The Culture Show: Season 17
Season 17 Lore Primer
Key plot threads, lore context, and character stakes you need to remember before diving into this season.
- Directly follows the overarching narrative developments of The Culture Show Season 16.
- Faction dynamics and core character alliances shift under escalating external stakes.
- Crucial mysteries introduced previously reach key turning points and narrative reckonings.
- Sets up serialized story arcs that build directly toward the climactic season finale.
Episode Guide
Season 17 Progress Shield
Episode 1
Jun 20, 2012
The Culture Show is back and will be featuring many of the highlights from the London 2012 Cultural Olympiad. In this episode, Mark Kermode meets film director David Cronenberg and
Episode 2
Jun 27, 2012
In this episode, comedian Alexei Sayle joins art critic Andrew Graham-Dixon at Tate Liverpool for an exhibition of later works from three of the greatest painters of the last 150 y
Episode 3
Jul 4, 2012
This week The Culture Show comes from London's East End, where Andrew Graham-Dixon takes a photo tour of a changing landscape with Newham's famous son and legendary snapper David B
Episode 4
Jul 11, 2012
Mark Kermode is in Bexhill-on-Sea, the setting for a new sculpture from artist Richard Wilson which recreates the final scene in cult movie The Italian Job. Miranda Sawyer meets P
Episode 5
Jul 18, 2012
Mark Kermode takes part in a movie marathon of short film screenings, Hansel of Film, a relay race of short film screenings taking place around the UK. Alastair Sooke looks at the
Episode 6
Jul 25, 2012
Mark Kermode meets Dark Knight director Christopher Nolan to talk about his take on the caped crusader. Blur are back and Damon Albarn and Graham Coxon talk about their new songs a
Episode 7: The Culture Show at the Edinburgh Festival - Part 1
Aug 15, 2012
Sue Perkins presents the first of three Culture Show programmes from The Edinburgh Festival, featuring all the best in theatre, dance, literature, music and comedy from the Fringe,
Episode 8: The Culture Show at the Edinburgh Festival - Part 2
Aug 22, 2012
Sue Perkins presents a second helping of The Culture Show from the Edinburgh Festival and meets author Kirsty Gunn and music legend Nile Rodgers. Also featured tonight, the 25th a
Episode 9: The Culture Show at the Edinburgh Festival - Part 3
Aug 29, 2012
Sue Perkins presents a final helping of hits from this year's Edinburgh Festival including an interview with Howard Jacobson about his new novel Zoo Time and a look at the art of D
Episode 10
Sep 19, 2012
Andrew Graham-Dixon explores the new Bronze exhibition at the Royal Academy. Clemency Burton-Hill reports on The People Speak, a dramatized book reading curated by Colin Firth and
Episode 11: J K Rowling - Writing For Grown-Ups: A Culture Show Special
Sep 26, 2012
Harry Potter is one of the most successful publishing phenomena of our time, selling 450 million copies. Its success has transformed author JK Rowling from an impoverished single m
Episode 12
Oct 3, 2012
Mark Kermode reviews award-winning French comedy film Untouchable in the company of Goldie. Tim Samuels looks at the odds on this year's Man Booker Prize shortlist and Alastair Soo
Episode 13
Oct 10, 2012
Tom Dyckhoff presents an architecture-themed show and looks at the six buildings shortlisted for 2012's Stirling Prize. At the other end of the spectrum, he also assesses the build
Episode 14
Oct 17, 2012
Gus Casely-Hayford presents the programme, featuring a review of independent fantasy film Beasts of the Southern Wild, which was a hit at the Cannes and Sundance festivals. Plus, N
Episode 15: Sam Mendes: Licence to Thrill - A Culture Show Special
Oct 24, 2012
Mark Kermode talks to director Sam Mendes about his latest film, Skyfall - the 23rd outing of the James Bond series. Featuring contributions from Skyfall stars Daniel Craig, Javier
Episode 16: Sam Mendes: Licence to Thrill... Even More - A Culture Show Special
Nov 1, 2012
Mark Kermode talks to Oscar-winning director Sam Mendes about his latest film Skyfall - the 23rd outing of the James Bond series. Featuring contributions from Skyfall stars Daniel
Episode 17
Oct 31, 2012
Andrew Graham-Dixon is at the National Gallery's first major exhibition of photography to explore the influence of painting and fine art traditions on the work of some our leading
Episode 18
Nov 7, 2012
The Culture Show comes from the National Maritime Museum in Greenwich, home to an exhibition of work from legendary American photographer Ansel Adams. Mark Kermode meets Academy Aw
Episode 19
Nov 14, 2012
Andrew Graham-Dixon goes stateside to meet Tom Wolfe. After eight long years, the great chronicler of American society returns with a new novel Back to Blood, which promises to do
Episode 20
Nov 21, 2012
The show comes from the Tate Modern on London's Bankside, home to A Bigger Splash, a new exhibition taking a new look at the relationship between performance and painting. Alastair
Episode 21
Nov 28, 2012
Andrew Graham-Dixon travels to New York to meet best-selling novelist Lee Child as his hugely popular Jack Reacher thrillers start their Hollywood incarnation this December with To
Episode 22
Dec 5, 2012
Andrew Graham-Dixon looks back over the best of the year in art. Highlights include a major show from Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama, whose dazzling body of work creates a unique wor
Episode 23
Dec 12, 2012
This week on The Culture Show Mark Kermode looks back over the best of the year in film. Just some of the highlights from our coverage of 2012's cinema releases include an intervie
Episode 24
Jan 23, 2013
Presenter Andrew Graham-Dixon previews the art of French impressionist, Edouard Manet as the Royal Academy prepares for a major retrospective of his portraiture. Mark Kermode meet
Episode 25
Jan 30, 2013
Tom Dyckhoff presents this design themed edition of the Culture Show, which examines the latest 'hacking' craze - where online design communities interact to reinvent and create ne
Episode 26
Feb 6, 2013
Andrew Graham-Dixon explores the work of 17th century Spanish baroque painter Bartholome Esteban Murillo, as an exhibiton focusing on the profound influence of his close friend and
Episode 27
Feb 13, 2013
Alastair Sooke looks back on the work of American pop artist Roy Lichtenstein as Tate Modern prepares for a major retrospective. Cerys Matthews visits National Theatre Wales as th
Episode 28
Mar 13, 2013
Tom Dyckhoff presents this week's Culture Show, looking at architectural solutions to affordable housing in this time of crisis. As the weather gets wetter and the risk of floodin
Episode 29
Mar 20, 2013
Andrew Graham-Dixon presents the Culture Show from Chatsworth House, Derbyshire. Chatsworth House has been chosen as the location for an exhibition of works by the Scottish artist
Episode 30: Danny Boyle: Man of Wonder
Mar 27, 2013
Oscar winning director Danny Boyle talks to Mark Kermode about his new film Trance, London 2012's afterglow and the highs and lows of an extraordinary film-making career. As an ex
Episode 31: Danny Boyle: Man of Wonder - Extended
May 8, 2013
An extended version of Danny Boyle's interview with Mark Kermode, featuring additional contributions from those who have worked with the Oscar winning director. Topics include the
Episode 32: Sincerely, F Scott Fitzgerald
May 18, 2013
Novelist Jay McInerney explores the life and writing of F Scott Fitzgerald, whose masterwork The Great Gatsby has just been filmed for the fifth time. Fitzgerald captured the reck