mawmawmaw {!T}A Portrait of Leslie Phillips (2013){:}

{/T}An intimate glimpse into the life of Leslie Phillips, the legendary actor, writer and veritable British institution. Leslie invites the audience into his home for a frank and open conversation about his career, his family background and his beloved late wife. The informal yet revealing chat is interwoven with personal insights from some of the greats who have worked with him. From his first professional appearance at the newly built Pinewood - both the studios and Leslie having recently celebrated their 75th anniversary in the industry - up to the international phenomenon of Harry Potter, this heartfelt documentary shows how he gained not only an ardent film and television fan base, but also the love of his 'Twittersnappers', the affectionate moniker for his legion of online followers.

mawmawmaw {!T}A History of Syria (2013){:}

{/T}Dan Snow travels to Syria to see how the country's fascinating and tumultuous history is shaping the current civil war. For thousands of years empires and despots have fought for control of the strategically vital region, leaving behind stunning temples, castles and mosques, as well as a diverse cultural heritage. Those conflicts - from the Roman conquests to the crusades, from the French colonial invasion to the military coups of the 1960s - loom large in today's conflict. For those confused by the seemingly random nature of the bloodshed and slaughter, Dan Snow unpicks the historic divisions between Sunnis and Alawites, Islamists and secularists, east and west.

mawmawmaw {!T}A History of Christianity (2009){:}

{/T}Professor Diarmaid MacCulloch - one of the world's leading historians - reveals the origins of Christianity and explores what it means to be a Christian.

Part 1: The First Christianity
In the first of a six-part series sweeping across four continents, Professor Diarmaid MacCulloch goes in search of Christianity's forgotten origins. He overturns the familiar story that it all began when the apostle Paul took Christianity from Jerusalem to Rome, showing that its origins lie further east, and that at one point it was poised to triumph in Asia. The headquarters of Christianity may well have been Baghdad not Rome, in which case western Christianity would have been very different.

Part 2: Catholicism - The Unpredictable Rise of Rome
In a series tracing Christianity's roots, Professor Diarmaid MacCulloch explores the rise of the Roman Catholic Church. Over one billion Christians look to Rome, but how did a small Jewish sect from the backwoods of 1st century Palestine, which preached humility and the virtue of poverty, become the established religion of western Europe? MacCulloch tells how confession was invented by monks in a remote island off the coast of Ireland, and how the Crusades gave Britain the university system.

Part 3: Orthodoxy - From Empire to Empire
Diarmaid MacCulloch explores Eastern Orthodox Christianity, which flourishes in the Balkans and Russia but has had to fight for its survival. After its glory days in the Roman Empire, it stood in the path of Muslim expansion, suffered betrayal by crusading Catholics, was seized by the Russian tsars and faced near-extinction under communism. MacCulloch visits a collection of icons in the Sinai desert, a relic of the iconoclastic crisis in Istanbul and Ivan the Terrible's cathedral in Moscow.

Part 4: Reformation - The Individual before God
Diarmaid MacCulloch makes sense of the Reformation, revealing how a faith based on obedience and authority gave birth to one based on individual conscience. He shows how Martin Luther wrote hymns to teach people the message of the Bible, and how a tasty sausage became the rallying cry for Swiss Reformer Ulrich Zwingli to tear down statues of saints, allow married clergy and deny that communion bread and wine were the body and blood of Christ.

Part 5: Protestantism - The Evangelical Explosion
Diarmaid MacCulloch traces the growth of an exuberant expression of faith that has spread across the globe - Evangelical Protestantism. Today associated with conservative politics, it is easily forgotten that the Evangelical explosion has been driven by a concern for social justice and the claim that one could stand in a direct emotional relationship with God. MacCulloch shows how it allowed the Protestant faith to burst away from its homeland in Europe to America, Africa and, recently, Asia.

Part 6: God in the Dock
Diarmaid MacCulloch examines a distinctive feature about Western Christianity - scepticism, the tendency to doubt. He challenges the simplistic notion that faith in Christianity has ebbed away before the advance of science, reason and progress, and shows instead how the tide of faith perversely flows back in. Despite the damage inflicted to its moral credibility by the two great wars of the 20th century, it is during crisis that the Church has rediscovered deep and enduring truths about itself.

mawmawmaw {!T}A History of Ancient Britain (2011){:}

{/T}A History of Ancient Britain will turn the spotlight onto the very beginning of Britain’s story. From the last retreat of the glaciers 12,000 years ago, until the departure of the Roman Empire in the Fifth Century AD this epic series will reveal how and why these islands and nations of ours developed as they did and why we have become the people we are today. The first series transmits in early 2011 and there will be a following series in 2012.

