Arena - Season 7 / Year 1981

Tthis documentary programme looks at New York's Chelsea Hotel, a legendary haven for some of the 20th Century's greatest talent, from Mark Twain to Dylan Thomas. With appearances from Andy Warhol and William Burroughs, who have dinner in the room where Arthur C Clarke wrote 2001, and Quentin Crisp, who lived in the hotel for more than 35 years.

A look at the roles in the rock world of John Peel and John Walters, his radio show producer, in championing new musical directions.

Documentary about the great American realist painter, Edward Hopper. His subject is the face of America - haunting, unforgettable images of late-night bars and lonely hotel rooms.

For the past ten years Peter Brook and his unique company of actors have travelled the world with a series of extraordinary theatrical ventures. The last stage of their journey was Australia. 
Here, in a disused quarry in the hills above Adelaide they perform some of their most popular plays, and a remarkable meeting takes place with tribal Aboriginal performers who have travelled 1,000 miles to see a production of The Ik. This story, of the breakdown of a traditional tribal community, provides a moving parallel to the problems faced by the Aborigines themselves.

Tonight, from a converted cowshed in the wilds of Scotland, Arena presents The Smallest Theatre in Great Britain. 
Immortalised in the Guinness Book of Records, Barrie and Marianne Hesketh have for the past 17 years been the sole designers, directors and cast for every production, including their famous two-man version of The Tempest. It seems nothing is impossible,

There were these five guys round the table: the Lightweight Boxing Champion of California; an expert on Pre-Columbian art; an honorary lieutenant in the Mexican army; an architect admired by Frank Lloyd Wright ; and a man of whom Marilyn Monroe said, ' No woman can be around him for long without falling in love'. What had they in common? They were all JOHN HUSTON , who also happened to direct The Maltese Falcon, The Treasure of the Sierra Madre, The African Queen, The Misfits and 25 others. At the age of 74 he started work last week on the$30-million screen version of Annie. Gavin Millar visited him at his Mexican hideaway to mark the publication of his autobiography An Open Book.

The leading writer of his generation, Amos Oz is one of the most controversial figures in Israel today. Born in the fanatical atmosphere of Jerusalem in the last years of the British Mandate, he grew up with the Israeli state through the War of Independence and Suez. Arena filmed AMOS oz in Jerusalem; he takes a walk through 30 years of Israel's history and talks about the fears and aspirations of a new generation of Israelis,

A look at the legend of 'Superman' and its portrayal in comic books and films.

A contrast in visual style: the art of Radio Times and the jaundiced eye of Private Eye. Arena raids the Radio Times archives and talks to long-term contributor Eric Fraser, and watches the latest edition of Private Eye, with its maverick visual style, take shape.

Salman Rushdie, author of Midnight's Children, winner of the Booker Prize 1981, talks about India and the autobiographical elements in the book.