26 : Art and Design: Art for Money's Sake?
Barrie Penrose investigates a multi-national art...
April 07, 1976
Episode 27 : Edinburgh International Festival 1976: Part 1
Features Elisabeth Schwarzkopf, Galina...
August 25, 1976
Episode 28 : Edinburgh International Festival 1976: Part 2
Features the La Mama Theatre Company from New...
September 01, 1976
Episode 29 : Edinburgh International Festival 1976: Part 3
Writer Germaine Greer and her god-daughter Ruby...
September 08, 1976
Episode 30 : Theatre: A Dream Come True
A look at the opening of the Royal Exchange...
September 15, 1976
Episode 32 : Art and Design: After Samuel Palmer
David Gould, the expert who discovered Tom...
September 29, 1976
Episode 36 : Art and Design: The Illustrators: The Work of Mick Brownfield and Allan Manha
British illustrators Mick Brownfield and Allan...
October 27, 1976
Episode 37 : Cinema: Don Siegel
Don Siegel, director of 'The Shootist', 'Charley...
November 03, 1976
Episode 38 : Theatre: The Cultural Common Market
A look at Theatre National Populaire, one of...
November 10, 1976
Episode 40 : Art and Design: Sculpture for the Blind/Linda Benedict-Jones/James Boswell
Sculpture for the Blind - a special Tate Gallery...
November 24, 1976
Episode 42 : Theatre: Brecht in Newcastle
20th anniversary tribute to Bertolt Brecht at...
December 08, 1976
Episode 43 : Cinema: Christmas Special
A look at the Disney exhibit at the Victoria and...
December 15, 1976
Episode 45 : Art and Design: Sam Smith: Genuine England/Arena Review
An introduction to the magical world of...
January 12, 1977
Episode 47 : Theatre: Spokesong/At Home with Mole
An interview with Stewart Parker about his new...
January 26, 1977
Episode 49 : Art and Design: Ralph Steadman
Ralph Steadman illustrates a children's anti-war...
February 09, 1977
Episode 51 : Theatre: The Cultural Common Market: Peter Stein and the Schaubuhne
Peter Stein, director of Die Schaubuhne theatre...
February 23, 1977
Episode 53 : Art and Design: What Is a Hologram?/Kit Williams - Ring Around the Moon
Arena investigates holograms and their potential...
March 09, 1977
Episode 55 : Theatre: A Night Out
Arena visits three theatres - the Mercury Theater...
March 23, 1977
Episode 57 : Art and Design: Family Pieces/Both Sides of the Line/The Divine and the Fantastic
Portrait painter Philip Sutton; Helmut...
April 06, 1977
Episode 59 : Theatre: The Prospect Before Us
Prospect Theatre Company reopens the Old Vic....
April 20, 1977
Episode 61 : Art and Design: The Continuous Diary/Dine's Drawings
The artist Ian Breakwall gave up painting for the...
May 04, 1977
Episode 65 : Theatre: Playwrights of the 70's
In the last ten years an astonishing number of...
June 15, 1977
Episode 68 : Cinema
September 21, 1977
Episode 69 : Art and Design
September 28, 1977
Episode 71 : Theatre
October 12, 1977
Episode 72 : Cinema: Greece
October 19, 1977
Episode 73 : Art and Design: Richard Seifert
October 26, 1977
Episode 74 : Cinema
November 02, 1977
Episode 75 : Theatre: Hands Off the Classics
In the 17th century Troilus and Cressida was...
November 09, 1977
Episode 76 : Cinema: 21st London Film Festival
November 16, 1977
Episode 77 : Art and Design: The Family/Wrapping up the Reichstag
November 23, 1977
Episode 78 : Cinema: 21st London Film Festival - Part 2
November 30, 1977
Episode 79 : Theatre: Leonard Rossiter
December 07, 1977
Episode 80 : Cinema: The Deep
December 14, 1977
Episode 81 : Cinema: The Force is with us?
Star Wars - the biggest and fastest money-maker...
January 11, 1978
Episode 82 : Art and Design: 'The Journey' or The Memoirs of a Self-Confessed Surrealist
George Melly explores his lifelong relationship...
January 18, 1978
Episode 83 : Cinema: The Force is with us? - Part 2/Howard Hawks
The Force is with us? Star Wars - the biggest...
January 25, 1978
Episode 84 : Theatre: ' But please, this is a farce! ' The story of The Cherry Orchard
But please, this is a farce! ' The story of The...
February 01, 1978
Episode 86 : Art and Design: Carrington
February 15, 1978
Episode 87 : Cinema: Claude Renoir
February 22, 1978
Episode 89 : Close Encounters of the Third Kind
March 08, 1978
Episode 90 : Art and Design: Carl Andre
March 15, 1978
Episode 91 : Cinema: Dancing Years
March 22, 1978
Episode 92 : Theatre: Taking Our Time
March 29, 1978
Episode 93 : Art and Design: Way Out West
April 05, 1978
Episode 94 : Theatre: Children of the Gods
April 12, 1978
Episode 95 : Television: When Is A Play Not A Play?
A tribute to the British filmmaker Alan Clarke...
April 17, 1978
Episode 96 : Art and Design: George Melly
May 03, 1978
Episode 97 : Theatre: Arnold Wesker
May 10, 1978
Episode 98 : Rock: Tubes on Tour
May 24, 1978
Episode 100 : Vanessa Redgrave
'She is a creature of fire and light, her voice a...
October 18, 1978
Episode 104 : Arena: The Museum of Drawers
Arena takes you on a guided tour of the smallest...
January 08, 1979
Episode 108 : Who is Poly Styrene?
wo years ago Marion Elliott , a 20-year-old from...
January 22, 1979
Episode 109 : Athol Fugard: A Lesson from Aloes
Aloe: a genus of plant indigenous to South...
January 29, 1979
Episode 111 : Maler's Requiem - Words and Images
Fibreglass carcasses, a flaming typewriter, and a...
February 05, 1979
Episode 112 : Piaf AND What Did You Do in 'The Warp' Daddy?
The sell-out success of this year's Royal...
February 12, 1979
Episode 114 : Other Writers Will Tell You Different and The Moving Picture Mime Show
Other Writers Will Tell You Different....
Lifers...
February 26, 1979
Episode 119 : La Dame aux Gladiolas
Arena presents The Agony and the Ecstasy of Edna...
March 19, 1979
Episode 120 : 'Let Us Now Praise Famous Men ': Alabama 40 Years On
At the height of the American depression in the...
March 26, 1979
Episode 123 : The King and I AND Journey to the Surface of the Earth
The King and I
For David Oxtoby, Elvis is king....
April 09, 1979
Episode 124 : Their Lips are Sealed
Arena presents a film about the strange art of...
April 15, 1979
Episode 127 : Pictures of the Mind
One in six people in Britain will spend some time...
June 14, 1979
Episode 128 : Six Days in September
John Hoyland is reckoned by many both here and...
September 29, 1979
Episode 129 : Building for Change
Arena presents a profile of Richard Rogers, one...
January 16, 1979
Episode 130 : Athol Fugard A Lesson from Aloes
Athol Fugard is the author of such celebrated...
