40 Minutes

40 Minutes

Ended First aired 01/Oct/1981 United Kingdom English 28 season(s) 629 episode(s)
Documentary
40 Minutes was a BBC TV documentary strand broadcast on BBC Two between 1981 and 1994. The documentaries could be on any possible subject, the only connection being that they last forty minutes.

Some documentaries in the original series were revisited and updated in a 2006 version, Forty Minutes On.
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TimeScore 33% Skip It
Binge Meter 48% Slow Burn
Episode Pulse Quiet 40% activity score
Drop Rate 0% Very Low

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Seasons & Episodes

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Season 1994 · Season 1994
15 episode(s) · Air date: 04/Jan/1994
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Season 1993 · Season 1993
21 episode(s) · Air date: 16/Feb/1993
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Season 1992 · Season 1992
15 episode(s) · Air date: 14/Jan/1992
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Season 1991 · Season 1991
24 episode(s) · Air date: 03/Jan/1991
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Season 1990 · Season 1990
26 episode(s) · Air date: 04/Jan/1990
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Season 1989 · Season 1989
27 episode(s) · Air date: 05/Jan/1989
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Season 1988 · Season 1988
25 episode(s) · Air date: 14/Jan/1988
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Season 1987 · Season 1987
25 episode(s) · Air date: 01/Jan/1987
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Season 1986 · Season 1986
24 episode(s) · Air date: 16/Jan/1986
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Season 1985 · Season 1985
28 episode(s) · Air date: 10/Jan/1985
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Season 1984 · Season 1984
26 episode(s) · Air date: 05/Jan/1984
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Season 1983 · Season 1983
18 episode(s) · Air date: 13/Jan/1983
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Season 1982 · Season 1982
21 episode(s) · Air date: 14/Jan/1982
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Season 1981 · Season 1981
12 episode(s) · Air date: 01/Oct/1981
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Season 14 · Season 14
0 episode(s)
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No episodes available for this season.
Season 13 · Season 13
21 episode(s) · Air date: 16/Nov/1993
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S13E11
Squeegies
Air date: 01/Feb/1994 · Runtime: 40 min
Summary

The engaging lives and intimate stories of Squeegies - people who wash car windows at traffic lights for small change - in South London. Del, living with the effects of having grown up in care up that stunted his promising career as a musician, Tony, struggling with abandonment and alcoholism and Leah, the mother figure of the group, who is pregnant, bringing new life and hope into the tough circumstances they inhabit.

Summary

The engaging lives and intimate stories of Squeegies - people who wash car windows at traffic lights for small change - in South London. Del, living with the effects of having grown up in care up that stunted his promising career as a musician, Tony, struggling with abandonment and alcoholism and Leah, the mother figure of the group, who is pregnant, bringing new life and hope into the tough circumstances they inhabit.

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S13E10
Behind the Mask
Air date: 25/Jan/1994 · Runtime: 40 min
Summary

This film looks at a theatre group who specialise in prison remedial work. By turning hardened criminals into actors, they challenge them to reveal human emotion from behind their masks of hardness.

Summary

This film looks at a theatre group who specialise in prison remedial work. By turning hardened criminals into actors, they challenge them to reveal human emotion from behind their masks of hardness.

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S13E7
The Making of Them
Air date: 04/Jan/1994 · Runtime: 40 min
Summary

Independence, self-reliance, confidence. These are some of the qualities that the traditional single-sex English boarding school gives the children in its care. 40 Minutes follows some 8-year-old boys off to different boarding schools for the first time. Their parents and headmasters are confident that they are doing the right thing. But some ex-boarders are not so sure. These men feel that the experience of boarding at a young age was damaging.

Summary

Independence, self-reliance, confidence. These are some of the qualities that the traditional single-sex English boarding school gives the children in its care. 40 Minutes follows some 8-year-old boys off to different boarding schools for the first time. Their parents and headmasters are confident that they are doing the right thing. But some ex-boarders are not so sure. These men feel that the experience of boarding at a young age was damaging.

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Season 12 · Season 12
15 episode(s) · Air date: 16/Feb/1993
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S12E4
Mart and Mandy
Air date: 09/Mar/1993 · Runtime: 40 min
Summary

What has happened to Essex Man in the 90's? Martin Smith and his girlfriend Mandy epitomise many young people whose champagne lifestyle has suffered in the recession-hit 90's. How do they feel about the country now?

Summary

What has happened to Essex Man in the 90's? Martin Smith and his girlfriend Mandy epitomise many young people whose champagne lifestyle has suffered in the recession-hit 90's. How do they feel about the country now?

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Season 11 · Season 11
24 episode(s) · Air date: 17/Oct/1991
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S11E18
Farewell, Fab 208
Air date: 24/Mar/1992 · Runtime: 40 min
Summary

The story of Radio Luxembourg, from its inception until 30 December 1991; the last day of broadcasting on 208 metres. Features interviews and appearances by many of its DJs

Summary

The story of Radio Luxembourg, from its inception until 30 December 1991; the last day of broadcasting on 208 metres. Features interviews and appearances by many of its DJs

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S11E17
So Much to Lose
Air date: 17/Mar/1992 · Runtime: 40 min
Summary

At 34, 5ft 2ins tall and weighing 16 stone, Annette is desperate to lose weight. She has been told the only permanent solution is a stomach stapling operation. The surgeon says that with a specially adapted staple gun he can reduce the size of Annette's stomach to the length of a teaspoon. And that would mean she would only ever be able to eat tiny portions of food. Unable to bear her fat any longer, and with a family history of diabetes and heart disease, Annette feels she has nothing to lose. Meanwhile her friend Kath, who reduced from 19 to seven stone after her operation, is now back to a size 22 and about to enter hospital for a fourth operation.

Summary

At 34, 5ft 2ins tall and weighing 16 stone, Annette is desperate to lose weight. She has been told the only permanent solution is a stomach stapling operation. The surgeon says that with a specially adapted staple gun he can reduce the size of Annette's stomach to the length of a teaspoon. And that would mean she would only ever be able to eat tiny portions of food. Unable to bear her fat any longer, and with a family history of diabetes and heart disease, Annette feels she has nothing to lose. Meanwhile her friend Kath, who reduced from 19 to seven stone after her operation, is now back to a size 22 and about to enter hospital for a fourth operation.

