TELEVISION - 2012
EastEnders - 01/01/12 episode - In a 1 hour long episode, Pat Butcher leaves the soap after 25 years. Bed-ridden Pat, dying of Cancer, is visted by friends, family and adversaries before succumbing to the illness. The episode is followed by a 30 minute reflection on her best moments in the show (10, 1 hour 30 mins, 1 Disc, BBC, PAL)
John Howard Davies : A life - A posthumous tribute to the BBC writer and producer who was responsible for "The Good Life", "Steptoe and Son" and "Fawlty Towers". A 15 minute euology is followed by 1 episode of each of the shows (10, 1 hour 45 minutes, 1 Disc, BBC, PAL)
When Ali came to Britain - The programme reviews Ali's love affair with the British, starting with his 1963 fight with Henry Cooper. Includes stories and interviews with the British boxers he has fought and members of the public he has helped and visited over the years. On the same disc as the 2002 'The Then and Now of Muhammad Ali' (10, 1 hour, 1 Disc, BBC, PAL)
God Bless Ozzy Osbourne - A biography detailing the life and career of Sheffield-born rocker Ozzy Osbourne, from his early work with Black Sabbath throught to his solo career and his eventual battle against drink and drugs. Includes interviews with former band-mates and celebrity fans as well as with the man himself (10, 1 hour 30 minutes, 1 Disc, BBC, PAL)
Let's Dance for Sport Relief - Celebrities re-create famous dances and compete against each other to raise money for Sport Relief. Celebrities include comedian Rowland Rivron (Fat Boy Slim), Eastenders Actors Laurie Brett (Lady GaGa) and Tameka Empson (Beyonce) and Outnumbered Actor Tyger Drew-Honey paired with CBBC presenter Dani Harmer (Bugsy Malone). The winner is Rowland Rivron. Coverage includes all 4 semi-finals + the final (10, 3 Discs, BBC, PAL)
Talk at the BBC - A compilation of interview clips broadcast by the BBC on various shows between 1950 and 1979. The interviewees range from members of the public to celebrities and politicians. Some interviews are in black and white. Celebrities include Joan Crawford (her 1st ever TV interview), Jayne Mansfield, Robert Mitchum, Bette Davis, Sammy Davis Jr, John Wayne, Ronald Reagan, Malcolm X, Martin Luther King, Lauren Bacall and Muhammad Ali (10, 3 episodes of 1 hour each, 2 Discs, BBC, PAL)
Robin Gibb : Me and my Music - A posthumous tribute to Bee Gees singer Robin Gibb, who died in 2012. This is a re-broadcast of a 2011 interview that contains clips of his performances and of songs that he wrote for other people. On the same disc is the 2001 Top of the Pops 2 live performance by the Bee Gees that also includes interviews with all 3 members of the group (10, Tribute is 25 minutes and the TOTP2 show is 43 minutes, 1 Disc, BBC, PAL)
The Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II - A documentary looking back at the 1952 Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II, with actual TV coverage and interviews with people involved in the procedings (10, 1 hour 30 minutes, 1 Disc, BBC, PAL)
A Jubilee Tribute to the Queen by the Prince of Wales - Prince Charles pays a personal tribute to his mother to mark her 60-year reign. He reflects on various public events and private family moments over the past six decades and shows previously unseen photographs and home movies (10, On the same disc as the "Elizabeth II: A Diamond Jubilee Celebration" programme, 1 hour, 1 Disc, BBC, PAL)
Elizabeth II: A Diamond Jubilee Celebration - A retrospective look at the Queen's 60-year reign, from her ascension to the throne in 1952, to her Diamond Jubilee year in 2012. Coverage includes archive footage and interviews with personal assisstants and royal correspondents (10, On the same disc as the "Jubilee Tribute to the Queen by the Prince of Wales" programme, 1 hour, 1 Disc, Channel 5, PAL)