January 17, 1980
Episode 131 : Lene Lovich Sleeping Beauty
Formerly a professional screamer in horror films,...
January 23, 1980
Episode 132 : Mentioned in Dispatches
Arena presents the extraordinary story of Tim...
January 30, 1980
Episode 133 : Isaac Singer's Nightmare and Mrs Pupko's Beard
Arena presents a hilarious and touching portrait...
February 06, 1980
Episode 134 : Peggy Taub, the Learned Goat and Other People ...
This week Arena features two highly-individual...
February 13, 1980
Episode 135 : Bring Me Back a Song
Irish folk music is one of the oldest unbroken...
February 27, 1980
Episode 136 : ' I talk about me - I am Africa'
The growth of black consciousness through the...
March 05, 1980
Episode 137 : Rudies Come Back or The Rise and Rise of 2-Tone
Adrian Thrills investigates a new and...
March 12, 1980
Episode 139 : Victoria Wood and Andrea Dunbar
As prizewinning writer/performer Victoria Wood...
March 26, 1980
Episode 140 : Climb Every Mountain or Nothing Succeeds Like Failure
"Failure can be fun' is the motto of...
April 02, 1980
Episode 142 : Dedicated Followers of Fashion
featuring "Where Did You Get That Hat?"
The...
April 16, 1980
Episode 144 : In Their Own Image AND Facing Up to Myself
In Their Own Image
Two women photographers turn...
May 28, 1980
Episode 145 : Making 'The Shining'
Stanley Kubrick's long-awaited film The Shining...
October 04, 1980
Episode 149 : Getting Away from Sidney
' Uncle Sidney' is the kindly old soul in charge...
January 17, 1981
Episode 151 : Today Carshalton Beaches ... Tomorrow Croydon
Arena investigates the grass-roots of rock today...
January 31, 1981
Episode 154 : The Smallest Theatre
Tonight, from a converted cowshed in the wilds of...
March 07, 1981
Episode 157 : God's Fifth Columnist
"I don't go out much these days, and when I do I...
March 28, 1981
Episode 158 : Did You Miss Me ...?
' It suddenly dawned on me that I was absolutely...
April 04, 1981
Episode 159 : The Return of Lupino Lane
Lupino Lane , the man who made ' The Lambeth Walk...
April 15, 1981
Episode 162 : Somewhere Over the Rainbow
As a child, trapped in a crazy Jewish household...
May 09, 1981
Episode 163 : If the Music Had to Stop
Britain's musical reputation is second to none,...
May 16, 1981
Episode 164 : Curtains? The Future of the National Youth Theatre
Derek Jacobi, Helen Mirren, Martin Jarvis,...
August 16, 1981
Episode 165 : The Cinema of Andrzej Wajda
For 25 years the Polish film director ADRZEJ...
September 06, 1981
Episode 166 : 'I Thought I Was Taller' A Short History of Mel Brooks
From Brooklyn to Beverly Hills - the life and...
October 02, 1981
Episode 167 : Have You Seen the Mona Lisa...?
She is two-and-a-half feet tall and nearly 500...
November 03, 1981
Episode 168 : Let Them Know We're Here
When JOINT STOCK began their latest project four...
November 10, 1981
Episode 169 : A Pretty British Affair
Only a short while ago Michael Powell and Emeric...
November 17, 1981
Episode 170 : The Art of Radio Times AND The Eye of the 'Eye'
This week, a total contrast in visual style-the...
November 24, 1981
Episode 171 : A Tall Story: How Salman Rushdie Pickled All India
Arena profiles one of the most dazzling literary...
December 08, 1981
Episode 172 : Brixton to Barbados
Reggae has its roots in Jamaica, and has found a...
December 15, 1981
Episode 173 : Private Life of the Ford Cortina
A ski run in Italy, a supermarket manager in...
January 19, 1982
Episode 174 : What Makes Rabbit Run?
John Updike 's new book, Rabbit is Rich, is the...
January 26, 1982
Episode 175 : Here They Kill People for It
Osip Mandelstam, one of the greatest poets of the...
February 02, 1982
Episode 177 : Desert Island Discs
' I love its homeliness. It conjures up the best...
February 23, 1982
Episode 178 : Listen to Britain AND Housing Problems
Presents two classic films from the early days of...
March 09, 1982
Episode 179 : The Orson Welles Story: Part One
Arena presents an exclusive film profile in two...
May 18, 1982
Episode 180 : The Orson Welles Story: Part Two
'I should never have stayed in movies. But it's a...
May 21, 1982
Episode 181 : Mike Leigh Making Plays
Mike Leigh is a dramatist in a tradition of his...
September 04, 1982
Episode 183 : A Play for Bridport
One of the most spectacular and unlikely theatre...
November 16, 1982
Episode 187 : Happy Days (Samuel Beckett Season)
by Samuel Beckett
Starring Billie Whitelaw
With...
December 11, 1982
Episode 188 : Eh Joe (Samuel Beckett Season)
Continues the Samuel Beckett season.
Starring...
December 13, 1982
Episode 189 : Rockaby (Samuel Beckett Season)
Arena continues the Samuel Beckett Season with a...
December 14, 1982
Episode 190 : Not I (Samuel Beckett Season)
Continues the Samuel Beckett Season. In one of...
December 15, 1982
Episode 191 : Quad (Samuel Beckett Season)
Continues the Samuel Beckett Season with a...
December 16, 1982
Episode 192 : Krapp's Last Tape (Samuel Beckett Season)
Concludes the Samuel Beckett Season. One of the...
December 17, 1982
Episode 193 : Guernica: The Long Exile
Last year a £13-million painting travelled in...
December 28, 1982
Episode 194 : Classically Cuban: Alicia Alonso and the Cuban National Ballet
Today, in post-revolutionary Cuba, under the...
January 18, 1983
Episode 199 : The Catherine Wheel
Tonight Arena presents one of the most ambitious...
March 01, 1983
Episode 203 : Bette Davis - The Benevolent Volcano
Dear boy, you are out of your mind, this woman...
November 02, 1983
Episode 204 : Anthony Powell - An Invitation to the Dance
Anthony Powell's 12-volume epic, A Dance to the...
November 09, 1983
Episode 206 : Jazz Juke-Box II
Following the success of Jazz Juke-Box I, George...
November 23, 1983
Episode 208 : Classic British Documentaries
Arena shows three film classics from the early...
December 07, 1983
Episode 210 : The Everly Brothers Reunion Concert
An Arena special
Last September at the Royal...
December 23, 1983
Episode 211 : George Orwell 1: Such Such Were the Joys
George Orwell is one of the greatest writers...
December 29, 1983
Episode 212 : George Orwell 2: The Road to Wigan Pier
Tonight's episode of the five-part Arena...
December 30, 1983
Episode 213 : George Orwell 3: Homage to Catalonia
Orwell, like many of his generation, enlisted to...
January 02, 1984
Episode 214 : George Orwell 4: The Lion and the Unicorn
For a brief period after the Spanish Civil War,...
January 03, 1984
Episode 215 : George Orwell 4: Nineteen Eighty-four
The last in this series of Arena films about the...
