TELEVISION - 2014
The Great Sport Relief Bake Off - Over 4 days, 16 celebrity cooks baked to raise awareness of Sport Relief and it's charitable work. Episode 1 featured Cricketer Michael Vaughan, Actress Samantha Bond, Radio DJ Johnny Vaughan and Actress Bonnie Wright. Episode 2 featured TV Broadcaster Kirsty Young, Actress Jane Horrocks, Olympian Greg Rutherford and TV Personality Jason Gardiner. Episode 3 featured Singer Michael Ball, TV Presenter Emma Freud, Singer Jamelia and Olympian Victoria Pendleton. Episode 4 featured Impressionist Alistair McGowan, Singer Rochelle Humes, Comedienne Doon Mackichan and TV Presenter Helen Skelton (10, 2 Discs, BBC - Perkins/Brand/Djalili/Byrne, PAL)
Torvill and Dean : The Perfect Day - A look back to the 1984 Winter Olympics Figure Skating final where the British duo of Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean made history with their Free Dance routine, scoring 9 perfect scores of 6.0. Includes interviews with Jayne and Chris and the routine in full (10, 1 Hour, BBC, PAL)
A Tribute to Roger Lloyd-Pack - A tribute to the British Actor who died in 2014. Friends and colleagues remember his life and his most famous roles. On the same disc is the 1st ever episode of the TV comedy "Only Fools and Horses" (10, 40 minutes, 1 Disc, BBC, PAL)
Live from Space - A series of 3 episodes looking at life in Space aboard the International Space Station. Programme 1 follows a 6 month tour by Astronauts Mike Hopkins, Koichi Wakata and Rick Matracchio. Episode 2 highlights the dangers of Spacewalks outside the ISS. Episode 3 is a live broadcast from the Johnson Space Centre in Houston, monitoring the ISS as it makes 1 complete lap of the Earth and includes live interviews with the crew of the ISS (10, 3 Discs, Channel 4 - O'Leary, PAL)
Davina : Beyond Breaking Point - Documentary following TV presenter Davina McCall's attempt to travel from Edinburgh to London (450 miles) in 7 days by running, cycling and swimming - all in aid of Sport Relief. On the same disc as "Alex against the Rock" (10, 1 hour, 1 Disc, BBC, PAL)
Alex against the Rock - Documentary following TV presenter Alex Jones as she attempts to climb Moonlight Buttress - a 1,200 feet sheer sandstone cliff in Utah - in aid of Sport Relief. On the same disc as "Davina : Beyond Breaking Point" (10, 30 minutes, 1 Disc, BBC, PAL)
Sport Relief - Hi-lites of the BBC Telethon with a Sports theme, raising money for charities in Britain and Africa. Hi-Lites include the complete "Clash of the Titans" event that saw Team John Bishop v Team Seb Coe, Kylie and Jason re-united and Special Editions of Mock the Week (with Andy Murray) and Only Fools and Horses (with David Beckham) (10, 2 hour hi-lites, 1 Disc, PAL)
The European Union : In or Out ? - An hour-long live debate between Nick Clegg (Liberal Democrat Party leader) and Nigel Farage (UKIP leader), hosted by David Dimbleby, debating Great Britain's membership of the European Union (10, 1 hour, 1 Disc, BBC, PAL)
50 Golden years of Sport on BBC 2 - Sue Barker looks back at the great Sport moments broadcast by BBC 2. Includes interviews with the sportsmen involved as well as archive clips. Moments include the 1985 World Snooker Championship, the 1981 Cricket Ashes series, the Paralympics and Match of the Day (10, 1 Hour, 1 Disc, BBC - Barker, PAL)
All About 2 - Comedian Dara O'Briain hosts a quiz celebrating 50 years of BBC Two in which teams of celebrities answer questions about the channel's programmes and stars. The panellists are Comedian Hugh Dennis, Entrepeneur Deborah Meaden, TV Chef Dave Myers, Professor Brian Cox, Comedian Meera Syal and choirmaster Gareth Malone. Includes archive clips of the shows discussed (10, 1 Hour 40 minutes, 1 Disc, BBC - O'Briain, PAL)
The making of QI - A look at the history of the programme since it's inception in 2003. Includes interviews with the stars of the show, Stephen Fry and Alan Davies, as well as with previous contestants and the creator, John Lloyd (10, 1 Hour, 1 Disc, BBC, PAL)
The Fast Show - A 2 part special to celebrate 50 years of BBC 2. Includes old favourites such as Swiss Toni, Ron Manager, TV station Channel 9 and Ted and Ralph (10, 1 hour - On the same disc as the 2014 Goodness Gracious Me : Reunion, 1 Disc, BBC, PAL)
Goodness Gracious Me : The Reunion - Sanjeev Bhaskar, Kulvinder Ghir, Meera Syal, Nina Wadia and “token white” Dave Lamb re-unite to celebrate BBC 2's 50th birthday. Includes sketches on the Kapoor's bid to join UKIP and a parody of Mary Poppins, "Scary Poppat" (10, 30 minutes - On the same disc as the 2014 The Fast Show, 1 Disc, BBC, PAL)
