S8 E1 • Charles Wheeler: Edge of Frame

When veteran journalist Charles Wheeler died aged 85, he was just one year younger than the BBC itself. As the corporation's longest-serving foreign correspondent, Wheeler was at the forefront of world news reporting for more than 50 years. Showing again in a specially extended version as a tribute to Charles Wheeler, this documentary looks at the decisive moments of the latter 20th Century through the eyes of one of journalism's most dedicated, yet modest, professionals. Contributors include Jeremy Paxman, John Simpson and Wheeler's son-in-law Boris Johnson, as well as Charles Wheeler himself.

Première diffusion : 22 juillet 2008

S8 E2 • How To Be A Good President

In a whistle-stop tour through the history of the US presidency, journalist and author Jonathan Freedland asks what qualities make a great president and what we can learn from the likes of Theodore Roosevelt, JFK or even Richard Nixon about what it takes to make a mark in the White House. Freedland is helped by distinguished contributors including James Naughtie, Shirley Williams, Douglas Hurd, Simon Hoggart and Bonnie Greer, who give frank assessments of some of America's greatest presidents.

Première diffusion : 14 septembre 2008

S8 E3 • Between the Lines: Railways in Fiction and Film

Novelist Andrew Martin presents a documentary examining how the train and the railways came to shape the work of writers and film-makers.

Première diffusion : 9 octobre 2008

S8 E4 • Age of Steam

Documentary which tells the surprising story of how Britain entered a new age of steam railways after the Second World War and why it quickly came to an end. After the war, the largely destroyed railways of Europe were rebuilt to carry more modern diesel and electric trains. Britain, however, chose to build thousands of brand new steam locomotives. These were designed to stay in service well into the 1970s, but in some cases they were taken off the railways and scrapped within just five years. When Dr Richard Beeching took over British Railways in the 1960s the writing was on the wall, and in 1968 the last steam passenger train blew its whistle. But while steam use declined, steam enthusiasm grew. As many steam engines lay rusting in scrapyards around Britain, enthusiasts raised funds to buy, restore and return them to their former glory. In 2008, the first new steam locomotive to be built in Britain in nearly 50 years rolled off the line, proving our enduring love of these machines.

Première diffusion : 16 octobre 2008

S8 E5 • How to Write a Mills and Boon

To mark 100 years of romance publishers Mills and Boon, literary novelist Stella Duffy takes on the challenge of writing for them.

Première diffusion : 2 novembre 2008

S8 E6 • How to Solve a Cryptic Crossword

A look at the world of cryptic crosswords, offering up the secrets of these seemingly impenetrable puzzles.

Première diffusion : 10 novembre 2008

S8 E7 • The Comic Songbook

Documentary which celebrates Britain's rich and much-loved tradition of comic songs, from Noel Coward's Mad Dogs and Englishmen to Benny Hill's Ernie, and reveals the skill involved in creating them.

Première diffusion : 22 décembre 2008

S8 E8 • Fashion versus the BBC

Documentary which takes a provocative and entertaining journey through the BBC's own fashion collection.

Première diffusion : 22 janvier 2009

S8 E9 • The North-South Divide

Journalist John Harris travels around England to find out why the north-south divide is still an economic reality and if anything can be done to close it.

Première diffusion : 9 avril 2009