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S11E15
Miami Wild
Air date: 25/Feb/1992 · Runtime: 40 min
Summary

Capturing escaped pythons, confiscating pet cougars or wrestling with exotic crocodiles - it's all in a day's work for Miami specialist police officer Lieutenant Kat Kelley. The locals are crazy about owning flamboyant pets and many of these exotic animals have escaped and multiplied over the years, threatening both people and native wildlife. Kelley is on call 24 hours a day and never knows what she will have to face. "We're fighting a losing battle here. Basically, nature is out of control."

Summary

Capturing escaped pythons, confiscating pet cougars or wrestling with exotic crocodiles - it's all in a day's work for Miami specialist police officer Lieutenant Kat Kelley. The locals are crazy about owning flamboyant pets and many of these exotic animals have escaped and multiplied over the years, threatening both people and native wildlife. Kelley is on call 24 hours a day and never knows what she will have to face. "We're fighting a losing battle here. Basically, nature is out of control."

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S11E13
Cowboys in the South Pacific
Air date: 11/Feb/1992 · Runtime: 40 min
Summary

An adventure story by international Emmy award-winning film-maker Nigel Evans. Into the jungles of a small Pacific island, Dr Danforth Artie Bookout leads his team of intrepid Texans to search for an aircraft and the body of Weyland Bennett, a "home-town boy" missing in action 50 years ago. Deep in the bush sits Chief Jean Marc waiting for his Texan pay packet to lumber into view. And two days' walk behind the Texan strides a local explorer who knows the secrets of Dr Dan's past.

Summary

An adventure story by international Emmy award-winning film-maker Nigel Evans. Into the jungles of a small Pacific island, Dr Danforth Artie Bookout leads his team of intrepid Texans to search for an aircraft and the body of Weyland Bennett, a "home-town boy" missing in action 50 years ago. Deep in the bush sits Chief Jean Marc waiting for his Texan pay packet to lumber into view. And two days' walk behind the Texan strides a local explorer who knows the secrets of Dr Dan's past.

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S11E8
Heads on Beds
Air date: 12/Dec/1991 · Runtime: 40 min
Summary

During the property boom, big profits could be made buying and selling London hotels used by councils to house the homeless. Now property prices have dropped and councils are cutting back on bed and breakfast bills. 40 Minutes takes a closer look at this notoriously secretive world.

Summary

During the property boom, big profits could be made buying and selling London hotels used by councils to house the homeless. Now property prices have dropped and councils are cutting back on bed and breakfast bills. 40 Minutes takes a closer look at this notoriously secretive world.

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S11E6
Torn Apart
Air date: 21/Nov/1991 · Runtime: 40 min
Summary

A rape in the Irish village of Bray divides the community. Local man Gerry is sent to prison, separated from his wife Saundra and his children. But the rape victim is also isolated by her neighbours. "Nobody believed her. In Irish society it's all black and white, virgin or whore." Fifteen months later, Gerry's appeal draws near, raising new hopes in Saundra and old conflicts in the small world torn apart by the crime.

Summary

A rape in the Irish village of Bray divides the community. Local man Gerry is sent to prison, separated from his wife Saundra and his children. But the rape victim is also isolated by her neighbours. "Nobody believed her. In Irish society it's all black and white, virgin or whore." Fifteen months later, Gerry's appeal draws near, raising new hopes in Saundra and old conflicts in the small world torn apart by the crime.

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S11E1
Alec the Pole
Air date: 17/Oct/1991 · Runtime: 40 min
Summary

For 47 years Alec Krawczynski has lived in Scotland. He is known as Alec the Pole. But his real name is not Krawczynski and he has never been to Poland. He came from the Ukraine and for nearly 50 years has kept a deadly secret. Now, as the Ukraine reaches out for independence, he discovers members of his family are still alive. He returns to the Ukraine to discover if his country and family are ready to forgive him for being, in his own words, a traitor.

Summary

For 47 years Alec Krawczynski has lived in Scotland. He is known as Alec the Pole. But his real name is not Krawczynski and he has never been to Poland. He came from the Ukraine and for nearly 50 years has kept a deadly secret. Now, as the Ukraine reaches out for independence, he discovers members of his family are still alive. He returns to the Ukraine to discover if his country and family are ready to forgive him for being, in his own words, a traitor.

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Season 10 · Season 10
24 episode(s) · Air date: 25/Oct/1990
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S10E16
Children of the Fire
Air date: 28/Feb/1991 · Runtime: 40 min
Summary

Five young Russian survivors of the Soviet Union's worst rail disaster arrive in Manchester for medical treatment. Badly burned in the explosion in 1989, they hope plastic surgeon Stewart Watson can help. Bewildered, without a word of English, they face major surgery and the unfamiliar west. Immediately they're the centre of attraction, with a press conference on their first day in hospital and an invitation to Downing Street before they leave.

Summary

Five young Russian survivors of the Soviet Union's worst rail disaster arrive in Manchester for medical treatment. Badly burned in the explosion in 1989, they hope plastic surgeon Stewart Watson can help. Bewildered, without a word of English, they face major surgery and the unfamiliar west. Immediately they're the centre of attraction, with a press conference on their first day in hospital and an invitation to Downing Street before they leave.

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S10E15
A Cruel Ritual
Air date: 21/Feb/1991 · Runtime: 40 min
Summary

'I was born and brought up in Britain. I was 8 years old when I was circumcised. I really thought I was going to die, because of the pain, having no anaesthetic. You have a lady holding your mouth so you cannot scream, you have two ladies on your chest and the other two holding the legs.'. Seven years ago, 40 Minutes' first film on female circumcision led to the law which banned it in this country. Today's film reveals that the practice of genital mutilation of young girls is still flourishing in Britain today.

Summary

'I was born and brought up in Britain. I was 8 years old when I was circumcised. I really thought I was going to die, because of the pain, having no anaesthetic. You have a lady holding your mouth so you cannot scream, you have two ladies on your chest and the other two holding the legs.'. Seven years ago, 40 Minutes' first film on female circumcision led to the law which banned it in this country. Today's film reveals that the practice of genital mutilation of young girls is still flourishing in Britain today.

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S10E10
Clever Trevor
Air date: 10/Jan/1991 · Runtime: 40 min
Summary

The BBC 40 Mins documentary team follow Trevor Smith, owner of Trevor Smith's Animal World, a company that supplies animals for film and television.

