BBC Documentaries - Episodes- Followmy.tv

Armando Iannucci presents a personal argument in praise of the genius of Charles Dickens. Through the prism of the author's most autobiographical novel, Davi... read more

A two-part portrait of Elizabeth II's grandparents, King George V and Queen Mary, which examines the lasting legacy of the couple who rescued the monarchy fr... read more

A two-part portrait of Elizabeth II's grandparents, King George V and Queen Mary, which examines the lasting legacy of the couple who rescued the monarchy fr... read more

A special spin off programme of the BBC Four programme After Life for learners aged 7 - 11 years. A team of young science detectives investigate rot and d... read more

The First Time: This episode seeks to understand what's going on in our minds and bodies on the road to losing our virginity and to find out just what happen... read more

Jeff Leach is the archetypal ladies' man - ask him what the most important thing in the world is and he will say women. His innate charisma has made him a st... read more

Nathalie Emmanuel investigates how the internet is changing the sex lives of 16-24 year-olds across Britain. Nathalie meets young people who rely on social n... read more

Cricket star Andrew (Freddie) Flintoff talks to sporting professionals about the serious effects of depression. He confronts his own issues as captain of Eng... read more

As Steven Spielberg's movie version of War Horse arrives on UK cinema screens, the author of the novel on which it is based is among the contributors to How ... read more

Alastair Sooke explores the mysterious appeal of unfinished works of art. From Dickens's unfinished The Mystery of Edwin Drood and Jane Austen's Sanditon to ... read more

Following the recent death of Ken Russell, Alan Yentob looks back over the career of the flamboyant film director responsible for Women In Love, Tommy and Th... read more

Coming Out Diaries follows the conflicts and dilemmas faced by three young people as they navigate their way through telling their family and friends that th... read more

Augustus Northmore Welby Pugin is far from being a household name, yet he designed the iconic clock tower of Big Ben as well as much of the Palace of Westmin... read more

At a time when the lap dancing industry is expanding onto every British high street, Table Dancing Diaries is a documentary that unflinchingly explores this ... read more

To mark Muhammad Ali's 70th birthday, David Frost charts the life and career of the world's greatest sportsman through a series of interviews and meets Ali a... read more

A factual programme taking a journey into the future of television, from Silicon Valley to Vegas, meeting the people battling to shape it - from the software... read more

TV historian Dan Snow travels across the old Kingdom of Mercia unravelling the secrets of one of Britian's most significant discoveries - the Staffordshire H... read more

From Vogue magazine fashion photographer to filmmaker, painter and sculptor, David Bailey is a cultural icon who has been at the cutting edge of contemporary... read more

Amal Fashanu goes on a mission to discover why no professional football player has followed in her late uncle Justin's boots in over twenty years and come ou... read more

Lives lived through music, lives saved by music. Toni and Rosi Grunschlag were piano prodigies in Vienna in the 1920s. In this documentary made over ten y... read more

Special programme telling the dramatic story of Cutty Sark, the world famous clipper ship, from her launch in 1869 to the modern-day conservation work to sav... read more

2011 marks 30 years since AIDS descended. In 1981, the flourishing gay community in San Franscisco was hit with an unimaginable disaster. Through the eyes of... read more

In the early 1960s British pop groups conquered the world. But as the Beatles, the Stones, the Shadows, the Dave Clark Five, the Yardbirds and many others to... read more

Brothers Colin and Ewan McGregor follow up their documentary The Battle of Britain with a film exploring Bomber Command, a rarely-told story from the Second ... read more

This film follows the story of giant pandas Tian Tian and Yang Guang, who arrived in the UK to great fanfare in December 2011. David Tennant narrates as Edin... read more

Painted Life explores the life and work of Lucian Freud, undoubtedly one of Britain's greatest artists. Freud gave his full backing to the documentary shortl... read more

Documentary showcasing how the latest forensic science is used to bring some of the most dangerous criminals to justice. Officers use fingerprint and ballist... read more

Jo Brand is outraged and appalled by the latest outburst of public crying. It is happening on X Factor, Who Do You Think You Are and even the politicans are ... read more

Following on from her popular exploration of crying, Jo Brand is back - and this time she has got a bee in her bonnet about kissing. Jo is convinced that the... read more

On March 11th 2011 Japan was hit by the greatest tsunami in a thousand years. Through compelling testimony from 7-10 year-old survivors, this film reveals... read more

We're used to hearing the bad news about our food. What's the good news? Cherry Healey puts some favourite supermarket staples to the test and uncovers the s... read more

Documentary about how a much-derided music actually changed the world. Between 1969 and 1979 disco soundtracked gay liberation, foregrounded female desire in... read more

Phil Agland revisits the Baka Pygmy family he filmed 25 years ago in his Bafta-winning documentary Baka – People Of The Rainforest. He explores how life h... read more

In 2011, 19-year old Nic Hamilton dreamed of following his brother Lewis in to motor racing. But as well as the pressure of being a Hamilton and never having... read more

Graham Norton profiles the leading ladies of the disco era, including Gloria Gaynor, Donna Summer, Grace Jones, Chaka Khan, Madonna and 'honourary disco quee... read more

A footstomping return to the BBC vaults of Top of the Pops, The Old Grey Whistle Test and Later with Jools as the programme spins itself to a time when disco... read more

Phil Agland's acclaimed double BAFTA award-winning documentary first shown on Channel Four in 1987. Now 25 years old, the film has prompted Phil's return to ... read more

Chris Packham, Kate Humble and Martin Hughes-Games are at the Brecon Beacons National Park to reveal how the UK's wildlife is faring this winter. The mild st... read more

