The South Bank Show 1978
- Status
- Ended
- First Aired
- January 14, 1978
- Last Aired
- August 29, 2023
- Format
- 45 seasons · 776 eps
- Total Runtime
- ~776 hours (60 min/ep)
- Essential Runtime
- ~774 hours (skips filler)
- Created By
- Melvyn Bragg
- Networks
- ITV1, Sky Arts
- Where to Stream
- Sky Go, Now TV
Streaming data from JustWatch
★ TMDB users: 5.6/10 from 7 votes NR DocumentaryTalk 45 seasons · 776 eps Ended
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Quick answer
What is The South Bank Show?
The South Bank Show is a television arts magazine show that was produced by ITV between 1978 and 2010. A new series began on Sky Arts from 27 May 2012.
- Type
- TV series
- Year
- 1978
- Status
- Ended
- Episodes
- 776
- Runtime
- 60 minutes
- First aired
- Jan 14, 1978
- Last aired
- Aug 29, 2023
- Original language
- EN
- Origin
- GB
- Networks
- ITV1, Sky Arts
- Genres
- Documentary, Talk
- Updated
Series guide
At a glance
- Rating
- ★ TMDB users: 5.6/10 from 7 votes
- Format
- 45 seasons · 776 episodes
- Episode runtime
- ~60 minutes
- Status
- Ended
- Networks
- ITV1, Sky Arts
Availability by region
Where to watch in United Kingdom
Stream
Sky Go
Now TVStream
Sky GoNow TVStreaming availability data provided by JustWatch via TMDB. Availability changes by country and date; verify on the provider before subscribing or purchasing.
Planning tool
How long to binge?
Estimate the schedule using 776 episodes and an average 60-minute runtime.
Trailer
No official trailer is available for this title yet.
Find the trailer on YouTube ↗Overview
The South Bank Show is a television arts magazine show that was produced by ITV between 1978 and 2010. A new series began on Sky Arts from 27 May 2012. The show is presented by Melvyn Bragg and aims to bring both high art and popular culture to a mass audience. The series was originally produced by London Weekend Television and broadcast on ITV. Melvyn Bragg is the show's presenter and also conceived and wrote it. The show features interviews with various guests, including artists and musicians. The South Bank Show has been a long-running arts series, with a new version starting on Sky Arts in 2012. The show's format allows it to cover a wide range of topics and guests, making it a unique and informative program. The South Bank Show has had a notable run, with its start in 1978 and continuation into later years.
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Should you watch it?
“A long-running arts magazine exploring culture with Melvyn Bragg.”
Reasons to watch
- Bragg's engaging interview style
- mixes high art with popular culture
- longevity shows consistent quality
Keep in mind
- may seem dated to newer viewers
- focus on British culture limits scope
you're curious about arts and culture discussions.
Suitable for general audiences interested in cultural programming.
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Your verdict
Is The South Bank Show worth watching?
