BBC Four

Holiday

22/10/2005

BBC Four - Holiday

A cheerful 1950s cinema short promoting British holiday resorts.

Knowledge, arts, music and culture from the UK and the world.

BBC Four reflects arts, music and culture with an ambitious range of intellectually and culturally enriching programmes, taking an expert and in-depth approach to its subjects.

She Wore a Yellow Ribbon

Film: She Wore A Yellow Ribbon

31/05/1999

BBC Two - She Wore a Yellow Ribbon

A US cavalry officer suffers a setback on his last mission. Starring John Wayne.

Western drama with John Wayne as a US cavalry officer on his last duty before retiring, escorting two women civilians to a stagecoach. The second in John Ford's cavalry trilogy.

In the second in John Ford's cavalry trilogy, a US cavalry officer suffers a setback on his last mission and is 'retired' before he can take further action. To avert a full-scale war, he decides to act alone.

BBC Two

Knowledge, drama, comedy and the arts for a broad adult audience.

BBC Two is a lively channel of depth and substance, carrying a range of knowledge-building programming complemented by great drama, comedy and arts.

Alex Cox introduces this classic 
John Ford western starring John Wayne. 
A US Cavalry officer suffers a setback on his last mission and is "retired" before he can take further action. In order to avert an American Indian war, he decides to act on his own. Review page 48.  
(1949, PG)  John Ford 's Wagonmaster is at 11.30pm Barry Norman 's Greatest Hits, plus DVD offer: page 53

Reputations

Documentary profiles examining well-known figures from the world of entertainment.

Reputations: John Wayne - the Unquiet American

09/07/1997

John Wayne - the Unquiet American

BBC Two - Reputations, John Wayne - the Unquiet American

The series of historical biographies presents a profile of the actor John Wayne.

The series of historical biographies presents a profile of the actor John Wayne, whose screen image was at odds with his personal beliefs.

The series of historical biographies presents a profile of the actor John Wayne. His on-screen bravery and his battle with the cancer that eventually killed him contributed to a heroic public image. But Wayne shirked his country's call to arms in World War Two, endorsed the Hollywood blacklist, fervently supported the war in Vietnam, and criticised the civil rights movement.

Profile examining the heroic image of movie star John Wayne.

Rich Hall's 'How the West Was Lost'

14/06/2008

BBC Four - Rich Hall's 'How the West Was Lost'

Comedian Rich Hall tries to find out what killed off the Western movie genre.

Comedian Rich Hall travels around the US to find out what killed off a quintessentially American film genre, the Western. He charts America's obsession with its own creation myth.

Comedian Rich Hall goes west to find out what killed off that most quintessentially American of all film genres, the western.
 
Through films such as The Searchers, The Man Who Shot Liberty Valence, Little Big Man, The Wild Bunch and Unforgiven, Rich charts the rise and fall of America's obsession with its own creation myth - the Wild West. He explores how the image of the cowboy as a moral, straight-talking heroic figure was created by Hollywood but appropriated by Washington, as one president after another sought to associate themselves with this potent symbol of strength and valour. 

From Tombstone to Texas, Montana to Wyoming, Rich travels across a landscape that is both actual and mythic in the minds of not just Americans, but all of us. With his customary wit and intelligence he unpicks the truth from the fiction of Hollywood's version of frontier life, draws parallels between popular western narratives and America's more questionable foreign policy, and celebrates the real heroes of the west - John Ford, John Wayne, Sam Peckinpah, Arthur Penn and Clint Eastwood.  

Filmed on location in Arizona, Montana and Wyoming and incorporating interviews and archive clips of some of the best-loved westerns of all-time, the film is Rich Hall's personal salute to a genre of film he feels passionate about.

How the West Was Lost

America's fascination with the Wild West. 
See choice, page 56.

Wagon Master

15/10/1998

BBC Two - Wagon Master

Forced out of Crystal City, a group of Mormons head west in search of the promised land.

Western. A group of Mormons head west in search of the promised land, encountering fugitive gunfighters and Native Americans on the way. With Ben Johnson and Ward Bond.

Poetic story of a pioneering Mormon community. Forced out of Crystal City, a group of Mormons head westward in search of the promised land. The journey is treacherous, and two footloose horse traders are persuaded to 'give the Lord a hand' and guide them across the desert. On the trail, the wagon train encounters travelling entertainers, fugitive gunfighters and Native Americans.

Wagonmaster

Sweeping western, introduced by Alex Cox , starring Ben Johnson. In 1879, a Mormon wagon train heads west to establish new settlements. With two young horse traders to guide them, they encounter travelling entertainers and American Indians. Review p48. 
Director John Ford (1950, PG)

Visions of the Future

Visions of the Future: Episode 1: The Intelligence Revolution

Episode 1

Episode 1: The Intelligence Revolution

The Intelligence Revolution

BBC Four - Visions of the Future, The Intelligence Revolution

A look at how artificial intelligence is set to become as ubiquitous as electricity.

Theoretical physicist Michio Kaku shows how AI will become ubiquitous this century and how robots with human-level intelligence may become a reality.

Theoretical physicist and futurist Michio Kaku shows how, in the 21st century, artificial intelligence is going to become as ubiquitous as electricity, how robots with human-level intelligence may finally become a reality, and how we'll even be able to merge our minds with machine intelligence. As the challenges and choices are literally mind-bending, Dr Kaku asks how far we will ultimately go.

Michio Kaku predicts how technology will develop in the 21st century.

Theoretical physicist and futurist Michio Kaku predicts how technology will alter our world in the 21st century.

Visions of the Future: Episode 2: The Biotech Revolution

Episode 2

Episode 2: The Biotech Revolution

The Biotech Revolution

BBC Four - Visions of the Future, The Biotech Revolution

Dr Kaku warns that we may end up in a world divided by genetic apartheid.

Theoretical physicist and futurist Michio Kaku looks at the revolution in genetics, which promises health and longevity but also raises ethical questions.

Leading theoretical physicist and futurist Michio Kaku looks at the revolution in genetics and biotechnology, which promises unprecedented health and longevity but also raises the spectre of a Frankenstein future of genetically engineered people. Will we, as transhumanists expect, evolve into a new species? Dr Kaku warns that we may end up in a world divided by genetic apartheid.

Visions of the Future: Episode 3: The Quantum Revolution

Episode 3

Episode 3: The Quantum Revolution

The Quantum Revolution

BBC Four - Visions of the Future, The Quantum Revolution

A look at how quantum physics will enable mankind to alter the building blocks of matter.

Theoretical physicist and futurist Michio Kaku shows how quantum physics is giving mankind the power to manipulate the fundamental building blocks of matter.

Theoretical physicist and futurist Michio Kaku shows how quantum physics is giving mankind the almost godlike power to manipulate the fundamental building blocks of matter. Science fiction ideas like the space elevator, teleportation, invisibility cloaks, or nanosized molecular machines might soon become a reality. But will we use our unprecedented scientific mastery wisely?

Accessibility links

Programme Index

Visions of the Future

Episode 2: The Biotech Revolution

Contributors

Genres

Formats

Series

Visions of the Future

Episode 3: The Quantum Revolution

Contributors

Genres

Formats

Series

BBC Four

About BBC Four

Appears in

About this data

About this data