TELEVISION - 2018
25 years of Meridian - To celebrate 25 years since the launch of Meridian TV, which serves the central Southern counties, the show looks back at events that made the news. These include the opening broadcast, the big news events, the changes in fortunes of the Souths football teams and the Weather (9, 30 minutes, 1 Disc, ITV, PAL)
Big Cats - Documentary series uncovering the lives of big cats, following some of the most secretive animals in the world. Includes coverage of the biggest cats (Lions, Tigers, Cheetahs and the Canada Lynx) and the smallest (Rusty-spotted cat, black-footed cat, Pallas's cat and the Serval) (10, 3 episodes of 1 hour each, 2 Discs, BBC, PAL)
Hitchcock's Shower Scene : 78/52 - An in-depth look at one of the most iconic scenes in cinematic history : The Shower scene from Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho. With commentary from fellow film makers, editors and photographers, each scene is analysed and deconstructed and put into context with the film and it's legacy. The documentary is predominantly in black and white (10, 1 hour 25 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. Coverage includes the Celebrity Boat Race, John Bishop : England Manager, Andy Murray on the Midnight Gameshow and the 3 Celebrity Boxing matches ; Helen Skelton v Camilla Thurlow, Wayne Bridge v Spence Matthews and Vanessa White v Hannah Spearritt (10, 1 hour 35 minutes hi-lites, 1 Disc, BBC, PAL)
Fireworks for a Tudor Queen - Historian Dr. Lucy Worsley teams up with artist and materials scientist Zoe Laughlin to explore the explosive science and fascinating history of fireworks to replicate a mind-blowing fireworks display especially designed for Queen Elizabeth I (10, 1 hour 27 minutes, 1 Disc, BBC, PAL)
Putin : The New Tsar - The story of the rise of Russia's Vladimir Putin - from a lowly KGB colonel to Boris Yeltsin's right-hand man and ultimately his successor. Includes interviews with friends and rivals including former confidante Sergei Pugachev, Chess master Gary Kasparov who tried and failed to run against him in the election and recounts his failed attempt to stand against him, and oligarch Mikhail Khordokovsky, who was jailed and stripped of his wealth after Putin clamped down on corruption while trying to re-build his country (10, 1 hour, 1 Disc, BBC, PAL)
The Generation Game - Comedians Mel Giedroyc and Sue Perkins host 2 special editions of the show that asks members of the public to try and master complex tasks without any rehearsal. Mel and Sue are joined by special guests Johnny Vegas, Martin Kemp, Richard Osman, Lorraine Kelly, Melvin Odoom, Roisin Conaty and Danny Dyer (10, 2 episodes of 1 hour each, 1 Disc, BBC, PAL)
The Funeral Murders - A documentary looking back at a dramatic and deadly series of events that took place at two funerals in Belfast in March 1988. At the first funeral, loyalist paramilitary Michael Stone killed 3 people including IRA member Kevin Brady. At Brady's funeral 3 days later, 2 British soldiers driving recklessly near the funeral procession were mistaken for another loyallist attack and were captured and executed by members of the procession. With testimonies from republicans, loyalists and security forces involved at the time, the documentary looks at the events before, during and after the funerals to make sense of why the murders took place (10, 1 hour, 1 Disc, BBC, PAL)
RAF at 100 - To celebrate the centenary of the Royal Air Force, actor Ewan McGregor and his brother, former RAF pilot Colin, tell the story of the RAF through its iconic planes, memorable campaigns and heroic members. Includes interviews with Battle of Britain pilot Geoffrey Wellum, ATA pilots Mary Ellis and Joy Lofthouse and Cold War aircrew Jonny Tye and Martin Withers before Ewan and Colin take to the skies in a Typhoon fighter (10, 1 hour 30 minutes, 1 Disc, BBC, PAL)
Larry Grayson : Shut that door - A look back at the life and career of stage and television entertainer Larry Grayson, from his unique upbringing in Stoke and his early career on the stage in London, to his big breakthrough on Television with "The Generation Game" in 1978. Includes archive clips of his TV shows and interviews with friends and colleagues (10, 1 hour 30 minutes, 1 Disc, BBC, PAL)