January 04, 1984
Episode 218 : The Theatre of Dario Fo
Dario Fo is unique in world theatre. Playwright,...
February 28, 1984
Episode 220 : The Caravaggio Conspiracy
On 29 June 1982 a man called John Blake appeared...
March 06, 1984
Episode 221 : Between Dreaming and Waking
David Inshaw belongs to a great tradition of...
March 13, 1984
Episode 222 : Ken Russell 's Elgar
Tonight, in the anniversary year of Edward Elgar...
March 20, 1984
Episode 224 : True Confessions of an Albino Terrorist
Breyten Breytenbach writes about being an...
April 03, 1984
Episode 226 : Milan Kundera- Laughter and Forgetting
From the vantage point of his Paris flat, the...
May 19, 1984
Episode 227 : A Tribute to Joseph Losey
American-born writer and director Joseph Losey...
July 07, 1984
Episode 228 : Beat This! A Hip Hop History
Tonight Arena presents a musical entertainment...
July 12, 1984
Episode 229 : The Everly Brothers: Songs of Innocence and Experience
Taught to sing from their earliest years, the...
November 02, 1984
Episode 230 : Billie Holiday: The Long Night of Lady Day
Tonight Arena presents the first film portrait of...
November 09, 1984
Episode 233 : We Don't Like Your House Either!
This week: a portrait of one of the most...
November 23, 1984
Episode 234 : Teacher Don't Teach Me Nonsense: The Music of Fela Kuti
Fela Anikulapo-Kuti is the most popular and...
November 30, 1984
Episode 235 : After the Rehearsal
Arena presents the British premiere of Ingmar...
December 07, 1984
Episode 236 : What's Cuba Playing At?
In the 25th anniversary year of the Revolution,...
December 21, 1984
Episode 237 : Music of the other Americas
Every November musicians from all over Latin...
December 22, 1984
Episode 238 : Pavarotti at Madison Square Garden
For many Luciano Pavarotti is the world's...
December 26, 1984
Episode 239 : My Son the Novelist
Howard Jacobson the eldest son of MAX JACOBSON...
February 18, 1985
Episode 240 : Painting for Pleasure ... and Profit: Five Artists of the 80s
The artists Julian Schnabel , Markus Lupertz...
February 25, 1985
Episode 242 : From an Immigrant's Notebook: Karen Blixen in Africa
Karen Blixen's voyage to Africa in 1913 was a...
March 11, 1985
Episode 243 : How Glorious is the Garden?
Tonight Arena and Newsnight join forces to mount...
March 18, 1985
Episode 246 : Them and Uz: A film about Tony Harrison
Tony Harrison is the son of a baker, and his...
April 15, 1985
Episode 249 : Hugh Masekela: The African Ambassador
Hugh Masekela 's career as a musician has been...
May 06, 1985
Episode 250 : The Theatre of Robert Wilson
Robert Wilson is one of the most revered and...
July 25, 1985
Episode 251 : Blues Night: Introduction
Tonight Arena presents a cornucopia of the blues...
July 27, 1985
Episode 252 : Blues Night: Sonny Boy Williamson Sings
Blues Night presents rare footage of the...
July 27, 1985
Episode 253 : Blues Night: B.B. King Speaks
John Walters talks to B.B. King - aided by his...
July 27, 1985
Episode 254 : Blues Night: Chicago Blues
Harley Coklissâ classic blues documentary...
July 27, 1985
Episode 255 : Blues Night: Blind John Davis
The great Chicago broadcaster and journalist...
July 28, 1985
Episode 256 : Blues Night: Blues Medley
This medley of the blues features Fred McDowell,...
July 28, 1985
Episode 257 : Blues Night: Big Bill Blues
Hard blues meets film noir as Big Bill Broonzy...
July 28, 1985
Episode 260 : The Accordion Strikes Back
What do Charles Dickens , Count Leo Tolstoy ,...
November 19, 1985
Episode 261 : The Cinema of Francesco Rosi
Francesco Rosi is one of the foremost figures in...
November 26, 1985
Episode 262 : The Strange Case of Yukio Mishima
Yukio Mishima was one of the outstanding writers...
December 03, 1985
Episode 263 : The Apollo Story: part 1
The list of artists who have performed at...
December 10, 1985
Episode 264 : The Apollo Story: part 2
Harlem's Apollo Theater has been the ultimate...
December 17, 1985
Episode 270 : Go-Go in Washington DC
The home of the White House, the Pentagon and the...
February 04, 1986
Episode 271 : Marguerite Yourcenar
Novelist, poet, essayist and the first woman to...
February 11, 1986
Episode 274 : Two Painters Amazed
Critical acclaim for a group of recent art school...
March 11, 1986
Episode 276 : Caribbean Nights: Caribbean Journey
Linton Kwesi Johnson takes a trip home to Jamaica...
June 14, 1986
Episode 277 : Caribbean Nights: Medley
Calypso from Trinidad's Mighty Bomber, dancing...
June 14, 1986
Episode 278 : Caribbean Nights: Poetry
The celebrated West Indian poet Derek Walcott...
June 14, 1986
Episode 280 : Caribbean Nights: The Latin Caribbean
Darcus Howe interviews leading Mexican novelist...
June 14, 1986
Episode 281 : Caribbean Nights: Maytime on the Mosquito Coast
Despite the dangers and deprivations of war, the...
June 14, 1986
Episode 282 : Caribbean Nights: Calypso and Carnival
Fuentes, La Rose and Howe are joined in the...
June 15, 1986
Episode 283 : Caribbean Nights: Whicker's Caribbean World
From the BBC treasure chest, Alan Whicker...
June 15, 1986
Episode 284 : Caribbean Nights: Latin Sound
Filmed on his recent visit to London, Panamanian...
June 15, 1986
Episode 285 : Caribbean Nights: God's Chillun
A bedtime treat from 1936: the GPO Film Unit...
June 15, 1986
Episode 286 : Caribbean Nights Bob Marley
A portrait of the man who made reggae known and...
June 15, 1986
Episode 287 : Caribbean Nights: C.L.R. James's First Cricket XI
Born in Trinidad in 1901, C.L.R. James came to...
June 16, 1986
Episode 288 : Caribbean Nights: Danzon
In an old church in Havana, the Urfe brothers...
June 16, 1986
Episode 289 : Caribbean Nights: Rasta and the Ball
According to reggae greats Bob Marley and Burning...
June 17, 1986
Episode 290 : Caribbean Nights: Arturo Sandoval
Cuban jazz is rarely heard over here. Tonight...
June 18, 1986
Episode 291 : Caribbean Nights: Kapo
'I dreamt there were 72 angels, 72 trumpets, 72...
June 19, 1986
Episode 294 : The Life and Times of Don Luis Bunuel
Following last night's story of Salvador Dali,...
November 22, 1986
Episode 295 : The Spirit of Lorca
Federico Garcia Lorca, perhaps the best-known and...
November 28, 1986
Episode 297 : Scarfe on Scarfe
In this week's Arena Gerald Scarfe takes a long,...