Television interviews seem to have been around forever - but that's not the case. They evolved in confidence and diversity as television gradually came of ag... read more

In 2007 Queens Park Rangers Football Club, facing relegation and bankruptcy, was rescued by four high-profile billionaires. The new owners, risking ridicule ... read more

Anger over votes for prisoners and the release of Abu Qatada shows just what a toxic issue human rights law has become. In this provocative film, Andrew Neil... read more

In 2008 Pedigree Dogs Exposed lifted the lid on the true extent of the health and welfare problems faced by pedigree dogs in the UK. The startling expose ... read more

At the British Museum, a collection of artefacts from the Muslim world is on show which tells the history of a journey to Mecca always forbidden to non-Musli... read more

The smallpox outbreak in South Wales in 1962 led to the vaccination of nearly a million people, claimed 19 lives and forced the quarantine of thousands. On t... read more

Broadcaster Richard Bacon has been targeted by an obsessive tirade of anonymous online abuse over the last two years, aimed not just at him but at his wife, ... read more

Star of BBC Three's hugely popular The Real Hustle, Alexis Conran is definitely someone you don't want to be playing cards with. An expert poker player and a... read more

They are constantly circling hundreds of miles above our heads, driving our daily lives - yet we barely give satellites a second thought. Satellite engineer ... read more

As a kid growing up on a council estate, government benefits and negative distractions were a huge part of his childhood. Today, Reggie Yates is a successful... read more

Documentary laying bare the joys and hurdles of disabled parenting over a six month period, following comedian Laurence Clark and his wife Adele, who both ha... read more

Ancient Egypt was vandalised by tomb raiders and treasure hunters until one Victorian adventurer took them on. Most of us have never heard of Flinders Petrie... read more

Charles Dickens began his literary career while a journalist at Westminster. In his bicentenary year, Carolyn Quinn reports on how his time at Parliament ins... read more

In the 1980s rallying was more popular than Formula 1. 'Group B' machines had taken the world by storm. De-regulation opened the way for the most exciting ca... read more

Professor Alice Roberts reveals the natural history of the most famous of Ice Age animals - the woolly mammoth. Mammoths have transfixed humans since the dep... read more

An affectionate look at the Queen's relationship with Scotland and the Scots. It is an association that has grown in strength throughout her sixty-year reign... read more

Lloyd Coleman is a 19-year old student composer. He's been asked to write a thirty minute piece for full orchestra - a tough job for any composer, but Lloyd ... read more

Featuring exclusive interviews with surviving band members Ray Manzarek, John Densmore, Robby Kreiger and their closest colleagues and collaborators, along w... read more

Once every two minutes someone in Britain is mugged. What does it feel like for someone to hold a knife to your throat and demand your cash, to punch you ... read more

Gabby Logan explores sexism in football, hearing stories from influential women working across the men's game. Just how bad is it? From Karren Brady in the b... read more

A woman is raped every ten minutes in the UK yet thousands of rapes go unreported and conviction rates remain low. Presenter Pips Taylor explores why in powe... read more

Three former bomb disposal officers who served at the height of the Northern Ireland conflict, return for the first time in 30 years to revisit the defining... read more

Three Welsh veterans of the Falklands War return to the South Atlantic three decades on, to make peace with their past and lay their ghosts to rest. Contr... read more

Thirty years after the Falkland's War, journalist and military historian Max Hastings explores the conflict's impact and its legacy. Hastings, who sailed... read more

Documentary tracing the fortunes of boys who were filmed in the residential school Ballikinrain, where children aged from 10 to 16 are placed by social work ... read more

Bench presses, barbells, rowing machines and electric shock mittens - just some of the tortures revealed by Mark Benton in this funny look at the British way... read more

Wales rugby legend Shane Williams reveals the inside story of his rollercoaster rugby career. This candid portrait of one of Wales's most treasured stars fol... read more

Yorkshireman Frank Wild was the unsung hero of the heroic age of Antarctic exploration. He was Sir Ernest Shackleton's loyal companion, following him to the ... read more

Dr Yan sets primary-aged children a series of challenges that explore the science behind the exciting Bloodhound project to build the fastest car in the worl... read more

In September 2011, Sikhs from all over Britain gathered in Parliament Square to protest. The focus of their concern was the turban. Since the terrorist attac... read more

In 1981 the BBC series The Self Help Society looked at the co-operative movement run by communities in the Western Isles and in particular its impact on Eris... read more

Matthew Pinsent catches up with athletes from across the globe as they prepare for London 2012. Belgian twin brothers Jonathan and Kevin Borlee endure a g... read more

With so few survivors of the Holocaust left to share their first-hand testimony, what is the right approach to those with accounts that can it be proved? ... read more

A unique blend of music and documentary, the show features special performances from Bryan Ferry, Joss Stone, Nicola Benedetti, Alfie Boe, Charlie Siem, Mave... read more

Commemorating the 100th anniversary of the sinking of Titanic, actor Bernard Hill who played Captain Smith in the 1997 Oscar-winning film, discovers the impa... read more

An epic 1970s tale about a group of rebel rock bands who rose up from one of the most unpopular, marginalised parts of the USA - the Deep South - and conquer... read more

The story the company behind Titanic didn't want you to know. On the 20th June 1913 a sensational court case opened in London. It pitted an ordinary farme... read more

Chris Birch is a Welsh lad who claims a stroke turned him gay.

