Arena
Arena is a documentary on BBC2. The gold standard for arts documentaries, from 1975 to the present day. A cultural map of the world’s greatest artists and musicians, as captured by exceptional film-makers. The program has been available since 2024. A total of 12 episodes have been broadcast, most recently in March 2025.
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Arena
Arena celebrates Roy Plomley's classic radio favourite with the help of famous castaways, including Frankie Howerd, Arthur Askey and Paul McCartney. First transmitted in 1982.
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A tribute to Liverpudlian comic Ken Dodd, in which he discusses his career and influences. Featuring clips of his early performances and footage of him on tour in recent times.
An examination of the work and the legend of Welsh poet Dylan Thomas, originally broadcast in 2003 to commemorate the fiftieth anniversary of his death.
Programme from 1980 exploring the work of writer and performer Victoria Wood and teenage playwright Andrea Dunbar.
The story of Bob Dylan, from a rock 'n' roll-loving kid in the midwest to his arrival as a major force in the world of folk music. Including unseen footage and rare recordings.
Martin Scorsese continues to explore Bob Dylan's early career. At 23, Dylan confounds expectations and finds a new musical vocabulary to capture the seismic cultural shift.
December 2024
1983 reunion concert by the Everly Brothers following their ten-year split. They chose the Royal Albert Hall as they had treasured memories of playing there with their father Ike.
August 2024
Profile celebrating the centenary of the famous author Agatha Christie’s birth. Looking at her life, her character and the key moments in her childhood that influenced her writing.
Through the words of James Baldwin, this film touches on the lives and assassinations of Malcolm X, Martin Luther King Jr and Medgar Evers.
June 2024
Alan Yentob interviews TV dramatist Dennis Potter about his work through the years, touching on subjects such as why and how he started writing and his attempt to enter politics.
May 2024
Documentary about Casa Verdi, a rambling mansion in the city of Milan that once belonged to the composer Guiseppe Verdi but is now a home for retired musicians.