Cast
Comprehensive Directory
Episode guide
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Season 1 · 24 episodes
Open the complete Season 1 guide & lore primer →- E1 Paul McCartney/surrealist exhibition Mytharc Jan 14, 1978
- E2 Paganini Superstar Core Jan 21, 1978
- E3 Roy Minton Core Jan 28, 1978
- E4 David Hockney Core Feb 4, 1978
- E5 Dennis Potter Core Feb 11, 1978
- E6 John Peel/Jane Glover Core Feb 18, 1978
- E7 Arabian Days (Edna O'Brien)/Quentin Crisp Core Feb 25, 1978
- E8 Jacques Loussier Core Mar 4, 1978
- E9 Ken Dodd Core Mar 11, 1978
- E10 Georges Simenon Core Mar 18, 1978
- E11 Horowitz at the White House Core Mar 25, 1978
- E12 Carl Perkins/Morgan horses Core Apr 1, 1978
- E13 Carry On with Paul Morissey (Carry On ... films) Core Apr 8, 1978
- E14 Search for Shaw Core Apr 15, 1978
- E15 Harold Pinter Core Apr 22, 1978
- E16 Satyajit Ray/John Williams/Ralph McTell Core Apr 30, 1978
- E17 Portrait of a Conductor: Herbert Von Karajan Core May 6, 1978
- E18 Freddie Young Core May 13, 1978
- E19 Frank Auerbach Core May 20, 1978
- E20 Mayerling Ballet Core Jun 17, 1978
- E21 John Osborne on Wardle's book on Devine/Pearl (radio play) Core Jul 1, 1978
- E22 Ingmar Bergman at 60 Core Jul 8, 1978
- E23 Hullabaloo over George and Bonnie's Pictures (1) Mytharc Jul 15, 1978
- E24 Hullabaloo over George and Bonnie's Pictures (2) Mytharc Jul 22, 1978
Season 2 · 24 episodes
Open the complete Season 2 guide & lore primer →- E1 Tom Stoppard Mytharc Nov 26, 1978
- E2 Grace Under Pressure (Anthony Burgess on Hemingway) Core Dec 3, 1978
- E3 Woody Allen Core Dec 10, 1978
- E4 Anatomy of an Opera: Jonathan Miller's Figaro Core Dec 17, 1978
- E5 Rhythm of Resistance (South African music) Core Jan 14, 1979
- E6 Harmony of the Spheres (Neil Ardley) Core Jan 21, 1979
- E7 Circus Clowns/Schubert recital by Richter Core Jan 28, 1979
- E8 Royal Shakespeare Company on tour Core Feb 4, 1979
- E9 Brimstone & Treacle (Dennis Potter) / John McLaughlin, a Musical Journey Core Feb 11, 1979
- E10 The Chant of Jimmie Blacksmith / Edward Gorey / Gunter Grass Core Feb 18, 1979
- E11 Michael Cimino / Alan Bennett, Stephen Frears Core Feb 25, 1979
- E12 Gordon Williams, Alan Sharp, Eddie Boyd Core Mar 4, 1979
- E13 Derek Boshier / Ingrid Bergman, Ingmar Bergman Core Mar 11, 1979
- E14 Neil Simon Core Mar 18, 1979
- E15 Beryl Cook / Cloud Nine rehearsals Core Mar 25, 1979
- E16 Graham Sutherland Core Apr 1, 1979
- E17 Darryl Way / Howard Brenton Core Apr 22, 1979
- E18 The Europeans (film) / Joseph Heller Core Apr 29, 1979
- E19 Asian Arts festival Core May 6, 1979
- E20 Billy Connolly Core May 13, 1979
- E21 Jessye Norman Core May 20, 1979
- E22 Rough Trade (record label) / Allen Jones Core May 27, 1979
- E23 Scum (film) / Keith Jarrett Mytharc Jun 17, 1979
- E24 Michael Tippett (90 min.) Mytharc Jun 24, 1979
Season 3 · 19 episodes
