Boasting an amazing selection of the most watched, most influential and most highly acclaimed programmes ever made, The 50 Greatest Television Dramas presents a long overdue assessment of the rich heritage television drama has to offer. Channel 4 invited over 200 of Britain's top television drama professionals – writers, directors, producers and commissioners – to take part in an exclusive poll to discover what they consider the finest dramas ever produced.
Manchester, 1976. Tony Wilson is an ambitious but frustrated local TV news reporter looking for a way to make his mark. After witnessing a life-changing concert by a band known as the Sex Pistols, he persuades his station to televise one of their performances, and soon Manchester's punk groups are clamoring for him to manage them. Riding the wave of a musical revolution, Wilson and his friends create the legendary Factory Records label and The Hacienda club.
For Jip, Lulu, Koop, Nina and Moff, the dead-end jobs they endure during the week just kill the time until Friday night. That's when they cut very loose and get on the rollercoaster ride that takes them right through to Monday morning.
There's little wonder in the working-class lives of Bill, Eileen, and their three grown daughters. They're lonely Londoners. Nadia, a cafe waitress, places personal ads, looking for love; Debbie, a single mom, entertains men at the hair salon after hours; her son spends part of the weekend with her ex, a man with a hair-trigger temper. Molly is expecting her first baby and its father acts as if the responsibility is too much for him.
School leaver Phil moves with his father from inner-city London to the satellite Hertfordshire New Town of Stevenage, where they are promised a brighter future...but all Phil finds there is a bleak, cultural wilderness; a world of unemployment, violence, alcoholism and drug abuse in 90s Britain
Anchorage capital city of Alaska is the wildest city on Earth thanks to its dramatic wildlife. Alongside 260,000 people are up to 1,000 moose, 200 black bears and 60 grizzlies as well as large numbers of beavers, ravens and eagles. Managing this urban menagerie is all in a day's work for rangers Rick and Jesse. They believe that people and large dangerous animals can live in one city and through the groundbreaking Alaska Fish and Game project they're determined to prove it.
An ordinary boy named Michael is going through some extraordinary changes in his life. His family has just moved into an unfamiliar house, and his brand new baby sister has fallen ill. One day, while cleaning out the garden shed, he stumbles across something mysterious, a strange creature huddled in the corner; weak of body but strong of will. This is Skellig.
Four career criminals, two glamorous bank workers and one over-the-hill has-been all happen to be planning a robbery on a London bank on the same day, by sheer coincidence. The two investigating detectives must try and deduce how these seemingly unrelated people came to be in the area and which were responsible for the lifting a priceless emerald.
In desperation Elliot and Oz decide to reply to a telephone dating ad to kickstart their non-existent love lives. Their Prayers are answered when two gorgeous girls agree to meet them on a blind date. Whilst fanning the flames of passion the two boys find themselves playing with fire! A fun filled roller coaster ride begins as the boys get more than they bargained for in their search for love.
A librarian begins a passionate affair with a mysterious woman who walks into his library. When she suddenly disappears he travels down to London to search for her only to discover that she has three identities - dancer, dominatrix and con-woman. But which one is the real Miranda?
John Simm stars as Vincent Van Gogh in The Yellow House, a feature-length drama that tells the moving human story of the most influential and explosive housemates in art history. For just nine weeks, in late 1888, Van Gogh and Gauguin share a home, The Yellow House, in Arles, southern France.
This film charts the relationship between a man imprisoned for drug smuggling and his wife and is being shot over the course of five years, a few weeks at a time.
Journey into "Hamlet"-the play and the man-through the experiences of some of the major actors and directors who have brought Shakespeare's great tragedy to life. Christopher Plummer, David Tennant, John Nettles, John Simm, Sir Trevor Nunn, Franco Zeffirelli, Philip Saville, and others explore the enduring appeal of the Prince of Denmark more than 400 years after his stage debut.
Australian Diana Spencer wins a competition in a women's magazine, and as a prize gets a trip for two to London, where she wants to meet her idol and namesake, Princess Diana. She goes there with her fiance, Mark, but during the garden party the Princess plans to attend, things get mixed up and Aussie Diana gets arrested with Paparazzi photographer Rob. Diana really wants to meet the Princess and follows Rob as he searches for Princess Di to take some photos.
Former student Raskolnikov is pushed to murder when struggling to pay the rent on his apartment. When the murder is being investigated by the police, Raskolnikov struggles between trying to hide his guilt and the pressure to confess.
David O'Neil, a plasterer and mature student Theo have been best mates for fourteen years and are practically inseparable. However, their friendship has become strained as Theo is about to move in with his long-term girlfriend, photographer Hannah. A raging jealousy awakes in David and he starts scheming to break up the loving couple using Hannah's insecurities against them. When the couple eventually separate David is in a quandary about his next move and is forced to confront his long-hidden homosexuality and feelings towards Theo. Eventually, David decides to reveal his sexual orientation and deep love for Theo very publicly by arranging for them both to appear as guests on Judith Adams' talk-show, "forgive and forget", with tragic consequences for their friendship and David's family.