December 12, 1986
Episode 300 : Stand by Your Dream: Tammy Wynette
Tonight Arena presents the moving story of the...
January 16, 1987
Episode 303 : Martin Chambi and the Heirs of the Incas
Tonight Arena tells the story of one of the most...
February 06, 1987
Episode 304 : The Confessions of Robert Crumb
After Robert Crumb , comics could never be the...
February 13, 1987
Episode 305 : Ruth, Roses and Revolver
David Lynch , director of some of the strangest...
February 20, 1987
Episode 306 : A Brother with Perfect Timing
Abdullah Ibrahim formerly Dollar Brand, pianist,...
February 27, 1987
Episode 308 : Putting Ourselves in the Picture
Jo Spence 's photography defies definition - her...
March 20, 1987
Episode 309 : How Do You Solve a Problem Like Maria?
What do the following have in common? Maria von...
March 27, 1987
Episode 312 : The Waugh Trilogy: Bright Young Thing
Twenty-one years after his death Evelyn Waugh...
April 18, 1987
Episode 313 : The Waugh Trilogy: Mayfair and the Jungle
The second of three programmes looks at Evelyn...
April 19, 1987
Episode 314 : The Waugh Trilogy: An Englishman's Home
Last of three programmes. When Waugh died on...
April 20, 1987
Episode 315 : German Festival: Joseph Beuys
Joseph Beuys was one of the most prominent and...
June 06, 1987
Episode 316 : ScreenPlay: Cariani and the Courtesans
by Leslie Megahey
A story of intrigue and...
August 05, 1987
Episode 317 : Revolutionary with a Paintbox
The Arena season opens with a profile of Diego...
November 20, 1987
Episode 321 : The Dandy-Beano Story
Tonight Arena presents, on the occasion of their...
January 15, 1988
Episode 322 : Broadway - The Great White Way
Broadway is one of the most famous streets in the...
January 22, 1988
Episode 323 : Ryszard Kapuscinski: Your Man Who is There
The first of two programmes featuring the work of...
January 29, 1988
Episode 325 : My Name Is Celia Cruz
The Queen of Salsa, Celia Cruz has been the most...
February 12, 1988
Episode 326 : All on a Mardi Gras Day Part One
Today is Shrove Tuesday, in French, Mardi Gras ,...
February 16, 1988
Episode 327 : All on a Mardi Gras Day: Part Two
Continued from BBC2. From the Toulouse Cafe in...
February 16, 1988
Episode 329 : An Andalucian Journey: Gypsies and Flamenco 1
The flamenco of southern Spain is more than music...
March 04, 1988
Episode 330 : An Andalucian Journey: Gypsies and Flamenco 2
The flamenco of southern Spain is more than...
March 05, 1988
Episode 332 : The English Thoroughbred
The English Thoroughbred In the late 17th century...
March 25, 1988
Episode 334 : Rhythms of the World: Randy Travis at the Albert Hall
Randy Travis is the hottest new singer on the...
October 02, 1988
Episode 336 : Clint Eastwood: The Man with No Name.
Dirty Harry and the other characters in the...
December 02, 1988
Episode 337 : Moving Across the World on Horses
Born in Sri Lanka in 1943, educated in Dulwich...
December 09, 1988
Episode 338 : History Boys on the Rampage
From Dundalk to Dungannon, Ballycastle to...
December 16, 1988
Episode 339 : The Unforgettable Nat King Cole
When Nat King Cole died in 1965, the world lost...
December 23, 1988
Episode 340 : Tales from Barcelona
Award-winning director Jana Bokova presents a...
January 06, 1989
Episode 342 : The Tip of the Iceberg
Breasts/bosoms/bust/boobs/bristols/knockers... we...
January 27, 1989
Episode 343 : Laurens van der Post and Albert Sample
Arena presents two films by award-winning...
February 03, 1989
Episode 344 : New York - The Secret African City
eyond the familiar world of Wall Street and...
February 10, 1989
Episode 345 : Eugene Ionesco : the Joke's on Us
The absurdity of life has been Eugene lonesco's...
February 17, 1989
Episode 348 : The Old Brass Plate Rattle Test - the Englishman and his Jukebox
Elton John's jukebox sold at Sotheby's for...
March 17, 1989
Episode 352 : The Other Graham Greene
For some 25 years the author Graham Greene found...
April 21, 1989
Episode 353 : Slim Gaillard's Civilisation 1: A Traveller's Tale
'Look at the clocks - it doesn't matter if...
October 22, 1989
Episode 354 : Slim Gaillard's Civilisation 2: How High the Moon
In 1938 jazz legend and international star Slim...
October 29, 1989
Episode 355 : Slim Gaillard's Civilisation 3: My Dinner with Dizzy
This week Slim Gaillard cooks dinner for his old...
November 05, 1989
Episode 356 : Animal Night: Smashing Pigs
Some people see the pig as representing dirt,...
December 16, 1989
Episode 357 : Animal Night: Sacred Elephant
A film version of Heathcote Williams 's epic...
December 16, 1989
Episode 358 : Animal Night: Great Wildlife Presenters Through the Ages
The animals in wildlife films have always been...
December 16, 1989
Episode 359 : Animal Night: John Daniel the First
In the 1920s a middle-aged spinster went to buy a...
December 16, 1989
Episode 360 : Animal Night: A Day in the Life of Sam the Dog
What does Sam get up to when he's left on his own...
December 16, 1989
Episode 361 : Animal Night: Animals on Trial
Novelist Julian Bames, philosopher Nicholas...
December 16, 1989
Episode 362 : Animal Night: The Animal Night Debate
Speciesism, vivisection, vegetarianism, farming,...
December 16, 1989
Episode 363 : 25 x 5: the Continuing Adventures of the Rolling Stones
The phenomenal career of the Rolling Stones has...
December 27, 1989
Episode 368 : Next Time Dear God Please Choose Someone Else
Traditional Jewish humour flourished in...
February 23, 1990
Episode 370 : Fred Zinnemann: A Director's Life
Fred Zinnemann, best known for the classic...
March 09, 1990
Episode 371 : Spike and Company - Do It a Cappella
Actor and director Spike Lee joins actress Debbie...
March 16, 1990
Episode 372 : Peggy and Her Playwrights
Now in her 80s, Peggy Ramsay is the most powerful...
March 23, 1990
Episode 375 : Dear America: Letters Home from Vietnam
On 4 July 1967, Private Raymond Griffiths was...
April 13, 1990
Episode 378 : The Ten Commandments of Krzysztof Kieslowski
Krzysztof Kieslowski is the foremost director to...
May 04, 1990
Episode 381 : The Daily Worker Story
When Lenin told the newly formed Communist Party...
May 25, 1990
Episode 382 : Oooh Er, Missus! - The Frankie Howerd Story
Considered by many to be our greatest living...
June 01, 1990
Episode 383 : Agatha Christie - Unfinished Portrait
This Arena Special celebrates the centenary of...
September 20, 1990
Episode 385 : Food Night: Introduction
Tonight Arena brings you an evening of short...
December 15, 1990
Episode 386 : Food Night: Modern Food
Today's hypermarket is an Aladdin's cave compared...