Open the complete Season 3 guide & lore primer →- E1 Francis Ford Coppola Mytharc Dec 2, 1979
- E2 Royal Shakespeare Company masterclass (1) Core Dec 9, 1979
- E3 Royal Shakespeare Company masterclass (2) Core Dec 16, 1979
- E4 Talking Heads Core Dec 23, 1979
- E5 Love and the Ice-Cream Vendor Core Feb 17, 1980
- E6 Fay Weldon / Richard Hogart on Northern Ireland in drama Core Feb 24, 1980
- E7 Merce Cunningham Core Mar 2, 1980
- E8 Elegies for the Deaths of Three Spanish Poets Core Mar 9, 1980
- E9 A Time There was ... (Benjamin Britten) Core Apr 6, 1980
- E10 The Greene Adaptations (Graham Greene films) Core Apr 13, 1980
- E11 Salsa (Puerto Rican music) Core Apr 27, 1980
- E12 The Worlds of Edward Bond Core May 4, 1980
- E13 Yehudi Menuhin and Stephane Grappelli / Kinglsey Amis Core May 11, 1980
- E14 new British rock films / The Tin Drum (film) Core May 18, 1980
- E15 Roman Polanski Core May 25, 1980
- E16 Tom Wolfe Core Jun 1, 1980
- E17 Andrew Wyeth Core Jun 8, 1980
- E18 Angus Wilson Mytharc Jun 29, 1980
- E19 Jane Austen (film) Mytharc Jul 6, 1980
Season 4 · 26 episodes
Open the complete Season 4 guide & lore primer →- E1 Arthur Miller Mytharc Nov 9, 1980
- E2 William Golding Core Nov 16, 1980
- E3 Akira Kurosawa Core Nov 23, 1980
- E4 Stravinsky's The Firebird Core Nov 30, 1980
- E5 No Need to Lie Core Dec 7, 1980
- E6 The Passion (National Theatre's updating of medieval plays) Core Dec 14, 1980
- E7 Toni Morrison Core Jan 18, 1981
- E8 The Trespasser (film) Core Jan 25, 1981
- E9 Don Juan in Hell Core Feb 8, 1981
- E10 poetry workshop Core Feb 15, 1981
- E11 Martin Scorsese Core Feb 22, 1981
- E12 Elizabeth Taylor / John Hubbard Core Mar 1, 1981
- E13 Bob Fosse Core Mar 8, 1981
- E14 Robert Redford / Martin Amis Core Mar 15, 1981
- E15 Verity Bargate / Howard Hodgkin Core Mar 29, 1981
- E16 At the Haunted End of the Day: the Life of Sir William Walton Core Apr 19, 1981
- E17 Gore Vidal Core Apr 26, 1981
- E18 The Roots of the Tree (Ermanno Olmi) Core May 3, 1981
- E19 Colin Welland Core May 10, 1981
- E20 Christopher Logue / Phillip King Core May 17, 1981
- E21 Lulu's Last Act (Berg opera) Core May 24, 1981
- E22 Dame Ninette De Valois / David Hockney on Picasso Core May 31, 1981
- E23 Clive James / Craig Raine Core Jun 7, 1981
- E24 Soviet Art Core Jun 14, 1981
- E25 Rhythm and Blues (The Blues Band, Dr. Feelgood, Nine Below Zero, Paul Jones) Mytharc Jun 21, 1981
- E26 Music for a City: Venice Mytharc Jun 28, 1981
Season 5 · 27 episodes
Open the complete Season 5 guide & lore primer →- E1 The French Lieutenant's Woman Mytharc Nov 1, 1981
- E2 Elvis Costello Core Nov 8, 1981
- E3 Old Glory: the Journey and the Book Core Nov 15, 1981
- E4 Ian McKellan / Ian McEwan Core Nov 22, 1981
- E5 Brian Moore / Patrick Caulfield Core Nov 29, 1981
- E6 A Talent to Vex: John Osborne Core Dec 6, 1981
- E7 Mama Lu Parks Core Jan 17, 1982