Summary

The BBC 40 Mins documentary team follow Trevor Smith, owner of Trevor Smith's Animal World, a company that supplies animals for film and television.

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S10E7
Malika's Hotel
Air date: 06/Dec/1990 · Runtime: 40 min
Summary

Malika Shawa is an old girl of Cheltenham Ladies College. She's also a Palestinian aristocrat, who owns the only hotel in the Gaza Strip. In the refugee camp next door, the Palestinian intifada - an uprising against Israeli occupation - began three years ago this week. Today, Malika's guests are a strange collection of journalists, diplomats and foreigners on fact-finding tours. For them, her hotel is 'an oasis from the filth, smells and violence that surrounds it'.

Summary

Malika Shawa is an old girl of Cheltenham Ladies College. She's also a Palestinian aristocrat, who owns the only hotel in the Gaza Strip. In the refugee camp next door, the Palestinian intifada - an uprising against Israeli occupation - began three years ago this week. Today, Malika's guests are a strange collection of journalists, diplomats and foreigners on fact-finding tours. For them, her hotel is 'an oasis from the filth, smells and violence that surrounds it'.

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Season 9 · Season 9
26 episode(s) · Air date: 19/Oct/1989
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S9E20
Many Happy Returns!
Air date: 22/Mar/1990 · Runtime: 40 min
Summary

Two children who feel sure they died terrible deaths and have been born again tell their extraordinary stories. Nicola, aged 12, lives in Keighley, Yorkshire, near to the railway tracks where she played in the 19th century in another life. Then, she says, she was a boy. Parish records suggest that it isn't just a childhood fantasy. Titu, aged 6, lives in north India in the shadow of the Taj Mahal. His is a violent story. He alleges he was gunned down by a murderer. Another vivid imagination? The radio shop he ran still exists, and his widow is still alive. When he mentions buried gold, it seems to jog her memory...

Summary

Two children who feel sure they died terrible deaths and have been born again tell their extraordinary stories. Nicola, aged 12, lives in Keighley, Yorkshire, near to the railway tracks where she played in the 19th century in another life. Then, she says, she was a boy. Parish records suggest that it isn't just a childhood fantasy. Titu, aged 6, lives in north India in the shadow of the Taj Mahal. His is a violent story. He alleges he was gunned down by a murderer. Another vivid imagination? The radio shop he ran still exists, and his widow is still alive. When he mentions buried gold, it seems to jog her memory...

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S9E18
Green Police
Air date: 08/Mar/1990 · Runtime: 40 min
Summary

In New Jersey, USA, a team of cops and scientists is 'busting' polluters. For the first time a film crew has been given total access to their operations. 40 Minutes follows the trail - the surveillance. the 'sting', the raid. Whether it's one small operator dumping chemicals on the street or the president of a multi-million-dollar company caught polluting a river - both are likely to face serious criminal charges. In New Jersey, they believe only tough action will deter dumpers. Is there a lesson for us in Britain?

Summary

In New Jersey, USA, a team of cops and scientists is 'busting' polluters. For the first time a film crew has been given total access to their operations. 40 Minutes follows the trail - the surveillance. the 'sting', the raid. Whether it's one small operator dumping chemicals on the street or the president of a multi-million-dollar company caught polluting a river - both are likely to face serious criminal charges. In New Jersey, they believe only tough action will deter dumpers. Is there a lesson for us in Britain?

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S9E7
Bullies
Air date: 30/Nov/1989 · Runtime: 40 min
Summary

At least one in every five children in Britain suffer from bullying. In our schools the problem is worse than anywhere else in Europe. 40 Minutes reveals what's really going on in the playground.

Summary

At least one in every five children in Britain suffer from bullying. In our schools the problem is worse than anywhere else in Europe. 40 Minutes reveals what's really going on in the playground.

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S9E6
The Heart of the Angel
Air date: 23/Nov/1989
Summary

This film documents one day in the life of Angel station on the Northern Line of the London Underground in the days before its refurbishment. We see the ticket collectors, station manager and other staff as they cope with angry passengers, lift failures and cancelled trains.

Summary

This film documents one day in the life of Angel station on the Northern Line of the London Underground in the days before its refurbishment. We see the ticket collectors, station manager and other staff as they cope with angry passengers, lift failures and cancelled trains.

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S9E1
Danger Men
Air date: 19/Oct/1989 · Runtime: 40 min
Summary

Ten of the most dangerous and disruptive men in the prison system have been brought together in an experimental unit at Hull Jail. A new softly-softly regime is being tested on inmates like Fred Low, who is serving three life sentences - one for killing a fellow prisoner - and Patrick Mackay, serving five life sentences for manslaughter and robbery. 40 Minutes gained access to the unit as the prisoners started to reveal themselves to the hand-picked staff, and as conflicts began. The most serious clash was over the only woman working full time in the unit, and it involved David McAllister, serving 19 years for armed robbery and assault, who later escaped from the unit and was on the run for five days. This film tells the story of the most controversial unit in our prisons.

Summary

Ten of the most dangerous and disruptive men in the prison system have been brought together in an experimental unit at Hull Jail. A new softly-softly regime is being tested on inmates like Fred Low, who is serving three life sentences - one for killing a fellow prisoner - and Patrick Mackay, serving five life sentences for manslaughter and robbery. 40 Minutes gained access to the unit as the prisoners started to reveal themselves to the hand-picked staff, and as conflicts began. The most serious clash was over the only woman working full time in the unit, and it involved David McAllister, serving 19 years for armed robbery and assault, who later escaped from the unit and was on the run for five days. This film tells the story of the most controversial unit in our prisons.

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Season 8 · Season 8
27 episode(s) · Air date: 20/Oct/1988
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S8E27
Who'll Win Jeanette?
Air date: 18/May/1989 · Runtime: 40 min
Summary

A young American travels from Tampa to Vermont, inspecting the parents who want to adopt her unborn child - and finally makes her choice.

Summary

A young American travels from Tampa to Vermont, inspecting the parents who want to adopt her unborn child - and finally makes her choice.

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S8E26
London Lighthouse
Air date: 11/May/1989 · Runtime: 40 min
Summary

An insight into the first few months of Britain's first purpose-built AIDS hospice. London Lighthouse is an experiment. The building is striking. The approach to nursing is radical. The project could provide a model for the health care of the future. Beatty King, 26, is one of 15 nurses working at Lighthouse. On night shift, she spends the small hours gently negotiating with Colin, who's desperate to smoke, and sitting with Christopher, who is close to death. The patients appreciate having as much say as possible in how they are looked after. But as relationships develop, emotional pressures increase. Beatty admits, 'I don't think I realised what I was letting myself in for....'.