Jubilee Thames Pageant - To mark the Queen's Diamond Jubilee, a flotilla of 1000 boats sailed down the River Thames in London, with the Queen and her family on a Royal barge leading the way. The procession ran from Battersea Bridge to Tower Bridge and marked the 1st of it's type in 350 years (10, 5 hours of coverage, 3 Discs, BBC, PAL)
The Diamond Jubilee Concert - To celebrate the Queen's Diamond Jubilee, stars of the Rock, Pop and Classical music world performed a concert for the Queen. Artists included Jessie J, Kylie Minogue, Gary Barlow, Robbie Williams, JLS, Elton John, Tom Jones, Shirley Bassey, Jools Holland, Annie Lennox, Madness, Paul McCartney, Cliff Richard, Stevie Wonder, Alfie Boe, American soprano Renee Fleming and virtuoso pianist Lang Lang. After the concert, the Queen lit the National Beacon, the last in a network of 4,000 lamps across the UK to celebrate the jubilee (9, 3 hours 15 minutes, 2 Discs, BBC, PAL)
The Diamond Jubilee Service of Thanksgiving - The Queen and members of the Royal family attended St.Pauls Cathedral followed by a Jubilee lunch with members of the public. Coverage includes interviews with members of the public and with people involved in the organising of the day (10, 4 hours 2 Discs. BBC, PAL)
The Diamond Jubilee Carriage Procession - The Queen rode from Westminster Palace to Buckingham Palace through the streets of London, which was lined with members of the public paying respects to the Queen on her Diamond Jubilee. The procession ended with the Queen on the balcony of Buckingham Palace as the RAF payed their respects with a fly-past. Coverage also includes the Queen's speech to the nation + a BBC news summary of the whole 4 days (10, 3 hours, 2 Discs, BBC, PAL)
London : A Tale of two Cities - Historian Dan Cruickshank looks at the evolution of the city of London between the start and the end of the 17th Century, as described in 2 different 1st-hand accounts written at the time. The time-frame covers the growth of the shipping industry, civil war, the great plague and the great fire (10, 1 hour in length, 1 Disc, BBC, PAL)
The Bridges that built London - Historian Dan Cruickshank explores the mysteries and secrets of the bridges that have made London what it is, from the original Bronze-age crossing at Vauxhall to the ambition of London's bridge builders themselves (10, 1 hour, 1 Disc, BBC - Cruickshank, PAL)
Volcano Live - Presenters Kate Humble and Ian Stewart broadcast 4 shows live from Kilauea Volcano in Hawai'i, explaning how Volcanoes work and how they interact with our lives. Each show includes documentaries from Volcanologists at various Volcanoes around the world + reports on the science behind Volcanoes presented by comedian Ed Byrne (10, 4 episodes of 1 Hour each, 2 Discs, BBC - Humble/Stewart, PAL)
Volcano Live : Iceland Erupts - Kate Humble investigates Iceland's Volcanic past and looks at how scientists are trying to predict the next big eruption (10, 1 hour, 1 Disc, BBC - Humble, PAL)
Faster, Higher, Stronger - A look at 4 Olympic sports (100 metres, 1500 metres, Gymnastics and Swimming) and how they have evolved since the first Olympic Games in the 1800's. The shows include interviews with key athletes of each sport + archive TV action (10, 4 episodes of 1 Hour each, 2 Discs, BBC, PAL)
Victoria Pendleton: Cycling's Golden Girl - Documentary chronicling the career of British Track Cyclist Victoria Pendelton and focusing specifically on the 4 years since her Gold Medal win in the 2008 Olympics (10, 1 hour, 1 Disc, BBC, PAL)
Olympics' Most Amazing Moments - A countdown of the Top 50 Olympic Moments featuring broadcast clips and comments from celebrities (10, 2 hours, 1 Disc, BBC - Bacon/Jackson, PAL)
Britain's Greatest Gold Medallists - A countdown of Great Britains 20 greatest Gold Medallists including interviews and TV footage. The winners include Mary Peters, Kelly Holmes, Daley Thompson, Sebastian Coe and Steve Redgrave (10, 45 minutes, 1 Disc, ITV, PAL)