Episode 1: Age of Ice

Neil Oliver travels back to ice age Britain as he begins the epic story of how our land and its people came to be over thousands of years of ancient history. This week sees a struggle for survival in a brutal world of climate change and environmental catastrophe.

Episode 2: Age of Ancestors

Neil Oliver continues the story of how today's Britain and its people were forged over thousands of years of ancient history. It's 4,000 BC and the first farmers arrive from Europe, with seismic consequences for the local hunter-gatherers.

Episode 3: Age of Cosmology

Neil Oliver continues his journey through the world of Ancient Britain as he encounters an age of cosmological priests and some of the greatest monuments of the Stone Age, including Stonehenge itself. This is a time of elite travellers, who were inventing the very idea of Heaven itself.

Episode 4: Age of Bronze

Neil Oliver reaches the end of his epic tour of our most distant past with the arrival of metals and the social revolution that ushered in a new age of social mobility, international trade, and village life.

mawmawmaw {!T}A Boy in Harris (2011){:}

{/T}Donnie MacSween was a schoolboy when the BBC made 'A Boy in Harris' in the 1960s. This programme looks at his life since then, plus an opportunity to see the original acclaimed documentary once more.

mawmawmaw {!T}50 Shocking Facts About Diet and Exercise (2013){:}

{/T}A countdown show looking at the shocking truth behind what we eat and the often dangerous and misguided methods we adopt in order to lose weight. Scientists, industry experts and exponents discuss the pros and cons of fad diets, 'healthy' foods and extreme exercise regimes. We all know about the benefits of exercise, good diet, looking good and living a healthy lifestyle, but most of the things that are good for us can bring side-effects that are precisely the opposite. Incontinence, infertility, infected genitalia, energy drink madness, hip replacements and even death are commonplace among the beautiful people – as are botched surgeries, extremely dangerous self-harming diets and bizarre exercise programmes.

mawmawmaw {!T}42nd Street: River To River (2009){:}

{/T}A graphic history of one of the world's most infamous streets: Manhattan's 42nd Street. Likened to a DNA strip of New York City, the street has ranged from the glamorous to the derelict, housing everything from peep shows to such international institutions as the United Nations. The documentary is an exploration of the street's expansion from the farmland where Washington bivouacked his troops to the flashy, commercial center that it is today. With historical information, musical performances and personal narratives, the film traces the rise, subsequent dilapidation, and eventual resurgence of a street that has come to represent a place where, notoriously, anything may and has happened.

mawmawmaw {!T}1959: The Year that Changed Jazz (2009){:}

{/T}1959 was the seismic year jazz broke away from complex bebop music to new forms, allowing soloists unprecedented freedom to explore and express. It was also a pivotal year for America - the nation was enjoying freedom and wealth; social, racial and upheavals were just around the corner; and jazz was ahead of the curve. Four major jazz albums were made, each a high watermark for the artists and a reflection of the times - Miles Davis's Kind of Blue, Dave Brubeck's Time Out, Charles Mingus's Mingus Ah Um and Ornette Coleman's The Shape of Jazz to Come. Each opened up dramatic new possibilities for jazz which continue to be felt. Rarely seen archive performances help bring the era to life and explore what made these albums vital both in 1959 and the years since. The programme contains interviews with Lou Reed, Dave Brubeck, Ornette Coleman, Charlie Haden, Herbie Hancock, Joe Morello and Jimmy Cobb, along with a host of jazz movers and shakers from the 50s and beyond.

mawmawmaw {!T}1929 (2009) _wiki{:}

{/T}Director William Karel examines the biggest stock market crash in history, which occurred on the New York Stock Exchange 80 years ago -- Black Thursday, October 24, 1929. In this film, a wide range of economists and historians take turns discussing the causes of the crash and its economic and political consequences. These included acute poverty and the rise of the extreme right, both of which were to have a considerable impact on the decade to come. 1929 uses a wealth of black-and-white archive footage to illustrate what the experts have to say.

Episode 1: The Crash
Mass consumption is on the rise, with the automobile, the washing machine, and the refrigerator symbolizing a new age of wealth. The middle class has also plunged into stock trading, and the economy seems more prosperous than ever. All is well, until that fateful day. "The crisis of 1929 was like the perfect storm, in which all these improbable things came together in the wrong time in the wrong way."