50 years of BBC 2 Comedy - A look back at the comedy shows and comedians that started life on BBC 2, including Spike Milligan, The Young Ones, The League of Gentlemen, The Office, Miranda and Fawlty Towers. Includes interviews with Ricky Gervais, Eric Idle, Michael Palin, Terry Jones, Alan Alda, Vic and Bob, Rebecca Front, Alexi Sayle, Mitchell and Webb, The Goodies, Catherine Tate, Bill Bailey, Ian Hislop, Sarah Millican, Dara O Briain, James Corden, Rob Brydon, Sanjeev Bhaskar, Armando Iannucci, Prunella Scales, Charlie Brooker and Paul Whitehouse and also includes archive clips of the shows (10, 2 hours, 1 Disc, BBC, PAL)
Harry and Pauls story of the 2's - Comedians Harry Enfield and Paul Whitehouse take an irreverent look back at the history of BBC 2. The programme revisits and parodies around 50 different shows, including The Office, Boys from the Blackstuff, Arena, The Old Grey Whistle Test and The Apprentice, with 150 presenters, actors, comedians and politicians being portrayed by Harry, Paul and friends (10, 1 hour - On the same disc as 2014 The Comedy Vaults : BBC 2's Hidden Treasure, 1 Disc, BBC, PAL)
The Comedy Vaults : BBC 2's Hidden Treasure - To celebrate 50 years of BBC 2, the programme looks back at rare and unseen comedy moments from the channel. Includes clips from pilot episodes of Miranda and QI + the sketches from Spike Milligan, Pete and Dud, Rik Mayall and Billy Connolly + Sacha Baron Cohen's first incarnation of Borat, an Albanian called Christo (10, 1 hour - On the same as 2014 Harry and Pauls story of the 2's, 1 Disc, BBC, PAL)
D-Day 70 : The Heroes Return - Huw Edwards and Sian Williams present a day of commemoration on the 70th anniversary of the D-Day landings in Normandy. The events include the Senior members of the British royal family, together with other foreign dignitaries, joining thousands of veterans at the Commonwealth War Cemetery in Bayeux, International heads of state with veterans from all nations gathering in Ouistreham on Sword Beach and finally British ex-servicemen of the Normandy Veterans Association marching through Arromanches (10, 8.5 hours, 4 Discs, BBC, PAL)
Britain's got Talent - The Live Final - A hotly-contested final was won by operatic boy band "Callabro" who beat Opera singer Lucy Kay into 2nd place. Collabro's win earned the group £250,000 prize money + a chance to perform at the Royal Variety performance (10, 1 Disc, ITV, PAL)
Gogglebox : Series 3, Episode 12 - British observational documentary that follows several families watching and commentating on TV shows that aired in the previous week. Shows reviewed in Episode 12 are "Master Chef Final", "Britain's Got Talent", "The Full Monty" film and the 2014 BAFTA's, in which Gogglebox won the award for "Best Reality and Constructed Factual Programme" (10, 50 minutes, Channel 4, PAL)
David Beckham into the Unknown - Ex-footballer David Beckham and three friends travel around Brazil prior to the 2014 World Cup, visiting Rio de Janeiro and then on to Manaus in the heart of the rainforest. From there they travel by motorbike and boat to meet the remote Yanomami tribe in the Amazon rainforest (10, 1.5 hours, 1 Disc, BBC, PAL)
Metallica at Glastonbury - Full set from Metallica's head-line act at the 2014 Glastonbury festival. Set includes 14 songs including "Enter the Sandman", "Master of Puppets", "Seek and Destroy" and a cover of Thin Lizzy's "Whiskey in the Jar" (10, 1 hour 35 minutes, 1 Disc, BBC, PAL)
Imagine: Monty Python : And Now for Something Rather Similar - A documentary looking at the story behind the 2014 final reunion of the Monty Python team. Includes interviews with each team member and the creative team in charge of putting the show together (10, 1 hour 15 minutes, 1 Disc, BBC, PAL)
Monty Python (Mostly) Live - The full show from the final night of the 2014 gigs at the London O2 Arena. Includes a 30 minute Pre-Show programme hosted by comedian Dara O'Briain (10, 2 Discs, Dave, PAL)
The Death of Robin Williams - British and American news reports breaking the news of the passing of American Comedian Robin Williams in August 2014. Includes tributes from Jimmy Fallon on the Tonight Show, ABC Nightline, Good Morning America and a 45 minute 2008 biography from the A&E Network (10, 2 hours, 1 Disc, BBC/SKY/ABC, PAL)
The first Georgians : The German Kings who made Britain - Historian Dr. Lucy Worsley looks at how Britain "imported" a royal family from Germany in the 18th century and what impact this had on Britain and Europe. 3 Episodes of 1 hour each (10, 3 hours, 2 Discs, BBC - Worsley, PAL)
Tales from the Royal Wardrobe - Historian Dr. Lucy Worsley looks at Britain's fascination with what the Royal Family wear and discovers that it has been like that since the time of Elizabeth I (10, 1 hour - On disc 2 of "The first Georgians", BBC - Worsley, PAL)