It's the nation's most cherished and respected children's hospital, but senior consultants are now claiming that all is not well at Great Ormond Street. Thro... read more

Actor David Harewood has just five days to take a group of inner city teenagers and turn them into Shakespearean actors. David, currently starring in the hit... read more

Stammering or stuttering is a debilitating affliction which can impact on a person's life every single day. Finding the right words to say how you feel can b... read more

Michael Palin, Clive Dunn and Ian Lavender are among those who contribute to this candid portrait of actor John Le Mesurier, from his turbulent marriage to H... read more

Samira Hashi is a 21 year old model living in London. After 18 years away Samira is going back to her birthplace, Somalia.

Film which follows Salisbury Cathedral's current child choristers over Easter and through the summer term of 2011. The separate boy and girl choirs each cont... read more

In 1978, the BBC television series The British Connection visited the district of Ness on the Isle of Lewis, speaking to residents about their sense of ident... read more

One of the legends of Welsh sport, Ray Reardon, is 80 this year. The tough competitor with the twinkling eyes returns to his home town of Tredegar and visits... read more

The true story of May McMurray, the little girl whose Titanic letter inspired a giant to find her. Three days, three giants - the Sea Odyssey extravaganza wh... read more

Sir David Jason narrates a revealing and intimate insight into the life of Barry Hearn, one of the most powerful and colourful characters in sport. Featu... read more

What is it about subtitled Danish TV dramas that make them such compulsive viewing? Emma Jane Kirby talks on set to Danish stars, writers and creators of the... read more

In 1901, a group of divers excavating an ancient Roman shipwreck near the island of Antikythera, off the southern coast of Greece, found a mysterious object ... read more

In 2004, Cyntoia Brown was arrested for the murder of a 43-year-old man. Cyntoia was a prostitute and he was her client. Film-maker Daniel Birman was granted... read more

Michael Cockerell sheds new light on the tragi-comedy of the 1970s by focusing on some of its most controversial characters. With fresh filming and new inter... read more

Part 1 of Francesco da Mosto's documentary series Shakespeare in Italy.

Part 2 of Francesco da Mosto's documentary series Shakespeare in Italy.

In the middle of the 17th century, Britain was devastated by a civil war that divided the nation into two tribes - the Roundheads and the Cavaliers. In this ... read more

As Facebook heads for its 100 billion dollar flotation, Emily Maitlis updates her recent documentary on the prospects for Mark Zuckerberg's social network ph... read more

Their family name alone evokes horror: Himmler, Frank, Goering, Hoess. This film looks at the descendants of the most powerful figures in the Nazi regime: me... read more

Pearl Harbor and the Fall of Singapore: 70 years ago these huge military disasters shook both Britain and America, but they conceal a secret so shocking it h... read more

Former Miss Great Britain, Gemma Garrett, investigates how she - and 50,000 other British women - ended up with toxic breast implants made by the French comp... read more

For more than two years Europe has teetered on the edge of an economic precipice - one of the factors that has pushed Britain back into recession. How exac... read more

Documentary which recalls the heyday of one of Britain's most iconic buildings, BBC Television Centre, through the memories of stars and staff. A rich variet... read more

John Edginton's documentary explores the making of Pink Floyd's ninth studio album, "Wish You Were Here." Featuring new interviews with band members Roger... read more

This documentary evokes London as seen by painters, photographers, film-makers and writers through the ages; the perspectives of Dickens, Hogarth, Turner, Vi... read more

The composer Frederick Delius is often pictured as the blind, paralysed and caustic old man he eventually became, but in his youth he was tall, handsome, cha... read more

Documentary about the greatest public ceremony of the twentieth century. As well as recounting the events of Coronation Day, 2nd June 1953, the film focuses ... read more

To launch the diamond jubilee weekend, BBC One is broadcasting a personal tribute to Her Majesty the Queen by His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales. Thro... read more

Huw Edwards, Matt Baker and Sophie Raworth host live coverage of one of the biggest events of the year, the diamond jubilee Thames pageant. For the first tim... read more

Documentary telling the double-edged story of the grave risks we pose to our own survival in the name of progress. With rich imagery the film connects financ... read more

It's one of the most corrupt countries in the world and widely criticised for its human rights record but this year Azerbaijan is hosting Eurovision.

A look at how a British invasion led by the Beatles conquered the US in the 1960s.

How Led Zeppelin spearheaded a British stadium rock assault on the States in the 70s.

How the Sex Pistols and Duran Duran led new rock and pop invasions in the 70s and 80s.

Huw Edwards introduces full, uninterrupted live coverage of the final day of Her Majesty the Queen's diamond jubilee celebrations. To mark this special occas... read more

In the presence of HM the Queen and the royal family, an array of stars from the last sixty years of rock, pop and classical music perform on a spectacular s... read more

The diamond jubilee celebrations continue with a stunning display of pomp and pageantry. Huw Edwards is joined by celebrities, historians and royal commentat... read more

A diamond jubilee message from HM the Queen

Jools Holland embarks on a personal journey through the streets, historical landmarks, pubs, music halls and rock 'n' roll venues of London to uncover a hist... read more

Internationally acclaimed ventriloquist Nina Conti, takes the bereaved puppets of her mentor and erstwhile lover Ken Campbell on a pilgrimage to Venthaven, t... read more

On Saturday 12 November 2011 an eclectic range of British people turned the camera on themselves, capturing the entertaining and mundane, the exciting and un... read more

Dan Cruickshank follows in the footsteps of John Stow and John Strype, two of London's greatest chroniclers, to explore one of the most dramatic centuries in... read more

In this documentary, the presenter and art critic Matthew Collings explores how Turner, the artist of light, makes light the vehicle of feeling in his work, ... read more