Episode 2: The Great Depression
The Depression, looks at the 1930s, focusing particularly on President Franklin D. Roosevelt's role. 1929 concludes by connecting these past events to the current financial crisis.

mawmawmaw {!T}Richard Hammond Builds a Planet (2013){:}

{/T}It's the ultimate engineering project: how do you build a planet? And what happens if you get anything wrong? With stunning CGI, Richard Hammond is about to find out.

Part 1: Richard Hammond Builds a Planet

With his trademark wit, Richard Hammond takes on the ultimate engineering project: how on earth do you build a planet that is just right for life? What do you need to build a planet like ours, and what happens if you get anything wrong? With eye-popping graphics, Richard Hammond opens up a cosmic toolbox to work it out. He's going to build the whole thing, piece by piece, from the top of a two-mile high tower in the Californian desert.

Part 2: Richard Hammond Builds a Universe

Richard Hammond takes on the ultimate engineering project. How on earth do you make a planet, or a solar system, a galaxy or even... a universe? To find out, he opens up his cosmic toolbox and builds each one piece by piece, from the top of an impossibly high tower. What does he need to construct the cosmos, and what happens if he gets it wrong? With eye-popping computer graphics, Richard discovers that it takes an entire universe to make our planet just right for us.

mawmawmaw {!T}Building the Great Cathedrals (2010){:}

{/T}Take a dazzling architectural journey inside those majestic marvels of Gothic architecture, the great cathedrals of Chartres, Beauvais and other European cities. Carved from 100 million pounds of stone, some cathedrals now teeter on the brink of catastrophic collapse. To save them, a team of engineers, architects, art historians, and computer scientists searches the naves, bays, and bell-towers for clues. NOVA investigates the architectural secrets that the cathedral builders used to erect their towering, glass-filled walls and reveals the hidden formulas drawn from the Bible that drove medieval builders ever upward.

mawmawmaw {!T}An Apology to Elephants{:}

{/T}Few animals hold more fascination for humans than elephants. For centuries they’ve been adored, inspired great works of art, and even been revered as gods, yet they have also been treated with cruelty. AN APOLOGY TO ELEPHANTS explores the abuse of these ancient and intelligent animals a!nd shows how some people are reversing the trend. Narrated and executive produced by Lily Tomlin and directed by Emmy® winner Amy Schatz, with narration written by Jane Wagner.

As a keystone species, elephants promote biodiversity, helping trees, plants and animals flourish; as highly intelligent, empathetic and social animals, they are unique and remarkable creatures. But humans have poached elephants, chained and trained them in captivity, and destroyed their natural habitats. “The first thing we need to know is that the elephants need our help,” says Lily Tomlin.

mawmawmaw {!T}American Cinema (1995){:}

{/T}The history of Hollywood and filmmaking comes alive in this spectacular nine hour celebration of movie magic. It's a mesmerizing, epic analysis that combines rare archival film, key scenes from immortal movies, interviews with leading filmmakers and commentary from noted film scholars and critics. As seen on PBS, this highly acclaimed series is the definitive chronicle of the American cinema, from its beginning to today. Includes interviews with Robert Altman, Clint Eastwood, Harrison Ford, Spike Lee, George Lucas, Sidney Lumet, Julia Roberts, Martin Scorsese, Gene Siskel, Steven Spielberg, Oliver Stone, Quentin Tarantino, and many more.

mawmawmaw {!T}American Autumn: an Occudoc (2012){:}

{/T}What would a world look like that had a culture and an economic system that places human need above corporate greed, and how do we bring that world into being? Who cares what it is called. Call it Socialism, Call it Real Democracy Now, and Call it Chunky-Monkey-Cherry Garcia. The world needs to change radically, it needs to change dramatically, and it needs to change fast. This documentary is an invitation for you to participate in that positive change. Frankly, because, we need you. Yes, you.

mawmawmaw {!T}America's Poor Kids (2013){:}

{/T}In the United States, child poverty has reached record levels, with over 16 million children now affected. Food banks are facing unprecedented demand, and homeless shelters now have long waiting lists, as families who have known a much better life sometimes have to leave their homes with just a few days notice. This World asks three children whose families are struggling to get by to explain what life in modern America really looks like through their eyes. Told from the point of view of the children themselves, this one-hour documentary offers a unique perspective on the nation's flagging economy and the impact of unemployment, foreclosure and financial distress as seen through the eyes of the children affected.

