A student riot endows a Yale professor with a head wound and the delusion that he is King Tut, Great King of the Nile, setting up an Egyptian sphinx in Gotham's Central Park as ruler of the city. Captured by Tut, Batman finds himself subjected to the ancient Theban pebble torture which is supposed to render him a mindless slave.
Documentary which tells the story of a rock star and a quantum mechanic. Mark Oliver Everett, better known as E, is the lead singer of cult US band the Eels. What most of his fans don't know is that Mark's father, Hugh Everett III, was one of America's top quantum physicists. In 1957, Hugh Everett came up with a revolutionary theory that predicts the existence of parallel universes. The idea quickly seeped into popular culture but only recently has it been accepted by mainstream physicists.
However, Mark was estranged from his father - Hugh died when Mark was just 19 - and knows little about his father's early life and virtually nothing about his controversial theory. With a soundtrack by the Eels, the film follows the wry and charismatic Mark as he travels across America to learn about the father he never knew. It is only by entering the paradoxical world of quantum mechanics that Mark can hope to understand why he was such a stranger to his own father.
British-Asian comedy sketch show based on the award-winning Radio 4 show and starring Sanjeev Bhaskar, Meera Syal, Kulvinder Ghir and Nina Wadia.
Beneath the veneer of po-faced respectability lies a wealth of great characters in Alexander Armstrong and Ben Miller's sketch show.
Writer Michael Smith takes on the guise of a contemporary Citizen Smith, scouring England in search of a modern day definition of nationality. He hits the working waterways and dark satanic malls of the Thames Estuary, uncovers the shocking existence of 'food deserts' in the shadow of Europe's largest shopping centre and catches the proverbial worm on the early shift at Billingsgate fish market, as English traders grudgingly rub shoulders with an increasingly-powerful immigrant clientele.
In October 1972, a student rugby team boarded a small plane in Montevideo to fly across the Andes for a long weekend of playing rugby and partying in Chile. But they never reached their destination as a storm brought their plane down in the high Andes, leaving the survivors stranded on a remote glacier.
Ill-equipped, with no food and little hope of rescue, the survivors faced extreme hardship and many life-or-death situations, including the agonising decision to eat the flesh of those killed in the crash to stay alive. Thirty years later, those that got down from the mountain relive their 72 days 'up there' to give this extraordinarily powerful, vivid and immediate account of human endurance and heroism.
Captured live at London's Wembley Arena in 1978, this space-age show will live forever in rock history as, quite literally, out of this world - featuring a pioneering laser display, the first of its kind that set a precedent for subsequent rock shows. Songs include Standing in the Rain, Night in the City, Turn to Stone, Tightrope, Telephone Line, Rockaria, Wild West Hero, Show Down, Sweet Talkin' Woman, Mr Blue Sky, Ma Ma Ma Belle, Livin' Thing and Roll Over Beethoven.
Series exploring the dramas that lie behind some of the best-known bands. Birmingham has produced some of the most successful British pop groups of the last three decades, including the Move, ELO and Wizzard. This programme follows the careers of musicians such as Roy Wood, Jeff Lynne, Denny Laine and Bev Bevan through their various bands and successes.
WEDNESDAY 23 JANUARY 2008
WED 19:00 World News Today (b008vzfq)
The latest news from around the world.
WED 19:30 Pop Go the Sixties (b008d00q)
Series 1
Tony Bennett
A colourful nugget of pop mined from the BBC's archive.
WED 19:35 Batman (b008l3j1)
Series 1
The Pharaoh's in a Rut
Superhero action with the dynamic duo. Bruce Wayne manages to escape the clutches of King Tut, but is soon recaptured in the guise of Batman.
WED 20:00 Top of the Pops (b008s9p1)
Xmas 1980s
John Peel leads a gaggle of Radio 1 DJs presenting some of the greatest hits of 1982, including Duran Duran, Dexys Midnight Runners, Culture Club, Haircut 100, Spandau Ballet, Captain Sensible and Bucks Fizz.
WED 21:00 Girls and Boys: Sex and British Pop (b0074sk3)
Tainted Love
Four-part documentary series that tells the story of British pop music and our changing attitudes to sex, gender and sexuality.
The 1980s was the decade of flamboyant pop in a politically-divided Britain, as New Romantics like Spandau Ballet and Duran Duran set the tone. Disco hit the mainstream and then a new disease changed the rules. By the late 80s Britain's sense of masculinity had taken a hammering and it was girls on top.
