TELEVISION - 2013
The World in Action years - To mark 50 years since the ground-breaking current affairs programme was first broadcast, ITV looks back on its most memorable moments and investigations, including Mick Jagger discussing his drug conviction, the UK demonstrations against the Vietnam war and the campaign to free the Birmingham Six. Includes interviews with people who made the programmes + archive footage of the shows (10, 1 hour 30 minutes, 1 Disc, ITV, PAL)
Sir Patrick Moore Tribute - The BBC celebrated the life of Astronomer and TV presenter Sir Patrick Moore with an evening of his shows. The programmes included 3 episodes of the series "The Sky at Night" from 1975, 1982 and 2009 + an interview by Mark Lawson with Patrick from 2007 (9, 2 Discs, BBC, PAL)
Oprah and Lance Armstrong - In a 2 part interview with Oprah Winfrey, 7 time "Tour De France" winner Lance Armstrong finally admitted to taking Performance Enhancing Drugs and blood transfusions to help him win throughout his career (10, 1 hour 42 minutes, 1 Disc, Discovery, PAL)
The Great Comic Relief Bake Off - Over 4 days, 16 celebrity cooks baked to raise awareness of Comic Relief and it's charitable work. Episode 1 featured comedians Jo Brand, Stephen K Amos, Lorna Watson and Ingrid Oliver. Episode 2 featured Warwick Davis, Duncan Bannatyne, Simon Reeve and Andy Akinwolere. Episode 3 featured Olympian Ellie Simmonds, Kirsty Wark, Julia Bradbury and Bob Mortimer. Episode 4 featured Claudia Winkleman, Ed Byrne, Martha Kearney and Olympian Helen Glover (10, 2 Discs, BBC - Giedroyc, PAL)
Splash ! - Building on the momentum of the 2012 Olympics, ITV created a competitive, celebrity-based high-diving show. A cast of celebrities were trained by British Olympic diver Tom Daley to perform dives with the lowest point scorer voted off the show each week. The final was contested between Linda Barker (Interior Designer), Eddie "The Eagle" Edwards (Former Olympic Ski Jumper) and Jake Mancuso (Actor). The winner was Eddie "The Eagle" Edwards (10, The Final only, 1 Disc, ITV - Logan/Kay, PAL)
Wonders of Life - Physicist Professor Brian Cox, through a series of 5 x 1 hour long episodes, discovers how the laws of nature drive the most diverse and complex phenomena in the universe: life. The episodes are "What is Life?", "Expanding Universe", "Endless Forms Most Beautiful", "Size Matters" and "Home" (10, 3 Discs, BBC - Cox, PAL)
Meet the Izzards - Comedian Eddie Izzard uses his own DNA to trace the journey his ancestors made from Africa to Europe, across 200,000 years of history. Part 1 follows his maternal DNA journey and Part 2 follows his paternal DNA journey (10, 2 hours, 1 Disc, BBC - Izzard, PAL)
Lets Dance for Comic Relief - Celebrities re-create famous dances and compete against each other to raise money for Comic Relief. Celebrities include comedian Tim Vine (Justin Timberlake), Actress/Singer Jody Prenger (Cameo), Actor Anthony Cotton (Tap dancing "Anything Goes") and Comedienne Katherine Ryan (Nicki Minaj). The winner was Anthony Cotton. Coverage includes all 3 semi-finals + the final (10, 1.5 hours per show, 4 Discs, BBC - Jones/Jones, PAL)
Comic Relief's Big Chat with Graham Norton - Comedian Graham Norton hosts a marathon 6 hour chat show in an effort to raise money for Comic Relief and in an attempt to break the world record for 'most questions asked on a TV chat show'. Guests include Terry Wogan, Russell Tovey, Jimmy Carr, Martin Freeman, Keith Lemon, Louis Smith and Warwick Davis. There was music from Example, Paloma Faith, Hurts and Laura Mvula (9, 6 hours, 3 Discs, BBC, PAL)
Countryfile : A Royal Appointment - To celebrate the 25th anniversary of the show, HRH Prince Charles was invited to be guest editor. The features in the show reflected issues important to him and part of the programme was broadcast from his rural home, Highgrove, in Gloucestershire. This issue was broadcast on 10/03/13 (10, 1 Disc, BBC, PAL)
Through Hell and High Water - A group of British TV, Radio and sports personalities white-water-rafted down the Zambesi river to raise 1 million pounds for Comic Relief. The participants were Dara O'Briain (Comedian), Melanie C (Singer), Jack Dee (Comedian), Chelsee Healey (Actress), Phillips Idowu (Athlete) and Greg James (Radio DJ) (10, 1 hour, 1 Disc, BBC, PAL)