Dancing Cheek To Cheek: An Intimate History Of Dance - Historian Dr. Lucy Worsley and dancer Len Goodman trace the British love of dance, from the 17th century to the 20th century. At the end of each episode, the couple dance together in a popular dance of the period. The 3 episodes are the 18th, 19th and 20th centuries (9, 3 episodes of 1 hour length, 2 Discs, BBC, PAL)
Royal Marines Commando School - A "Behind the Scenes" documentary following raw recruits as they enrol at the Royal Marines' Commando Training Centre in Lympstone, Devon for an 8 month training course in 2014. The 8 episodes follow the recruits through Basic Training to passing out (10, 8 x 45 minute episodes, 4 Discs, Channel 4, PAL)
Kevin Bridges live at the Referendum - Live from Glasgow's Theatre Royal, Glaswegian comedian Kevin Bridges, along with fellow comedians Hal Cruttenden, Jack Dee, Kerry Godliman and Frankie Boyle, take a look at the forthcoming referendum on Scottish Independence (9, 45 minutes, 1 Disc, BBC, PAL)
The Scottish Independence Referendum - On the 18th September 2014, Scotland voted to decide whether to remain a member of the United Kingdom or to become an independent nation for the 1st time in 300 years. The BBC covered the poll results as they came in, with Huw Edwards co-ordinating interviews with politicians and interested parties (10, 14 hours, 7 Discs, BBC - Edwards, PAL)
The Great British Bake Off : Series 5 - Over 10 weeks, 13 amateur Bakers faced off in an elimination-style competition to find the best Baker. Each week, the Bakers created 3 different recipes that were judged on by Mary Berry and Paul Hollywood, with the worst Baker eliminated. Coverage includes only the Quarter Final, Semi-Final, Final + the post-final "Extra Slice" episode (10, 3 episodes of 1 hour each + 40 minute post-show, 2 Discs, BBC - Perkins/Giedroyc, PAL)
Robin Williams Remembered : Pioneers of Television - A look back at the career of comedian Robin Williams with comments from Williams himself in one of the last full length interviews he did before his death. On the same disc as the 1978 Robin Williams Live at the Roxy (10, 53 mins long, 1 Disc, PBS, PAL)
Bear's Wild Weekend with Ben Stiller - Adventurer/Explorer Bear Grylls takes Comedian Ben Stiller on a weekend expedition to the Scottish island of Skye, living in the wild and conquering natural obstacles (10, 50 minutes, 1 Disc, ITV, PAL)
Spike Milligan: Assorted Q - A compilation of clips from comedian Spike Milligan's surreal comedy sketch show, Q, which ran between 1969 and 1982. The show was regarded by John Cleese and Terry Jones to be an inspiration for "Monty Pythons Flying Circus". Part 1 consists of clips from Q5, Q6 and Q7. Part 2 consists of clips from Q8, Q9 and "There's a lot of it about" (10, 2 x 30 minutes episodes, 1 Disc, BBC, PAL)
The Joan Rivers Position : The Best of... - A compilation of some of the best bits of the talk show that American comedian Joan Rivers hosted in the United Kingdom. Joan plays agony aunt to the audience while also entertaining guest stars, including Graham Norton, Ruby Wax, Jerry Hall, Jenny Eclair and famously, Brigette Neilson with whom she has a massive argument (9, On the same disc as 2017 Funny Women : Joan Rivers, 44 minutes, 1 Disc, Channel 5, PAL)
The Last Man on the Moon - A documentary about NASA astronaut Gene Cernan, who became the last man to walk on the moon in December 1972. The programme details his life and career before, during and after his time as an Apollo astronaut and includes interviews with friends, family and the man himself, and also includes archive footage of the Apollo moon missions (9, 1 hour 29 minutes, 1 Disc, BBC, PAL)
Cosmonauts : How Russia won the Space Race - The story of how Russia pioneered space exploration, continually upstaging the USA to set milestones in the Space Race. Russia put the 1st satellite, the 1st animal and the 1st human in space, and pioneered living in space with the Salyut space station, but the USA is consistently credited with winning the Space Race because it landed a man on the moon first. This documentary combines rare and unseen archive footage with interviews with the surviving cosmonauts including Alexei Leonov, the man who performed the first spacewalk (9, 1 hour 30 minutes, 1 Disc, BBC, PAL)
Rich Hall's California Stars - In his own unique way, American comedian Rich Hall looks at the history of the US State of California. From it's early days as a Gold Rush State, through the great Railroad scandal and the great Mid-West Migration of the 1920's, right up to the birth-place of Student power in the 1960's, Rich asks why people optimistically look to California for the "American Dream" and whether it ultimately delivers (10, 1 hour 28 minutes, 1 Disc, BBC, PAL)