BBC Worldwide Ltd.
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English
Description
This program is a look through the eyes of migrant families at Chicago's turbulent events in the late 1960s and early 1970s. President Johnson's Great Society plan was supposed to alleviate black poverty. But the plan had only boosted the growth of black ghettos. Black citizens cried out against paternalistic city politics and racially exclusionary laws.
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English
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When smooth-talking Nick arrives in a flashy red sports car, young wannabe pop star Alison thinks her dreams have come true. Nick claims to be a talent scout and declares that Alison has got what it takes to get to the top. After winning over her suspicious husband, John, who runs the pub where Alison is the undisputed karaoke queen, Nick moves in. But his real intentions are not what they seem and his main concern appears to be getting Alison into...
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English
Description
Christianity in the North re-awakens, and one by one the Moslem states fall. Attempts are made by pious Islamic sects from North Africa to win back Spain. By the mid-15th century only the city-state of Granada remains, which is besieged by the warrior Catholic King and Queen - Ferdinand and Isabella. Granada falls in 1492, and 700 years of Muslim rule comes to an end. The Jews are expelled and the inquisition is launched. Simon Sebag Montefiore finds...
24) The Nile
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English
Description
Adventurer Simon Reeve travels from source to sea along the world's longest river, the Nile. His journey will take him from the holy source of the Blue Nile in the Ethiopian highlands, through the desert of Sudan and onwards through Egypt to the Mediterranean Sea. The life-giving river has forged some of our earliest civilisations and influenced some of our greatest religions. But with populations along its banks rising fast, Nile countries are demanding...
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English
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In this Part 3 of the BBC series "In Search of the Trojan War," Michael Woods searches for historic evidence of the Trojan War described by the blind bard Homer 500 years after the event. He visits Bronze Age ruins of places listed in the Catalogue of Ships, and enlists a Gaelic story-teller and a professional bard in Turkish Armenia to demonstrate the oral tradition.
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English
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Little Dorrit is a miniseries produced by the BBC and WGBH Boston and based on Charles Dickens' serial novel. In Episode 4, Mr. Pancks recruits John Chivery for his investigation of the Dorrit case. Arthur Clennam proposes to Pet Meagles, but she is already engaged to Henry Gowan. Tattycoram leaves the Meagles family for Miss Wade; Mr. Meagles fails to convince her to return. Rigaud visits Mrs. Clennam's house, pretending that he's come on business....
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English
Description
The fate of the solar system is written in the stars. Astronomers are searching the skies for spectacular cosmic events that mirror our own distant future. As a result they can predict how the Sun and its planets will end in remarkable detail. It's an apocalyptic vision where galaxies collide, planets melt and life is wiped out. This BBC Horizon program visits these modern day prophets and recreates the hellish conditions our world may face in its...
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English
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Anne Boleyn, Henry VIII's bewitching mistress, is desperate to become Queen of England. Sexually obsessed by Anne, and desperate for a son, Henry cruelly abandons Catherine of Aragon, his wife of twenty years. But Henry's obsession with Anne soon darkens into jealousy. When rumours emerge that she has committed adultery and incest, he turns violently against her. Anne's enemies now strike, and her fall is brutally swift. In a ruthless trial she is...
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English
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Simon Reeve travels from the Peloponnese peninsula to the rugged and mountainous north of the country. To learn more about Greece and the Greeks, he meets an extraordinary cast of characters, from a group of rebel monks to conservationists caring for an injured bear cub. Getting behind the picture postcard image of this beautiful country, he finds out how the Greeks are coming to terms with a seemingly endless crisis.
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English
Description
Is Ancient Greek art just a collection of elegant works of marble, framed by a love of democracy and enlightened reasoning? Far from it. Art critic and journalist Alastair Sooke demonstrates it is in fact far more diverse and surprising - a multi-cultural mix of styles, techniques and materials that left no subject matter unexplored. Considered, thoughtful and enthralling, this series offers a fresh understanding and new perspective on an incredible...
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English
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In the rickety township on the hillside, amateur theatre group the Mechanicals rehearse, with all their comic rivalries. Among their number is Bottom, the weaver, who's about to have the most remarkable night of his life. When the potent worlds of Athens and the forest collide, the outcome will resonate everywhere. This is a dream that will never be forgotten.
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English
Description
The warm, tropical Atlantic Ocean is home to dolphin, manatees, coral reefs filled with algae, fishermen, and many more species. As the temperature rises in the summer and is cooled by torrential downpours caused by hurricanes, the life cycles of the flora and fauna are affected in their oceanic habitats. This film features the Atlantic spotted dolphins, the lush sanctuary of the mangrove forest, and the violent storms off the coast of Africa.
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English
Description
Marking the centennial on 27 October 2014 of Dylan Thomas's birth, this drama written by acclaimed screenwriter Andrew Davies, explores the final days of this famous poet, known for his wild, hard-drinking lifestyle as well as his brilliance. The film begins as Thomas arrives in New York where he planned to rehearse, write, and party, before travelling to Hollywood to write an opera with the equally famous composer Stravinsky. But what might have...
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English
Description
How do animals fall asleep, where, and why? Once they're asleep how long do they stay asleep for? What goes on in their sleeping brains and bodies? And do they dream? Using cutting edge hidden infra-red cameras and thermal imaging technology, this film explores the unknown world of animals' sleep time. Filmed at Bristol Zoo, one of the oldest in the world, the program moves from day to night through to dawn, following the key moments as animals reach...
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English
Description
Homer wrote his epic, "The Iliad," 500 years after the Trojan Wars were supposed to have taken place. On what did he base his story? Did the Trojan War ever happen? Where was Troy situated? Did Paris and Helen really exist? Join historian Michael Wood as he combs the cradle of civilization from Greece to Turkey and Western Europe in search of archaeological evidence that may validate the fantastic battles immortalized in Homer's legend. Over six hour-long...
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English
Description
Tornadoes are one of nature's deadliest forces, unmatched in fury, speed and destructive power. Over the centuries, tornadoes have wrought destruction on a huge scale and cost a great many lives. This program takes a look at some of the most devastating twister storms to hit the planet in the last 100 years. From the world's worst twister (which struck Daultipur in Bangladesh in 1989), to the most expensive tornado in history (the 1999 Oklahoma Tornado...
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English
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Presenter Liz Bonnin reveals the surprising similarities between the ways humans and animals pursue a mate and how they go about maintaining relationships. Featuring interviews with top animal behaviorists, Animals in Love reveals the science behind some of these, offering afresh look at animal relationships.
38) Hugh MacDiarmid
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English
Description
The Scottish vote for independence in September 2014 led to a soul-searching, national debate about what it means to be Scottish and also what it means to be British. In this episode, we take a look at the life and career of Hugh MacDairmid. MacDairmid spent his life fighting for Scottish nationalism and his work began a legacy of writers resulting in a revival of the Scottish language. Great Scots: The Writers Who Shaped a Nation looks back at this...
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English
Description
Sexually transmitted disease is reaching epidemic proportions. Prostitution, licentiousness and petty crime are on the increase and a new government reintroduces capital punishment for sexual offences. Modern themes in an age-old play as William Shakespeare explores the darker side of society.
40) Curious Cures
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English
Description
Human are not alone in using medicines against injuries and infection. Some animals protect themselves with natural remedies in the most extraordinary ways. Hippos produce a blood-red "sweat" that acts as a sunblock and helps fight infections, while capuchin monkeys rub themselves with insect-repellent leaves to protect themselves from insect bites.