Season 1997
Season 1996Season 1998

S1997 Season 1997

BBC Documentaries / Season 1997

01 Jan, 1997 · 24 episodes

 
Season 1996Season 1998

S1997 Season 1997

BBC Documentaries / Season 1997

01 Jan, 1997 · 24 episodes

 
Swing Time
S1997 | E01

1h

For all those bored by the general election, this programme reveals the truth behind election night television coverage and reports on the mistakes, the wobbly sets, the internal battles and the fierce rivalry between the BBC and ITN. Some of the most famous faces on TV can be seen floundering in front of the cameras. In a tale of changing times, the viewers have seen the illegible charts of th... Read more

27/04/1997 | 20:00
Breaking the Code
S1997 | E02

1h

05/02/1997 | 21:00
The Artist Formerly Known as Captain Beefheart
S1997 | E03

1h

One-hour BBC documentary on avant-garde rock musician Captain Beefheart introduced and narrated by John Peel.

17/08/1997 | 20:00
The Radio One Story
S1997 | E05

1h

Singer David Essex narrates a behind-the-scenes history of the nation's favourite radio station, from its 1967 launch by DJ Tony Blackburn to the present day.

20/09/1997 | 20:00
Black Wednesday
S1997 | E06

1h

Documentary about Black Wednesday, which looks at the events leading up to the GBP collapse and why it happened.

21/12/1997 | 21:00
The Kung Fu Years
S1997 | E07

1h

Documentary charting the effect that Kung Fu had on the British public's consciousness after the release of ENTER THE DRAGON.

01/01/1997 | 21:00
The KT Event
S1997 | E08

1h

Did a meteor wipe out the dinosaurs?

24/04/1997 | 20:00
Bigfoot Monster Mystery
S1997 | E09

1h

The sasquatch has pervaded American imaginations for generations. Many have dedicated their lives to searching for it. Go with a world-class photographer and group of bigfoot experts on the hunt, and find out what it's like to search for the sasquatch.

19/09/1997 | 20:00
Hogarth's Progress
S1997 | E10

1h

The 300th anniversary of the birth of artist and satirist William Hogarth is marked by this film, which ties in with a major exhibition at London's Tate Gallery. The engraver of The Rake's Progress might well have recognised 1997 general election issues such as Euroscepticism and sleaze allegations. Andrew Graham-Dixon, chief art critic of The Independent, explores the fascinating world of ... Read more

20/04/1997 | 20:00
Cigars: Out of the Humidor
S1997 | E11

1h

The story of the cigar - from the tobacco fields west of the Cuban capital of Havana into the factories where poetry and daily newspapers are read aloud to the workers, to Hollywood cigar bars and the gentlemen's haunts of St James's, London. With the worldwide cigar market growing, smoking cigars is perceived as glamorous and yet this is occurring at a time when it is nearly impossible to smoke a... Read more

25/12/1997 | 21:00
The Great Storm: a 999 Special
S1997 | E12

1h

Almost everyone who experienced Britain's devastating "great storm" of 1987 has a story to tell. Ten years on, this programme features reconstructions of extraordinary escapes, as well as amateur video and news footage of the millions of pounds' worth of damage caused across the South. Among the stories is that of an elderly couple who survived the destruction of their caravan (some of their neig... Read more

14/10/1997 | 20:00
The Essential FA Cup Final
S1997 | E13

1h

In tonight's special one-off documentary Alan Hansen and Gary Lineker present a tribute to one of the most popular events in world sport-the FA Cup final. On the eve of the Middlesbrough and Chelsea clash, Sir Stanley Matthews , Ian Rush , Sir Bobby Charlton , JimmyGreaves,lan Wright and Paul Gascoigne are just some of the football personalities who recall their own experiences of the big day.

16/05/1997 | 20:00
Radio One Night: One #1 Hit Wonders
S1997 | E14

1h

A celebration of artists who have enjoyed a top-ten hit and then disappeared without trace. Featuring archive footage, interviews and performances by the likes of Renee and Renato, Joe Dolce, and the Crazy World of Arthur Brown. Producer Daniel Abineri Executive producer Tony Moss

20/09/1997 | 20:00
Albert Camus: The Madness of Sincerity
S1997 | E15

1h

The grand themes of Albert Camus' work and life are documented in three chapters: the Absurd, Revolt, and Happiness. His novels The Stranger, The Plague, The Rebel, The Fall and The First Man are all discussed, as well as his childhood in French Algeria, sometimes difficult friendships, role in The Resistance during WWII, 1957 Nobel Prize, his issues with Communism, living in exile in the '50s, an... Read more

Sex and the Single Gene?
S1997 | E16

1h

Homosexuality and genes

03/04/1997 | 20:00
Joanna Lumley in the Kingdom of the Thunder Dragon
S1997 | E17

1h

Actress Joanna Lumley embarks on a oersonal adventure, as she retraces ajourney made by her grandparents in 1931 - through the mysterious kingdom of Bhutan in central Asia, one of the most isolated countries in the world.

25/11/1997 | 21:00
Oasis - Right Here, Right Now
S1997 | E18

1h

Documentary from 1997 following the band as they discussed their recent career, revisited their old neighbourhood in Manchester and performed songs from their album Be Here Now.

20/08/1997 | 20:00
Cardigans at Christmas
S1997 | E19

1h

A feast of old chestnuts from the glory days of Christmases past with this look at the rise and demise of the Christmas light-entertainment spectacular. This programme takes a look back at Christmas light entertainment shows from yesteryear, with highlights such as Val Doonican stuffing away until he can 'hang loose', Perry Como trying hard not to look awkward around Leo Sayer, and Petula Clark in... Read more

25/12/1997 | 21:00
Ten Pound Poms The Real Story
S1997 | E20

1h

In 1947, the Assisted Passage Scheme began, devised by the Australian government to bring in white British settlers. For just £10, they could start a new life in a sun-drenched land of opportunity, and over the next 25 years, more than a million people took up the offer. The scheme's pioneers tell their story.

14/04/1997 | 20:00
The Making of Hamlet
S1997 | E21

1h

A revealing location documentary following actor-director Kenneth Branagh and a distinguished cast and crew as they film the first complete text cinema version of Shakespeare's tragedy.

15/02/1997 | 21:00
How to Be Chancellor
S1997 | E22

1h

As Chancellor of the Exchequer Gordon Brown prepares to unveil his first budget, Michael Cockerell presents a guide to howto carry out one of the toughestjobs in government. The programme includes reminiscences from seven former chancellors, and archive film on the secrets and stories behind past budgets.

29/06/1997 | 20:00
Labour's Old Romantic: a Film Portrait of Michael Foot
S1997 | E23

1h

His friends describe him as the nicest prime minister Britain never had. His critics might remember him as an old romantic who, in 1983, led the Labour Party to its worst election defeat for 50 years. Michael Cockerell 's intimate portrait of Michael Foot reveals a man of many paradoxes - a passionate socialist with unlikely Tory heroes, atub-thumpingorator, and a literary scholar. Featuring cont... Read more

19/07/1997 | 20:00
Lenny's Big Amazon Adventure
S1997 | E24

1h

Lenny Henry is dumped miles from civilisation in the Amazonian jungle to see how he manages to fend for himself. Accompanied by Lofty Wiseman, an SAS survival expert, the rainforest will be Lenny's home for two weeks.

26/05/1997 | 20:00
Old data? Refresh this page