- E8 Bernard D'Ascoli / Theatre of the 8th Day Core Jan 24, 1982
- E9 Milos Forman Core Jan 31, 1982
- E10 Germaine Greer Core Feb 7, 1982
- E11 Pauline Kael / George Steiner's The Portage to San Cristobal of AH Core Feb 14, 1982
- E12 Jerry Lieber and Mike Stoller Core Feb 21, 1982
- E13 Blacck Theatre Cooperative / Laurie Anderson Core Feb 28, 1982
- E14 Guys and Dolls (at the National Theatre) Core Mar 7, 1982
- E15 Richard Alston's Bellezza Flash Core Mar 14, 1982
- E16 Peter Maxwell-Davies Core Mar 21, 1982
- E17 Saul Bellow Core Mar 28, 1982
- E18 Indian wallpainting Core Apr 4, 1982
- E19 Stravinski (1) Core Apr 9, 1982
- E20 Stravinski (2) Core Apr 10, 1982
- E21 Julian Lloyd-Webber Core Apr 18, 1982
- E22 Miles Davis / Robert Nye Core Apr 25, 1982
- E23 Caught in the Act (Pillar to Post at Wormwood Scrubs) Core May 2, 1982
- E24 Joseph Papp / James Galway Core May 9, 1982
- E25 Werner Herzog Core May 16, 1982
- E26 Why Don't I Love Opera Anymore (by Stephen Oliver) Mytharc May 23, 1982
- E27 Phillip Larkin Mytharc May 30, 1982
Season 6 · 26 episodes
Open the complete Season 6 guide & lore primer →- E1 Laurence Olivier, a Life (1) Mytharc Oct 17, 1982
- E2 Laurence Olivier, a Life (2) Core Oct 24, 1982
- E3 Peter Gabriel Core Oct 31, 1982
- E4 Bruce Chatwin Core Nov 7, 1982
- E5 Patricia Highsmith Core Nov 14, 1982
- E6 Steven Spielberg Core Nov 21, 1982
- E7 Gospel at Colonus Core Nov 28, 1982
- E8 Simone De Beauvoir Core Jan 9, 1983
- E9 Barry Flannigan / Seamus Heaney Core Jan 23, 1983
- E10 David Hare Core Jan 30, 1983
- E11 Agnes De Mille Core Feb 6, 1983
- E12 Handel's Semele (by the Royal Opera House) Core Feb 13, 1983
- E13 Sam Fuller Core Feb 20, 1983
- E14 Local Hero (film) Core Feb 27, 1983
- E15 R.K. Narayan Core Mar 13, 1983
- E16 Ivo Pogorelich Core Mar 20, 1983
- E17 John Le Carré Core Mar 27, 1983
- E18 Choirs and Places Where They Sing Core Apr 3, 1983
- E19 William Trevor Core Apr 24, 1983
- E20 Gene Hackman Core May 1, 1983
- E21 Keith Waterhouse Core May 8, 1983
- E22 Robert Lowell / Benjamin Britten's Quartettino Core May 15, 1983
- E23 Cowboy Art Core May 22, 1983
- E24 Jiri Kylian Core May 29, 1983
- E25 Producing Don Giovanni Mytharc Jun 5, 1983
- E26 Ken Russell's View of The Planets Mytharc Jun 12, 1983
Season 7 · 22 episodes
Open the complete Season 7 guide & lore primer →- E1 Piper's Way Mytharc Oct 16, 1983
- E2 Yuri Lyubimov Core Oct 23, 1983
- E4 Jack Lemmon Core Nov 6, 1983
- E5 Catherine Cookson Core Nov 20, 1983
- E6 Lillian Gish/Glen Baxter Core Nov 27, 1983
- E7 Alberto Moravia Core Dec 4, 1983
- E8 Ian Hamilton Finlay/Lord Gowrie Core Dec 11, 1983
- E9 Barry Tuckwell: Master of the Horn Core Feb 19, 1984
- E10 Trevor Griffiths Core Feb 26, 1984
- E11 Weather Report Core Mar 11, 1984
- E12 Claudio Arrau Core Mar 18, 1984
- E13 Kathy Acker Core Apr 1, 1984