December 15, 1990
Episode 387 : Food Night: Great Moments in Food History
A salute to four great thinkers.
If Rossini had...
December 15, 1990
Episode 388 : Food Night: The Story of Food in 27 Minutes and 43 Seconds
Food has had a part to play in religion,...
December 15, 1990
Episode 389 : Food Night: Good Manners
Some lessons in manners from the silver screen -...
December 15, 1990
Episode 390 : Food Night: What's Kosher?
This film explores the application of kosher...
December 15, 1990
Episode 391 : Food Night: The Last Supper
Louisiana State Penitentiary recently released a...
December 15, 1990
Episode 392 : Food Night: The Complete History of the Potato
With the help of potato experts from all over the...
December 15, 1990
Episode 393 : Food Night: I Just Happen to Have One Here I Made Earlier
A chance to sample some favourites from the...
December 15, 1990
Episode 394 : Food Night: Movable Feast - the Politics of Disgust
Mealworms served in a cherry tomato, grasshoppers...
December 15, 1990
Episode 395 : Food Night: Eating for One
Left to your own devices, what do you eat, when...
December 15, 1990
Episode 396 : Food Night: Fasting and Abstinence
As Christmas approaches, time to contemplate...
December 15, 1990
Episode 397 : Food Night: Debate
As the evening's climax, Arena assembles a forum...
December 15, 1990
Episode 398 : Lifepulse - a Natural Thriller
A spectacular musical celebration of life,...
December 28, 1990
Episode 399 : Miller Meets Mandela
Nelson Mandela, since his release, has become one...
January 18, 1991
Episode 400 : Derek Jarman - a Portrait
Derek Jarman is a uniquely British outsider: a...
January 25, 1991
Episode 401 : Anselm Kiefer : Operation Sealion
Kiefer is Germany's most controversial and...
February 01, 1991
Episode 402 : The Strange Story of Joe Meek
On 3 February 1967, Joe Meek, composer of Telstar...
February 08, 1991
Episode 404 : Caroline 199 - A Pirate's Tale
December 1990: a rusty ship drifts silently in...
March 01, 1991
Episode 408 : The Importance of Being Oscar
This one-man show based on the life of Oscar...
March 17, 1991
Episode 410 : Kenneth Anger's Hollywood Babylon
When Kenneth Anger first published his classic...
April 05, 1991
Episode 411 : Elmore Leonard 's Criminal Records
Top US crime writer Elmore Leonard 's street-wise...
April 12, 1991
Episode 413 : Texas Saturday Night
A show as big as the Lone Star State this is an...
April 24, 1991
Episode 415 : Billy, How Did You Do It? 1
The first of a special three-part presentation in...
January 23, 1992
Episode 416 : Billy, How Did You Do It? 2
Second of three in-depth conversations with the...
January 24, 1992
Episode 417 : Billy, How Did You Do It? 3
Last of a special three-part presentation in...
January 25, 1992
Episode 421 : Six Degrees of Separation: a New York Tale
In 1983, David Hampton was arrested for...
February 21, 1992
Episode 422 : The Incredible Case of Comrade
Rockstar Dean Read was the biggest rock star the...
February 28, 1992
Episode 423 : Croatia - the Artists' War
This film asks how the culture of a country...
March 06, 1992
Episode 424 : Otto Dix : a Tale of Two Germanies
"I'll either be famous or infamous," declared the...
March 13, 1992
Episode 426 : Armistead Maupin Is a Man I Dreamt Up
Tales of the City first appeared in the 70s as a...
March 27, 1992
Episode 427 : Last Supper - Frank on Frank
A self-portrait of photographer and film maker...
April 03, 1992
Episode 428 : A Spanish Odyssey - a Portrait of Javier Mariscal
Javier Mariscal is an artist who cannot be...
April 10, 1992
Episode 429 : An Argentinian Journey: 1: The Gaucho and the Pampas
Three films which take a journey through the rich...
April 17, 1992
Episode 430 : An Argentinian Journey: 2: Zamba, Chacarera and Chamame
Three films which take a journey through the rich...
April 18, 1992
Episode 431 : An Argentinian Journey: 3: Pacha Mama - Sacred Land
The Calchaquies valleys in the Andes and the...
April 19, 1992
Episode 432 : Sportswriter: the Fight, the Match and the Race
Few activities in modern life can rival sport for...
July 18, 1992
Episode 433 : Linda McCartney, behind the Lens
In her first television profile, Linda McCartney...
December 26, 1992
Episode 434 : The Graham Green Trilogy: England Made Me (1904-39)
Arena's 1993 season opens with this three-part...
January 08, 1993
Episode 435 : The Graham Greene Trilogy: The Dangerous Edge (1940-60)
Disloyalty, secrecy and spying fascinated Greene...
January 09, 1993
Episode 436 : The Graham Greene Trilogy: A World of My Own (1961-91)
Last of the biographical films, with extracts...
January 10, 1993
Episode 437 : On the Road with Boggs
In the 1980s American artist J S G Boggs stunned...
January 15, 1993
Episode 438 : The Grateful and the Dead
The story of the unlikely and unpublicised...
January 22, 1993
Episode 439 : A Tribute to Dizzy Gillespie
Elder statesman of jazz and a co-founder of the...
January 29, 1993
Episode 441 : Edward Said: the Idea of Empire
Palestinian writer, academic and exile, Edward W...
February 12, 1993
Episode 442 : The Last Soviet Citizen
For three decades the Soviet
Union's obsession...
February 19, 1993
Episode 446 : Only the Names Have Been Changed
To the innocent reader, the characters in a work...
March 26, 1993
Episode 448 : Duchamp's Fountain
In 1917, Marcel Duchamp entered a white porcelain...
April 02, 1993
Episode 449 : Edgar Reitz: Return to Heimat
An Arena special which documents the making of...
April 12, 1993
Episode 450 : Tales Of Rock And Roll: Peggy Sue
The arts series returns with four films tracing...
April 17, 1993
Episode 455 : Arena: Radio Night: Introduction
Your television and radio are cast as...
December 18, 1993
Episode 456 : Radio Night: The Seven Ages of Radio: First: the Infant.
Ian McKellen ruminates on the distinct eras of...
December 18, 1993
Episode 458 : Radio Night: The Seven Ages of Radio 2: The Schoolboy.
December 18, 1993
Episode 459 : Radio Night: Heard But Not Seen
Alistair Cooke, whose weekly epistle has been...
December 18, 1993
Episode 460 : Radio Night: Back to Square One
The story of early radio's method of broadcasting...
December 18, 1993
Episode 461 : Radio Night: The Seven Ages of Radio 3: The Lover.
December 18, 1993
Episode 462 : Radio Night: Sunday Dinner
Family Sunday meals conjure up for many Family...
December 18, 1993
Episode 463 : Radio Night: The Seven Ages of Radio 4: The Soldier.
December 18, 1993
Episode 464 : Radio Night: Pirates
On just one estate in east London there are five...
December 31, 1993
Episode 465 : Radio Night: The Seven Ages of Radio 5: The Judge.
