In the run-up to this year's American presidential election, this four-part series takes a wry look back at past election battles, accompanied by the music of the time.
3: 1980. The peanut farmerfrom Georgia, Jimmy Carter , was challenged forthe presidency by a B-movie starfrom Hollywood - Ronald Reagan. Carterwas upright, honest and intelligent;
Reagan had great charm and an actor's gift for one-liners. But the election may well have been decided one year earlier, by events in Iran when revolutionary students had taken hostage
American diplomats. David Soul was at the peak of his profession afterfouryears with Starskyand Hutch. In this programme he recalls the drama of the presidential election, set against a soundtrack of the great hits of the year. Producer Chris Bond