- E14 Ralph Vaughan Williams Core Apr 8, 1984
- E15 Sir Ernst Gombrich Core Apr 15, 1984
- E16 Michael Frayn Core Apr 29, 1984
- E17 Ed McBain Core May 6, 1984
- E18 David Bintley: New Ballet at Sadler's Wells Core May 13, 1984
- E19 Stephen Sondheim Core May 20, 1984
- E20 Elisabeth Vellacott / DeCocoa, Hot Chocolate Core May 27, 1984
- E21 adaptation of Ivy Compton Burnett's Elders and Betters Core Jun 3, 1984
- E22 Kipling (one-man play with Alec McGowen) Mytharc Jun 10, 1984
- E23 Anthony Caro Mytharc Jun 24, 1984
Season 8 · 24 episodes
Open the complete Season 8 guide & lore primer →- E1 Alan Bennett Mytharc Oct 7, 1984
- E2 McCartney's Broad Street Filler Oct 14, 1984
- E3 The Forming of the Phoenix (Phoenix Dance Company) Core Oct 21, 1984
- E4 Paolo and Vittorio Taviani Core Oct 28, 1984
- E5 Norman Nicholson Core Nov 4, 1984
- E6 Joseph Heller Core Nov 11, 1984
- E7 Mstislav Rostropovich Core Nov 18, 1984
- E8 Max Wall Core Nov 25, 1984
- E10 Alan Bleasdale Core Jan 13, 1985
- E11 Anthony Burgess on D.H. Lawrence Core Jan 20, 1985
- E13 Stravinsky's Oedipus Rex Core Feb 3, 1985
- E14 Marc Chagall Core Feb 10, 1985
- E15 David Lean: a Life in Film Core Feb 17, 1985
- E16 Simon Rattle / finale of Messiaen's Turangalila Symphony Mytharc Feb 24, 1985
- E17 Little Richard Core Mar 3, 1985
- E18 George Malcolm on Scarlatti Core Mar 10, 1985
- E19 Silent Partners: Second Stride Dance Company Core Mar 17, 1985
- E20 Michael Crawford/Billy Bragg Core Mar 31, 1985
- E21 David Mamet Core Mar 24, 1985
- E22 Olivier Messiaen: The Music of Faith Core Apr 5, 1985
- E23 The Cotton Club (night club) Core May 26, 1985
- E24 Prez (jazz opera about Lester Young) Core Jun 2, 1985
- E25 Francis Bacon Mytharc Jun 9, 1985
- E26 George Steiner on Vienna at the turn of the century Mytharc Jun 16, 1985
Season 9 · 24 episodes
Open the complete Season 9 guide & lore primer →- E1 Sir Alec Guinness Mytharc Oct 6, 1985
- E2 Peter Ackroyd's Hawksmoor Core Oct 13, 1985
- E3 Ian McKellen, Diary of a Year Core Oct 20, 1985
- E4 Theatre of Comedy workshop Core Oct 27, 1985
- E5 Pete Townshend: After the Fire Core Nov 3, 1985
- E6 Sir Stephen Spender Core Nov 10, 1985
- E7 Marguerite Duras Core Nov 17, 1985
- E8 Karole Armitage Core Nov 24, 1985
- E9 Peter Shaffer Core Dec 1, 1985
- E10 John Cleese Core Jan 12, 1986
- E11 Vladimir Ashkenazy Core Jan 19, 1986
- E12 Paul Schrader Core Jan 26, 1986
- E13 Purcell's Dido and Aenaes Core Feb 2, 1986
- E14 Patrick Heron Core Feb 9, 1986
- E15 Blue Note Records Core Feb 16, 1986
- E16 Michala Petri Core Feb 23, 1986
- E17 Elisabeth Schwarzkopf Core Mar 2, 1986
- E18 Absolute Beginners (film) Core Mar 9, 1986
- E19 Arthur Boyd Core Mar 23, 1986
- E20 Hal Prince: Rethinking the Musical Core Apr 6, 1986
- E21 British Soap Operas Core Apr 13, 1986
- E22 Hull Truck Theatre Company Core Apr 20, 1986