On July 13, 2002, Fatboy Slim, real name Norman Cook, performed the second of his free open-air concerts, The Big Beach Boutique II, in front of a record-breaking crowd, making history – both good and bad. Organisers and police were expecting forty thousand people but more than a quarter of a million turned up on Brighton Beach for the free event, changing the way UK events were run forever. Now, 20 years on, Norman, and those who were on the front line of this seismic historical moment talk us through the process and the obstacles; The immense difficulties and struggles that the local police faced with such an unexpected amount of descendants on the city, the councillors and residents that opposed the controversial event and many of those who participated in what Norman has described as a “Woodstock moment”.
Take ten boys aged 11 and 12. A variety of backgrounds. Put them together in a house, with no adult control. Followed by a camera crew, the boys form hierarchies, rarely organise meals, and argue about where to sleep.
In the 1970s a music promoter plucks Siamese twins from obscurity and grooms them into a freakish rock'n'roll act. A dark tale of sex, strangeness and rock music.
A look at Alain Robert, dubbed the Human Spider, who scales some of the world's tallest buildings without the aid of ropes or safety equipment, despite suffering with epilepsy.
Joe wants out but the Don won't take no for an answer. Carl lays a plan to use Alison as the bait. Will it work, or will Joe walk away?
A lowly extra gets a shot at stardom. Now the glory, and the girl, are at Sam's fingertips. But suddenly his best friend is packing heat and his femme has gone all fatale. Sam's got ten minutes to stop the plot twisting out of control.
Frank and his brother Len meet on the day of their father's funeral. Together, with the help of Len's son Sean and Jean, a mysterious woman connected to the deceased, they will set off on a rather peculiar journey.
A look at three typical employees on Indian Railways as they fight the annual battle to keep the railway service running during the monsoon season.
Brilliant, brutal and shocking drama starring Jonny Lee Miller and John Simm, following an ex-convict who falls for a prostitute, but makes a dangerous enemy of her pimp.
In a psychiatric hospital, a junior doctor is treating a young black man diagnosed with Borderline Personality Disorder. The patient is having a final interview with the doctor, who has invited his mentor to sit in on the session. He is concerned that the diagnosis is inaccurate and would like the patient hospitalised for longer. The senior doctor, however, disagrees.
On Ibiza, tour rep Brad is determined to win the informal competition among the male reps to sleep with the most female clients, while his friend Mikey is looking for true love.
As a young boy, future emperor Nero witnesses the mad Emperor Caligula kill his father and exile his mother. While in exile in the pontine islands, Agrippina, his mother, sees a vision telling her that her son can become emperor, but she will have to die first. She accepts the proposal. Back in Rome, Nero, now being raised by emperor Claudius after Caligula's death, Agrippina returns. She poisons Claudius' food and Nero becomes emperor. At first, Nero cuts taxes and introduces successful programs and invades Brittania. Soon he meets a beautiful slave named Claudia Acte, and marries her, throwing off his engagement with Claudius' daughter, Claudia Octavia, telling her she can marry someone she will be happy with. Heartbroken, she arrives at an island and kills herself. Nero enjoys being married to Claudia Acte, but soon he gradually goes mad with power and sets fire to Rome.
A look at the story behind the bestiality tape ANIMAL FARM. From its production in early 70's Denmark, to when it was smuggled to the UK and distributed in 1981.
Receiving a tip from his dentist Jack Shorter, policeman Peter Pascoe takes a closer look at the Calliope Kinema Club, a film club notorious for showing adult entertainment movies. Shorter is convinced that one particular scene in a movie he recently saw was too realistic to have been staged with fake blood, but when Pascoe and his bluff superior Andy Dalziel starts investigating, they soon comes across the actress in question, Linda Abbott, who obviously didn't suffer from any harm and assures Pascoe that the concerns are unnecessary.
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.
In a lawless outpost in 17th Century England, the people have ceased to be God-fearing but learn to fear the Devil instead.
A lonely clown working in a forgotten seaside resort falls in love and is forced to confront a terrible secret he's been hiding.
A documentary about the conclusion of Life on Mars
Behind the scenes of Paul Hills' 1995 feature film, Boston Kickout.
A look at the subtle (and not so subtle!) links to the show's past and future contained within the story of The Five Doctors.
The Doctor finally faces his destiny as both his home planet and old foe reappears.
When the Wolves Came follows the day leading up to a devastating village raid. Caught in the chaos are Alfred, a village head facing ruin; Aemma, a woman ensnared in forbidden ties; Sebastian, a disillusioned warrior; and Kira and Jason, siblings thrust into a brutal fight for survival.