Summary

An insight into the first few months of Britain's first purpose-built AIDS hospice. London Lighthouse is an experiment. The building is striking. The approach to nursing is radical. The project could provide a model for the health care of the future. Beatty King, 26, is one of 15 nurses working at Lighthouse. On night shift, she spends the small hours gently negotiating with Colin, who's desperate to smoke, and sitting with Christopher, who is close to death. The patients appreciate having as much say as possible in how they are looked after. But as relationships develop, emotional pressures increase. Beatty admits, 'I don't think I realised what I was letting myself in for....'.

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S8E25
Laid Off
Air date: 04/May/1989 · Runtime: 40 min
Summary

Following two people, one in the North and one in the South of England, from the time they are made redundant through three months of job-hunting.

Summary

Following two people, one in the North and one in the South of England, from the time they are made redundant through three months of job-hunting.

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S8E23
Two Sides of a Street
Air date: 20/Apr/1989 · Runtime: 40 min
Summary

A real life soap opera is unfolding in Cardross Street, West London. A Royal Ballet star, a man who owns a share in a race horse, and a peer's daughter now live side by side with old folk who have rented their houses all their lives. Once the street was filled with families. Now it's being taken over and tarted up by the young rich with no children. 'Funeral today - skip tomorrow' is how the locals describe what's happening. Had they been able to afford it, the old timers could have bought their homes for £200. Now unmodernised two-up two-downs with outside loos are snapped up at £150,000. 'For the old people the street is a way of life,' says the Hon Henrietta Roper-Curzon . 'For us it is just a transitory thing. When they leave it's in a hearse. We leave in the removal van'. With John Pitman.

Summary

A real life soap opera is unfolding in Cardross Street, West London. A Royal Ballet star, a man who owns a share in a race horse, and a peer's daughter now live side by side with old folk who have rented their houses all their lives. Once the street was filled with families. Now it's being taken over and tarted up by the young rich with no children. 'Funeral today - skip tomorrow' is how the locals describe what's happening. Had they been able to afford it, the old timers could have bought their homes for £200. Now unmodernised two-up two-downs with outside loos are snapped up at £150,000. 'For the old people the street is a way of life,' says the Hon Henrietta Roper-Curzon . 'For us it is just a transitory thing. When they leave it's in a hearse. We leave in the removal van'. With John Pitman.

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S8E22
Catwalk
Air date: 06/Apr/1989 · Runtime: 40 min
Summary

It's said that 2,000 dogs and 4,000 cats are destroyed in Britain every day. Celia Hammond was a top fashion model. Now she's so furious about the destruction of healthy animals that she's given up her career, even her personal life, to rescue as many strays as she can. She prowls the wastelands and alleyways of London to save frightened, injured and lost cats. Her ultimate aim is to set up her own low-cost spaying and neutering clinics.

Summary

It's said that 2,000 dogs and 4,000 cats are destroyed in Britain every day. Celia Hammond was a top fashion model. Now she's so furious about the destruction of healthy animals that she's given up her career, even her personal life, to rescue as many strays as she can. She prowls the wastelands and alleyways of London to save frightened, injured and lost cats. Her ultimate aim is to set up her own low-cost spaying and neutering clinics.

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S8E20
Wedding at Easington
Air date: 23/Mar/1989 · Runtime: 40 min
Summary

One in six in the old coal-mining district of Easington is out of work. Tom and Dawn are both unemployed and it is their wedding day. What does the future hold for them?

Summary

One in six in the old coal-mining district of Easington is out of work. Tom and Dawn are both unemployed and it is their wedding day. What does the future hold for them?

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S8E17
Ghost Train
Air date: 02/Mar/1989 · Runtime: 40 min
Summary

A journey by Intercity into the world of the supernatural. Do you believe in ghosts? Helen McCormick does. She found an ancient crucifix in her cellar - and then saw a medieval monk walk past her kitchen window. Ambulanceman Ken Lobley rescued his aunt after a warning from an apparition. Nichola Thompson, aged 13, was reading, looked up, and saw her grandmother - wearing the pink shroud she'd been buried in two years earlier. Rev Jack Richardson investigates spooky Harnham Hall in Northumberland. He blesses the earthly remains of Kate Babington, who died a prisoner at Harnham in 1670. Eddie Burks, a 'clairsentient', is summoned to an RAF base to contact the ghost of an airman. Eerily, he describes how the man died and why he returns. And four nurses spend the night in 'the most haunted house in Britain' - with strange tales to tell the following morning....

Summary

A journey by Intercity into the world of the supernatural. Do you believe in ghosts? Helen McCormick does. She found an ancient crucifix in her cellar - and then saw a medieval monk walk past her kitchen window. Ambulanceman Ken Lobley rescued his aunt after a warning from an apparition. Nichola Thompson, aged 13, was reading, looked up, and saw her grandmother - wearing the pink shroud she'd been buried in two years earlier. Rev Jack Richardson investigates spooky Harnham Hall in Northumberland. He blesses the earthly remains of Kate Babington, who died a prisoner at Harnham in 1670. Eddie Burks, a 'clairsentient', is summoned to an RAF base to contact the ghost of an airman. Eerily, he describes how the man died and why he returns. And four nurses spend the night in 'the most haunted house in Britain' - with strange tales to tell the following morning....

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S8E12
Our Darren
Air date: 26/Jan/1989 · Runtime: 40 min
Summary

Darren Lillywhite was 17, mischievous and high-spirited. He and his mates were a lively lot, always getting into scrapes around the village of Cranleigh, where they grew up. Darren had owned his prized Vauxhall Astra for just a few weeks. One August evening in 1987 he drove it into a roundabout and was thrown from the car. Now he is paralysed from the neck down and can do nothing for himself. Darren has been at Stoke Mandeville Hospital for ten months, but his family is determined to get him back home. Terry and Marilyn Lillywhite have built a special extension to their house. If Darren makes it, his family, neighbours and friends will all be joining in the celebration. No one can help liking Darren. 'I don't feel bitter about it at all,' he says. 'It's like being born again, really....'

