The absorbing story of New York's most successful and enduring female-fronted band, from their beginnings at punk club CBGBs in 1974 to their induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame earlier this year. Includes exclusive footage from their recent UK tour plus in-depth interviews with current and ex-band members, and friends including Iggy Pop and Tommy Ramone. Mark Radcliffe narrates.

Music documentary 10.35pm BBC1
For the legions of Blondie fans this is a real honey of a documentary, featuring interviews with all the band members and with musical luminaries such as Chris Frantz of Talking Heads, and Iggy Pop, as well as enough archive footage to give an old punk the CBGB's.
It's both a fantastic snapshot of a particular period and a classic rock 'n' roll tale. Some myths are laid to rest, such as why Debbie Harry only dyed half her hair blonde (not, as was supposed, to make a statement about the two sides of her personality but because she couldn't reach the back), and there are some great quotes - such as Iggy's description of Debbie's performance as being like "Barbarella on speed". But when you listen to some of Blondie's horribly out-of-tune early demos (such as the unrecognisable one for Heart of Glass), you'll be astounded they got where they did. JR