Jessica Ennis : Golden Girl - A documentary following Jessica's build up to the Olympic Games in London. Includes interviews and commentary from both Jessica and her coach Toni Minichiello (10, 30 minutes - On the same disc as British Olympic Dreams, 1 Disc, BBC, PAL)
British Olympic Dreams - A follow-up review of some of the athletes featured in the series in the run-up to the Olympics. Athletes featured include Mo Farah, rower Katharine Grainger and weightlifter Zoe Smith (10, 30 minutes - On the same disc as Jessica Ennis : Golden Girl, 1 Disc, BBC, PAL)
Tribute to Bomber Command - In London's Green Park, Her Majesty the Queen and other members of the Royal family pay a long overdue tribute to those who served in RAF Bomber Command during World War II. The tribute culminates in a memorial dedication (10, 50 minutes, 1 Disc, BBC, PAL)
World of Sports - A look back at the sports broadcast on ITV during the decades of the 60's, 70's, 80's and 90's. The sports come from all around the globe and include Football, Boxing, Darts and Horse Racing as well as obscure evets such as Bus racing, Hyroplane racing and pub games (10, 4 epsiodes of 50 minutes, 2 Discs, ITV, PAL)
The Great British Bake Off : Series 3 - Over 10 weeks, 12 amateur Bakers face off in an elimination-style competition to find the best Baker. Each week, the Bakers create 3 different recipes that are judged on by Mary Berry and Paul Hollywood, and the worst Baker is eliminated. Coverage includes only the last 5 epsiodes including the Final (10, 5 episodes of 1 hour each, 3 Discs, BBC - Perkins/Giedroyc, PAL)
Kenny Everett Tribute Night - The BBC celebrated the career of Radio DJ and Television personality Kenny Everett with an evening of his shows : Meet Kenny Everett (1973), The Best of the Kenny Everett Show Parts 1 and 2 + Top of the Pops from the 11th October 1973 hosted by Kenny Everett (9, 1 hour 45 minutes, 1 Disc, BBC, PAL)
The Late Great Eric Sykes - The BBC celebrate the life and career of comedian Eric Sykes, who died in July 2012. Tributes and recollections come from Comedians Eddie Izzard and Russ Abbot, Monty Python star Michael Palin, entertainer Bruce Forsyth and film director Mike Newell. Includes clips from the shows he starred in and interviews with the man himself (10, 1 hour, 1 Disc, BBC, PAL)
JFK's road to the White House : Primary 1960 - A Fly-on-the-wall documentary on US President John F Kennedy, during the climax of his 1960 Wisconsin primary run against Hubert Humphrey. Director Robert Drew tracked the future President with a small camera, day and night for nearly a week. It captured JFK's rock-star presence, and granted viewers unprecedented access into the world of a young politician and his glamorous wife, as they campaigned across the region's landscape, building dramatic tension as the candidates awaited the ballot (10, 55 minutes, 1 Disc, BBC, PAL)
US Presidential Election - Democrat Barack Obama was re-elected as President after a tight win over Republican Mitt Romney. Obama and running mate Joe Biden won 332 delegates to the electoral college, exceeding the 270 delegates required to be elected to a second term as president. With the victory, Obama became the first Democratic president since Franklin D. Roosevelt to win the majority of the popular vote twice (10, Original BBC broadcast, 4 Discs, BBC, PAL)
Attenborough : 60 years in the wild - The BBC celebrated the 60 year career of TV naturalist Sir David Attenborough with a 3 part documentary on the changes in natural history that he has witnessed during his career. Episode 1 is "Life on Camera", Episode 2 is "Understanding the Natural World" and Episode 3 is "Our Fragile Planet". Disc 2 also includes a 30 minute 2005 interview that David Attenborough had with Mark Lawson where he reflects on his career (10, 3.5 hours, 2 Discs, BBC, PAL)