Martin Luther King by Trevor McDonald - On the 50th anniversary of his death, Sir Trevor McDonald looks back at the career of Civil Rights campaigner Martin Luther King. On his journey through the deep south, Sir Trevor interviews people close to Doctor King to understand what he went through to change the American mindset in relation to racial equality. Includes interviews with John Lewis, the US Representative for Georgia who marched alongside King, the former US Secretary of State Colin Powell, Rev Al Sharpton and Doctor King's former Secretary Willie Pearl Mackey King (10, 1 hour, 1 Disc, ITV, PAL)
Zoe Ball's Hardest road home - For Sport Relief, British radio and TV presenter Zoe Ball attempts to cycle from her birth hometown of Blackpool to her current home in Brighton to raise awareness of Male depression. Along the way she meets people who have had to deal with depression and families that have had to cope with losing someone with depression (10, 1 hour, 1 Disc, BBC, PAL)
Gareth Thomas' Silver Skydivers - For Sport Relief, former professional Rugby player Gareth Thomas attempts to cobble together a group of over-60s to take part in a skydive. The idea of the venture is to show retired people that there is an active life after giving up work (10, 1 hour, 1 Disc, BBC, PAL)
Ant and Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway : 31/03/18 - The first episode after co-host Anthony McPartlin went into rehab, forcing Declan Donnelly to present the show on his own. It was the first time in 30 years that Dec had presented a show without Ant. The guest studio announcer is Stephen Merchant and the musical guest is Paloma Faith, who sings "Upside Down" (9, 1 hour 8 minutes, 1 Disc, ITV, PAL)
Britain's most Historic Towns : Winchester - Historian Dr.Alice Roberts looks at the old capital of England, Winchester, and it's place in the shaping of modern England after the Norman invasion of 1066 (9, 46 minutes, 1 Disc, Channel 4, PAL)
Cunk on Britain - A mockumentary, presented by Diane Morgan as Philomena Cunk, that traces the history of Britain from the Big Bang to Brexit. Each episode looks at the key moments in the history and asks genuine experts what was going on at the moment. The series was written by Charlie Brooker (9, 5 episodes of 25 minutes each, 2 Discs, BBC, PAL)
The Royal Wedding : Prince Harry and Meghan Markle - Coverage includes a 1 hour BBC special from the day before the wedding + full BBC coverage from the wedding day (9, 9 hours of coverage, 5 Discs, BBC - Edwards/O'Leary/Young, PAL)
Peter Kay's Car Share : The Finale - The final episode of the comedy that wraps up the budding romance between supermarket assistant manager John Redmond (Peter Kay) and promotions rep Kayleigh Kitson (Sian Gibson). Set the day after the Series 2 finale, John has had time to think about what Kayleigh said and goes about letting her know how he feels. Also includes 2 other episodes : Unscripted (improvised episode) and Series 2, Episode 4 (Series 2 finale) (9, 3 Episodes of 27 minutes each, 1 Disc, BBC, PAL)
Barry Davies : The Man, The Voice, The Legend - On the eve of his retirement, Sue Barker meets BBC Sports commentator Barry Davies to reflect on his outstanding career as the voice of sport during more than 50 years at the BBC. They both look back at his life and career and reflect on some of his iconic moments behind the microphone, including World Cup, FA Cup and Wimbledon finals, Olympic golden moments and the Boat Race. Includes archive action and interviews with John Motson, Gary Lineker, Rio Ferdinand, Alan Shearer, Sir Matthew Pinsent, Jayne Torvill, Sean Kerly and Kate Richardson-Walsh (10, 50 minutes, 1 Disc, BBC, PAL)
Tracey Breaks the News - Series 2 - Tracey Ullman reviews the news, with satirical looks at Theresa May, Melania Trump, Nicola Sturgeon and Angela Merkel (9, 3 episodes of 25 minutes each, 1 Disc, BBC, PAL)
