Category: DocuDrama

The Suez crisis in the 1950s signaled the end of Britain's history as a power that could act alone on the world stage. This series tells the story of Suez using dramatic reconstructions and interviews with participants and witnesses to the crisis. The Suez Canal in Egypt was a symbol of western dominance. France and Britain were the major shareholders in the company that ran the canal and British troops occupied its banks. When Gamal Abdul Nasser came to power in 1954his main objective was to remove the British from Egypt. The British Prime Minister, Anthony Eden, did not understand that the world had changed. Episode 2 Conspiracy - Anthony Eden regarded Nasser as a dictator whose claim to represent all Arabs was a direct threat to British interests in the Middle East. He was determined to make Nasser reverse his decision by force if necessary. Britain plotted with France ...
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The history of Britain and the aspirations of her Christian communities can be traced in the glorious excesses of the cathedrals. From Norman grandeur to the modern interpretations found in Liverpool and Coventryexplore the changing styles of the cathedrals in our midst. A 5 part series that takes a looks at the ingenuity behind the construction of Britain's most famous cathedrals, using CGI and reconstructions to describe the dramatic stories of riot, fire, war, murder, and flood that shaped the history of these impressive masterpieces. Fire at York - In 1829, non-conformist Jonathan Martin set fire to York Minster to protest against what he saw as the greed and complacency of the clergy. At the same time, antiquarian John Browne embarked on his journey to discover how the cathedral had been designed and built. This is the story of Martin and the trial that would lead to either execution or ...
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To produce one of the world's great masterpieces is impressive. To create three is truly astonishingbut this is exactly what Michelangelo did five hundred years ago. With his own hands he designed and created, the David, the ceiling of the Sistine chapel, and the dome of St Peter's. Episode 1 - Michelangelo's path to success was plagued with difficulties. Trace the troubled origins of his genius, from boyhood beatings from his father, to fights with fellow artists. His father's feeling that his obsession with art would bring disgrace to the family failed to deter the young, determined Michelangelo. The tempestuous young Michelangelo made a name for himself. Aged 26, he took on the seemingly impossible challenge of sculpting a colossal statue of the biblical hero, David, and design a structure to transport the sculpture, which weighed several tons, across the uneven roads without the giant crashing to the ground. It ...
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The history of Britain and the aspirations of her Christian communities can be traced in the glorious excesses of the cathedrals. From Norman grandeur to the modern interpretations found in Liverpool and Coventryexplore the changing styles of the cathedrals in our midst. A 5 part series that takes a looks at the ingenuity behind the construction of Britain's most famous cathedrals, using CGI and reconstructions to describe the dramatic stories of riot, fire, war, murder, and flood that shaped the history of these impressive masterpieces. Flood at Winchester - Home of England's first Kings, Winchester cathedral stood for a thousand years as a proud symbol of national identity. But in the early 1900s it faced total destruction when it was discovered that the building was literally sinking into the swamp on which it had been constructed. This ancient architectural gem owes its survival to the bravery, ingenuity and endurance of ...
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A three part drama documentary series about Ludwig van Beethoven presented by conductor Charles Hazlewood. It takes eyewitness accounts of the composer's tragic life and weaves them into analysis of his groundbreaking music. The Rebel - This first programme looks at Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata and 2nd Symphonyand charts his turbulent early years as a pianist and composer in Vienna, after having rejected his abusive alcoholic father ...
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The history of Britain and the aspirations of her Christian communities can be traced in the glorious excesses of the cathedrals. From Norman grandeur to the modern interpretations found in Liverpool and Coventryexplore the changing styles of the cathedrals in our midst. A 5 part series that takes a looks at the ingenuity behind the construction of Britain's most famous cathedrals, using CGI and reconstructions to describe the dramatic stories of riot, fire, war, murder, and flood that shaped the history of these impressive masterpieces. Murder at Cantebury - Canterbury was at the forefront of an architectural revolution the first Gothic cathedral to be built in Britain. But the building we know today has its origins in the most infamous murder of the medieval age - Thomas Becket in 1170. After his death a devastating fire meant that Canterbury could be rebuilt as a shrine to the martyred archbishop. This ...
