The 80s with Dominic Sandbrook - Season 1
Season 1
Episodes
The Sound of the Crowd
Episode One, The Sound Of The Crowd, looks at how the early 80s saw the powerful new forces of choice and consumerism radically reshape British life, tearing down existing ways of doing things and ripping up the rule book of British politics.
This new culture of consumer-driven populism propelled Margaret Thatcher to victory. For the first time, 'who we were' became a question less about the fixed identities of region and class, and much more about the choices we made: from where we shopped, to how we cooked, to what we wore. Margaret Thatcher may have embodied this change - but she didn't drive it.
This episode takes in everything from the popularity of Delia Smith to affordable fashions on the high street; from the subcultures of Britain's youth to the crisis of identity that rocked and splintered the political Left.
But it also shows how the mood of aspiration that swept the nation left certain sections of society adrift and alienated, from the hollowed-out industrial heartlands of the Midlands to the inner-city communities of South London and Liverpool.
Under Pressure
By the middle of the decade, Britain felt like an embattled nation, facing threats from enemies within as well as without; a nation struggling to establish an identity on the global stage, and also to re-establish what it means to be British.
This was the period that forever marked the 80s as a decade of conflict and division. But not all those conflicts were obvious - some were fought with bullets, others with money; some were fought in our homes, others in our heads.
This episode examines everything from the invasion of the Falkland Islands to the invasion of the home computer and the moral panic surrounding ‘video nasties'; from the Americanisation of our popular culture to the picket line skirmishes playing out nightly on our televisions; from the spectre of AIDS and the threat of the IRA, to immigration and identity politics.
World in Motion
The third and final programme charts the final years of the decade, looking at a society transformed by an accelerated change. Dominic argues that this change brought opportunities and anxieties that wecontinue to wrestle with to this day, from significant technological advances and the privatisation of national companies, to the deregulation of the stock market and the growing polarisation of rich and poor.
Recently Updated Shows
The Late Show with Stephen Colbert
Stephen Colbert brings his signature satire and comedy to The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, the #1 show in late-night. Featuring bandleader Jon Batiste with his band Stay Human, the Emmy Award-nominated show broadcasts from the historic Ed Sullivan Theater. He talks with an eclectic mix of guests about what is new and relevant in the worlds of politics, entertainment, business, music, technology, and more. Stephen Colbert took over as host, executive producer, and writer of The Late Show on Sept. 8, 2015.
Colbert is best known for his work as a television host, writer, actor, and producer, and lest known for his charity work teaching English as a second language on Tunisian date farms. Before joining the CBS family -- and being officially adopted by network president Les Moonves -- Colbert helmed The Colbert Report, which aired nearly 1,500 episodes and required Stephen to wear nearly 1,500 different neckties. The program received two Peabody Awards, two Grammy Awards, and several unwelcome shoulder massages. It won two Emmys for Outstanding Variety Series in 2013 and 2014, both of which appear to have been lost in the move. Colbert is pronounced koʊlˈbɛər, according to Wikipedia. His understudy is William Cavanaugh, who will be hosting The Late Show approximately one-third of the time. Good luck, Bill!
Lost Treasures of Egypt
An immersive, action-packed series follows international teams of Egyptologists as they unearth the world's richest seam of ancient archaeology — Lost Treasures of Egypt. Through excavations and unprecedented access to the teams on the front line of archaeology, we follow these modern-day explorers as they battle searing heat and inhospitable terrain to make the discoveries of a lifetime.
The Librarians: The Next Chapter
The Librarians: The Next Chapter centers on Vikram Chamberlain, a "Librarian" from the past who time traveled from 1847 and now finds himself stuck in the present. When Vikram returns to his castle in Belgrade, Serbia and discovers that it is now a museum, he inadvertently releases magic across the continent. With the help of a new team of eclectic heroes, including a savant in world history, a scientific genius, and a highly skilled Guardian, Vikram has only six months to clean up the mess he made.
Saturday Night Live
Saturday Night Live is an Emmy Award-winning late-night comedy showcase.
Since its inception in 1975, "SNL" has launched the careers of many of the brightest comedy performers of their generation. As The New York Times noted on the occasion of the show's Emmy-winning 25th Anniversary special in 1999, "in defiance of both time and show business convention, 'SNL' is still the most pervasive influence on the art of comedy in contemporary culture." At the close of the century, "Saturday Night Live" placed seventh on Entertainment Weekly's list of the Top 100 Entertainers of the past fifty years.