Snatches - A compilation of eight monologues, written and performed by women, inspired by women who have spoken out, challenged the status quo or made a stand in life. The cover a range of topics, from the casting couch to rape in marriage, from the 1960's sexual revolution to the Cot Death syndrome. The monologues are performed by Shirley Henderson (Bridget Jones), Kiran Sonia Sawar (Black Mirror), Jodie Comer (My Big Fat Diary), Romola Garai (Atonement, The Hour), Antonia Thomas (Misfits), Siobhan Finneran (Downton Abbey), Liv Hill (Three Girls) and Corinne Skinner-Carter (EastEnders) (9, 8 episodes of between 9 and 15 minutes each, 1 Disc, BBC, PAL)
Beach Live : Jurassic Coast Revealed - A series of 3 episodes broadcast live from the Jurassic Coast in Dorset, revealing the hidden secrets of Charmouth beach. Presented by Historian Dan Snow, Zoologist Lucy Cooke and Biologist Niall Strawson, the series looks at Dorset's Fossil history + the links to the 2nd World War and the Normandy invasion (10, 3 episodes of 1 hour each, 2 Discs, BBC - Snow/Cooke/Strawson, PAL)
Kate Adie : I was there - Tiananmen Square 1989 - Documentary from former British BBC Journalist Kate Adie, looking back at her historic coverage of the massacre in Tiananmen Square, Beijing, in June 1989. Kate recalls how she was wounded by gunfire and narrowly escaped death herself as she and her cameraman remained in the line of fire while an estimated 2,000 pro-democracy demonstrators were shot down by Chinese government troops. Kate reviews the reports she made on the ground, with additional insight from leading historian Professor Steve Tsang, and assesses how China has been portrayed since the event (9, 1 hour, 1 Disc, BBC, PAL)
Suffragettes with Lucy Worsley - To mark 100 years since the first women were allowed to vote in the UK, Historian Dr. Lucy Worsley looks at the history of the Suffragette movement, in a mockumentary format, from the point of view of ordinary, young working-class women. She explores the actions of these women, while their own words are delivered in emotive pieces of dramatised testimony (9, 1 hour 29 minutes, 1 Disc, BBC, PAL)
Jupiter Revealed - Using information gained from Nasa's Juno mission, scientists take a more informed look at the biggest planet in the solar system : Jupiter. They look at the composition of the planet, its Weather and what it can tell scientists about the birth of the Solar System (10, 1 hour, 1 Disc, BBC, PAL)
The Space Shuttle : Triumph and Tragedy - The inside story of Nasa's reusable spacecraft. The programme look back at how the shuttle re-invented Space Travel and brought about the creation of the International Space Station, but the project's costs proved to be far higher than predicted and the Challenger and Columbia disasters hastened its retirement (9, 2 episodes of 45 minutes, 1 Disc, Channel 5, PAL)
Reporting Trump's first year : The Fourth Estate - A fly-on-the-wall documentary following the inner workings of The New York Times, one of the most prolific American media outlets, during the first 12 months of Donald Trump's presidency (9, 4 episodes of between 53 minutes and 1 hour 14 minutes, 3 Discs, BBC, PAL)
The Lenny Henry Birthday Show - In front of a studio audience, Sir Trevor McDonald takes a lighthearted look back at the career of British Comedian Lenny Henry to celebrate his sixtieth birthday, and also introduces new sketches (9, 1 hour, 1 Disc, BBC, PAL)
Hang Ups : Series 1 - Hang Ups is a British television sitcom co-written by and starring Stephen Mangan, who portrays Dr Richard Pitt, a troubled therapist who decides to start quick-fire therapy sessions through a webcam. Also stars Katherine Parkinson, Karl Theobald, Richard E. Grant, Charles Dance, Jessica Hynes and Celia Imrie (10, 6 Episodes of 23 minutes each, 2 Discs, Channel 4, PAL)
Travels in Trumpland with Ed Balls - Former British Politician Ed Balls travels to America's Deep South to immerse himself in the lives of those who put President Donald Trump in power, and learn how the reality TV businessman won them over. Ed tries his hand at WWE wrestling, he gets Tazered and also tries "Hick Hopping", a form of Country Rap Music (9, 3 Episodes of 1 hour each, 2 Discs, BBC, PAL)