December 18, 1993
Episode 466 : Radio Night: TV Theft, Radio Rip-Off
Does TV steal radio's best comedy ideas? Included...
December 18, 1993
Episode 467 : Radio Night: The Seven Ages of Radio 6: The Old Man.
December 18, 1993
Episode 468 : Radio Night: The Spot FX Man
Harold Listings, a frustrated radio technician,...
December 18, 1993
Episode 469 : Radio Night: The Seven Ages of Radio 7: Senility.
December 18, 1993
Episode 470 : Radio Night: It's Life, Jim
Nasa scientists are using giant radio antennae to...
December 18, 1993
Episode 471 : Radio Night: The Time Signal
Dr Carl Dolmetsch finds out why the pips changed...
December 18, 1993
Episode 472 : Radio Night: The Two Voyages of Donald Crowhurst
The tragic story of the lone yachtsman and his...
December 18, 1993
Episode 473 : Radio Night: The Shipping Forecast
Live on TV for the first time, Fisher, German...
December 19, 1993
Episode 474 : The Next Voice You Hear
Concluding BBC2's Arena Radio Night, a film drama...
December 19, 1993
Episode 476 : Who Is Vladimir Pozner?
In the 1980s Vladimir Pozner , once dubbed "Ivan...
February 05, 1994
Episode 477 : The Dark Side of Black
The new stars of ragga and gangster rap - Shabba...
February 12, 1994
Episode 478 : The Ring - a South London Tale
For centuries, bare-knuckle boxing has been going...
February 26, 1994
Episode 480 : Theatre without Actors
In 1960 an American film called Primary changed...
March 12, 1994
Episode 482 : Trouble Man - the Last Years of Marvin Gaye
On 1 April 1984 former Motown star Marvin Gaye...
March 26, 1994
Episode 485 : Relics: Curse of the Firebeetle
A film drama set against civil war in Peru. When...
April 02, 1994
Episode 486 : Relics: The Grave Case of Charlie Chaplin
In 1978 Charlie Chaplin 's coffin was stolen from...
April 03, 1994
Episode 487 : Philip K Dick - a Day In the Afterlife
The author of the stories behind Blade Runner and...
April 09, 1994
Episode 488 : Voices from the Island
Robben Island is South Africa's Alcatraz. For...
April 23, 1994
Episode 489 : Cindy Sherman - Nobody's Here but Me
Using herself as the model, American artist Cindy...
April 24, 1994
Episode 491 : Sandra Bernhard - Confession of a Pretty Lady
Sandra Bernhard 's outrageous one-woman show...
May 20, 1994
Episode 493 : The Peter Sellers Story 1
Arena returns with a three-part special,...
February 11, 1995
Episode 494 : The Peter Sellers Story: 2: Jack to Jacques
The second of a three-part film portrait of one...
February 18, 1995
Episode 495 : The Peter Sellers Story: 3: I Am Not a Funny Man
The last of a three-part film portrait of one of...
February 25, 1995
Episode 496 : Punk and the Pistols
In August 1975, the face of British rock music...
August 20, 1995
Episode 497 : The Burger and the King
The passion fans had for his music was matched...
January 01, 1996
Episode 498 : Stories My Country Told Me
What is a nation? From Corsica to Kashmir, from...
July 14, 1996
Episode 499 : Tony Bennett's New York
At 70 years of age, singer Tony Bennett has been...
December 22, 1996
Episode 501 : There's No Such Thing as a Small Head of State
On 22 October 1995, for the first time, all the...
January 02, 1997
Episode 503 : Busby, Stein and Shankly - the Football Men: Underground
Sports writer Hugh Mcllvanney presents the first...
March 28, 1997
Episode 504 : Busby, Stein and Shankly - the Football Men: Football is the Faith
Hugh Mcllvanney presents the second in a trilogy...
March 29, 1997
Episode 505 : Busby, Stein and Shankly - the Football Men: The Price of Glory
Concluding the three-part series presented by...
March 30, 1997
Episode 507 : Cigars - out of the Humidor
In 1962, before John F Kennedy signed the embargo...
December 25, 1997
Episode 508 : The Noel Coward Trilogy: The Boy Actor
The first of a three-part profile of the writer,...
April 11, 1998
Episode 509 : The Noel Coward Trilogy: Captain Coward
The second of three programmes celebrating the...
April 12, 1998
Episode 510 : The Noel Coward Trilogy: Sail Away
Concluding the three-part Easter special with a...
April 13, 1998
Episode 511 : Frank Sinatra: The Voice of the Century
Arena explores the rise of the legendary crooner...
May 15, 1998
Episode 512 : The Brian Epstein Story: The Sun Will Shine Tomorrow
The first of a two-part documentary telling the...
May 25, 1998
Episode 513 : The Brian Epstein Story: Tomorrow Never Knows
Concluding the two-part profile of the pop...
December 26, 1998
Episode 514 : Cuba Night: the 40-Year Face-off
January 02, 1999
Episode 515 : Cuba Night: Eisenhower, Kennedy and Khrushchev: How It All Began
Newsreel footage from 1962, when Fidel Castro's...
January 02, 1999
Episode 516 : Cuba Night: A Diamond in the Rough
Cuba's baseball prowess has been long estabished....
January 02, 1999
Episode 517 : Cuba Night: LBJ, Nixon and Brezhnev: the Middle Years
Cuba's place in world politics, from mid-sixties...
January 02, 1999
Episode 518 : Cuba Night: The Simpsons: The Trouble with Trillions
Homer swaps jobs with Fidel Castro, who goes to...
January 02, 1999
Episode 519 : Cuba Night: Reagan and Gorbachev: Castro, Cuba and the Fall of Communism
The effects of the demise of the dominant...
January 02, 1999
Episode 520 : Cuba Night: Who Owns Che? The Importance of Not Being Ernesto
Since his death in 1967, the face of Cuban...
January 02, 1999
Episode 521 : Cuba Night: The Clinton Years: Cuba Today and Tomorrow
Cuba's relations with the United States in recent...
January 02, 1999
Episode 522 : Salman Rushdie and the Ground beneath His Feet
In Salman Rushdie 's new novel The Ground beneath...
April 22, 1999
Episode 523 : Looking for the Iron Curtain
The Iron Curtain ran north to south through...
November 07, 1999
Episode 525 : Blondes - Jayne Mansfield
In 1957, Jayne Mansfield was riding high as the...
December 24, 1999
Episode 526 : Blondes - Diana Dors
This second blonde-bombshell profile focuses on...
December 26, 1999
Episode 527 : Blondes - Anita Ekberg
Perhaps best remembered as the shapely blonde who...
December 27, 1999
Episode 528 : The Fine Art of Separating People from Their Money
Actor Dennis Hopper plays the eccentric host to...
January 02, 2000
Episode 531 : Clint Eastwood: Out of the West
The first of a two-part Christmas special...
December 24, 2000
Episode 532 : Clint Eastwood: American Film-maker
Concluding the two-part profile of the life and...
December 25, 2000
Episode 535 : Budd Schulberg - a Contender
Eighty-six-year-old novelist Budd Schulberg talks...