- E23 Velvet Underground Mytharc Apr 27, 1986
- E24 Al Jolson Mytharc May 4, 1986
Season 10 · 23 episodes
Open the complete Season 10 guide & lore primer →- E1 John Mortimer Mytharc Oct 5, 1986
- E4 Michael Powell Core Oct 26, 1986
- E5 Truman Capote Core Nov 2, 1986
- E6 Fay Godwin Core Nov 9, 1986
- E7 The Andrew Lloyd-Webber Story Core Nov 15, 1986
- E8 Agatha Christie, How Did She Do It? Core Nov 23, 1986
- E9 The Dream is Over (Christopher Bruce ballet on John Lennon) Core Nov 30, 1986
- E10 Arts Review '86 Core Dec 14, 1986
- E11 Anthony Hopkins / David Hare Core Jan 11, 1987
- E12 Philip Glass Core Jan 18, 1987
- E13 Alvin Ailey Dance Theater Core Jan 25, 1987
- E14 Anthony Green: RA, a Love Story Core Feb 1, 1987
- E15 birth of Frankenstein and Dracula Core Feb 8, 1987
- E16 Thomas Allen Core Feb 15, 1987
- E17 The Wooster Group Core Feb 22, 1987
- E18 The London Underground in art Core Mar 1, 1987
- E20 Barbara Dickson Core Mar 15, 1987
- E21 Penguin Cafe Orchestra Core Mar 22, 1987
- E22 Turner at the Tate Core Mar 29, 1987
- E23 George V. Higgins Core Apr 5, 1987
- E24 Peter York lecture Core Apr 12, 1987
- E25 The Aida File: The Making of the Opera (1) Mytharc Apr 18, 1987
- E26 The Aida File: Aida Performance (2) Mytharc Apr 19, 1987
Season 11 · 24 episodes
Open the complete Season 11 guide & lore primer →- E1 Maria Callas Mytharc Oct 4, 1987
- E2 Toni Morrison Core Oct 11, 1987
- E3 The Smiths Core Oct 18, 1987
- E4 Andy Warhol Core Oct 25, 1987
- E5 Frank Rich / Suzanne Vega Core Nov 1, 1987
- E6 Sir Terence Conran Core Nov 8, 1987
- E7 Gore Vidal Core Nov 15, 1987
- E8 African music / Russian theatre Core Nov 22, 1987
- E9 Sir George Solti Core Nov 29, 1987
- E10 Eric Clapton Core Dec 6, 1987
- E11 Arts Review '87 Core Dec 20, 1987
- E12 The Last Emperor (1988 film) Core Jan 17, 1988
- E13 Australian Aboriginies Core Jan 24, 1988
- E14 Boogie Woogie Music Core Jan 31, 1988
- E15 The Golden Age of Television Core Feb 14, 1988
- E16 George Barker Core Feb 21, 1988
- E17 Jackson Pollack Core Feb 28, 1988
- E18 Lenny Henry Core Mar 6, 1988
- E19 Peter Dickinson Core Mar 13, 1988
- E20 A Day on The Grand Canal with the Emperor of China Core Mar 20, 1988
- E21 Nicuragua: Poets as Politicans Core Mar 27, 1988
- E22 Ken Russell's ABC of British Music Core Apr 2, 1988
- E24 Doris Lessing Mytharc Apr 17, 1988
- E25 Sir Peter Hall's last National Theatre production Mytharc Apr 24, 1988
Season 12 · 24 episodes
Open the complete Season 12 guide & lore primer →- E1 The Art of Walt Disney Mytharc Sep 25, 1988
- E2 Bernard Shaw Core Oct 2, 1988
- E3 Under Milk Wood Core Oct 9, 1988
- E4 Toulouse-Lautrec Core Oct 16, 1988
- E5 David Puttnam Core Oct 23, 1988
- E6 David Hockney Core Oct 30, 1988
- E7 Two Women in Three Dimensions (Wendy Taylor, Nicola Hicks) Core Nov 13, 1988
- E8 Bristol WWII bombing raids reenactment Core Nov 20, 1988
