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Ian Hislop's Fake News: A True History (2019) #1218
DOCUMENTARY
Main
1 hour. BBC. Fake news is never out of today's headlines. But in his latest documentary taking the long view of a hot-button issue, Ian Hislop discovers fake news raking in cash or wreaking havoc long before our own confused, uncertain times. Ian mines history to identify what motivates fake news - from profit, power and politics to prejudice, paranoia and propaganda – as well as to try to figure out what to do about it. In America and back home, Ian meets, amongst others, someone whose fake news stories have reached millions and a victim of fakery alleged to be a mastermind of the spurious paedophile ring ‘Pizzagate’ conspiracy. Viewers also get to see Ian doing something that has never been captured on film before – as he gets a taste of what it is like to be 'deepfaked'. In 1835, New Yorkers were fooled by one of the most entertaining and successful fake news scoops of all time - a tale of flying man-bats spied on the moon through the world’s most powerful telescope. The moon hoax story ran in a cheap, new tabloid - The Sun. Within decades, a circulation war waged between two pioneering press barons - Joseph Pulitzer and William Randolph Hearst - was seen by many as causing a real war, between America and Spain. Meanwhile, another American conflict, the Civil War of the 1860s, had proved that photography, which initially promised new standards of accuracy, also brought new ways of lying. Ian looks at the battlefield images of pioneering photojournalist Alexander Gardner, who achieved ends by means that would be judged unethical today. He also encounters the spooky 'spirit photography' of William Mumler. Ian digs into one of the most pernicious conspiracy theories of all time - the protocols of the Elders of Zion. He is disturbed to find this virulently anti-Semitic tract available with one click and rave reviews on Amazon, despite comprehensive factual debunking a century ago. Ian also ponders the consequences of official British fake news-mongering. During WWI, lurid stories were spread about German factories manufacturing soap from corpses. But a consequence of such black propaganda was to undermine the currency of trust in government - rather like, Ian notes, the absence of WMDs in Iraq has more recently. To understand more about the current crisis, Ian meets James Alefantis, owner of the Washington DC pizzeria who fell victim to the ‘Pizzagate’ conspiracy. He also quizzes ex-construction worker Christopher Blair, a controversial figure sometimes dubbed 'the godfather of fake news'. He discusses how frightened we should be about fake news, and what can be done about it, with Damian Collins MP who chaired the parliamentary inquiry into fake news. Collins argues that today's tech giants – Facebook in particular - should be taking even more active steps to take down disinformation. But that path also has its perils, as Ian finds out when he resurrects the extraordinary story of Victoria Woodhull, a woman who sued the British Museum for libel in the 1890s. This pioneering American feminist - the first woman who ran to be president - was an early victim of what today would be termed 'slut-shaming'. But does combatting lies give anyone the right to censor the historical record and limit free speech? |
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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. |
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The Palace of Dreams (2018) #1152
DOCUMENTARY
Main
45 mins. Channel 5. The Palace of Dreams Portillo's Hidden History of Britain The New Victoria in Bradford was Britain's first cinema, with a 3,000-seat theatre, a decadent ballroom and state-of-the-art technology. It closed in 2000, but a new generation has reinvented the building. |
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Victoria & Abdul (2017) #1112
FILM
Main
Directed by Stephen Frears. With Judi Dench, Ali Fazal, Tim Pigott-Smith, Eddie Izzard. Queen Victoria strikes up an unlikely friendship with a young Indian clerk named Abdul Karim. |
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That Day We Sang (2014) #235
FILM
Main
Directed by Victoria Wood. With Michael Ball, Imelda Staunton, Christopher Jordan, Conleth Hill. Musical set in 1969, with flashbacks to 1929. A middle-aged couple find love after meeting on a TV programme about a choir they both sang in as children. |
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The Secret Life of Mary Poppins: A Culture Show Special (2013) #436
DOCUMENTARY
Main
60min. In 1964 the Mary Poppins film premiered in Hollywood to world acclaim. But one person loathed it. She was PL Travers, the author of the books. To coincide with the release of Saving Mr Banks, this Culture Show special presented by Victoria Coren Mitchell explores the dark and complex life of the writer. Her twenty year battle with Walt Disney, the strange adoption of her child (he was one of twins) and how the film version overshadowed her writings but made her rich. With contributions from Emma Thompson, Cameron Mackintosh and PL Travers's granddaughter. |
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The Diamond Jubliee Concert (2012) #783
DOCUMENTARY
Main
BBC. Celebrating The Queen's Diamond Jubilee On Monday 4 June 2012 there was a star-studded concert, set against the spectacular backdrop of Buckingham Palace, celebrating Her Majesty the Queen's 60 year reign. In the presence of HM the Queen and the royal family, an array of stars from the last sixty years of rock, pop and classical music perform on a spectacular stage built around the Queen Victoria Memorial, right in front of Buckingham Palace. Hit songs and show-stopping performances are promised, with hosts including Rob Brydon, Miranda Hart, Lenny Henry and Lee Mack. Proceedings conclude with HM the Queen lighting the National Beacon. Release date: 4 June 2012 3 hours, 15 |
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HMS Pinafore / Trail by Jury (2006) #613
MUSIC
Main
Opera Australia. Anthony Warlow, David Hobson, Colette Mann, John Bolton Wood, Tiffany Speight, Ali McGregor, Roxane Hislop, Richard Alexander, Andrew Jones Opera Australia Melbourne Chorus Orchestra Victoria / Andrew Greene. While HMS Pinafore was Gilbert and Sullivan’s first full-length satirical work and first major international success, Trial by Jury was their first collaboration - the show's outrageous antics made it the toast of London. In this filmed recording, Anthony Warlow, Australia’s musical theatre superstar, is at the helm as both the "right good captain" and the "good judge" too. He is joined by a stellar cast featuring David Hobson, John Bolton Wood and Colette Mann as "dear little Buttercup". |
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Mrs Brown (1997) #156
FILM
Main
Directed by John Madden. With Judi Dench, Billy Connolly, Geoffrey Palmer, Antony Sher. Queen Victoria is deeply depressed after the death of her husband, disappearing from public. Her servant Brown, who adores her, through caress and admiration brings her back to life, but that relationship creates scandalous situation and is likely to lead to monarchy crisis. |