Dan Cruickshank explores the mysteries and secrets of the bridges that have made London what it is. He uncovers stories of bronze-age relics emerging from th... read more

In this personal film, Julien Temple, who directed the definitive documentary history of the Glastonbury Festival, explores the alternative side of the festi... read more

Ten times as many children are in institutional care in Ukraine as in England. In this disturbing investigation, film-maker Kate Blewett finds out what a lif... read more

The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars is arguably the most important album in the mind-blowing career of David Bowie. Released in 197... read more

Documentary presented by actor/rapper Adam Deacon, who wants to know if the mistrust that many people in inner cities feel towards the police has spread to a... read more

In his home studio and revisiting old haunts in Shepherds Bush and Battersea, Pete Townshend opens his heart and his personal archive to revisit 'the last gr... read more

The day after London won the Olympic bid, terrorists attacked the public transport network killing 52 people and injuring over 700. Seven years later, as the... read more

The story of D-Day has been told from the point of view of the soldiers who fought in it, the tacticians who planned it and the generals who led it. But that... read more

What's really going on inside your stomach? In this documentary, Michael Mosley offers up his own guts to find out. Spending the day as an exhibit at the Sci... read more

Documentary which records and celebrates the life and works of 'punk poet' John Cooper Clarke, looking at his life as a poet, a comedian, a recording artist ... read more

We Who Wait tells the story of punk band the Adverts and the continuing music career of their former frontman TV Smith, one of the most talented, literate an... read more

Gary Barlow is on a mission to record a special song to celebrate the Queen's diamond jubilee. He writes the melody with Lord Lloyd Webber, but he wants perf... read more

We each spend three years of our lives on the toilet, but how happy are we talking about this essential part of our lives? This film challenges that mindset ... read more

An intimate portrait of athlete Usain Bolt, the fastest man in the world. In the London 2012 Olympics, Bolt will try to retain his three Olympic titles and h... read more

Former Irish athlete and 5,000m world champion Eamonn Coghlan travels to Kenya's highlands to uncover a little-known story - the role of Irish missionaries... read more

Having spent 40 years designing one innovative car after another, his portfolio includes the most successful F1 car ever raced and what is widely considered ... read more

In 2007 former Bond girl Maryam d'Abo suffered a brain hemorrhage. The experience inspired her to make a film on survivors of brain injuries. As she guides u... read more

Victoria Pendleton is the most compelling sportswoman in Britain. As brutally honest and revelatory on camera as she is driven and competitive when flying ar... read more

On July 21st 1972 the IRA planned the biggest car bomb blitz ever seen. 40 years on we tell the story of that day through the eyes of people who were there.

Documentary examining the significance of Queen Victoria's diamond jubilee, which was celebrated in 1897 with an unprecedented display of pomp and pageantry.... read more

There are 80,000 kids in the UK growing up in care - the vast majority will never be adopted and spend their childhoods with no permanent home, being moved f... read more

Zoe Smith, Hannah Powell and Helen Jewell have dedicated their lives to the ultimate Olympic dream of representing Team GB at London 2012. BBC Three has been... read more

Documentary following Tom Daley, Britain's Olympic poster boy, as he prepares for the London 2012 Olympics. He has dreamt of competing for most of his young ... read more

Ireland's economic recession has caused a boom in one of the unlikeliest sectors of the music industry - Irish rap. This no-holds-barred film follows bands s... read more

As London 2012 gets under way, the Paralympic games are moving centre stage. But almost unknown to the millions who will watch the 2012 Olympics there is a t... read more

Simon Vaughan looks at the assassination of serving prime minister Spencer Perceval in the lobby of the House of Commons in 1812.

This is the story of a group of Afghan actors bringing a production of Shakespeare's Comedy of Errors to an international festival at London's Globe theatre.... read more

Documentary about judo fighter Ashley McKenzie, who is trying to win a place at the London Olympics despite suffering from ADHD which has got him into troubl... read more

Ian McBride embarks on a journey to discover the global significance of a little-known Ulster thinker, whose radical ideas about human nature and human right... read more

Over the last three summers conductor Daniel Barenboim and his West-Eastern Divan Orchestra have been performing all nine Beethoven symphonies across the wor... read more

An intimate portrait of Amish family life and faith - this film opens up a world usually kept private. Miriam and David are Old Order Amish and photography i... read more

Daniel Gordon's documentary looks at the legacy of the men's 100-metre final at the 1988 Seoul Olympics, when gold medallist Ben Johnson tested positive for ... read more

A wartime Spitfire is unearthed from an Irish bog, while divers explore sunken U-boats and merchant ships littering the seabed offshore. Dan Snow tells ho... read more

The story of how Russell Brand battled to stay clean of drugs is at the heart of this honest, personal film in which he challenges how our society deals with... read more

The dark heart of the Nazi holocaust, Treblinka was an extermination camp where over 800,000 Polish Jews perished from 1942. Only two men can bear final witn... read more

Julien Temple's epic time-travelling voyage to the heart of his hometown. From musicians, writers and artists to dangerous thinkers, political radicals and a... read more

Documentary in which Amal Fashanu meets survivors of the Colorado shootings and examines issues surrounding US gun massacres.

Insightful documentary by director Claire Braden about five deaf teenagers as they take their first steps into the hearing world.