Summary

Darren Lillywhite was 17, mischievous and high-spirited. He and his mates were a lively lot, always getting into scrapes around the village of Cranleigh, where they grew up. Darren had owned his prized Vauxhall Astra for just a few weeks. One August evening in 1987 he drove it into a roundabout and was thrown from the car. Now he is paralysed from the neck down and can do nothing for himself. Darren has been at Stoke Mandeville Hospital for ten months, but his family is determined to get him back home. Terry and Marilyn Lillywhite have built a special extension to their house. If Darren makes it, his family, neighbours and friends will all be joining in the celebration. No one can help liking Darren. 'I don't feel bitter about it at all,' he says. 'It's like being born again, really....'

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S8E7
Greenfinches
Air date: 01/Dec/1988 · Runtime: 40 min
Summary

Three soldiers - all members of the Ulster Defence Regiment, all in the-front line of Northern Ireland's tense security troubles - and all three are women.

Summary

Three soldiers - all members of the Ulster Defence Regiment, all in the-front line of Northern Ireland's tense security troubles - and all three are women.

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S8E6
Making the Grade
Air date: 24/Nov/1988 · Runtime: 40 min
Summary

The inside story of the examinations of the Royal School of Music, following four musicians and their examiner through their rehearsals and preparation, and into the exam. room itself.

Summary

The inside story of the examinations of the Royal School of Music, following four musicians and their examiner through their rehearsals and preparation, and into the exam. room itself.

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S8E4
Desirable Dwellings
Air date: 10/Nov/1988 · Runtime: 40 min
Summary

Lucinda Lambton has photographed houses for 27 years. She conducts a personal and enthusiastic tour around her favourites - some of Britain's oddest, most individual and delightful homes. Lucinda's travels take her to a Hollywood hacienda in Derbyshire, created for a man who banished straight lines; a clairvoyant's bijou residence in the air; a Gothic castle now being built by a ruralist in deepest Cornwall; a haunted Victorian hotchpotch of a place north of the Humber, where the tiles don't match; and a circular confection of great charm in Devon, created by the Misses Parminter.

Summary

Lucinda Lambton has photographed houses for 27 years. She conducts a personal and enthusiastic tour around her favourites - some of Britain's oddest, most individual and delightful homes. Lucinda's travels take her to a Hollywood hacienda in Derbyshire, created for a man who banished straight lines; a clairvoyant's bijou residence in the air; a Gothic castle now being built by a ruralist in deepest Cornwall; a haunted Victorian hotchpotch of a place north of the Humber, where the tiles don't match; and a circular confection of great charm in Devon, created by the Misses Parminter.

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S8E3
The Gypsies Are Coming
Air date: 03/Nov/1988 · Runtime: 40 min
Summary

The impact of 2,500 gypsies and travellers on the sleepy market town of Appleby in Cumbria, which each June the travellers invade for the annual horse fair.

Summary

The impact of 2,500 gypsies and travellers on the sleepy market town of Appleby in Cumbria, which each June the travellers invade for the annual horse fair.

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Season 7 · Season 7
27 episode(s) · Air date: 05/Nov/1987
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S7E27
Mixed Blessings
Air date: 19/May/1988 · Runtime: 40 min
Summary

The story of a mix-up in a Nottingham nursing-home. Margaret Wheeler and Blanche Rylatt each gave birth to a baby girl on the same day. Margaret is convinced that she was given the wrong baby.

Summary

The story of a mix-up in a Nottingham nursing-home. Margaret Wheeler and Blanche Rylatt each gave birth to a baby girl on the same day. Margaret is convinced that she was given the wrong baby.

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S7E18
I, Alison...
Air date: 10/Mar/1988 · Runtime: 40 min
Summary

The story of a remarkable young woman. It's Alison French's wedding day. She's 24 - vivacious, candid, attractive, with a warm smile and a lively sense of humour. Alison, professionally qualified as a youth worker, is marrying Mark John. What makes her wedding different is that she's an athetoid spastic - her body's never still, and she has difficulty with her speech. Seven years ago, 40 Minutes made an acclaimed film about Alison, telling of her bid to gain independence in the able-bodied world. Tonight's follow-up is a passionate love story. But in marrying the man she loves, Alison has to leave her family in Watford, set up a new home in South Wales, and adapt to being a clergyman's wife. Her heart is still set on finding an independent job. The harsh reality is that despite her skills and rare qualities, she may face rejection. But Alison doesn't give up easily...

Summary

The story of a remarkable young woman. It's Alison French's wedding day. She's 24 - vivacious, candid, attractive, with a warm smile and a lively sense of humour. Alison, professionally qualified as a youth worker, is marrying Mark John. What makes her wedding different is that she's an athetoid spastic - her body's never still, and she has difficulty with her speech. Seven years ago, 40 Minutes made an acclaimed film about Alison, telling of her bid to gain independence in the able-bodied world. Tonight's follow-up is a passionate love story. But in marrying the man she loves, Alison has to leave her family in Watford, set up a new home in South Wales, and adapt to being a clergyman's wife. Her heart is still set on finding an independent job. The harsh reality is that despite her skills and rare qualities, she may face rejection. But Alison doesn't give up easily...

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S7E17
The Great North Road
Air date: 03/Mar/1988 · Runtime: 40 min
Summary

Lucinda Lambton travels along the Great North Road, the backbone of Britain that links London to Edinburgh, discovering many weird and wonderful delights en route.

Summary

Lucinda Lambton travels along the Great North Road, the backbone of Britain that links London to Edinburgh, discovering many weird and wonderful delights en route.

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S7E12
Scarfe's Follies
Air date: 28/Jan/1988 · Runtime: 40 min
Summary

Scarfe's Follies with Bob Geldof, Jane Asher, Terry Jones, Ian McKellen, Robin Bailey, Julian Glover, Marcia Warren, John Bird, John Challis, John Watts, Nellie the elephant and Ivy the camel. Gerald Scarfe records the follies of man in his cartoons. Now he wants to create his own folly. But what are follies - and why did eccentrics build them? Surrounded by high-kicking follies girls and borne by noble beasts, Scarfe sets off on a quest of discovery. He encounters a naughty vicar who built a folly garden for his gypsy girlfriend; a Welshman who burned his own son; a politician who got voters drunk; a man whose house resembles a jungle; and 'Mad Jack' Fuller, who built a steeple overnight to win a wager, and was buried in a pyramid with a bottle of port and a cold chicken. And as all the best follies contained a resident hermit, Scarfe advertises for one in the Times - with startling results.

