The Triplets of Belleville

The Triplets of Belleville 2003

7.38

When her grandson is kidnapped during the Tour de France, Madame Souza and her beloved pooch Bruno team up with the Belleville Sisters—an aged song-and-dance team from the days of Fred Astaire—to rescue him.

2003

Consuming Passion

Consuming Passion 2008

7.10

Celebrating the 100th anniversary of the popular romance publishing phenomenon Mills & Boon, a colourful and camp drama which charts the witty and moving stories of three very different women affected by the brand's success: co-founder Charles Boon's wife Mary, daydreaming 1970s writer Janet and modern-day literature lecturer Kirstie.

2008

Paul Merton's Weird and Wonderful World of Early Cinema

Paul Merton's Weird and Wonderful World of Early Cinema 2010

7.00

Paul Merton goes in search of the origins of screen comedy in the forgotten world of silent cinema - not in Hollywood, but closer to home in pre-1914 Britain and France. Revealing the unknown stars and lost masterpieces, he brings to life the pioneering techniques and optical inventiveness of the virtuosos who mastered a new art form. With a playful eye and comic sense of timing, Merton combines the role of presenter and director to recreate the weird and wonderful world that is early European cinema in a series of cinematic experiments of his own.

2010

M.R. James: Ghost Writer

M.R. James: Ghost Writer 2013

8.70

Mark Gatiss steps into the mind of M.R. James, the enigmatic English master of the supernatural story. How did this donnish Victorian bachelor, conservative by nature and a devout Anglican, come to create tales that continue to chill readers more than a century on? Mark attempts to uncover the secrets of James's inspiration, taking an atmospheric journey from James's childhood home in Suffolk to Eton, Cambridge and France, venturing into ancient churches, dark cloisters and echoing libraries along the way.

2013

Life on Air: David Attenborough's 50 Years in Television

Life on Air: David Attenborough's 50 Years in Television 2002

8.80

Life on Air: David Attenborough's 50 Years in Television is a BBC documentary film that recounts David Attenborough's television career. It is presented by Michael Palin and produced by Brian Leith. The BBC first transmitted the documentary in 2002 and is part of the Attenborough in Paradise and Other Personal Voyages collection of 7 documentaries. It includes interviews with Attenborough and several of his former colleagues, along with archival footage.

2002

Podfather

Podfather 2009

1

Documentary telling the story of silicon chip inventor Robert Noyce, godfather of today's digital world. Re-living the heady days of Silicon Valley's seminal start-ups, the film tells how Noyce also founded Intel, the company responsible for more than 80 per cent of the microprocessors in personal computers.

2009

Wings of Hope

Wings of Hope 2000

7.00

Werner Herzog returns to the South American jungle with Juliane Koepcke, the German woman who was the sole survivor of a plane crash there in 1971. They find the remains of the plane and recreate her journey out of the jungle.

2000

Tiger: The Elusive Princess

Tiger: The Elusive Princess 1999

1

After 25 years of the Project Tiger Scheme operating in the Madhya Pradesh, these magnificent animals have become more trusting, permitting an extraordinary intimate film which follows them from sunrise to sunset, in monsoon rains and in shimmering heat

1999

Horror Europa with Mark Gatiss

Horror Europa with Mark Gatiss 2012

8.00

Actor and writer Mark Gatiss embarks on a chilling journey through European horror cinema, from the silent nightmares of German Expressionism in the 1920s to the Belgian lesbian vampires in the 1970s, from the black-gloved killers of Italian bloody giallo cinema to the ghosts of the Spanish Civil War, and finally reveals how Europe's turbulent 20th century forged its ground-breaking horror tradition.

2012

The Rabbits of Skomer

The Rabbits of Skomer 2006

1

Wild rabbits share the sea cliffs on the island of Skomer, off the Pembrokeshire coast, with seabirds like puffins and seagulls. They come in many shades, owing to their intriguing history, and each spring the island of Skomer itself is transformed by wild flowers, creating one of Britain's most beautiful natural spectacles. The green and brown island turns blue and pink for a couple of spectacular weeks under a carpet of bluebells and red campion.