EastEnders actress Rita Simons has five-year old twin daughters, Maiya and Jaimee. Maiya was diagnosed with hearing loss at six-months old. Rita and husband ... read more

In 1978 the Undertones released Teenage Kicks, one of the most perfect and enduring pop records of all time - an adolescent anthem that spoke to teenagers al... read more

For more than two decades, the families of the 96 Liverpool fans who died in the Hillsborough disaster have claimed that South Yorkshire Police covered up th... read more

In 1976 a new high-speed train, the Inter-City 125, helped save British Rail, an unfashionable nationalised industry suffering from a financial crisis, indus... read more

Dame Diana Rigg explores the enduring popularity of The Lark Ascending by the English composer Ralph Vaughan Williams. The programme culminates in a new per... read more

A programme celebrating the first screening of the 'Billy' plays, 30 years after their first network broadcast. Filmed in early 1980s Belfast, the dramas ... read more

For his entire life, one man has nursed the dream of putting mankind into space. He started his career working on Britain's Blue Streak rocket, then HOTOL - ... read more

Religion and science are frequently set up as polar opposites; incompatible ways of thinking. The Chief Rabbi Lord Sacks begs to differ. For him, science and... read more

Movies were a wonder of the Edwardian age, but they were only in black and white. With a fortune waiting for whoever could invent moving colour images, a des... read more

Personal portrait of the critically-acclaimed and enigmatic British folk rock singer Richard Thompson, providing an insight into his fascinating life alongsi... read more

In September 1912, nearly half a million Unionist men and women signed the Ulster Covenant. Now, 100 years on from this historic moment, a new Ulster-Scots B... read more

This celebration of the history and aesthetic of country music tracks the evolution of the genre from the 1920s to the present, exploring country as both fol... read more

The case of Oscar Slater - widely held to be the biggest miscarriage of justice in Scottish history.

After a new report about Hillsborough was published, Judith Moritz reports on a 23 year battle for the truth about Britain's worst sporting disaster, in whic... read more

In September 1862, Paisley-born photographer Alexander Gardner took a series of battlefield photographs that shocked America. His images of dead soldiers at ... read more

World-renowned, shamanistic artist Barry Flanagan was one of the world's foremost figurative sculptors, with his work exhibited in streetscapes such as Park ... read more

Documentary which gets to the heart of who Jeff Lynne is and how he has had such a tremendous musical influence on our world. The story is told by the Britis... read more

On October 5th 1962 the Beatles released their first single, Love Me Do. It was a moment that changed music history and popular culture forever. It was also ... read more

The British fought the Second World War to defeat Hitler. This film asks why, then, did they spend so much of the conflict battling through North Africa and ... read more

Seductive, fearless, and outrageous, Marina Abramovic has been redefining what art is for nearly 40 years. In this documentary, Marina prepares for what m... read more

Peter Capaldi embarks upon a personal journey to discover the shocking history of the stars of north London's famous film studios. Including clips from rarel... read more

Smart and witty, jam-packed with augmented-reality graphics and fascinating history, this film, presented by Professor David Spiegelhalter, tries to pin down... read more

There is a battle playing out inside your body right now. It started billions of years ago and it is still being fought in every one of us every minute of ev... read more

Anthony Baxter's film on the David and Goliath-style conflict between a group of proud Scottish homeowners and American tycoon Donald Trump, as he gets set t... read more

Pages From Ceefax, which shows pages from the BBC's teletext news service accompanied by background music, has been shown on BBC Two in the gaps between show... read more

This is the story of the most extraordinary journey in human exploration, the Voyager space mission. In 1977 two unmanned spacecraft were launched by NASA, h... read more

This is the epic story of the stars, and how discovering their tale has transformed our own understanding of the universe. Once we thought the sun and st... read more

During a presidential election campaign, it is easy to think that Americans are all at each other's throats. Historian and journalist Tim Stanley, for whom A... read more

Comedian Rich Hall goes in search of the real American Indian, a people who have too often been stereotyped. This image portrayed through cinema and literatu... read more

Art historian and critic Alastair Sooke reveals how the Devil's image was created by artists of the Middle Ages. He explores how, in the centuries between th... read more

Eddie Izzard is among those paying tribute to a comic genius, a man who blasted his way through six decades of comedy with his unique brand of surreal, class... read more

In this one-off documentary, Space Dive tells the behind-the-scenes story of Felix Baumgartner's historic, record-breaking freefall from the edge of space to... read more

Care-leaver Charlotte eats just one meal a day. It's all she can afford, so she starves herself till evening. Sandra, middle class mother of five, is embarra... read more

Actor and writer Mark Gatiss embarks on a chilling voyage through European horror cinema. From the silent nightmares of German Expressionism in the wake of W... read more

Chocolate limes, buttered brazils, sherbert dib-dabs and marshmallows - as part of the Food, Glorious Food season, food writer Nigel Slater charts the origin... read more

As part of the Food, Glorious Food season, historian Lucy Worsley journeys across England and Wales in search of Dorothy Hartley, the long-forgotten writer o... read more

Pound shops are one of the fastest growing retail sectors, boosted by consumers keen to bag a bargain in economic hard times. This warm and witty documentary... read more

On 13 September 1940, 80,000 Italian troops marched into Egypt to threaten the epicentre of the British Empire at a critical point in the Second World War. ... read more

Documentary following English folk-rock pioneers Fairport Convention as they celebrate their 45th anniversary in 2012. Fairport's iconic 1969 album Liege and... read more

Georg Solti was one of the most charismatic and controversial conductors of the twentieth century, one who dominated classical music for nearly fifty years t... read more

In 2011 Belfast City Council elected its youngest ever Lord Mayor, Sinn Fein's Niall O Donnghaile. At just twenty-five and with little political experience, ... read more