mawmawmaw {!T}America's Gun Addiction (2013){:}

{/T}The Newtown massacre, in which 20 primary schoolchildren died, has been hailed as a turning point on gun control in America. President Obama wants to ban assault weapons, but his opponents say more guns are the answer, not fewer. At a gun range, Panorama meets the teachers who want to take guns into their classrooms to protect their pupils. With many of America's mass killers having both mental health issues and easy access to guns, Panorama reveals the national crisis in mental healthcare which has left 4.5 million severely mentally ill Americans untreated. And reporter Hilary Andersson goes undercover to show how easy it is in Texas to buy the type of assault weapon used at Newtown, even if you are mentally unstable. Will Newtown finally change things, or will the mass killings continue?

mawmawmaw {!T}America on a Plate: The Story of the Diner (2011){:}

{/T}Writer and Broadcaster Stephen Smith re-envisions the story of 20th century American culture through its most iconic institution - the diner. Whether Edward Hopper's Nighthawks or the encounter between Pacino and de Niro in Heat, these gleaming, gawdy shacks are at the absolute heart of the American vision. Stephen embarks on a road journey that takes him to some of America's most iconic diners. He meets the film-makers and singers who have immortalised them, and looks at the role diners have played not only in America's greatest paintings and movies, but also in the fight against racial oppression and the chain restaurants' global takeover. For Stephen, it's because the diner is the last vestige of a vital part of the American psyche - the frontier. It's a place where strangers are thrown together, where normal rules are suspended and anything can happen. And it's this crackle of potentially violent and sexual energy that have made it an engine room of 20th century American culture.

mawmawmaw {!T}Amazing Journeys (1999){:}

{/T}Amazing Journeys takes audiences on six extraordinary journeys of survival and migration. Depicting migration as an endless search for the best conditions in which to thrive and successfully adapt, the film explores the wonders and mysteries surrounding some of earth's most spectacular wildlife and native people.

Witness the mysterious migration of more than 120 million red crabs on tiny Christmas Island in the Indian Ocean. In order to to mate and spawn, millions of crabs must scuttle through the island's only town to reach its shores. Female crabs are unable to swim, yet march bravely to the shore's edge to release their eggs. Watch as so many crabs skitter sideways that the land itself seems to pulsate and quiver.

Experience the longest and largest insect migration as monarch butterflies travel 2,500 miles through North America. Witness up close the birth of a butterfly and the various stages of the life of a monarch. Enter a golden blizzard as tens of millions of monarch butterflies fill the sky in the hidden highlands of Mexico. Feel the hushed, sublime wonder of being surrounded by a myriad of these air-dancing creatures.

Take flight alongside migratory birds who possess the most varied display of navigational abilities. Feel the exhilaration from an arm's-length-view of the race down the runway, then the takeoff and ascent of sleek and powerful Canadian geese as they begin their journey south. Navigating by sun, stars and instinct, these birds instinctively know when to begin migrating by sensing seasonal signals of changing temperatures and day lengths. They possess a genetically imprinted "flight manual" which allows them to respond to their surroundings and recognize their destinations.

Watch as hundreds of migrating zebras travel over 500 miles through the vast plains of East Africa. Experience the life and death dramas as we follow them through their encounters with ambushing packs of lions and hyenas. Join the sweeping spectacle as they lead the Great Migration of Africa's greatest predators through crocodile-filled rivers.

mawmawmaw {!T}Amazing Argentina (2012){:}

{/T}Matt Smith presents a fascinating profile of one of football's great national teams - Argentina. Often controversial but always entertaining, they have provided football with some of its greatest players. The team's biggest achievement was winning the World Cup in 1978. The programme also includes other notable moments, many of which involve the great Diego Maradona. His infamous 'hand of God' goal still rankles with England fans, but his genius was also displayed in that very same game in 1986 with a goal described by the then England manager the late Bobby Robson as a miracle. The team's current superstar is Lionel Messi, another tiny player, and the comparison with Diego has been inevitable. Once again the press have hailed an Argentinian as one of the greatest players of all time.

mawmawmaw {!T}All the Presidents Men Revisited (2013){:}

{/T}All the President’s Men Revisited brings Watergate to life with riveting archival footage, shocking Oval Office recordings, and compelling new interviews with those who perpetuated the crimes, those who pursued them, and those who portrayed them. The film unravels the story that began with a “third-rate burglary attempt” and escalated into the first and only Presidential resignation in American history. A remarkable cast tells the tale, including Robert Redford, Bob Woodward, Carl Bernstein, Dustin Hoffman, Jon Stewart, Rachel Maddow, and others.