16/10/18 - Blue Peter : 60th Birthday - In a one-hour live special, 60 Years on from Blue Peter's very first episode, CBBC broadcast a 60th Birthday special. Co-Presenters Lindsey and Radzi celebrated with makes, games and lots of classic features and music was provided by Jonas Blue, HRVY, The Vamps and Sophie Ellis-Bextor. Lindesy and Radzi were joined by previous presenters Valerie Singleton, Peter Purves, Anthea Turner, Konnie Huq and Tim Vincent. Coverage also includes the 15/10/18 episode of "The One Show", featuring previous Blue Peter presenters Connie Huq, Sarah Greene, Mark Curry, Simon Thomas and Matt Baker (9, 1 Disc, BBC, PAL)
This Morning : 30 Unforgettable Years - To celenrate the 30th anniversary of the show starting, Joanna Lumley looked back at the success of Britain's longest running daytime show. The show changed the way daytime TV was presented and endeared itself to the nation with giggles, gaffes and jaw-dropping moments such as Gino cooking in the nude and Phillip and Holly presenting the show still drunk after and awards show. Includes interviews with past and present presenters Phillip Schofield, Holly Willoughby, Richard Madeley, Judy Finnigan, Fern Britton, Eamonn Holmes, Ruth Langsford, Keith Lemon and Gino d’Acampo (10, 1 hour 1 minute, 1 Disc, ITV, PAL)
Our Everest Challenge with Ben Fogle and Victoria Pendleton - British adventurer Ben Fogle and former Olympian Victoria Pendleton attempt to climb the highest mountain in the world at an altitude of 8,848 metres. With 2 years of preparation, the pair team up with veteran mountaineer Kenton Cool and endure physical exhaustion, extreme conditions and misfortune en-route to the top of the world (9, 47 minutes, 1 Disc, ITV, PAL)
Celebrity Island with Bear Grylls : Season 3 - 11 Celebrities were left on a remote uninhabited Pacific island for 4 weeks with only limited water, some basic tools and training and were expected to find their own food, water and shelter. They had to endure wild weather, biting insects, starvation and in-fighting to make it to the end and some failed to make it. The celebrities were Anthony Ogogo (Boxer), Eric Roberts (Actor), James Cracknell (Former Rower), Jo Wood (Former Model), Martin Kemp (Actor and Musician), Montana Brown (Reality TV contestant), Paris Lees (Transgender Journalist), Pete Wicks (Reality TV actor), Roxanne Pallett (Actress) and Saleyha Ahsan (Doctor and journalist) (9, 5 episodes of 45 minutes each, 3 Discs, Channel 4, PAL)
Eight go Rallying : The Road to Saigon - Four celebrity duos join a group of classic car enthusiasts on an endurance rally from Thailand to Vietnam, a journey of over 3,000km, with each couple driving a pre-1972 classic car. The duos are broadcasting legend Noel Edmonds and his wife Liz, husband and wife Martin Kemp (Spandau Ballet) and Shirlie Kemp (Wham!), restaurateur and food broadcaster Andi Oliver and her TV presenter daughter Miquita Oliver and musicians Tinchy Stryder and Jordan Stephens (Rizzle Kicks) (9, 4 episodes of 1 hour each, 2 Discs, BBC, PAL)
Inside No.9 - Halloween special - In a special live edition for Halloween, Steve Pemberton and Reece Shearsmith pull out all the stops to scare and entertain. When Arthur Flitwick (Steve Pemberton) finds an old mobile phone in his local graveyard, he makes the mistake of trying to contact the owner. From that point on, things take a sinister and gruesome turn. Also features Stephanie Cole (10, 32 minutes, 1 Disc, BBC, PAL)
Strictly the Best - Past Strictly celebrities reminisce about their time on BBC's Strictly Come Dancing and share insider stories, rituals and secrets from the past 15 series. Includes a look at some of the most memorable routines, the highs and lows, and also the light-hearted moments that make the show the big hit it is (10, 1 Hour 12 minutes, 1 Disc, BBC, PAL)
World War 1 Remembered : The Cenotaph - David Dimbleby presented live coverage from The Cenotaph in Whitehall for the nation's Remembrance Sunday commemorations,100 years to the day from the end of World War One. The Queen was in attendance and watched Prince Charles lay a wreath at the foot of The Cenotaph. After a 2 minute silence at 11am, a procession of 10,000 members of the public joined veterans in a walk-past on Whitehall to remember the men and women who died serving their country during World War One. Coverage includes BBC Breakfast live from the Cenotaph (11/11/18) + full coverage of the Cenotaph presentation (10, 4 Hours, 2 Discs, BBC - Dimbleby/Snow/Daheley, PAL)
