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101 The Grapes of Wrath: The Ghost of Modern America (2019) #1326 DOCUMENTARY Main
1 hour. Symbol of indignation and rebellion, The Grapes of Wrath written by John Steinbeck and published in 1939 caused a scandal. 80 years later, the themes tackled in the novel are current more than ever: labour, justice, capitalism devastation, financialization of the economy, migrants… Featuring movie excerpts and current footage, unseen audiovisual archives and correspondences of Steinbeck, interviews with historians, Steinbeck specialists and writers, the film will guide us into the analysis of a cult book that became prophetic.
102 Balloon (2019) #1333 FILM Main
Directed by Pema Tseden. With Sonam Wangmo, Jinpa, Yangshik Tso. A family struggles against the conflicting dictates of nature, spirituality, politics, and free will.
103 A Very British Christmas (2019) #1334 FILM Main
Directed by Steven Nesbit. With Rachel Shenton, Mark Killeen, Isla Cook, Michele Dotrice. Opera singer Jessica's flight to her concert in Vienna gets delayed and she is stuck in a remote area of England. The only place to stay is a bed-and-breakfast in an enchanting village run by a handsome widower named Andrew.
Also billed as 'A Very Yorkshire Christmas' this film stars Knaresborough.
104 Lucy Worsley's Christmas Carol Odyssey (2019) #1340 DOCUMENTARY-MUSIC Main
1 hour. BBC. In this festive treat featuring the Kingdom Choir and Hampton Court Choir, Lucy Worsley reveals that there’s much more to our best-loved carols than meets the eye. She reveals how their stories add up to a special kind of history of Christmas itself. In the ancient past, the wassail, a pagan fertility ritual, gave us door-to-door carol singing. Wassailing was also an integral part of an older midwinter festival that was adopted by Christianity when it came to Britain, and was rebranded as ‘Christmas’.

Religion, however, soon turned its back on carols. They were far too frivolous for the Puritans, who wanted to ban Christmas altogether. French Catholics on the other hand didn’t mind fun and frolics, and Lucy crosses the channel to learn a French renaissance jig, written by a dancing priest in the 16th century. The tune she dances to went on to become the carol Ding Dong Merrily on High in the 19th century.

In strict Protestant Britain, the carol survived outside the Church and new ones turned up in some surprising places. Lucy visits the British Library, where she discovers an 18th-century children’s book that contains a little memory game called The Twelve Days of Christmas. Christmas carols could also be politically dangerous and subversive. British Catholics were oppressed for generations after the Reformation, but one Catholic scribe, John Francis Wade, hid a coded message of support for a Jacobite rebellion in the carol O Come All Ye Faithful.

Eventually, the Church of England couldn’t resist the power of the carol, and finally opened its doors to all of them, thanks to a chance pairing of words and music in Hark the Herald Angels Sing, performed in the programme by the renowned gospel ensemble, The Kingdom Choir. In the 20th century, Ralph Vaughan Williams’s passion for English folk music took him to the villages of Surrey. Here, Lucy meets a folk singer who tells the tale of an elderly farm labourer, Henry Garman, who sang a tune for Vaughan Williams, which became O Little Town of Bethlehem.

Finally, in the snowy Austrian Alps, Lucy discovers the simple story of a young parish priest with a poem in search of a tune. When he found one, the result was Silent Night. During the First World War, this simple carol would become a hymn for peace during the famous Christmas truce of 1914. Silent Night also reminds us that carols are, and have always been, ‘popular music’, music for the people, fulfilling an enduring need to celebrate and sing together at Christmas.
105 Pinocchio (2019) #1364 FILM Main
Directed by Matteo Garrone. With Federico Ielapi, Roberto Benigni, Rocco Papaleo, Massimo Ceccherini. Old woodcarver Geppetto's puppet creation, Pinocchio, magically comes to life with dreams of becoming a real boy. Easily led astray, Pinocchio tumbles from one misadventure to another as he is tricked, kidnapped and chased by bandits.
Literary Analysis
Some literary analysts have described Pinocchio as an epic hero. Like many Western literary heroes, such as Odysseus, Pinocchio descends into hell; he also experiences rebirth through metamorphosis, a common motif in fantasy literature.

Before writing Pinocchio, Collodi wrote a number of didactic children's stories for the then-recently unified Italy, including a series about an unruly boy who undergoes humiliating experiences while traveling the country, titled Viaggio per l'Italia di Giannettino ('Little Johnny's voyage through Italy'). Throughout Pinocchio, Collodi chastises Pinocchio for his lack of moral fiber and his persistent rejection of responsibility and desire for fun.