Comic Relief - In the 25th anniversary show, stars of the British Comedy and Acting world gathered together to raise money for good causes in the UK and in Africa. The show included special sketches from Ricky Gervais, The Vicar of Dibley, Call the Midwife, Peter Kay and David Walliams. Singer Jessie J also shaved her head. The event raised a record 75 million pounds (9, 4 Discs, BBC, PAL)
Our Queen - A behind-the-scenes look at the life of the Queen during her Diamond Jubilee year in 2012. Includes interviews with friends and family (10, 1 hour 35 minutes, ITV, PAL)
The One Show : 22/03/13 - Alex Jones and Chris Evans host the last ever live TV broadcast at the BBC Television centre. Guests include Sir Terry Wogan, Michael Grade, Colin Baker, Sylvester McCoy and Madness. Also, presenter Matt Baker re-creates Roy Castle's famous mass-participation tap dance in the courtyard (9, 30 minutes, 1 Disc, BBC, PAL)
Goodbye Television Centre - Former BBC chairman Michael Grade hosts a nostalgic look back at 53 years of the BBC Television centre. Includes interviews with some of the celebrities who starred at the TV centre and shows clips of some of the most memorable moments (9, 2 hours 8 minutes, 1 Disc, BBC, PAL)
A Tribute to Richard Briers - To commemorate the life and career of actor Richard Briers, who died in 2013, the BBC aired 2 shows ; A 1976 episode of "The Good Life" (30 mins) and a Tribute programme (1 hour) featuring contributions from colleagues and the man himself (9, 1 Disc, BBC, PAL)
BBC Margaret Thatcher Tribute - The BBC ran a tribute to former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher after her death in April 2013. The programme includes interviews with family an friends (10, 1.5 hours, 1 Disc, BBC, PAL)
ITV Margaret Thatcher Tribute - ITV ran a tribute to former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher after her death in April 2013. The programme includes interviews with family an friends (10, On the same disc as Question Time 11/04/13, 50 minutes, 1 Disc, BBC, PAL)
Question Time 11/04/13 - In a special edition of the show, broadcast from Margaret Thatchers old constituency of Finchley, the panel answer questions and discuss the political career of the former Prime Minister. The Panel consists of former conservative MP Ken Clarke, Labour MP David Blunkett, Liberal MP Ming Campbell, Journalist Polly Toynbee and Charles Moore, a writer of a biography on Margaret Thatcher (10, On the same disc as the Margaret Thatcher ITV tribute - 1 hour, 1 Disc, BBC, PAL)
When Frost met Bakewell - To commemorate her 80th birthday, British female broadcaster Joan Bakewell is interviewed by Sir David Frost about her life and career (10, 1 hour - On the same disc as "Bakewell at the BBC", 1 Disc, BBC, PAL)
Bakewell at the BBC - The BBC looks back at the career of British female broadcaster Joan Bakewell, using archive Television clips of some of her best interviews, including Robin Day, Kenneth Clark, Bette Davies, Arthur Askey, Nelson Mandela, Bing Crosby and Jacob Bronowski (10, 1 hour - On the same disc as "When Frost met Bakewell", 1 Disc, BBC, PAL)
Margaret Thatcher's Funeral - Full coverage of the Ceremonial Funeral service of former Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher (2 versions : 10, 3 hours 5 minutes, 2 Discs, BBC - Dimbleby, PAL / 10, 3 hours 5 minutes, 2 Discs, SKY News, PAL)
Dave Allen : God's Own Comedian - A look at the life, work and legacy of Irish comedy writer and performer Dave Allen. Features interviews with family and friends including Steven Berkoff, Stephen Frears and Maggie Smith, as well as rare archive material (10, 1 hour, 1 Disc, BBC, PAL)
Dave Allen : The Immaculate Selection - An anthology of Irish comedian Dave Allen's finest, funniest and most irreverent material, compiled from his time at the BBC from 1971 to 1986 (9, On the same disc as 1974 Dave Allen : In Search of the Great English Eccentric, 50 minutes, 1 Disc, BBC, PAL)
Britain's got Talent - The Live Final - A wide-open final was won by performance artists "Attraction" who beat 14 year old comedian Jack Carroll into 2nd place. Attraction's win earned the group £250,000 prize money + a chance to perform at the Royal Variety performance. Coverage also includes judge Simon Cowell having eggs thrown at him by a protester who stormed the stage during one of the performances (10, Includes ITV2 post-show + funniest moments of the previous 7 series, 2 Discs, ITV, PAL)