Stand up to Cancer - Hi-Lites - Full "Celebrity Gogglebox" with Danny Dyer, Erice Dier, Delle Ali, Peter Crouch and Abby Clancy + "Car-Pool Karaoke" with Michael Buble (9, 1 hour 15 minutes, 1 Disc, Channel 4, PAL)
A Great Sporting Year - Former Olympic Athlete Jessica Ennis-Hill looks back at the 2018 Sporting Year. Includes action from the Winter Olympics, Commonwealth Game and the FIFA World Cup + the best from other sports. Also includes an interview with England Football manager Gareth Southgate (9, 1 hour, 1 Disc, BBC, PAL)
Tomorrows World Live - In a special live 90-minute edition of the iconic science and technology programme, presenters Maggie Philbin, Howard Stableford and Dr Hannah Fry took a nostalgic look back at highlights from the archive, discovered the latest in British inventions, tested cutting-edge technologies live in the studio, and looked forward to the science and technology that will shape the future. Also features original presenters Judith Hann and Peter Snow (9, 1 hour 29 minutes, 1 Disc, BBC - Philbin/Fry/Stapleford, PAL)
Billy Connolly's Ultimate World Tour - Scottish comedian Billy Connolly takes viewers on a trip around his new home state of Florida in his convertible classic car, stopping along the way to look back at his travels across the planet over the last 25 years. Includes highlights from tours to countries including Scotland, Canada and Australia (9, 46 minutes, 1 Disc, ITV, PAL)
Darcey Bussell : Dancing to Happiness - Former prima ballerina Darcey Bussell looks at how important dancing can be for a happy and healthy life. She talks with professionals about how dancing can combat mental illness, depression and loneliness (10, 1 Hour, 1 Disc, BBC, PAL)
Not Going Out : Live - The 2018 Christmas Special, "Ding Dong Merrily on Live", was broadcast live. Press-Ganged into organising a Christmas variety show to raise money for their children's school, Lee and Lucy struggle to find acts to fill out the show. Lucy books a knife-thrower, much to Lee's annoyance, while Toby and Anna debut their version of the "Elements Song" (10, 30 minutes, 1 Disc, BBC, PAL)
Theresa May Leadership Challenge Vote - On the 12th December 2018, the Conservative Party were asked to vote on a show of confidence for Theresa May as leader of the Party. The vote was triggered by disgruntled members of her own party. If she had lost, she would have had to step down as Prime Minister. Fortunately, the vote went her way, but her position was severly weakend. Also includes 25 minute review of the year in Politics (10, 35 minutes, 1 Disc, BBC - Neil, PAL)
Running Wild with Roger Federer - Survivalist Bear Grylls spends a weekend with Swiss Tennis Player Roger Federer in the Swiss Alps (10, 41 minutes, 1 Disc, ITV, PAL)
Bear's Mission with Gareth Southgate - Survivalist Bear Grylls spends a weekend with England National Football team manager Gareth Southgate in the wilds of Dartmoor, going through the tough training regime of the Commandos (10, 46 minutes, 1 Disc, ITV, PAL)
Fatberg Autopsy : Secrets of the Sewers - Presenter Rick Edwards takes a close look at the largest "fatberg" in the sewers under the streets of London : the 750 metres long monster in Whitechapel. He follows the crew trying to break it up and then looks at the contents of the fatberg to see what it is made of (10, 1 hour, 1 Disc, BBC, PAL)
The Morecambe and Wise Show : The Lost Tapes - Introduced by Michael Aspel, he tells the story of how 2 lost episodes from the 1960's comedy show were found in an African TV company. The episodes were 30/09/1968 with special guest Ronnie Caroll, and 14/10/1968 with special guests Michael Aspel and Chris Langford. Both episodes are shown in full, with the 14/10/68 episode re-coloured (10, 2 Episodes of 30 minutes each, 1 Disc, BBC, PAL)
BBC Review of the Year - 7 programmes looking back at the events of 2018. The 7 programmes are "The Year in Film", "The Year in Politics", "The Year in Science", "The Royal Year", " The Year in Sport", " Football Fever" and "We Remember" which is a look back at the people who passed away in 2018 (10, 7 Episodes of 25 minutes each, 2 Discs, BBC, PAL)
