Last Watched

"80s"  Sort by

Alternative Voices

   2021    Art
The 1980s was a time when artists in both the UK and US were delivering powerful social commentary in their songs. Dylan Jones selects some of the finest alternative voices from this era. From The Cure on Top of the Pops at the beginning of the decade to The Stone Roses' debut TV performance in 1989, this episode takes a comprehensive look at the alternative music of an entire era. It also features powerful live performances from Billy Bragg, Tracy Chapman, Bronski Beat and The Selecter. In addition, there are archival gems from Pixies, The Smiths, Suzanne Vega, The Fall, REM and many more.
Series: The 80s: Greatest Music Decade

B-Movie: Lust and Sound in West-Berlin 1979-1989

       Culture
Music, art and chaos in the wild West-Berlin of the 1980s. The walled-in city became the creative melting pot for sub- and pop-culture. Before the iron curtain fell, everything and anything seemed possible. B-Movie is a fast-paced collage of mostly unreleased film and TV footage from a frenzied but creative decade, starting with punk and ending with the Love Parade, in a city where the days are short and the nights are endless. Where it was not about long-term success, but about living for the moment - the here and now. (Click CC for closed captions)

Battle Begins

       Nature
Global warming, and how to combat it, has provoked intense debate, changed the way we see the planet and created headlines around the world. But when and how did scientists first discover global warming, why has it led to such furious debate? In this three-part series geologist Dr Iain Stewart presents a definitive guide to the history of climate change.
Battle Begins uncovers some of the great unsung heroes of climate change science, and introduces us to a secret organisation of American government scientists, known as Jason, who wrote the first official report on global warming as far back as 1979. By the late 1980s global warming had already become a serious political issue. It looked as if the world was uniting to take action. But it turned out to be a false dawn.
Series: The Climate Wars

Brats

   2024    History    HD
Step into the world of 1980s cinema with 'Brats,' a riveting documentary that delves into the iconic films starring the legendary 'Brat Pack.' Discover how movies like 'St. Elmo's Fire,' 'The Breakfast Club,' and 'Pretty in Pink' captured the raw essence of teenage angst and resonated with a generation like never before. These films didn't just become cult classics; they defined an era and left an indelible mark on pop culture. Yet, behind the glitz and glamour, the 'Brat Pack' label brought unexpected challenges and lasting effects on the careers of its young stars. Explore the highs, the lows, and the enduring legacy of these unforgettable movies and the actors who brought them to life. This is a must-watch for any film enthusiast looking to understand the profound impact of the 1980s on Hollywood and beyond.

Cocaine Cowboys

   2006    History
In the 1980s, ruthless Colombian cocaine barons invaded Miami with a brand of violence unseen in this country since Prohibition-era Chicago - and it put the city on the map. The film is the true story of how Miami became the drug, murder and cash capital of the United States, told by the people who made it all happen.

Delay

   2022    Culture
The last chapter explains how the 2010s became another lost decade in the fight against climate change – as the move to natural gas delayed a transition to more renewable sources of energy.
Engineer Tony Ingraffea, in the 1980s, helped develop a new technique for extracting gas and oil from shale rock, which ultimately became known as 'Fracking'. It was to unleash vast new reserves of fossil fuels and was promoted as a cleaner energy source. But Ingraffea explains how he later came to regret his work when he realized that gas could be even worse for climate change than coal and oil.
Dar-Lon Chang, a former ExxonMobil engineer, speaks for the first time on camera alleging that as the company increased its natural gas operations, it was not sufficiently monitoring methane leaks that were contributing to climate change. Now, after a year of unprecedented wildfires, drought and other climate-related disasters, multiple lawsuits are being brought in US courts in efforts to hold Big Oil legally accountable for the climate crisis.
Series: Big Oil vs The World
Clarkson Farm

Clarkson Farm

2021  Nature
Empire of the Tsars

Empire of the Tsars

2017  History
Secrets of the Dead

Secrets of the Dead

2017  History
Animal

Animal

2021  Nature
The Mind Explained

The Mind Explained

2019  Medicine
Seven Ages of Rock

Seven Ages of Rock

2007  Art
Top Gear

Top Gear

2012  Technology