May 19, 2001
Episode 537 : Salgado - the Spectre of Hope
During the past 30 years the photographic work of...
May 30, 2001
Episode 539 : According to Beryl
A one-off film in which author Beryl Bainbridge...
October 06, 2001
Episode 540 : Night of Entertainers: Sykes and a Day
Writer, performer and director, the late Eric...
December 26, 2001
Episode 541 : Night of Entertainers: Drake's Progress
Charlie Drake is perhaps best known as the...
December 25, 2001
Episode 542 : Night of Entertainers: The 1812 Overture in E Flat Major Opus 49
The sketch, first shown in 1967, that took the...
December 25, 2001
Episode 543 : Night of Entertainers: Max Bygraves - I Wanna Tell You a Story
Since a 1951 breakthrough appearance on the...
December 25, 2001
Episode 544 : The Private Dirk Bogarde: Part 1
In 1986, Dirk Bogarde burnt most of his personal...
December 26, 2001
Episode 545 : The Private Dirk Bogarde: Part 2
The second of Arena's two-part film about Bogarde...
December 26, 2001
Episode 546 : Estonia Dreams of Eurovision
As the 2001 winner, the Baltic state of Estonia,...
May 18, 2002
Episode 549 : The Peter Sellers Story: As He Filmed It
Arena revisits its 1995 BAFTA-nominated Sellers...
August 24, 2002
Episode 550 : Harold Pinter: 1: The Room
This edition chronicles Pinter's East End...
October 26, 2002
Episode 551 : Harold Pinter: 2: Celebration
This programme focuses on the relationship...
October 26, 2002
Episode 553 : Politics and Pinter
A 70th birthday tribute to Harold Pinter in three...
October 30, 2002
Episode 555 : Radio Ha! Meet the Dead Ringers
In a world of mimicry and satire, do the Dead...
December 26, 2002
Episode 556 : Radio Ha! It's Time for Just a Minute
Not many can talk for a minute without...
December 26, 2002
Episode 557 : I Am from Nowhere
The story of Mikova, the remote Slovakian village...
January 14, 2003
Episode 559 : The Many Lives of Richard Attenborough: Part One
As he becomes an octogenarian, a two-part Arena...
August 24, 2003
Episode 560 : The Many Lives of Richard Attenborough: Part Two
The conclusion to this two-part profile, which...
August 25, 2003
Episode 562 : Dylan Thomas - from Grave to Cradle
In the 50th year since his tragic death, author...
November 22, 2003
Episode 563 : Buffalo Bill's Wild West: How the Myth Was Made
Buffalo Bill was instrumental in transforming the...
December 19, 2003
Episode 564 : Alec Guinness, a Secret Man
The acting career of Alec Guinness spanned more...
December 29, 2003
Episode 565 : Pavarotti - the Last Tenor
For 40 years, Luciano Pavarotti has been hailed...
May 29, 2004
Episode 566 : Searching for the Wrong-Eyed Jesus
Country singer Jim White takes a road trip...
July 09, 2004
Episode 568 : Remember the Secret Policeman's Ball?
A documentary chronicling the series of Amnesty...
December 09, 2004
Episode 569 : Painting the Clouds - a Portrait of Dennis Potter
The Potter at the BBC strand marking the 10th...
December 25, 2004
Episode 570 : Dennis Potter: It's In the Songs! It's In the Songs!
How the playwright used popular songs as a...
January 02, 2005
Episode 572 : Hank Williams - Honky Tonk Blues
From Elvis to Norah Jones , Hank Williams 's...
February 05, 2005
Episode 573 : Calling Hedy Lamarr
Cited as being the most beautiful star in the...
February 12, 2005
Episode 574 : Francis Bacon's Arena
Haunting and ferocious, Francis Bacon's paintings...
March 19, 2005
Episode 576 : Bob Dylan: No Direction Home: Part 1
Director Martin Scorsese enlists the help of...
September 26, 2005
Episode 577 : Bob Dylan: No Direction Home: Part 2
Martin Scorsese delicately balances Dylan's...
September 27, 2005
Episode 579 : The Princess and Panorama
An incredible 22.8 million viewers were agog as...
November 08, 2005
Episode 580 : Routemasters! The Double Decker Bus Conductors
Documentary celebrating one of London's great...
December 10, 2005
Episode 586 : Bob Marley - Exodus 77
The year 1977 was a crucial one in the life of...
June 03, 2007
Episode 588 : Bergman and Faro Island
In his remote home at the seashore on Sweden's...
July 13, 2007
Episode 589 : Bergman and the Cinema
Ingmar Bergman examines his cinema career, which...
July 14, 2007
Episode 590 : Flames of Passion: the Other Side of British Cinema
Britain's postwar cinema was not well looked upon...
September 02, 2007
Episode 592 : Tribute Bands - into the Limelight
Affectionate documentary that goes behind the...
October 06, 2007
Episode 593 : Tribute Bands - Live at the Limelight
Live performances by tribute bands such as...
October 06, 2007
Episode 594 : Dylan's Folk - the Pure, the Bad and the Holy
A look at the Newport folk festival and the...
October 14, 2007
Episode 595 : The Other Side of the Mirror - Bob Dylan at the Newport Folk Festival
Murray Lerner's documentary features Bob Dylan's...
October 14, 2007
Episode 596 : Dylan in the Madhouse
Arena goes in search of the Bob Dylan starring...
October 14, 2007
Episode 598 : The Strange Luck of V.S. Naipaul
Profile of the Nobel Prize-winning British...
April 10, 2008
Episode 600 : The Hunt for Moby-Dick
Writer Philip Hoare embarks on an epic journey to...
September 20, 2008
Episode 601 : Whale Night: The Whale in the Museum
BBC4's Whale Night begins with an insight into...
September 21, 2008
Episode 602 : Whale Night: Philip Hoare's Guide to Whales: Episode 1: Baleen
Author and whale-watcher Philip Hoare takes us...
September 21, 2008
Episode 603 : Whale Night: Philip Hoare's Guide to Whales: Episode 2: Toothed
Author and whale-watcher Philip Hoare takes us...
September 21, 2008
Episode 604 : Whale Night: Philip Hoare's Guide to Whales: Episode 3: Arctic
Philip Hoare follows the historical trail of the...
September 21, 2008
Episode 605 : The Agony and Ecstasy of Phil Spector
Legendary, reclusive and controversial, Phil...
October 25, 2008
Episode 607 : Tony Bennett: the Music Never Ends
Crooner Tony Bennett reflects on his life with...
February 14, 2009
Episode 610 : Harold Pinter Night: The Birthday Party
A performance of his critically acclaimed 1958...
July 26, 2009
Episode 611 : Brian Eno - Another Green World
Brian Eno, former Roxy Music keyboardist and a...
January 22, 2010
Episode 612 : Harold Pinter - A Celebration
In June 2009, a group Britain's leading actors...
January 24, 2010
Episode 613 : Johnny Mercer - The Dream's on Me
Documentary telling the story and examining the...
April 04, 2010
Episode 614 : Dave Brubeck - In His Own Sweet Way
Profile of the influential jazz pianist Dave...