WED 22:00 Pop on Trial (b008s9p2)
1980s
Stuart Maconie puts pop in the dock to decide which has been the most influential musical decade. In the era of New Romantics, rap and the Madchester scene, ABC's Martin Fry, Soul II Soul's Jazzie B and Miranda Sawyer join Stuart to judge the 1980s.
WED 23:00 The Late Edition (b008s9p3)
Series 4
Episode 11
Satirical comedy show, with host Marcus Brigstocke and guests.
WED 23:30 Everyone Stares: The Police Inside Out (b008v1cd)
Compiled from over 50 hours of unseen concert and backstage footage, a documentary which chronicles the ascent to mega-stardom of The Police. Making his directorial debut, Police drummer-turned-composer Stewart Copeland puts together Super 8 film he himself shot during the band's heyday, to give an intimate account of their life on the road. Featuring performances of many Police tracks from albums Outlandos D'Amour, Regatta De Blanc, Zenyatta Mondatta, Ghost in the Machine and Synchronicity.
WED 00:45 Once Upon a Time in New York: The Birth of Hip Hop, Disco and Punk (b007mw93)
How the squalid streets of '70s New York gave birth to music that would go on to conquer the world - punk, disco and hip hop.
In the 1970s the Big Apple was rotten to the core, yet out of the grime, grit and low rent space emerged new music unlike anything that had gone before.
Inspired by the Velvet Underground, a new wave of 'punk' rock emerged in lower Manhattan including The New York Dolls, The Ramones and the Patti Smith Group. Meanwhile, downtown loft parties held by gay New Yorkers heralded the birth of disco, which would eventually spawn the ultimate club for the privileged few: Studio 54. The swanky mid-town discos were out of bounds to black New York so in the Bronx DJs such as Kool Herc, Grandmaster Flash and Afrika Bambaataa created their own parties, heralding the birth of hip hop.
With David Johansen, Patti Smith, John Cale, Richard Hell, Grandmaster Flash, Afrika Bambaataa, Kool Herc, Nile Rodgers, Chuck D, Tommy Ramone, Chris Stein, Fab 5. Freddy, Lenny Kaye, Tina Weymouth, Chris Frantz, Syl Sylvain, Nicky Siano, David Mancuso, DJ AJ, David Depino, Jayne County, Leee Childers, Nelson George, Victor Bokris and Vince Aletti.
WED 01:45 New York Rock at the BBC (b007mwcf)
From the streets of New York City to the studios of the BBC comes the cream of the New York rock scene, including classic archive performances from The Ramones, New York Dolls, Television, Blondie, Lou Reed and many more.
WED 02:45 The Late Edition (b008s9p3)
[Repeat of broadcast at
23:00 today]
WED 03:15 Pop on Trial (b008v1dq)
1980s
Stuart Maconie puts pop in the dock to decide which has been the most influential musical decade. In the era of New Romantics, rap and the Madchester scene, ABC's Martin Fry, Soul II Soul's Jazzie B and Miranda Sawyer join Stuart to judge the 1980s.
THURSDAY 24 JANUARY 2008
THU 19:00 World News Today (b008w245)
The latest news from around the world.
THU 19:30 The History of the Curly Perm (b0074smg)
Historians, hairdressers and celebrities past and present celebrate one of the more distinctive hair fashions, sported by footballers, glam rockers and many others.
THU 20:00 Top of the Pops (b008s9r7)
Xmas 1994
Take That review the chart hits of 1994. With performances from D-Ream, Doop, Tony Di Bart, Stiltskin, Wet Wet Wet, Boyzone, East 17, All 4 One, Let Loose, Eternal, Whigfield and Pato Banton.
THU 21:00 Girls and Boys: Sex and British Pop (b0074skv)
Wannabe: The 90s
Four-part documentary series that tells the story of British pop music and our changing attitudes to sex, gender and sexuality. 1990s pop begins with a smiley face and men discovering their softer side as the party picks up again. Manchester becomes the centre of the pop universe as the boy band makes a comeback with Take That. Come the mid-90s, the big battle is irony v laddism as Blur and Oasis slug it out. Then five girls come along, add a little Spice to the mix and soon everyone is a wannabe Pop Idol.
THU 22:00 Pop on Trial (b008s9r8)
1990s
Stuart Maconie puts 1990s pop in the dock to decide if it is music's most important decade. Guests Goldie, Caitlin Moran and Paolo Hewitt debate Britpop and the rise of manufactured bands from Take That to the Spice Girls.