- E9 Raymond Chandler Core Nov 27, 1988
- E10 Neil Jordan Core Dec 4, 1988
- E11 John Houseman Core Dec 11, 1988
- E12 David Bailey Core Dec 18, 1988
- E13 Derek Walcott Core Jan 15, 1989
- E14 Patrick Leigh Fermor Core Jan 22, 1989
- E15 National Training Orchestra Core Jan 29, 1989
- E16 Christopher Hampton Core Feb 5, 1989
- E17 Istvan Szabo Core Feb 12, 1989
- E18 Robert Redford Core Feb 19, 1989
- E19 Tony Palmer on the concerto Core Feb 26, 1989
- E20 Ben Elton Core Mar 5, 1989
- E21 John Burnett Core Mar 10, 1989
- E22 Put Blood in the Music (New York avant garde music) Core Mar 12, 1989
- E23 John Ogdon Mytharc Mar 19, 1989
- E24 Sir William Golding Mytharc Mar 24, 1989
Season 13 · 25 episodes
Open the complete Season 13 guide & lore primer →- E1 Martin Amis Mytharc Sep 17, 1989
- E2 Dustin Hoffman, Sir Peter Hall Core Sep 24, 1989
- E3 Jimi Hendrix Core Oct 1, 1989
- E4 Tom Keneally in Eritrea Core Oct 8, 1989
- E5 Ken Russell Core Oct 15, 1989
- E6 Steven Berkoff Core Oct 22, 1989
- E7 Gabriel Garcia Marquez Core Oct 29, 1989
- E8 Fitzrovia Core Nov 12, 1989
- E9 Dame Edna Everage Core Nov 19, 1989
- E10 Evelyn Glennie Core Nov 26, 1989
- E11 Peter Brook Core Dec 3, 1989
- E12 Arts Review '89 Core Dec 29, 1989
- E13 Boris Pasternak Core Jan 7, 1990
- E14 Sir David Lean, Robert Bolt Core Jan 21, 1990
- E15 Christopher Hogwood Core Jan 28, 1990
- E16 Chinua Achebe Core Feb 4, 1990
- E17 Hans Werner Henze Core Feb 11, 1990
- E18 Jock Tamson's Bairns (Gerry Mulgrew, Liz Lochhead) Core Feb 18, 1990
- E19 Yuri Bashmet Core Mar 4, 1990
- E20 DV8 Physical Theatre Core Mar 11, 1990
- E21 Mark Morris: the Hidden Soul of Harmony Core Mar 25, 1990
- E22 Carl Davis, Temba Core Apr 1, 1990
- E23 Vivienne Westwood Core Apr 8, 1990
- E24 Hindemith Mytharc Apr 15, 1990
- E25 Robert Altman Mytharc Apr 22, 1990
Season 14 · 23 episodes
Open the complete Season 14 guide & lore primer →- E1 George Michael Mytharc Sep 2, 1990
- E2 Peter Ackroyd on Dickens Core Sep 9, 1990
- E3 Spike Lee Core Sep 23, 1990
- E4 Salman Rushdie Core Sep 30, 1990
- E5 Roy Lichtenstein Core Oct 7, 1990
- E6 Ken Russell on Anton Bruckner Core Oct 14, 1990
- E7 Clear Cool Crystal Streams (Irish rock music) Core Oct 21, 1990
- E8 John Updike Core Oct 28, 1990
- E9 East German writers Core Nov 4, 1990
- E10 Alan Parker Core Nov 25, 1990
- E11 Cameron Mackintosh Core Dec 2, 1990
- E12 Spitting Image Core Dec 9, 1990
- E13 The Talis Scholars Core Dec 30, 1990
- E14 Stan Laurel Core Jan 6, 1991
- E15 August Wilson Core Jan 13, 1991
- E16 Oscar Marzaroli Core Jan 20, 1991
- E17 Anne-Sophie Mutter Core Jan 27, 1991
- E18 Bonfire of the Vanities (1991 film) Core Feb 3, 1991
- E19 Willard White Core Feb 10, 1991
- E20 The Five Blind Boys of Alabama / R.S. Thomas Core Feb 17, 1991
- E21 Steve Martin Core Feb 24, 1991
- E22 Rudolph Nureyev Mytharc Mar 3, 1991