December 03, 2010
Episode 615 : Rolf Harris Paints His Dream
Arena enlists supermodels Lily Cole and Lizzy...
December 29, 2010
Episode 616 : Produced by George Martin
Profile of record producer Sir George Martin,...
April 25, 2011
Episode 617 : George Harrison: Living in the Material World: Part 1
Martin Scorsese's portrait of George Harrison,...
November 12, 2011
Episode 618 : George Harrison: Living in the Material World: Part 2
Martin Scorsese's portrait of George Harrison...
November 13, 2011
Episode 620 : Sonny Rollins: Beyond the Notes
Documentary about the great saxophonist Sonny...
February 17, 2012
Episode 621 : Sonny Rollins '74: Rescued!
Newly-discovered film footage of tenor sax legend...
February 17, 2012
Episode 622 : The Dreams of William Golding
An insight into the private obsessions and...
March 17, 2012
Episode 624 : Amy Winehouse - The Day She Came to Dingle
Documentary telling the story of the day Amy...
July 23, 2012
Episode 625 : The Beatles' Magical Mystery Tour: Episode 1: Magical Mystery Tour Revisited
The making of The Beatles' controversial 1967...
October 06, 2012
Episode 626 : The Beatles' Magical Mystery Tour: Episode 2: 'The Beatles' Magical Mystery Tour
Fully restored and with a remixed soundtrack,...
October 06, 2012
Episode 628 : Sister Wendy and the Art of the Gospel
Documentary telling the personal story of Sister...
December 25, 2012
Episode 630 : Arena: The National Theatre: Part One - The Dream
First of two documentaries celebrating the...
October 24, 2013
Episode 631 : Arena: The National Theatre: Part Two - War and Peace
Peter Hall, Richard Eyre, Trevor Nunn and...
October 31, 2013
Episode 632 : Whatever Happened to Spitting Image?
Documentary telling the story of the genesis of...
March 20, 2014
Episode 633 : The National Theatre: Learning Zone
Made specially for schools, this version of Arena...
April 02, 2014
Episode 634 : The 50 Year Argument - The New York Review of Books
Martin Scorsese's documentary film charting...
June 29, 2014
Episode 635 : Nicolas Roeg - It's About Time
Profile of Nicolas Roeg, examining his personal...
June 26, 2015
Episode 637 : Loretta Lynn - Still a Mountain Girl
With contributions from her family and fellow...
March 18, 2016
Episode 638 : All the World's a Screen - Shakespeare on Film
Documentary exploring the rich, global history of...
April 24, 2016
Episode 640 : The Roundhouse - The People's Palace
The tragicomic rollercoaster story of a unique...
October 23, 2016
Episode 642 : American Epic: Episode 1: The Big Bang
Series telling the stories of the pioneers of...
May 21, 2017
Episode 643 : American Epic: Episode 2: Blood and Soil
Series telling the stories of the pioneers of...
May 28, 2017
Episode 644 : Kirsty Young: 75 Years of Desert Island Discs
As Desert Island Discs reaches 75, today's...
May 29, 2017
Episode 645 : American Epic: Episode 3: Out of the Many, the One
The story of the pioneers of American roots music...
June 04, 2017
Episode 646 : American Epic: Episode 4: The Sessions
Today's music superstars use a lovingly...
June 09, 2017
Episode 647 : Stanley and his Daughters
Exploring the relationship of artist Stanley...
February 04, 2018
Episode 648 : Bob Dylan â Trouble No More
A Bob Dylan performance of songs expressing his...
March 30, 2018
Episode 651 : Unstoppable: Sean Scully and the Art of Everything
A year in the life of abstract artist Sean...
April 06, 2019
Episode 653 : Cindy Sherman #untitled
A rare insight into the work of Cindy Sherman,...
July 28, 2019
Episode 655 : Nomad: In the Footsteps of Bruce Chatwin
When legendary writer and adventurer Bruce...
September 21, 2019
Episode 656 : Bergman: A Year in the Life
Documentary that exposes a darker, less...
September 22, 2019
Episode 657 : The $50 Million Art Swindle
This feature-length documentary for Arena by...
September 23, 2019
Episode 658 : A British Guide to the End of the World
Haunting film about Britain and the nuclear age,...
November 04, 2019
Episode 659 : Everything Is Connected - George Eliot's Life
Contemporary artist Gillian Wearing celebrates...
November 10, 2019
Episode 660 : Seamus Heaney and the Music of What Happens
Born into a farming family in rural Northern...
December 30, 2019
Episode 661 : Hilary Mantel: Return to Wolf Hall
Made across six months in the run-up to...
March 07, 2020
Episode 662 : The Changinâ Times of Ike White
In 1974, Ike White recorded an album while...
May 18, 2020
Episode 664 : Keith Haring: Street Art Boy
The definitive story of international art...
July 04, 2020
Episode 665 : Fela Kuti: Father of Afrobeat
xclusive testimony reveals the multifaceted man...
November 21, 2020
Episode 667 : Delia Derbyshire: The Myths and the Legendary Tapes
Docudrama portrait of Delia Derbyshire, the...
May 16, 2021
Episode 669 : Dark Matter: A History of the Afrofuture
An exploration â from Jean-Michel Basquiat...
May 29, 2021
Episode 671 : B. Catling: Where Does It All Come From?
An investigation into the extraordinary life and...
November 21, 2021
Episode 672 : The Vasulka Effect
An Arena documentary about the life and work of...
November 28, 2021
Episode 673 : The Most Beautiful Boy in the World
Documentary that follows Björn Andrésen,...
February 13, 2022
Episode 675 : James Joyceâs Ulysses
A hundred years after its publication, this film...
September 07, 2022
Episode 676 : T.S. Eliot: Into the Waste Land
2022 marks the centenary of one of the defining...
October 22, 2022
Episode 677 : Kanaval: A People's History of Haiti in Six Chapters
A visually arresting feature documentary, set in...
November 27, 2022
Episode 678 : Little Richard: King and Queen of Rock 'n' Roll
he life and career of the pioneering musician, a...
April 22, 2023
Episode 679 : The Mysterious Mr Lagerfeld
With unique access to Karl Lagerfeldâs inner...
April 26, 2023
Episode 680 : The Stones and Brian Jones
A look at the relationships and rivalries within...
May 15, 2023
Episode 681 : All the Beauty and the Bloodshed
A profile of artist and activist Nan Goldin,...
June 04, 2023
Episode 682 : Coco Chanel Unbuttoned
Gabrielle 'Coco' Chanel transformed women's...
September 15, 2023
Episode 683 : Being Kae Tempest
Poet, rapper, playwright and recording artist Kae...
November 29, 2023
Episode 684 : Caroline Aherne: Queen of Comedy
A celebration of the unique life and talent of...
December 25, 2023
Episode 685 : Mad About the Boy: The Noel Coward Story
The story of Noel Coward, the most prolific...
December 26, 2023
Episode 686 : Maria Callas: The Final Act
In this new film from Arena, a cast of musical...
December 29, 2024
Episode 687 : Alan Bennett 90 Years On
In May 2024, Alan Bennett turned 90. This film...
December 13, 2024