2006

West Coast Otters

West Coast Otters 2005

1

Two otters, a mother and daughter, are inseparable as the cub faces the dangers of her first Scottish winter, and Mum works hard to ensure both survive. Never more than a few feet apart, cub and mum exhibit a very special relationship as the cub grows up, learning how to fish and fend for herself on the idyllic west coast of Scotland.

2005

The Mysterious Mr Webster

The Mysterious Mr Webster 2014

6.00

Professor James Shapiro goes in search of the mysterious man behind The Duchess of Malfi, the son of a coachmaker who ended up rivalling Shakespeare.

2014

Dinner at Noon

Dinner at Noon 1988

1

Writer Alan Bennett visits a hotel in the north of England, observes the guests, and reminisces about his experiences of staying in boarding-houses as a child.

1988

The Owls and the Orchard

The Owls and the Orchard 2005

1

A devoted pair of little owls set up home in an old orchard in rural Herefordshire. From spring blossom to autumn apples, a year in the life of the parent birds, their baby owls and the old fruit trees.

2005

Darwin's Struggle: The Evolution of the Origin of Species

Darwin's Struggle: The Evolution of the Origin of Species 2009

5.00

Documentary telling the little-known story of how Darwin came to write his great masterpiece, On the Origin of Species, a book which explains the wonderful variety of the natural world as emerging out of death and the struggle of life. In the twenty years he took to develop a brilliant idea into a revolutionary book, Darwin went through a personal struggle every bit as turbulent as that of the natural world he observed. Fortunately, he left us an extraordinary record of his brilliant insights, observations of nature, and touching expressions of love and affection for those around him. He also wrote frank accounts of family tragedies, physical illnesses and moments of self-doubt, as he laboured towards publication of the book that would change the way we see the world. The story is told with the benefit of Darwin's secret notes and correspondence, enhanced by natural history filming, powerful imagery from the time and contributions from leading contemporary biographers and scientists.

2009

But Still We Sing

But Still We Sing 1979

1

This BBC Bristol documentary, Narrated by Bert Lloyd looks at the Gaelic music of the Outer Hebrides. It won the Silver Harp award. Directed by Barrie Gavin.

1979

Smart Sharks: Swimming With Roboshark

Smart Sharks: Swimming With Roboshark 2003

1

A 6-foot-long animatronic shark featuring on-board cameras, Robo Shark is designed to blend in with real sharks and capture never-before-seen wild shark behavior. Footage shown in this television special includes the deep-sea thresher shark in the Philippines; giant whale sharks feeding off the coast of Belize; and deadly hammerheads, great whites and bronze whaler sharks in South Africa.

2003

Mr Trebus: A Life of Grime

Mr Trebus: A Life of Grime 2002

1

A heartfelt tribute to Edmund Trebus, the UK's most famous hoarder, who gained national recognition through the documentary series A Life of Grime. This tribute delves into Edmund's staunch resistance against the council, which dismissed his cherished possessions as mere rubbish. We also explore his early life in Poland, his harrowing experiences as a prisoner of war, and the journey leading up to his later years and eventual passing.

2002

Walkabout to Hollywood

Walkabout to Hollywood 1980

1

Produced and directed this documentary for BBC in the 1980’s, about David Gulpilil, acclaimed Australian Aboriginal actor, dancer and musician. The film shows how Gulpilil is always working to bridge the gap between the tribal Aboriginal and Western worlds. He divides his time between a traditional tribal lifestyle and his artistic work, which has included major film roles, collaboration with contemporary dance and music groups and teaching Aboriginal dance and culture. Bill and David travel to Hollywood where David was the most popular Australian in the world at that time, with FOUR films playing in America – WALKABOUT, STORM BOY, THE LAST WAVE and MAD DOG MORGAN. After relating to both the black and native American cultures and filming a quick scene for a big Hollywood picture, he pines to head back through the Outback to his beloved Arnhem Land. Edited by Simon Dibbs and shot by Ray Henman.

1980