THU 23:00 George Michael: A Different Life (b0074db2)
Documentary about the late singer's life and career, featuring candid interviews with the man himself.
Michael talks about his childhood, the Wham! years, the pain of losing his boyfriend to Aids in 1992, his battles with his record label Sony in the early 90s, the infamous LA toilet incident, and his attempts to attack US foreign policy in song.
With contributions from Elton John, Mariah Carey, Boy George, Simon Cowell and Noel Gallagher.
THU 00:00 Young Guns Go for It (b0077pc6)
Series 1
Bananarama
In the aftermath of the punk era, three girls decided on a career in pop music - they called themselves Bananarama and became one of the most successful British girl groups ever. Original members Siobhan Fahey, Sara Dallin and Keren Woodward, plus Pete Waterman, Malcolm McLaren and Terry Hall reflect on how the girls became stars and how they almost lost their friendships in the process.
THU 00:30 Factory: Manchester from Joy Division to Happy Mondays (b007zmn3)
Documentary celebrating the triumph, tragedy and human comedy that was Manchester record company, Factory. Started by the late Tony Wilson, Alan Erasmus, Peter Saville and Martin Hannett in the late 1970s, it became known as the home of Joy Divsion, New Order and Happy Mondays and for creating the Hacienda club. The label pioneered Britain's independent pop culture, creating a new Manchester and blowing a shed-load of money. Includes interviews with all the main players in the Factory story.
THU 02:00 Pop! What is it Good For? (b008njys)
Music writer and self-confessed pop addict Paul Morley journeys to the heart of his obsession. At 50, Morley is just about as old as pop music itself and he argues that pop has played a central role in the culture of the nation over the past half century. Featuring a diverse cast of fellow pop obsessives including poet Simon Armitage, artist Peter Blake, the Sugababes and Suggs, Morley's documentary explores and celebrates the beauty and mystery of the three-minute pop single.
THU 03:00 Pop on Trial (b008s9r8)
[Repeat of broadcast at
22:00 today]
FRIDAY 25 JANUARY 2008
FRI 19:00 World News Today (b008w266)
The latest news from around the world.
FRI 19:30 The Voice (b008s99k)
[Repeat of broadcast at
20:00 on Sunday]
FRI 20:30 Spiceworld: The Movie (b00749y0)
Humorous account of the lives and spectacular rise to fame of pop stars the Spice Girls, centred around their preparations for a concert at the Royal Albert Hall. The film sends up both the girls themselves and their relations with the press and the music business. Packed with all the best-known hits and featuring numerous cameo appearances.
FRI 22:00 Pop on Trial (b008s9t9)
Finale
Stuart Maconie hosts the series finale in which a jury of music experts including Paul Morley, Lauren Laverne and Noddy Holder come to a final verdict on the most influential and important decade for pop.
FRI 23:30 A Hard Day's Night (b0074q9m)
Anarchic and offbeat 1960s story of 36 hours in the lives of The Beatles, as they travel to a TV show in London. The film uses a variety of cinematographic styles including documentary, surrealism and neorealism to create one of the milestone pictures of the decade.
FRI 00:55 Hotel California: LA from the Byrds to the Eagles (b0074t87)
Documentary looking at the music and mythology of a golden era in Californian culture, and telling the story of how Los Angeles changed from a kooky backwater in the early 1960s to become the artistic and industrial hub of the American music industry by the end of the 1970s.
Alongside extensive and never before seen archive footage, the programme features comprehensive first-hand accounts of the key figures including musicians (David Crosby, Graham Nash, J. D. Souther, Bernie Leadon and Bonnie Raitt, music industry bosses (David Geffen, Jac Holzman, Ron Stone and Peter Asher) and legendary LA scenesters including Henry Diltz, Pamela Des Barres and Ned Doheny.
The film explores how the socially-conscious folk rock of young hippies with acoustic guitars was transformed into the coked-out stadium excess of the late 1970s and the biggest selling album of all time.
