social history
1959: A Panorama Guide / 15.04.09
This programme has been hanging around on BBC Four for a while, but I think it’s only available on iPlayer now until 22 April, and is well worth your time if you’re at all interested in social history. Although it’s partly a celebration of the Panorama team of the time, it also has fascinating reports on the issues of the day, such as the idealistic experiment of new towns such as Harlow in Essex, race relations, youth culture and the political fallout of Britain’s decline of Empire.
Carry On Britain / 25.07.08
My Magnificent Seven Deadly Sins article revealed my love for the comic output of the British film industry, and the Carry On films are perhaps the most famous examples of this. The Archive Hour programme on Radio 4 tomorrow (26 July) looks at the films from a social history perspective, one which hasn’t really been explored, and of which I heartily approve. It’s broadcast at 8pm BST, but Brits can listen again on the BBC iPlayer or via the Radio 4 website.