Summary

Scarfe's Follies with Bob Geldof, Jane Asher, Terry Jones, Ian McKellen, Robin Bailey, Julian Glover, Marcia Warren, John Bird, John Challis, John Watts, Nellie the elephant and Ivy the camel. Gerald Scarfe records the follies of man in his cartoons. Now he wants to create his own folly. But what are follies - and why did eccentrics build them? Surrounded by high-kicking follies girls and borne by noble beasts, Scarfe sets off on a quest of discovery. He encounters a naughty vicar who built a folly garden for his gypsy girlfriend; a Welshman who burned his own son; a politician who got voters drunk; a man whose house resembles a jungle; and 'Mad Jack' Fuller, who built a steeple overnight to win a wager, and was buried in a pyramid with a bottle of port and a cold chicken. And as all the best follies contained a resident hermit, Scarfe advertises for one in the Times - with startling results.

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Season 6 · Season 6
27 episode(s) · Air date: 09/Oct/1986
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S6E13
Home from the Hill
Air date: 22/Jan/1987 · Runtime: 40 min
Summary

Documentary about Colonel Hilary Hook, formerly of the Indian cavalry and leader of extravagant safaris in Kenya. Hook returned home to England after being evicted from his home in the Kenya Hills, and is finding it hard to readjust to the English way of life.

Summary

Documentary about Colonel Hilary Hook, formerly of the Indian cavalry and leader of extravagant safaris in Kenya. Hook returned home to England after being evicted from his home in the Kenya Hills, and is finding it hard to readjust to the English way of life.

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S6E9
The Final Board
Air date: 11/Dec/1986 · Runtime: 40 min
Summary

The second film tells of two hopefuls at the last round, one hoping to enter the Foreign Office, the other aiming for the Home Office. Filmed from the points of view of both the candidates and the selectors. The final result is a shock.

Summary

The second film tells of two hopefuls at the last round, one hoping to enter the Foreign Office, the other aiming for the Home Office. Filmed from the points of view of both the candidates and the selectors. The final result is a shock.

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S6E8
The Chosen Few
Air date: 04/Dec/1986 · Runtime: 40 min
Summary

The Civil Service Selection Board has never been filmed before. The first of two programmes concentrates on two candidates, one an ex-employee of the Greater London Council, the other a "near miss" of last year.

Summary

The Civil Service Selection Board has never been filmed before. The first of two programmes concentrates on two candidates, one an ex-employee of the Greater London Council, the other a "near miss" of last year.

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S6E6
Special: The Dump
Air date: 25/Nov/1986 · Runtime: 40 min
Summary

Plans for dumping nuclear waste in rural Lincolnshire - and how traditionally conservative villagers were aroused to protest against them.

Summary

Plans for dumping nuclear waste in rural Lincolnshire - and how traditionally conservative villagers were aroused to protest against them.

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S6E5
The Englishwoman's Wardrobe
Air date: 20/Nov/1986 · Runtime: 40 min
Summary

Angela Huth asks why is it that as a nation, we have such a rotten reputation as dressers? What are we trying to say about ourselves through our appearance? 'Oh not black again, dear,' says Denis - but Margaret Thatcher knows a secret or two about old faithfuls and reliable standbys. Tonight the Prime Minister reveals, for the first time, the inside story of her wardrobe. Selina Scott always wanting 'to look a bit different from everyone else'; the probation officer who last wore a dress when she danced with the Prince of Wales; the bubbly society hostess who seems to wear only party dresses; the housewife with an eye for the 20p bargain with a designer label - these are just some of the extraordinary and ordinary women who unlock their wardrobes and tell all, proving that the only thing in vogue is individuality.

Summary

Angela Huth asks why is it that as a nation, we have such a rotten reputation as dressers? What are we trying to say about ourselves through our appearance? 'Oh not black again, dear,' says Denis - but Margaret Thatcher knows a secret or two about old faithfuls and reliable standbys. Tonight the Prime Minister reveals, for the first time, the inside story of her wardrobe. Selina Scott always wanting 'to look a bit different from everyone else'; the probation officer who last wore a dress when she danced with the Prince of Wales; the bubbly society hostess who seems to wear only party dresses; the housewife with an eye for the 20p bargain with a designer label - these are just some of the extraordinary and ordinary women who unlock their wardrobes and tell all, proving that the only thing in vogue is individuality.

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S6E4
Olga Goes to Hollywood
Air date: 30/Oct/1986 · Runtime: 40 min
Summary

In 1978 David Lomax secretly interviewed a Russian couple in Moscow after they had been refused exit visas. They were filmed a year later as they arrived in the West. Now they live in Los Angeles. What price have they paid for their freedom?

Summary

In 1978 David Lomax secretly interviewed a Russian couple in Moscow after they had been refused exit visas. They were filmed a year later as they arrived in the West. Now they live in Los Angeles. What price have they paid for their freedom?

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S6E3
Rescue
Air date: 23/Oct/1986 · Runtime: 40 min
Summary

The lives of the men who make up the Lochaber Mountain Rescue Team - a voluntary body of men who help those in difficulty on Ben Nevis and the surrounding mountains.

Summary

The lives of the men who make up the Lochaber Mountain Rescue Team - a voluntary body of men who help those in difficulty on Ben Nevis and the surrounding mountains.

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Season 5 · Season 5
26 episode(s) · Air date: 10/Oct/1985
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S5E26
A Passage to Wisbech
Air date: 17/Apr/1986 · Runtime: 40 min
Summary

Carrick is a dirty British coaster - a 30-year-old tramp carrying unglamorous cargoes from port to port in the Channel and the North Sea. Her skipper and owner is Rick Waters , once part-time butler to Edward Heath: 'I resent people calling my ship a rust-bucket. She's an old lady who needs the occasional helping hand.' George Norman, the mate, looks after the cargoes. The ship could capsize if a cargo shifts at sea. Tom Owen, ex-Royal Navy, struggles with Carrick's dodgy engine. 'Most other merchant seamen regard coaster crews as the scum of the earth,' he says. Carrick makes uncertain progress through the mad March days, carrying fertilizer to Exmouth, grain to Antwerp, and spuds, improbably, to Wisbech. Coasters like Carrick can reach the ports that other ships can't....