Shakin' Stevens holds the distinction of being the most successful UK singles chart performer of a decade (beating Michael Jackson, Duran Duran and Madonna);... read more

It's the 1970s and Australian wine is a joke - not for drinking, as Monty Python put it, but for 'laying down and avoiding'. The idea that a wine made Down U... read more

Crossfire Hurricane, directed by Brett Morgen, provides a remarkable new perspective on the Stones' unparalleled journey from blues-obsessed teenagers in the... read more

Crossfire Hurricane, directed by Brett Morgen, provides a remarkable new perspective on the Stones' unparalleled journey from blues-obsessed teenagers in the... read more

How young people took to social media sites like Facebook, Instagram and Twitter to record Superstorm Sandy, from first dark warnings to devastating reality ... read more

Over the last five years an independent record shop has closed in the UK every three days. This film is documentary portrait of one of the very last still tr... read more

A dramatic minute-by-minute account of the superstorm that brought New York State to its knees. Using satellite imagery, CGI mapping and the powerful persona... read more

Glenn Tilbrook and Chris Difford, the men behind Squeeze, have been called everything from the new Lennon and McCartney to the godfathers of Britpop. Now, 35... read more

Documentary chronicling our ever-changing love affair with the British singles chart on the occasion of its 60th anniversary. From the first NME chart in 195... read more

In 2010, the ash cloud from an unpronounceable Icelandic volcano brought Europe to a standstill. In this Volcano Live special, Kate Humble heads for the sour... read more

Young body-obsessed Brits turn the cameras on themselves. Diving beneath the surface of Britain's body confidence crisis, this film follows up to 30 young pe... read more

Following the world's youngest transsexual as she attempts to win Miss England and draw attention to the challenges she's faced to become her true self. From... read more

In this innovative observational documentary, four young men who are all unhappy with their bodies and feel that their size and shape is negatively impacting... read more

Documentary packed with memories, images and insights into the power of pop and rock's first and most abiding artefact - the seven inch, vinyl 45 rpm record;... read more

Documentary which highlights cockney duo Chas & Dave's rich, unsung pedigree in the music world and a career spanning 50 years, almost the entire history of ... read more

In 2011 24-year-old Jesse Jones went missing. After five days his body was found at a local beauty spot in Dorset. During the search for Jesse it emerged tha... read more

Contestants in the Miss Big Beautiful Woman pageant have big bodies and big personalities to match. This is a movement which has thrived in the US for years ... read more

With tales from old binmen and film archive that has never been broadcast before, this two-part series offers an original view of the history of modern Brita... read more

With tales from old binmen and film archive that has never been broadcast before, this two-part series offers an original view of the history of modern Brita... read more

Dan Snow attempts to use the latest satellite technology to reveal the secrets of the Roman Empire. Together with space archaeologist Sarah Parcak, Dan sets ... read more

The heart is the most symbolic organ of the human body. Throughout history it has been seen as the site of our emotions, the very centre of our being. But mo... read more

Life on Britain's roads can now be seen from a whole new perspective - thanks to the cycle helmet camera. As thirty four million vehicles and thirteen millio... read more

Were the ancient Scottish tribes too much for the Roman Empire? Or was Scotland simply not worth conquering? Archaeologist Dr Fraser Hunter looks back on thr... read more

Two-part documentary telling the remarkable story of a band of visionaries who rescued some of the little narrow gauge railways that once served Britain's in... read more

A look back at the extraordinary life of Sir Patrick Moore, focusing on his work as an astronomer and broadcaster. His keen interest in the night sky inspire... read more

Two-part documentary telling the remarkable story of a band of visionaries who rescued some of the little narrow gauge railways that once served Britain's in... read more

Nowhere in the British Isles was the Viking connection longer-lasting or deeper than in Scotland. Hundreds of years after their first hit-and-run raids, the ... read more

Rachel and Becky Unthank continue their journey around England's hidden customs and dance traditions and into the dark heart of its winter pastimes. The foll... read more

In this new documentary film, Jools Holland, who began his television career 30 years ago, takes us on a journey of his life that has made him the doyen of t... read more

Biologist George McGavin goes on a journey around the British Isles to show us the extraordinary little things that are vital to our land. With a revolutiona... read more

Caroline Quentin narrates this heart-warming tale of a special group of baby animals born in some of the coldest and harshest places on Earth. We follow the ... read more

Michael Grade explores the rich history of the very British pantomime dame. From the extravagant productions in Drury Lane in the 19th century to the vintage... read more

Top pop documentary, narrated by Radio One's Mark Radcliffe, about one of Britain's greatest and best-loved bands. Slade scored six number ones in the 70s, a... read more

Moomintroll and the Moomin family are characters loved by children and parents worldwide who have grown up listening to Finnish writer Tove Jansson's delight... read more

Len Goodman takes to the dance floor to discover the golden age of ballroom, as the head judge of Strictly Come Dancing recalls the time when Britain went ba... read more

This hour-long documentary takes us on a journey back through 60 years of British Christmases via the pop songs we put at the top of the most important chart... read more

Sue Perkins tells the true story behind the von Trapp family, portrayed on the big screen almost 50 years ago in The Sound Of Music. She heads to Austria to ... read more

Neil Armstrong's family and friends, many of whom have never spoken publicly before, tell the story of the first man to set foot on the moon. Drawing heav... read more

Exploring Blackpool's history as the beating heart of British entertainment. The Lancashire coastal town launched the careers of Morecambe and Wise, attracte... read more

Documentary about Clara Bow, a cinema sensation who broke box office records and became one of the greatest stars of the silent screen. Amid scandal and ill ... read more

