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10 Episodes 2019 - 2021
Episode 1
Once upon a time in the cinema, about one fifth of all Hollywood releases were cowboy films, and the Western dominated so much that it seemed that every major star would pull on a Stetson, saddle up and - if they were lucky - ride off into the sunset. Sylvia Syms looks back through the BBC's archives to tell the story of what is perhaps cinema's most enduring and most visual genre. It's a tale covering the golden age of the 1940s and 50s, the European influence of the spaghetti westerns, and the stars that keep the western alive and popular even today, told through classic interviews with some of the biggest names to ever draw a six-shooter, including Gary Cooper, James Stewart, Yul Brynner, Paul Newman and, of course, the two giants of the genre, John Wayne and Clint Eastwood.
Episode 2
Celia Imrie takes a moonlit stroll through the BBC archives to explore one of the best-loved movie genres - the romantic comedy. With classic interviews from cinematic couples like Doris Day and Rock Hudson, Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks, Celia shows how bringing two characters together and adding some laughs can result in the perfect movie formula. She also highlights how the romantic comedy has, over the years, given many fantastic female actors the opportunity to shine over their male co-stars and looks at the 'Hugh' factor, and the impact of Richard Curtis's Four Weddings and a Funeral on Hollywood romance in the 21st century.
Episode 3
A look back at television appearances by legends of the silver screen, using archive footage to tell the story of their lives and careers.
Episode 4
Celia Imrie looks back on the life and loves of Dame Joan Collins, star of the big and small screen, sex symbol and all-round national treasure. Through archive interviews and her appearances on the BBC over the years, we hear Joan's story in her own words. We discover how Joan survived the highs and lows of a career spanning five marriages and seven incredible decades, and see that the secret to her success is not just down to looks, style or even determination - but also a keen sense of fun and humour, that she's kept shining since she first hit the big-time.
Episode 5
45 mins
Celia Imrie unwraps a selection of the very best Christmas movies ever made and looks at why films are such an important part of the festive ritual. From It's A Wonderful Life and White Christmas, right through to Love Actually and the Nativity series, the interviews she has uncovered find some of our favourite stars discussing how these Christmas classics were made, and why we have fallen for them. Actors featured include James Stewart, Bing Crosby, Macaulay Culkin and Kermit the Frog.
Episode 6
30 mins
As Kenneth Branagh prepares to unveil the latest version of Death on the Nile, Celia Imrie looks at how the classic murder mysteries of the great Agatha Christie have been treated by film-makers over the years. Christie was the queen of crime on the page, but here we discover why that wasn't always the case on the big screen. Using a selection of BBC interviews and archive material, we piece together a tale of creative highs and lows, featuring Hercule Poirot, Miss Marple and many of the all-star acting heavyweights who helped turn some of the films into box office gold, proving in their own way that in the cinema, crime does pay.
Episode 7
Celia Imrie takes a look at some of the leading ladies who've proved time and again, year after year, that they are amongst the very best of British talent. These are our acting Dames, who've earned the respect and affection of cinema audiences - and the royal seal of approval, too. Using BBC interviews and archive footage, those featured include Emma Thompson, Diana Rigg, Julie Walters, Elizabeth Taylor, Maggie Smith, Judi Dench and Helen Mirren - all of whom prove unquestionably that the song was right - there IS nothing like a Dame.
Episode 8
44 mins
Celia Imrie takes us on a journey through the BBC's archives for an in-depth look at the continuing power and importance of war films. It's an exploration which takes in the two World Wars, America's conflict in Vietnam and the ongoing 'War on Terror', featuring films ranging from modern-day epics 1917 and Dunkirk to Apocalypse Now and Born on the Fourth of July, and even popular action adventures like The Great Escape, The Dirty Dozen and Where Eagles Dare. Through interviews with the directors who made them and the actors who starred in them, Celia explores how cinema helps us to understand the events of the past and how these films ensure that tales of heroism, comradeship and sacrifice are never forgotten.
Episode 9
43 mins
Celia Imrie celebrates the cinema's marvellous musicals, venturing back through the BBC's archives to look at film's most joyous and arguably enduring genre. Interviews with some of the biggest stars and directors take us from the golden age of icons like Marilyn Monroe, Jane Russell, Gene Kelly and Fred Astaire to the modern-day triumphs of La La Land and The Greatest Showman. The programme also explores the connection between the box office charts and the music charts, and how stars like The Beatles, Elton John and Abba saw their songs cross over from record players to record-breaking sensations of the silver screen.
Episode 10
From Harry Potter, Mary Poppins and Paddington to Indiana Jones, E.T. and Back to the Future - join Celia Imrie as we go bobbing along through the beautiful, briny BBC archives for a look at the enduring movie classics that have earned the status of family favourites. These are the crowd-pleasing, heartwarming films and franchises we all know and love, whatever our age, and Talking Pictures explores the biggest and best with star interviews and behind-the-scenes glimpses that help reveal why we come back to them year after year.