The structure of the story of Pinocchio follows that of the folktales of peasants who venture out into the world but are naïvely unprepared for what they find, and get into ridiculous situations. At the time of the writing of the book (1883), this was a serious problem, arising partly from the industrialization of Italy, which led to a growing need for reliable labour in the cities; the problem was exacerbated by similar, more or less simultaneous, demands for labour in the industrialization of other countries. One major effect was the emigration of much of the Italian peasantry to cities and to foreign countries such as the United States.

The main imperatives demanded of Pinocchio are to work, be good, and study. And in the end Pinocchio's willingness to provide for his father and devote himself to these things transforms him into a real boy with modern comforts.
106 Military Wives (2019) #1386 FILM Main
Military Wives: Directed by Peter Cattaneo. With Kristin Scott Thomas, Sharon Horgan, Emma Lowndes, Gaby French. With their partners away serving in Afghanistan, a group of women on the home front form a choir and quickly find themselves at the center of a media sensation and global movement
107 When Bridges Collapse: The Genoa Disaster (2019) #1396 DOCUMENTARY Main
1 hour. BBC. On 14 August 2018, the Polcevera Bridge in Genoa collapsed, sending 27 vehicles plummeting to the valley below. 43 people lost their lives. It was Italy’s worst ever road-bridge disaster. This film tells the story of some of the people on the bridge that day and investigates what caused the bridge to fail so catastrophically.

The Polcevera Bridge was an icon of 1960s engineering, built by one of Italy’s most celebrated engineers, and hailed by some as a masterpiece. It formed a vital link in the main motorway between the south of France and Rome. Its failure had a huge impact on the local economy. The debris blocked railway lines for weeks, 600 people who lived under the bridge were forced to flee their homes, and lorry drivers had to make a 115km detour.

Ex-professional footballer Davide Capello, who was driving over the bridge when it collapsed, recalls his miraculous escape. "I found myself tumbling into the void. At that moment I let go of the wheel, I placed my hands behind my head, and I thought I was already dead." With many of Europe’s highways built in the same era as the Genoa bridge, this tragedy has raised questions about the maintenance of Europe’s ageing infrastructure. Are our bridges safe?
108 Sorry We Missed You (2019) #1398 FILM Main
Sorry We Missed You: Directed by Ken Loach. With Kris Hitchen, Debbie Honeywood, Rhys Mcgowan, Katie Proctor. Hoping that self-employment through gig economy can solve their financial woes, a hard-up UK delivery driver and his wife struggling to raise a family end up trapped in the vicious circle of this modern-day form of labour exploitation
109 The Personal History of David Copperfield (2019) #1414 FILM Main
The Personal History of David Copperfield: Directed by Armando Iannucci. With Fisayo Akinade, Nikki Amuka-Bird, Albie Atkinson, Aneurin Barnard. A modern take on Charles Dickens's classic tale of a young orphan who is able to triumph over many obstacles
110 The Two Popes (2019) #1439 FILM Main
The Two Popes: Directed by Fernando Meirelles. With Anthony Hopkins, Jonathan Pryce, Juan Minujín, Luis Gnecco. Behind Vatican walls, the conservative Pope Benedict XVI and the liberal future Pope Francis must find common ground to forge a new path for the Catholic Church
111 Master Cheng (2019) #1463 FILM Main
Master Cheng: Directed by Mika Kaurismäki. With Pak Hon Chu, Anna-Maija Tuokko, Lucas Hsuan, Kari Väänänen. Following the death of his wife, professional chef Cheng travels with his young son to a remote village in Finland to connect with an old Finnish friend he once met in Shanghai
112 The North Yorkshire Moors: A Wild Year (2019) #1469 DOCUMENTARY Main
25 mins.BBC. Clever photography - a year done in 25 mins.
113 Weathering with You (2019) #1539 FILM Disk
1h 52m Set during a period of exceptionally rainy weather, high-school boy Hodaka Morishima runs away from his troubled rural home to Tokyo and befriends an orphan girl who can manipulate the weather.
114 McMafia (2018) #1078 TV DRAMA Special
8x1hour. BBC. Series 1.

Alex Godman, the English-raised son of Russian mafia exiles, has spent his life trying to escape the shadow of their past, building his own legitimate business and forging a life with his girlfriend, Rebecca. But when a murder unearths his family's past, Alex is drawn into the criminal underworld where he must confront his values to protect those he loves.

When tragedy strikes, Alex Godman finds himself drawn into the criminal world.