FRI 02:25 Pop on Trial (b008s9t9)
[Repeat of broadcast at
22:00 today]
LIST OF THIS WEEK'S PROGRAMMES
(Note: the times link back to the details; the pids link to the BBC page, including iPlayer)
10 Things You Didn't Know About...
01:35 SAT (b008pr87)
10 Things You Didn't Know About...
21:00 SUN (b008s99l)
10 Things You Didn't Know About...
00:00 SUN (b008s99l)
10 Things You Didn't Know About...
03:00 SUN (b008s99l)
A Hard Day's Night
23:30 FRI (b0074q9m)
Bad Education
22:55 SAT (b0074t0l)
Batman
19:35 TUE (b008l33b)
Batman
19:35 WED (b008l3j1)
Citizen Smith
02:35 SAT (b008py02)
Citizen Smith
22:00 TUE (b008s9l8)
Citizen Smith
02:10 TUE (b008s9l8)
Citizen Smith
03:40 TUE (b008s9l8)
Clash of the Worlds
20:00 MON (b0088xvr)
Doctors to Be: 20 Years On
19:00 SUN (b00859t2)
Doctors to Be: 20 Years On
02:00 SUN (b00859t2)
ELO Live at Wembley 1978
00:20 TUE (b0074smf)
Earth: The Power of the Planet
22:00 SUN (b008g1kt)
Everyone Stares: The Police Inside Out
23:30 WED (b008v1cd)
Factory: Manchester from Joy Division to Happy Mondays
00:30 THU (b007zmn3)
George Michael: A Different Life
23:00 THU (b0074db2)
Girls and Boys: Sex and British Pop
21:00 WED (b0074sk3)
Girls and Boys: Sex and British Pop
21:00 THU (b0074skv)
Goodbye Lenin
21:00 SAT (b0074sym)
Goodness Gracious Me
21:00 TUE (b008v9r4)
Hotel California: LA from the Byrds to the Eagles
00:55 FRI (b0074t87)
How Pop Songs Work
23:00 SUN (b008nk4h)
If It Ain't Stiff
00:40 MON (b007j2hr)
New York Rock at the BBC
01:45 WED (b007mwcf)
Once Upon a Time in New York: The Birth of Hip Hop, Disco and Punk
00:45 WED (b007mw93)
Parallel Worlds, Parallel Lives
20:00 TUE (b008d2zj)
Parallel Worlds, Parallel Lives
02:40 TUE (b008d2zj)
Pop Britannia
00:35 SAT (b008ptkd)
Pop Britannia
03:35 SAT (b008ptkd)
Pop Britannia
21:00 MON (b008lz85)
Pop Britannia
22:00 MON (b008nkvq)
Pop Britannia
23:00 MON (b008ptkd)
Pop Go the Sixties
19:30 TUE (b0084cjh)
Pop Go the Sixties
19:30 WED (b008d00q)
Pop on Trial
22:00 WED (b008s9p2)
Pop on Trial
03:15 WED (b008v1dq)
Pop on Trial
22:00 THU (b008s9r8)
Pop on Trial
03:00 THU (b008s9r8)
Pop on Trial
22:00 FRI (b008s9t9)
Pop on Trial
02:25 FRI (b008s9t9)
Pop! What is it Good For?
02:00 THU (b008njys)
Rock Family Trees
01:20 TUE (b0074smh)
Sense and Sensibility
19:00 SAT (b008lzfl)
Sense and Sensibility
20:00 SAT (b008p8y2)
Spiceworld: The Movie
20:30 FRI (b00749y0)
Stiff at the BBC
02:10 MON (b0074sw3)
Stiff at the BBC
02:40 MON (b0074sw5)
Storyville
22:30 TUE (b008s9l9)
The Armstrong and Miller Show
21:30 TUE (b0084lz5)
The Comet's Tale
01:00 SUN (b008d2x7)
The History of the Curly Perm
19:30 THU (b0074smg)
The Late Edition
23:00 WED (b008s9p3)
The Late Edition
02:45 WED (b008s9p3)
The Sky at Night
03:05 SAT (b008d2x6)
The Sky at Night
19:30 MON (b0074s95)
The Sky at Night
03:40 MON (b0074s95)
The Voice
20:00 SUN (b008s99k)
The Voice
19:30 FRI (b008s99k)
Top of the Pops
20:00 WED (b008s9p1)
Top of the Pops
20:00 THU (b008s9r7)
Vivaldi Gloria
19:30 SUN (b0074sc0)
Vivaldi Gloria
02:30 SUN (b0074sc0)
World News Today
19:00 MON (b008vljq)
World News Today
19:00 TUE (b008vlnq)
World News Today
19:00 WED (b008vzfq)
World News Today
19:00 THU (b008w245)
World News Today
19:00 FRI (b008w266)
Young Guns Go for It
00:00 MON (b007gt6c)
Young Guns Go for It
00:00 THU (b0077pc6)