Summary

Carrick is a dirty British coaster - a 30-year-old tramp carrying unglamorous cargoes from port to port in the Channel and the North Sea. Her skipper and owner is Rick Waters , once part-time butler to Edward Heath: 'I resent people calling my ship a rust-bucket. She's an old lady who needs the occasional helping hand.' George Norman, the mate, looks after the cargoes. The ship could capsize if a cargo shifts at sea. Tom Owen, ex-Royal Navy, struggles with Carrick's dodgy engine. 'Most other merchant seamen regard coaster crews as the scum of the earth,' he says. Carrick makes uncertain progress through the mad March days, carrying fertilizer to Exmouth, grain to Antwerp, and spuds, improbably, to Wisbech. Coasters like Carrick can reach the ports that other ships can't....

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S5E22
Come Home Julie
Air date: 20/Mar/1986 · Runtime: 40 min
Summary

A young black girl, once fostered by a Scottish family, then snatched back to Ghana, returns to her foster parents - with not altogether happy results.

Summary

A young black girl, once fostered by a Scottish family, then snatched back to Ghana, returns to her foster parents - with not altogether happy results.

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S5E21
A Case of Malicious Wounding
Air date: 13/Mar/1986 · Runtime: 40 min
Summary

A Yorkshire coal miner caught up in the bitter industrial warfare between strike pickets and police. The traumatic events of 24 August 1984 have changed the course of his life.

Summary

A Yorkshire coal miner caught up in the bitter industrial warfare between strike pickets and police. The traumatic events of 24 August 1984 have changed the course of his life.

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S5E19
The Fishing Party
Air date: 27/Feb/1986 · Runtime: 40 min
Summary

They are four friends, rich young men - city commodity-brokers, the drinks trade. They belong to the right clubs. They hunt, shoot, play polo, make money. They had the idea of going fishing in Scotland for a few days in the autumn, to see if they could break the world record for a catch of skate. They ended up with something else. As the October weather squalls and shines, as the boat rolls on the stormy waters of the Pentland Firth, as the days pass without the big bite, so the jokes flow, the bottles are cracked, and Robert, John, Henry and Guy reveal their spirited, outspoken opinions. "Better for some to have privilege rather than nobody - let's lead from the top, not the bottom ... Many of our friends, in the City and the army, worry about the aggressive young men of the loony left...."

Summary

They are four friends, rich young men - city commodity-brokers, the drinks trade. They belong to the right clubs. They hunt, shoot, play polo, make money. They had the idea of going fishing in Scotland for a few days in the autumn, to see if they could break the world record for a catch of skate. They ended up with something else. As the October weather squalls and shines, as the boat rolls on the stormy waters of the Pentland Firth, as the days pass without the big bite, so the jokes flow, the bottles are cracked, and Robert, John, Henry and Guy reveal their spirited, outspoken opinions. "Better for some to have privilege rather than nobody - let's lead from the top, not the bottom ... Many of our friends, in the City and the army, worry about the aggressive young men of the loony left...."

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S5E18
Cry for Home
Air date: 20/Feb/1986 · Runtime: 40 min
Summary

'I'm British', says the young lady with strawberry blonde hair and a Midlands accent, 'but I don't have a drop of British blood in me.' Carmen Laanemagi is from Leicester - and Estonia. Pauline Riemers is a nurse in Epsom; her parents are Latvian. Algis Kuliukas, a British Airways computer programmer, lives in Hounslow; he's part-Lithuanian. Last July they embarked on the Baltic Star in Stockholm. It was the beginning of an emotional and exciting voyage. The aim was to sail as close as they could get to the coasts of Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia - now part of the Soviet Union. Forty years ago their parents had fled as refugees when the three Baltic states lost their short-lived independence. Now the lost children were returning - hoping for a distant glimpse of home. Narrator Ian Holm

Summary

'I'm British', says the young lady with strawberry blonde hair and a Midlands accent, 'but I don't have a drop of British blood in me.' Carmen Laanemagi is from Leicester - and Estonia. Pauline Riemers is a nurse in Epsom; her parents are Latvian. Algis Kuliukas, a British Airways computer programmer, lives in Hounslow; he's part-Lithuanian. Last July they embarked on the Baltic Star in Stockholm. It was the beginning of an emotional and exciting voyage. The aim was to sail as close as they could get to the coasts of Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia - now part of the Soviet Union. Forty years ago their parents had fled as refugees when the three Baltic states lost their short-lived independence. Now the lost children were returning - hoping for a distant glimpse of home. Narrator Ian Holm

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S5E13
Flight from Vatersay
Air date: 16/Jan/1986 · Runtime: 40 min
Summary

The Hebrides - idyllic isles of wild beauty, majestic, remote, peaceful? That's not how Neil Gillies, 23 years old and unemployed, sees his island home of Vatersay. For him it's a place of isolation, boredom and drink. He can't wait to leave Vatersay, his widowed mother and his eight brothers and sisters, to try his luck in Glasgow. His prospects aren't good. Jobs are scarce, accommodation hard to find. There are compensations - Vatersay has few girls; Glasgow seems alive with them. Over the months, the demands of fending for himself begin to tell. When Neil leaves his hard-won job he escapes into the illusory comfort of alcohol. Should he have stayed on the island? Or can he come to terms with this uncompromising city of bed-sits, the dole and bars?

Summary

The Hebrides - idyllic isles of wild beauty, majestic, remote, peaceful? That's not how Neil Gillies, 23 years old and unemployed, sees his island home of Vatersay. For him it's a place of isolation, boredom and drink. He can't wait to leave Vatersay, his widowed mother and his eight brothers and sisters, to try his luck in Glasgow. His prospects aren't good. Jobs are scarce, accommodation hard to find. There are compensations - Vatersay has few girls; Glasgow seems alive with them. Over the months, the demands of fending for himself begin to tell. When Neil leaves his hard-won job he escapes into the illusory comfort of alcohol. Should he have stayed on the island? Or can he come to terms with this uncompromising city of bed-sits, the dole and bars?

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S5E10
Our Man in Shanghai
Air date: 12/Dec/1985 · Runtime: 40 min
Summary

The Foreign Office opens a new mission in China. The film follows the new Consul-General during his first week in Shanghai. A high-powered trade delegation is due, led by Lord Young; our man has to look after them while finding his own feet. He succeeds in seeing the only performing panda in the world.