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A three part drama documentary series about Ludwig van Beethoven presented by conductor Charles Hazlewood. It takes eyewitness accounts of the composer's tragic life and weaves them into analysis of his groundbreaking music. Faith and Fury - Beethoven again revolutionises musical composition with works such as the Hammerklavier Sonatathe Missa Solemnis, the 9th Symphony and the baffling late string quartets all composed when he was profoundly deaf ...
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Catherine the Great is a colorfultrue story about a young girl, who transforms herself from an obscure German Princess into Russia's most powerful regent. As Tsarina, she is influenced by Western Democratic ideas and does much to strengthen Russia's standing in Europe. She has an astute intellect and is able to survive court intrigue to retain her crown. Filmed in UK, Russia & Romania this glossy drama-doc tells how a young German princess used her intelligence and daring to become one of the most influential rulers of the 18th century ...
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On May 7,1915, a German torpedo sent the ship to the bottom of the North Atlantic Ocean in just 18 minutes, its speedy descent into the depths occurring far too fast for most of those aboard to make it to the lifeboats. Of the 1,962 passengers and crew on board,1,200 were lost, including 94 children and, crucially, 128 US civilians, many of whom were prominent figures. President Woodrow Wilson's neutral stance started to crack. All over the country there were calls for the United States to take up arms against Germany. In many ways, the Lusitania tragedy was the major turning point of the Great War, and perhaps the single greatest factor that eventually brought the United States into the war in April 1917 ...
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Egypt is the title of a BBC television drama serial about various archaeological discoveries taking place in that country's history with the occasional flashback scene involving actors portraying the ancient Egyptians themselves. Episode 1 The Search for Tutankhamun - In 1905 Lord Carnarvon arrives in Luxor to convalesce after a road accident and is shown an artifact bearing the cartouche of the mysterious Tutankhamun. An inspired Carnarvon employs Carter. The tomb is finally unearthed. When the tomb is opened in the presence of Carnarvon and his daughter it is revealed to be the only unplundered pharaoh's tomb in the valley ...
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Pompeii The Last Day is a dramatized documentary that tells of the eruption of Mount Vesuvius on 24 August 79 AD.This eruption covered the Roman cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum in ash and pumicekilling all those trapped between the volcano and the sea. The documentary portrayed the different phases of the eruption, although the digitally created images of the city itself are not entirely accurate. Step back in time and visit the vanished city on its last day, as the mighty volcano Vesuvius explodes in a 24 hour reign of terror ...
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Egypt is the title of a BBC television drama serial about various archaeological discoveries taking place in that country's history with the occasional flashback scene involving actors portraying the ancient Egyptians themselves. Episode 2 The Curse of Tutankhamun - In 1922 Carter goes to the Egyptian Antiquities Service in Cairo to announce his discovery but disagrees with Director Pierre Lacau over the clearance and cataloguing of the contents. In 1932 with his work complete Carter leaves the tomb for the last time and hands the key to Lacau ...
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Born in 1905John was the youngest of George V's children. Diagnosed with epilepsy, he died in 1919 after a particularly severe seizure. Had he lived he would have been the present Queen's uncle. The popular image of Prince John has since been one of a neglected child who was regarded as an embarrassment and shut away from public view, deprived of contact with his family. Using testimonies of individuals with direct personal connections to the prince, together with new research and photographs of the real Johnnythis documentary unravels some of the mysteries and misconceptions surrounding him, presenting a more complete story than has ever been told before ...
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Egypt is the title of a BBC television drama serial about various archaeological discoveries taking place in that country's history with the occasional flashback scene involving actors portraying the ancient Egyptians themselves. Episode 3 The Pharaoh and the Showman - A dissatisfied Belzoni leaves England with his wifeSarah, and servant, James Curtin, to see the world. Belzoni is hired to recover the massive Head of Memnon, later revealed to be a statue of the Pharaoh Ramesses the Great, as a gift for the British Museum ...
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Docudrama depicting the life and times of the most flamboyant and colourful Renaissance artist of all. Raffaello Sanzio da Urbinoknown as Raphael, was an Italian painter and architect of the High Renaissance. His work is admired for its clarity of form, ease of composition, and visual achievement of the Neoplatonic ideal of human grandeur. The programme concentrated on the angelic reputation of this often misunderstood painter. The reality was that he was a freakishly precocious firebrand who was resented by most of his contemporaries, it was an every day story of lust, ambition and a romantically early death ...
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