Bollywood Carmen Live - To celebrate 100 years of Bollywood, the BBC broadcast a one-off musical spectacular performed live in the centre of Bradford. The musical is based on Bizet's "Carmen" and includes music that mixes Bollywood classics, western pop and well-known tunes from Bizet's score. The cast features Abhay Deol and Preeya Kalidas (10, 1 hour 2 minutes, 1 Disc, BBC, PAL)
Rise of the Continents - Professor Iain Stewart examines the key geological developments in the birth and maturation of the 4 continents of the world : Africa, Australia, the Americas and Eurasia (10, 4 episodes of 1 hour each, 2 Discs, BBC - Stewart, PAL)
Goodbye Granada land - Hosted by comedian Peter Kay, ITV remembers the Granada TV studios in Manchester which will close in 2013 after 57 years of broadcasting. The retrospective looks back at some of the best shows the studio produced and includes archive clips and interviews with the stars of the shows (10, 1 hour 8 minutes, 1 Disc, PAL)
Burton and Taylor - The story of the final stage reunion of Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor in the 1983 performance of Noel Coward's "Private Lives". In public there was media talk of the pair marrying for the 3rd time but behind the scenes, the pair were coming to the conclusion that their lives were destined to be apart. Dominic West plays Richard Burton with Helena Bonham-Carter playing Elizabeth Taylor (10, 1 hour 30 minutes, BBC, PAL)
Alan Whicker - Journey's End - Stephen Fry narrates a testimonial of TV reporter Alan Whicker, who died in 2013. Using interviews with friends and archive material from 50 years of TV reporting, Fry describes how Whicker introduced an insular England to the larger world (10, 45 minutes, ITV, PAL)
Sharknado - A "Made for Television" disaster movie about a waterspout that lifts man-eating sharks out of the Pacific Ocean and deposits them in Los Angeles, causing panic and carnage. The movie was noted for its over-the-top acting, flying shark special effects and large plot holes. This is the 1st British TV showing (10, 1 hour 23 minutes, 1 Disc, Syfy, PAL)
David Frost : Hello, Good Evening & Farewell - A tribute to the late broadcasting legend, looking back on his pioneering career on both sides of the Atlantic, from That Was the Week That Was to The Frost Report, TV-am to Through the Keyhole. The programme recalls his revealing interviews with former US President Richard Nixon following the Watergate scandal, and hears from colleagues and friends who worked with Frost over the decades (10, 50 minutes, 1 Disc, ITV, PAL)
When Miranda met Bruce - Comedian Miranda Hart chats to Entertainer Bruce Forsyth as he celebrates 70 years in showbusiness. Along with archive clips of his career and interviews with friends and colleagues, Miranda and Bruce perform a Piano duet and a dance together to close the show (10, 1 Hour 5 minutes, 1 Disc, BBC, PAL)
The Making of Merkel - Andrew Marr examines the life and career of German Chancellor Angela Merkel, from her upbringing in East Germany, to her rise to leader of the German nation and champion of the European Union (10, 1 Hour, 1 Disc, BBC, PAL)
Hello : A Portrait of Leslie Phillips - A BBC documentary exploring the life and career of English actor, Leslie Phillips, whose career has spanned 75 years. Phillips invites cameras into his home as he offers an insight into his personal life and reveals the key to his success and longevity. Featuring contributions by Anthony Hopkins, John Hurt, Richard E Grant and Miranda Richardson.(10, 1 hour, 1 Disc, Channel 4, PAL)
This Morning : 25th Anniversary - To celebrate 25 years since the 1st ground-breaking episode, the show welcomed back past presenters and celebrities for an anniversary show that also showed old clips and interviews. Includes Richard Madeley and Judy Finnigan, Phillip Schofield, Holly Willoughby, Eamonn Holmes and Ruth Langsford + Keith Lemon presenting the weather (9, 1 hour 27 minutes, 1 Disc, ITV, PAL)
The Great British Bake Off : Series 4 - 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 and the Final (10, 3 episodes of 1 hour each, 2 Discs, BBC - Perkins/Giedroyc, PAL)
