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Arena: Night and Day, BBC Four

Marina Vaizey Monday, 23 November 2015

Arena is the longest-running arts documentary programme for television at the BBC, and perhaps the world: as the BBC itself phrases it, this compendium celebration presented 24 hours in 90 minutes for 40 years, marking the show's latest anniversary. Conceived by the ever-creative and energetic Humphrey Burton all that while ago, Arena has made over 600 films, looking at high and low culture with equal curiosity, alacrity and even audacity.

Prom 2: The Doctor Who Prom in Pictures

theartsdesk Sunday, 14 July 2013

There's the First Night and there's the Last Night. Nowadays among the staples of the two-month world-famous festival of music at the Royal Albert Hall, there is also the Doctor Who Prom. Last night, to mark the 50th anniversary of the resurgent TV sci-fi show, a celebration was laid on featuring Murray Gold's music from the last eight years of Doctor Who.

TV Gallery: Frozen Planet

Jasper Rees Sunday, 30 October 2011

What we're used to seeing whenever the BBC launches on one of its epic explorations of the natural world is moving pictures. But as well as training film cameras at their subects, from the largest mountains and glaciers to the smallest organisms, the hardy modern-day adventurers armed with their phenomenal hi-tech kit also train still cameras at everything they encounter.

TV Gallery: Downton Abbey

theartsdesk Sunday, 07 November 2010

Maggie Smith Violet, Dowager Countress of Grantham
Hugh Bonneville Robert, Earl of Grantham
Penelope Wilton Mrs Isobel Crawley
Dan Stevens Matthew Crawley
Michelle Dockery Lady Mary Crawley
Theo James Kemal Pamuk
Jim Carter Mr Carson
Brendan Coyle Mr Bates
Rob James-Collier Thomas
Thomas Howes William
Joanne...
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Comment

TV Gallery: Cranford's Bonnets

Jasper Rees Friday, 18 December 2009

It's sometimes referred to, just a bit dismissively, as bonnet drama. Whenever television visits the 19th century, the headwear of the female characters does indeed play its part. Of no adaptation of Victorian fiction is that truer than Cranford. The actresses wearing the bonnets are fairly resplendent too.