British Comedy Awards - Annual awards show to celebrate the British TV comedy scene. Winners included Best sitcom (Hunderby), Best male TV comic (Lee Mack) and Best female TV comic (Jo Brand). The Writers' Guild of Great Britain award went to Vic Reeves and Bob Mortimer and an Outstanding achievement award went to Sacha Baron Cohen, who received the award under the guise of Ali G for the 1st time since 2007 (10, 1 hour 37 minutes, 1 Disc, Channel 4 - Ross, PAL)
Clive Dunn Tribute - To commemorate the life and career of actor Clive Dunn, who died in 2012, the BBC aired 3 shows ; Don't Panic : The Dad's Army story (50 mins), The 1971 Dad's Army Christmas Special (1 hour) and a Tribute programme (29 mins) featuring contributions from colleagues and the man himself (10, 1 Disc, BBC, PAL)
Neil Armstrong : First man on the moon - A documentary chronicling the life of Neil Armstrong, from his childhood through to his death in 2012. Includes rare interviews with family and close friends + archive footage of his career (10, 1 hour, 1 Disc, BBC, PAL)
The Last Leg of the Year - Australian Comedian Adam Hills and friends Josh Widdicombe and Alex Brooker look back at the significant moments of 2012 along with celebrity guests Jamie Oliver, Nicola Adams and Johnnie Peacock (10, 50 minutes, 1 Disc, Channel 4, PAL)
Superstars 2012 - 16 medal-winning athletes from Team GB at the London Olympics compete against each other for the title of male and female Superstars champion. The male competitors are Alistair Brownlee, Jonathan Brownlee, Mo Farah, Robbie Grabarz, Michael Jamieson, Anthony Joshua, Andrew Triggs Hodge and Peter Wilson. The female competitors are Nicola Adams, Lizzie Armitstead, Laura Bechtolsheimer, Gemma Gibbons, Helen Glover, Katherine Grainger, Jade Jones and Christine Ohuruogu (10, 1 hour 30 minutes, 1 Disc, BBC - Logan/Lewis/Thomas, PAL)
Sir Patrick Moore: Astronomer, Broadcaster and Eccentric - A 40 minute posthumous tribute to Sir Patrick Moore, who died in December 2012. The BBC looks back at his life and career, as an Astronomer helping the moon landings, and as a broadcaster hosting the BBC's "The Sky at Night" from its first airing in April 1957. Includes contributions from Brian May, Tim Rice and Heather Couper. Also included on the disc is the last "Sky at Night" programme he recorded shortly before his death, episode 722, and the 1st episode recorded without him, episode 723 (10, 1 Disc, BBC, PAL)
Clinton - A 4 part series documenting the Political career of the 42nd President of the USA, Bill Clinton. The episodes follow his childhood and his early political career up to his election as President, and then cover his turbulent time in office, ending with the Monica Lewinsky affair. Each episode includes comments and interviews from key figures at the time (10, 4 episodes of 51 minutes each, 2 Discs, PBS America, PAL)
Harlots, Housewives and Heroines - Historian Dr. Lucy Worsley immerses herself in the world of Restoration England, exploring the lives of the women of the period, including the mistresses of Charles II (9, 2016 Re-Broadcast - 3 episodes of 50 minutes each, 2 Discs, BBC, PAL)
Time of our Lives : Mexico 1968 - British Olympic competitors David Hemery, Sheila Sherwood and David Broome reminisce about their performances at the 1968 Mexico City Olympics. Hemery won gold in the 400m hurdles, while Sherwood claimed a silver in the long jump, and Broome finished third in the individual show jumping discipline (9, 45 minutes, 1 Disc, SKY, PAL)
Parkinson : Masterclass - Don McCullin - Michael Parkinson is joined by renowned photojournalist Don McCullin, who discusses his career as a war photographer. Taking questions from the audience, McCullin reflects on his most-loved images, his preference of film over digital cameras and his admiration of W Eugene Smith, Alfred Stieglitz and Bill Brandt (9, 2017 Re-Broadcast - 40 minutes, 1 Disc, SKY Arts, PAL)