BBC Four is revisiting a number of classic dramas – including the BAFTA-winning Our Friends in the North – to celebrate 100 years of the BBC.
Starting from 25th May, the channel is opening up a new weekly slot, dedicated to exclusive screenings of seminal shows, including those featured in the BFI’s list of 100 landmark BBC TV programmes that “changed the face of television”.
Every Wednesday, BBC Four will explore the BBC’s historic archive of content by airing influential dramas, including Jeanette Winterson’s semi-autobiographical piece Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit, 1982’s The Boys from the Blackstuff, drama documentary A Man from the Sun, Hanif Kureishi’s Buddha of Suburbia and Graham Reid’s acclaimed trilogy The Billy Plays.
One of the most recognisable shows to take over the slot is Newcastle-based drama Our Friends in the North, which established the careers of Christopher Eccleston, Gina McKee, Daniel Craig and Mark Strong and followed four friends over a period of three decades.
The BBC 100 Executive Editor James Stirling said in a statement: “The BFI’s expert team of curators have produced a fascinating list of BBC TV programmes that have transformed broadcasting over the last 100 years, both across the UK and around the world.
“BBC Four will delve into the BBC’s library of rich content to share a selection of the boundary-pushing and era-defining dramas from the BFI’s list with audiences throughout centenary year with a new Wednesday night slot.”
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The @BFI & Radio Times Television Festival returns to London’s Southbank 20 – 22 May 2022! Tickets for the first raft of star-studded events are on sale NOW #TVFest ????️
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Next month, the BFI & Radio Times Television Festival 2022 will also play host to a number of panels and screenings of TV shows past and present, including incredible resurrected footage of The Morecambe and Wise Show and a special preview of Horrible Histories’ BBC centenary episode.
The BFI & Radio Times Television Festival runs from 20th to 22nd May 2022 and you can get tickets here.
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