Keeping up with the Brownlees - Documentary following the lives of Tri-Athletes Alistair and Johnny Brownlee. The programme looks at their up-bringing and follows their day-to-day lives. Includes interviews with both brothers (10, 47 minutes, 1 Disc, BT Sport, PAL)
Boris Johnson : The Irresistible Rise - A documentary following the life and career of London Mayor Boris Johnson. Includes interviews with Friends, Family, Colleagues and adversaries (10, 1 hour, 1 Disc, BBC, PAL)
Curtain : Poirot's Last Case - In the final ever case for Agatha Christie's Hercule Poirot, he returns to the scene of his 1st ever case and teams up with his old friend Captain Hastings to prevent a murder. Poirot is played for the final time by David Suchet in his 70th episode (10, 1 Hour 30 minutes, 1 Disc, ITV, PAL)
Being Poirot - Poirot actor David Suchet embarks on a journey to find the appeal of the ficticious Belgian Detective and goes behind the scenes of filming for the final ever episode (10, 50 minutes, 1 Disc, ITV, PAL)
The Day Kennedy Died - A documentary, narrated by Kevin Spacey, tells the story of the events of November 22, 1963, through the eyes of those who were there and whose lives were touched for ever by the assassination of US president John F Kennedy. Includes interviews with the doctor who tried to save him, a man who witnessed the shooting as a six-year-old, the person wrongly accused of killing him, and the woman who unknowingly sheltered the real culprit, Lee Harvey Oswald (10, 53 minutes, 1 Disc, ITV, PAL)
JFK : The Final Visit - A documentary detailing the story of the US president John F Kennedy's last trip to Britain in June 1963. Includes interviews with former prime minister Gordon Brown, the Earl of Stockton and the US secret serviceman who was in charge of security when Kennedy was killed in Dallas on November 22, 1963. On the same disc as 2013 Days That Shook the World (10, 30 minutes, 1 Disc, BBC, PAL)
Days that Shook the World - A dramatic reconstruction of the events leading up to John F Kennedy's assassination in Dallas in November 1963, featuring interviews with a family who were the closest eyewitnesses to the shooting, the surgeon who worked to save the president's life 10 minutes after the attack, and JFK's press secretary - the man entrusted with informing the American people that their leader had been killed. On the same disc as 2013 JFK : The Final Visit (10, 30 minutes, 1 Disc, BBC, PAL)
Morecambe and Wise : The Whole Story - A documentary looking at the life and career of comedy duo Morecambe and Wise. Part 1 follows their earlier career through to their time at ITV, while Part 2 follows their career at the BBC and the death of Eric Morecambe. Includes archive clips and interviews with Eric and Ernie and with their families, friends and colleagues (10, 2 episodes of 1 hour 30 minutes each, 2 Discs, BBC, PAL)
Stephen Hawking : A Brief History of Mine - A documentary looking at the life of 71 year old British Physicist Professor Stephen Hawking. He presents a personal account of his upbringing and student days, the process that led to some of his most important scientific discoveries and his 50-year struggle with motor neurone disease (10, 1 hour 30 minutes, 1 Disc, BBC, PAL)
Nelson Mandela : BBC News 05/12/13 - Live news coverage of the death of former South African President Nelson Mandela (10, On the same disc as ITV News 05/12/13, 1 hour, 1 Disc, PAL)
Nelson Mandela : ITV News 05/12/13 - Live news coverage of the death of former South African President Nelson Mandela (10, On the same disc as BBC News 05/12/13, 1 hour, 1 Disc, PAL)
Newsnight 06/12/13 - Kirsty Wark looks back at the political situation in South Africa at the time of Nelson Mandela's release from Jail in 1990. Includes interviews with former US president Bill Clinton and BBC news reporter Michael Buerk (10, On the same disc as Fight for Freedom, 50 minutes, 1 Disc, BBC, PAL)
Nelson Mandela : Fight for Freedom - David Dimbleby looks back at the life of Nelson Mandela including interviews he personally conducted with the former South African president in 2003. Includes interviews with former US president Bill Clinton, Archbishop Desmond Tutu and musician Bob Geldof (10, On the same disc as Newsnight 06/12/13, 1 hour, 1 Disc, BBC, PAL)