Basejumper Felix Baumgartner became the first person to free-fall through the sound barrier when, in October 2012, he fell 26 miles (125,000 feet) to Earth f... read more

45 years ago a group of young men and women set out to make the world a better place. They wanted to bring aid to those in dire need. These idealists would h... read more

Passionate England fan Tim Lovejoy pulls together advice from former England managers, players and celebrity fans to offer Roy Hodgson the best possible supp... read more

In January 1942, the historic Achnacarry Estate was transformed into a wartime paramilitary academy. In four years of operation, 25,000 men came to the Scott... read more

Stefan Gates discovers the cradle of contemporary English cuisine. The film argues that the current renaissance of British food has its origins in a golden a... read more

Long before she set foot on stage in England, Felicity Kendal launched her acting career in India, where her parents ran an eccentric touring theatre company... read more

Derek Scott, Professor of Musicology, analyses Mrs Mills' rise in popularity coinciding with the unrest between Mods and Rockers.

Michel Roux Jr explores the life and influence of his great culinary hero, Georges Auguste Escoffier - the man who turned eating into dining. The first great... read more

Directed by Academy Award-nominee Hubert Davis, this film follows the renowned Toronto painter Phil Richards as he is asked by the Canadian government to cre... read more

St Laurence O'Toole Pipe Band, one of the world's leading grade one bands comes to the Western Isles of Scotland to meet and play with the local bands of the... read more

Fearghal Mac Uiginn looks at the story behind the construction of Derry's 400-year-old walls - a unique, sometimes controversial cultural treasure that has s... read more

Every two minutes a house in Britain is burgled, and for years Nottingham has suffered the highest burglary rates in the UK. But the city's police are fighti... read more

Film-maker Rhys Thomas's full-length director's cut of his film exploring the solo career and private life of one of British rock and roll's great frontmen, ... read more

An intimate half-hour of Jeff Lynne and long-time collaborator Richard Tandy on piano, playing acoustic versions of many of Jeff's greatest songs including s... read more

Comedian and ventriloquist Nina Conti explores the world of new age and alternative therapies in a quest for self-knowledge, enlightenment and happiness. Wit... read more

Ford Kiernan celebrates the anarchic humour of The Dandy that has kept kids of all ages giggling for three quarters of a century. This classic Scottish co... read more

From Dad's Army's Corporal Jones to "Grandad", Clive Dunn created some of Britain's most memorable old men. Family, colleagues and friends pay tribute to thi... read more

Eric Liddell was one of Scotland's great Olympic champions and an inspiration for the film Chariots of Fire. In 1924 he was the fastest man in Britain and wa... read more

This week Wales will yet again try to beat the All Blacks for the first time in nearly sixty years. We Beat the All Blacks looks at a game that made Welsh ru... read more

A compilation of short-form videos which give students studying computer science an insight into how computers actually work. Filmed in real life work settin... read more

Blue Peter presenters Helen Skelton and Barney Harwood want to learn more about the solar system so they challenge scientists Helen Czerski and Jem Stansfiel... read more

In December 2005 Scotland tragically lost one of its most innovative musicians and composers of the age of 41. Gordon Duncan, from Perthshire, was quite simp... read more

The 40th anniversary of Idi Amin's expulsion of Ugandan Asians in 1972 coincides with the festival of Dussehra in which Hindus celebrate the victory of good ... read more

Colmcille specialist Brian Lacey explores the cult of Derry's patron saint. As Brian travels around Ireland and Scotland unearthing the truth about Columba, ... read more

Recorded coverage from the RE:Think religion and ethics festival, where Chief Rabbi Lord Sacks and scientist Richard Dawkins debate the relationship between ... read more

Runrig's songwriters Calum and Rory Macdonald share the very personal story of their first solo album project. Part video diary and part music performance, t... read more

Richard Burton's talent, presence and unforgettable voice made him a superstar of stage and screen. The Welsh actor was equally famous for his hellraising, w... read more

Still Bill: The Bill Withers Story You know the music - now meet the man. Still Bill is an intimate portrait of soul legend Bill Withers, best known for his... read more

Mark Radcliffe presents a countdown of the ten songs which have earned the most money of all time - ten classic songs each with an extraordinary story behind... read more

Meet 16-year-old UK student Georgia. Her mum, topless model Alicia, is addicted to plastic surgery. Georgia wants to study for exams, but her mum's just anno... read more

Author and broadcaster Father Brian D'Arcy was censured by the Vatican after challenging some of the Catholic Church's core teachings. In this frank and pers... read more

To celebrate the 60th anniversary of the UK chart, from the vaults of the BBC archive comes a selection of hits that attained the toppermost of the poppermos... read more

A century ago, 1.5 million British people worked as servants – astonishingly, more than worked in factories or farms. But while servants are often portrayed ... read more

As a renowned teacher and founder and chair of the Leeds International Piano Competition, Dame Fanny Waterman is one of the most influential figures in Briti... read more

There are over 12,000 100-year-olds in the country, and over the next twenty-five years that number is expected to rise to almost 90,000. A quarter of all ch... read more

From the Staffordshire hills to the Humber estuary, spirited explorer Tom Fort embarks on a 170-mile journey down Britain's third longest river, the Trent. B... read more

Dr Jack Kreindler and Professor Greg Whyte tackle pain - one of the most common complaints in Britain. To reveal key facts about chronic back pain, osteoarth... read more

This affectionate insight into being old today sees three Golden Oldies pass on their astute and humorous insights on becoming old and poor, and the star... read more