1/8 After a tragic event, Alex Godman is drawn into the murky world of global crime.
2/8 Alex becomes immersed in business in Prague after Semiyon convinces him.
3/8 A mysterious figure, who is not all he seems, reaches out to Alex.
4/8 Alex unlocks a way to attack Benny Chopra and Vadim in Mumbai.
5/8 Semiyon awakes to an awful accusation and Katya unravels a shocking secret.
6/8 Alex increases security as Vadim starts to close in on the Godman family.
7/8 Alex learns the dreadful price of his actions.
8/8 The final showdown takes place in Moscow.
115 Art, Passion & Power: The Story of the Royal Collection (2018) #1080 DOCUMENTARY Special
4x1 hour. BBC. In a major new series, Andrew Graham-Dixon explores the history of the Royal Collection, one of the largest and most important art collections in the world, built up over 500 years.

1/4 Dangerous Magic.How art was used by Henry VIII and Charles I, the great founders of the Royal Collection.
2/4 Paradise Regained. The story of Royal Collection's remarkable resurrection under Charles II and George III.
3/4 Palaces and Pleasuredomes. Exploring George IV's extravagant taste and Victoria and Albert's shared love of art.
4/4 Modern Times. How art was used to steady the ship of British monarchy through an uncertain age.
116 From Ice to Fire: The Incredible Science of Temperature (2018) #1087 DOCUMENTARY Main
3x1 hour. BBC. Dr Helen Czerski goes on a spectacular journey to the extremes of the temperature scale, where everyday laws of physics break down and a new world of scientific possibility begins.

1/3 Frozen Solid. Dr Helen Czerski explores the incredible science of cold and how it has shaped our planet.
2/3 A Temperature for Life. Dr Helen Czerski explores the narrow band of temperature that has led to life on Earth.
3/3 Playing with Fire. Dr Helen Czerski explores the science of heat and how it has shaped the modern world.
117 Civilisations (2018) #1099 DOCUMENTARY Special
9x1 hour. BBC. Civilisations is an epic new series spanning 31 countries on six continents, and covering more than 500 works of art. Presenters SIMON SCHAMA, MARY BEARD and DAVID OLUSOGA will explore humanity's desire to create. Alongside, the Civilisations Festival will bring museums' treasures to life through innovative digital products and events.

1/9 Second Moment of Creation. A look at the formative role art and imagination have played in the forging of humanity.
2/9 How Do We Look? Professor Mary Beard explores images of the human body in ancient art.
3/9 Picturing Paradise. Simon Schama explores one of our deepest artistic urges - the depiction of nature.
4/9 The Eye of Faith. Professor Mary Beard broaches the controversial topic of religion and art.
5/9 The Triumph of Art. Simon Schama examines how traditions developed in the years following the Renaissances.
6/9 First Contact. David Olusoga shows how art was always on the frontline when distant cultures met.
7/9 Radiance. Simon Schama starts his meditation on colour and civilisation in Amiens and Chartres.
8/9 The Cult of Progress. David Olusoga explores the artistic reaction to imperialism in the 19th century.
9/9 The Vital Spark. Simon Schama explores the fate of art in the machine and profit-driven world.
118 Great British Railway Journeys: York to Frizinghall (2018) #1102 DOCUMENTARY Main
30 mins. BBC. Series 9. Armed with his Edwardian Bradshaw's guide, Michael Portillo conducts important research in an historic tea room, built by an Edwardian immigrant to the city of York. Research of a more sombre kind leads Michael to the roots of our modern welfare state in the work of an early 20th-century Quaker investigator, whose family manufactured chocolate.

Next stop is Leeds, where Michael discovers the city's textile heritage, which relied in Edwardian times on a group of skilled Jewish immigrants to take it forward. Michael learns how some of the big names built their empires in Leeds and measures up to a footballing legend. At Bradford Grammar School, Michael hears the story of a talented Edwardian student who became a famous composer and enjoys one of his works, sung by a music pupil of today.
119 King Lear (2018) #1105 FILM Main
2 hours. BBC. Anthony Hopkins.
The 80-year-old King Lear divides his kingdom among his daughters, Goneril, Regan and Cordelia, according to their affection for him. Cordelia refuses to flatter him, so he banishes her. Having acquired power, Goneril and Regan expel their father from their homes. At the same time, Lear's prime minister, Gloucester, is betrayed by his son Edmund and his other son, Edgar, is forced to go into hiding. Lear becomes mad, Gloucester is blinded: both the kingdom and the family collapse into chaos and warfare. Lear and Cordelia are reunited - for a brief moment love reigns, then tragedy descends.
120 A Very English Scandal (2018) #1108 TV DRAMA-DOCUMENTARY Special
3x1 hour. BBC. It is the late 1960s, homosexuality has only just been decriminalised, and Jeremy Thorpe, the leader of the Liberal party, has a secret he is desperate to hide.

1/3 In 1960s England, politician Jeremy Thorpe begins an affair with a young stable hand.
2/3 Jeremy Thorpe's old affair with Norman Scott threatens to derail his political career.
3/3 Norman Scott accuses Jeremy Thorpe of being behind a plot to kill him.

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