Frankie Boyle's New World Order - Comedian Frankie Boyle looks back at an eventful 2018 with studio guests Miles Jupp, Jamali Maddix, Angela Barnes and Mona Chalabi (10, 42 minutes, 1 Disc, BBC, PAL)
Theresa May Leadership Vote - On the 12th December, Prime Minister Theresa May faced a Leadership challenge, triggered by 48 of her own MP's angry at her Brexit policy. In a tight decision, she won the vote of confidence in her leadership of the Conservative Party by 200 to 117. Coverage includes the 35 minute live broadcast from Westminster + a 25 minute review of the year 2018 in Politics (10, 1 hour, 1 Disc, BBC, PAL)
They Shall Not Grow Old - A 2018 documentary directed and produced by Peter Jackson. It combines audio and video footage from the First World War to give a first hand account of the horrors of the campaign. The video footage has also been colourised to give a more realistic experience. The audio is taken from 200 BBC and Imperial War Museums interviews and features enlisted men from all walks of life and all ranks of the services (10, 1 hour 33 minutes, 1 Disc, BBC, PAL)
Rich Hall's Working for the American Dream - American comedian Rich Hall explores the American dream and the credo that drives the American people : work hard and you will succeed. Rich looks at the highs and lows of striving for the dream, and asks if it actually exists or if it's just a myth that's become unobtainable for Americans (10, 1 hour 29 minutes, 1 Disc, BBC, PAL)
Apollo's Daring Mission - The story of Apollo 8, the first manned mission to travel to the moon and back. The mission was brought forward, despite safety issues, as the space race with Russia escalated. The mission proved that a manned Lunar Landing was possible and gave NASA confidence to go for it with Apollo 11. Includes archive footage and interviews with the Apollo 8 crew ; Frank Borman, Jim Lovell and Bill Anders (9, 52 minutes, 1 Disc, PBS America, PAL)
The Lost Tapes : Apollo 13 - The story of Apollo 13, the 3rd mission to the moon, which almost ended in tragedy after an on-board explosion rendered the spacecraft inoperable. Told through rare news reports, mission control audio, and original NASA newsreels, the programme follows the mission to rescue the crew of Apollo 13 and bring them safely home (9, 46 minutes, 1 Disc, The Smithsonian Channel, PAL)
Bear's Mission with Warwick Davis - Survivalist Bear Grylls spends a weekend with Actor Warwick Davis and helps him conquer the hills of the Lake District (10, 46 minutes, 1 Disc, ITV, PAL)
Synth and Beyond : Stephen Morris and Gillian Gilbert - Stephen and Gillian, drummer and keyboardist respectively from New Order, discuss their musical influences and heroes. Each selection is backed up by a TV performance or music video. Performances are from David Bowie (Queen Bitch), Roxy Music (Virginia Plain), Kraftwerk (Autobahn), Can (Vernal Equinox), Stevie Wonder (I ain't gonna stand for it / Higher Ground), Candi Staton (Young Hearts Run Free), Magazine (Shot by both sides), Captain Beefheart (Ice cream for Crow), Soft Cell (Bedsitter), Kate Bush (The Dreaming / Running up that Hill), Grace Jones (Private Life), New Order (Age of Consent), LCD Soundsystem (North American Scum), The Flaming Lips (Space Oddity - Live) (9, 57 minutes, 1 Disc, BBC, PAL)
Robin Williams : Come Inside My Mind - A documentary celebrating the life and career of American comedian and actor Robin Williams, who died in 2014. It follows his life and career with archive clips of his stand-up routines and his acting career, and includes interviews with friends and colleagues (9, 1 hour 51 minutes, 1 Disc, HBO, PAL)
New Order : Decades - In 2018, British band New Order teamed up with artist Liam Gillick and a 12-piece synthesizer orchestra to stage a concert to reflect on - and deconstruct - the band's history, in order to create something very new. The concert was held in Vienna and the documentary follows the preparations for the concert + selected songs from the concert. The songs featured are Disorder, Guilt Is a Useless Emotion, Subculture, Bizarre Love Triangle, Plastic and Decades (9, 1 hour 25 minutes, 1 Disc, SKY Arts, PAL)