The BBC delves into its archive for the best romantic duets performed at the BBC over the last fifty years. Whether it is Robbie and Kylie dancing together o... read more

Unveiling of the RAF Bomber ­Command Memorial in London. The Queen and eight members of the Royal Family were also present at the event, which featured a fly... read more

The Titanic sank on April 14, 1912 - Or did it? This documentary explores the conspiracy that in fact it was Titanic's sister ship the Olympic that sank on t... read more

It's The Way He Told Them is a tribute to the late Frank Carson with contributions from some of Frank's biggest fans including Eamonn Holmes, Patrick Kielty,... read more

Dusty Springfield narrates a documentary profile of the songwriter who won an Oscar for the Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid score, enjoyed stage success w... read more

Following BBC Four's Top of the Pops 1976, the next stop is 1977 - in some ways a year zero for Britain's most iconic music programme. As the country veered ... read more

Revealing how James Graham, the 1st Marquis of Montrose and a poet and military genius, won six successive battles against the odds during the 17th-century c... read more

Tajikistan, in central Asia, was once one of the smallest and poorest republics of the USSR. In the last twenty years it has moved from communism to capitali... read more

A journey into the history, pageantry and characters that have shaped a Scottish phenomenon. Acclaimed actor Bill Paterson narrates the astonishing story of ... read more

In 1962 three Ulstermen travelled overland from Belfast to Singapore in a Mini. It was an epic adventure through countries not usually visited, giving us a f... read more

Documentary about the creation of the BBC's London 2012 promotional campaign and title sequence and Elbow's BBC Olympic theme. Featuring interviews with Elbo... read more

When she was 19, Mercury Prize-winning rap artist Speech Debelle walked out of her family home and became homeless for three years. In this moving documentar... read more

He is the fastest man who has ever lived and on 5th August the world will be watching and expecting Usain Bolt to reclaim the greatest prize in the Olympic G... read more

Following a season in which football has been rocked by allegations of racism, former Premier league defender Clarke Carlisle explores how far his profession... read more

Eighty-five-year-old EastEnders actress June Brown thinks the way we treat older people in this country lacks respect. She thinks they are undervalued, pushe... read more

Having a child leave home is difficult enough for any parent, but when your teenage daughter has Down's syndrome it is even harder. Domenica Lawson, nearly s... read more

Documentary telling the shocking story of how a 23-year-old British girl was drugged and kidnapped by members of her family after refusing to go through with... read more

William Shakespeare is hardly a name that you would expect to thrill Britain's teenagers, but over the last year thousands have taken part in a nationwide co... read more

Tests how close we can get to geological formations and geographic process while hanging from a cliff face. Geologist and keen climber Dr Tom Challands ch... read more

Featuring the voices of Greg McHugh and Lucy Montgomery, this is an informative and amusing look at the development of mathematical knowledge. The guides are... read more

Radio 1's Gemma Cairney investigates how last year's UK riots changed the lives of those who got caught up in them. Over nine months the film follows three y... read more

Gerry Rafferty, who died in January 2011, was one of Scotland's best loved singer/songwriters, famous around the world for hits such as Baker Street and ... read more

Britain in Bed is the ultimate history of sex, a documentary which reveals how our attitudes, knowledge and experience has changed and grown over the last 50... read more

Documentary looking back on the eight day swim that comedian David Walliams undertook for Sport Relief 2012. Providing the inside story and exclusive ... read more

As Ramadan approaches, this documentary tells the little-known story of three English gentlemen who embraced Islam at a time when to be a Muslim was to be se... read more

Kicked Out Kids follows the stories of four young people whose relationships with their parents have become so bad that they risk being kicked out for good. ... read more

Dan Snow uses the latest satellite technology to reveal the secrets of the Roman Empire. Together with space archaeologist Sarah Parcak, Dan sets out to iden... read more

Filmed at the Barbican in London, this tribute concert to the singer-songwriter Sandy Denny spans her career with Fairport Convention, Fotheringay and as a s... read more

A selection of the band's performances from the BBC archives, with contributions by Mick Jagger, Bill Wyman, Keith Richards, Charlie Watts and Ronnie Wood.

Simon Vaughan looks at the assassination of serving prime minister Spencer Perceval in the lobby of the House of Commons in 1812.

The BBC archive uncovers performances of some of the finest Bond theme tunes from its top secret vaults and pays a TV tribute to a classic British icon. P... read more

Losing one's virginity is one of those life-defining moments that can be intimate, exciting and nerve-wracking all rolled into one. But good or bad, Cherry H... read more

Eddie Butler looks back at some of the great moments that have captured the imagination during the two weeks of the London 2012 Olympics, the stories that ha... read more

Sheffield's Paul Carrack has slowly and subtly become a national institution who can spend nearly three months touring around the UK as he will this winter a... read more

For Norman MacArthur and his family, there was always an area of his grandfather Johnny's life that was never discussed: his years spent as a prisoner of war... read more

Lecture by Professor Vernon Bogdanor on the events leading up to World War 1. Originally shown on BBC Parliament

Revealing for the first time what has been described as 'the photographic discovery of the century', this documentary uncovers the remarkable story of the Be... read more

Len Goodman takes to the dance floor to discover the golden age of ballroom, as the head judge of Strictly Come Dancing recalls the time when Britain went ba... read more

For over forty years, virtuoso saxophonist/composer Barbara Thompson has been Britain's most brilliant and best-known female jazz musician. Her original comp... read more

A charismatic leader founds a commune in Los Angeles in the early '70s based on natural food, spiritual practices and psychedelic rock. This short-lived era ... read more