Summary

The Foreign Office opens a new mission in China. The film follows the new Consul-General during his first week in Shanghai. A high-powered trade delegation is due, led by Lord Young; our man has to look after them while finding his own feet. He succeeds in seeing the only performing panda in the world.

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S5E9
Animal Crackers
Air date: 05/Dec/1985 · Runtime: 40 min
Summary

All over Britain are strange and delightful buildings with one thing in common - they were created for animals. Lucinda Lambton is your guide to such follies. Castles, temples, palaces, obelisks and pyramids, they are a happy by-product of the British passion for animals.

Summary

All over Britain are strange and delightful buildings with one thing in common - they were created for animals. Lucinda Lambton is your guide to such follies. Castles, temples, palaces, obelisks and pyramids, they are a happy by-product of the British passion for animals.

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S5E6
Searching for a Miracle
Air date: 14/Nov/1985 · Runtime: 40 min
Summary

A child with a genetic disease and his young parents go from Northern Ireland on a pilgrimage to Lourdes, in the French Pyrenees. After a week they find there is a change.

Summary

A child with a genetic disease and his young parents go from Northern Ireland on a pilgrimage to Lourdes, in the French Pyrenees. After a week they find there is a change.

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S5E4
Johnny Oddball
Air date: 31/Oct/1985 · Runtime: 40 min
Summary

10 years ago a famous documentary was made by Franc Roddam about "Mini" Cooper, a most attractive and intelligent child arsonist. Now released from a secure psychiatric institution, he hopes to make a career as a magician.

Summary

10 years ago a famous documentary was made by Franc Roddam about "Mini" Cooper, a most attractive and intelligent child arsonist. Now released from a secure psychiatric institution, he hopes to make a career as a magician.

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S5E2
50 Years On
Air date: 17/Oct/1985 · Runtime: 40 min
Summary

A Golden Wedding holiday. Four couples married in 1935 celebrate 50 years of life together, and talk of the happiness and sadness of their golden years.

Summary

A Golden Wedding holiday. Four couples married in 1935 celebrate 50 years of life together, and talk of the happiness and sadness of their golden years.

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Season 4 · Season 4
25 episode(s) · Air date: 01/Nov/1984
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S4E25
Dear Mr President
Air date: 09/May/1985 · Runtime: 40 min
Summary

The story of a family whose daughter is handicapped because of a drug taken by her mother during pregnancy. The American drug company claims the drug is safe.

Summary

The story of a family whose daughter is handicapped because of a drug taken by her mother during pregnancy. The American drug company claims the drug is safe.

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S4E21
Whatever Happened to Baby Paul?
Air date: 04/Apr/1985 · Runtime: 40 min
Summary

The story of a woman who took her baby to hospital where he was found to have several fractures. She denied having caused the injuries but he was taken from her care.

Summary

The story of a woman who took her baby to hospital where he was found to have several fractures. She denied having caused the injuries but he was taken from her care.

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S4E10
Talking Proper
Air date: 17/Jan/1985
Summary

Accents and dialects provoke strong prejudices and reactions. In a 40 Minutes film that examines why this should be, broadcaster Janet Street-Porter, Radio 4 announcer Susan Rae and actor Peter Bowles are among those who have suffered because of the way they speak. Meet the Queen's English Society, which keeps a candle burning for the purity of the spoken word, and the Devon Dialect Society, which has very different ideas about how vowels should sound. Eavesdrop on an elocution class, hear from Scottish schoolchildren whose accents might affect their job prospects, and go behind the scenes at the BBC Pronunciation Unit and the northern auditions for the Speaking Clock. See how fashions have changed over the years, and how trends are likely to develop in the future as we enter a world of talking robots and computers.

Summary

Accents and dialects provoke strong prejudices and reactions. In a 40 Minutes film that examines why this should be, broadcaster Janet Street-Porter, Radio 4 announcer Susan Rae and actor Peter Bowles are among those who have suffered because of the way they speak. Meet the Queen's English Society, which keeps a candle burning for the purity of the spoken word, and the Devon Dialect Society, which has very different ideas about how vowels should sound. Eavesdrop on an elocution class, hear from Scottish schoolchildren whose accents might affect their job prospects, and go behind the scenes at the BBC Pronunciation Unit and the northern auditions for the Speaking Clock. See how fashions have changed over the years, and how trends are likely to develop in the future as we enter a world of talking robots and computers.

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Season 3 · Season 3
26 episode(s) · Air date: 30/Oct/1983
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Season 2 · Season 2
25 episode(s) · Air date: 07/Oct/1982
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S2E17
English Lesson
Air date: 24/Feb/1983 · Runtime: 40 min
Summary

Nine Polish seamen who sought political asylum in the Falklands where they were caught up in the war and their later stateless existence in London.

Summary

Nine Polish seamen who sought political asylum in the Falklands where they were caught up in the war and their later stateless existence in London.

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S2E5
Lost in a Crowd
Air date: 04/Nov/1982 · Runtime: 40 min
Summary

Problems of loneliness. Five people who are trying to find their own ways to deal with overcome loneliness are in a compartment in a train. They tell their stories to us, but do not communicate with each other, despite their shared problem.

Summary

Problems of loneliness. Five people who are trying to find their own ways to deal with overcome loneliness are in a compartment in a train. They tell their stories to us, but do not communicate with each other, despite their shared problem.

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Season 1 · Season 1
29 episode(s) · Air date: 01/Oct/1981
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Cast

Main cast members.

Add Cast
Jessie Matthews
Jessie Matthews
No Photo
Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh
Ian Holm
Ian Holm
Narrator
Ernie Wise
Ernie Wise
George Formby
George Formby
Benjamin Zephaniah
Benjamin Zephaniah
Gary Glitter
Gary Glitter
No Photo
Brendan Ingle
No Photo
Michel Odent
Frankie Vaughan
Frankie Vaughan
No Photo
Bertrand Russell
No Photo
Geoffrey Boycott
No Photo
Doris Stokes
Samantha Fox
Samantha Fox
Self
Linda Lusardi
Linda Lusardi
Ian Botham
Ian Botham
Gerald Scarfe
Gerald Scarfe
Max Miller
Max Miller

Crew

Creators, directors, writers, and production crew.

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Adam Curtis
Adam Curtis
Director
Chris Petit
Chris Petit
Director
No Photo
Russell England
Director
No Photo
Witold Starecki
Director
No Photo
Jane Val Baker
Editor
No Photo
Roger Mills
Executive Producer

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