NewsTalk Live 06/12/13 - The news programme looks at the legacy that Nelson Mandela has provided for South Africa (10, On the same disc as Nelson Mandela : Superstar, 30 minutes, 1 Disc, Channel 5, PAL)
Nelson Mandela : Superstar - Documentary showing how South Africa's first black president became one of the most celebrated people in the world and how affected the lives of black people in the UK. The programme features personal accounts from David Harewood, Melanie B, Jamelia, Levi Roots, Ozwald Boateng, Trevor Nelson, John Barnes, Kelly Holmes and Andi Osho and also looks at the role music played in the fall of apartheid with interviews from Bob Geldof and Jim Kerr (10, On the same disc as NewsTalk Live 06/12/13, 45 minutes, 1 Disc, Channel 4, PAL)
Nelson Mandela's Funeral - Full coverage of the former President of South Africa's funeral, live from Qudu. Includes 1 hour hi-lites of the memorial service on the 11/12/13 (9, 7 hours, 4 Discs, BBC - Dimbleby, PAL)
Crackanory : Series 1 - An adult version of the legendary kid's show, Jackanory. 2 guest celebrities each week tell a story that has a moral message with a twist. Includes readings from Jack Dee, Sally Phillips, Rebecca Front, Kevin Eldon, Harry Enfield, Sarah Solemani, Sharon Horgan, Charlie Higson, Richard Hammond, Jessica Hynes, Stephen Mangan and Hugh Dennis (10, 6 epsiodes of 30 minutes each, 2 Discs, Dave, PAL)
Mel Smith : I've Sort of Done Things - A tribute to Comedian Mel Smith who died in 2013. The show follows his life through school and college and includes archive clips of shows he was in and interviews with friends and colleagues (9, On the same disc as 2007 Comedy Connections : Alas Smith and Jones, 1 hour, 1 Disc, BBC, PAL)
ITV's Year of Sport - ITV look back at the sports they covered in 2013 including the Tour De France, Tennis in Paris, Darts, Snooker, The UEFA Champions League and England National team football (10, 50 minutes, 1 Disc, ITV, PAL)
Bear's Wild Weekend with Stephen Fry - Adventurer/Explorer Bear Grylls takes Actor, Writer and Comedian Stephen Fry on a weekend expedition to Italian Dolomite Mountains, living in the wild and conquering natural obstacles (10, 50 minutes, 1 Disc, ITV, PAL)
A Very British Murder - Historian Lucy Worsley examines the British fascination with Murder, looking back at famous murders in British history and how they were reported to the public (10, 3 episodes of 1 hour, 2 Discs, BBC, PAL)
Secret Knowledge : Bolsover Castle - Historian Dr. Lucy Worsley looks at the history of Bolsover Castle in Derbyshire, revealing its place in 17th century English history (10, 2016 re-broadcast, 22 minutes, 1 Disc, BBC, PAL)
Rich Hall's You Can Go to Hell, I'm Going to Texas - American comedian Rich Hall visits Texas in search of what it means to be a Texan. With the help of scholars, ranchers and musicians, he seeks the truth behind the many myths and legends in history and on-screen, and incorporates interviews, archive clips of films, historical photographs and footage to make his point. He visits the ranches of Marfa, the music of Austin and the oil fields of Beaumont and gains and insight into the Texan psyche through its politics, sports, movies, industries and lifestyle (9, 1 hour 30 minutes, 1 Disc, BBC, PAL)
Christmas '77 with the Sex Pistols - In this film by Julian Temple, he socially and musically looks back at Christmas 1977. England was in the middle of a Fire Service strike and, as a goodwill gesture, the Sex Pistols offered to perform 2 separate concerts in Huddersfield for the local children and the adults. The programme also includes concert footage and comments from Joe Lydon, Steve Jones and Paul Cook + TV footage from the time that describes what Christmas was like in 1977 (10, 1 hour, 1 Disc, BBC, PAL)
Richard Pryor : Omit the Logic - A portrait of legendary comedian Richard Pryor which looks back at his life and career, from his troubled youth to his meteoric rise as one of the most respected - and controversial - comic actors of the 20th century and to his premature death due to MS in 2005. Includes archive audio and video performances + interviews with family and friends including Mel Brooks and Robin Williams (9, 1 hour 18 minutes, 1 Disc, BBC, PAL)
The Launch of BT Sport - On the 1st August 2013, BT Sport channel was launched. Presenter Jake Humphrey hosted the opening of the channel (9, 1 Hour, 1 Disc, PAL)