- E23 Kiri Te Kanawa Mytharc Mar 29, 1991
Season 15 · 25 episodes
Open the complete Season 15 guide & lore primer →- E1 Private Eye Mytharc Sep 15, 1991
- E2 David Lodge Core Sep 29, 1991
- E3 Terry Gilliam Core Oct 6, 1991
- E4 Neil Simon Core Oct 13, 1991
- E5 Heinrich Schiff Core Oct 20, 1991
- E6 Seamus Heaney Core Oct 27, 1991
- E7 John Osborne Core Nov 3, 1991
- E8 Dame Britain (Vera Lynn) Core Nov 10, 1991
- E9 Arthur Miller Core Nov 17, 1991
- E10 Jose Carreras, a Life Story Core Nov 24, 1991
- E11 Dame Kiri Te Kanawa Core Dec 22, 1991
- E12 Arts Review '91 Core Dec 29, 1991
- E13 Douglas Adams Core Jan 5, 1992
- E14 Lenny Henry Hunts the Funk Core Jan 12, 1992
- E15 Hakan Hardenberger Core Jan 19, 1992
- E16 Cecilia Bartoli Core Nov 28, 1999
- E17 Les Murray Core Feb 2, 1992
- E18 Colin Thubron Core Feb 9, 1992
- E19 Pet Shop Boys Core Feb 16, 1992
- E20 Paula Rego Core Feb 23, 1992
- E21 Noel Coward Core Mar 1, 1992
- E22 Anthony Hopkins Core Mar 29, 1992
- E23 Terence Davis Core Apr 5, 1992
- E24 Making Naked Lunch Mytharc Apr 12, 1992
- E25 The Making of Sgt. Pepper Mytharc
Season 16 · 25 episodes
Open the complete Season 16 guide & lore primer →- E1 Billy Connolly Mytharc Oct 4, 1992
- E2 Alice Walker Core Oct 11, 1992
- E3 Peter O'Toole Core Oct 18, 1992
- E4 Two Royal Ballet Dancers (Darcey Bussell, Viviana Durante) Core Oct 25, 1992
- E5 Robert Zemeckis Core Nov 1, 1992
- E6 George Formby Core Nov 8, 1992
- E7 Sir Richard Attenborough Core Nov 15, 1992
- E8 The Secret Life of Sir Arnold Bax Core Dec 6, 1992
- E9 The World of Jeff Koons Core Dec 13, 1992
- E10 Jimi Hendrix Core Dec 20, 1992
- E11 Dracula Core Jan 24, 1993
- E12 Monserrat Caballe Core Jan 31, 1993
- E13 Annie Leibowitz Core Feb 7, 1993
- E14 Guggenheim Museum Core Feb 14, 1993
- E15 Dmitri and Sasha Sitkovetsky Core Feb 21, 1993
- E16 Jean Genet Core Feb 28, 1993
- E17 I, Berlioz Core Mar 7, 1993
- E18 Richard Price Core Mar 14, 1993
- E19 John Banville Core Mar 21, 1993
- E20 Henryk Gorecki's 3rd symphony Core Apr 4, 1993
- E21 Dudley Moore Core Jun 13, 1993
- E22 Frink, 1930-1993 (Dame Elisabeth Frink) Core Jun 20, 1993
- E23 Benny Goodman, the King of Swing Core Jul 4, 1993
- E24 Paul Simon Mytharc Aug 15, 1993
- E25 Norman Wisdom Mytharc Aug 22, 1993
Season 17 · 25 episodes
Open the complete Season 17 guide & lore primer →- E1 Sydney Pollack Mytharc Sep 12, 1993
- E2 Willy Russell Core Sep 19, 1993
- E3 Ken Loach Core Oct 3, 1993
- E4 Margaret Atwood Core Oct 10, 1993
- E5 John Lee Hooker Core Oct 17, 1993
- E6 Stevie Wonder Core Oct 24, 1993
- E7 Sylvie Guillem Core Oct 31, 1993
- E8 Tim Rice Core Nov 7, 1993
- E9 Lynda La Plante Core Nov 14, 1993
- E10 John Williams Core Nov 21, 1993
- E11 John Lloyd's A-Z of Comedy (1) Core Nov 28, 1993
- E12 John Lloyd's A-Z of Comedy (2) Core Dec 5, 1993
- E13 Cliff Richard Core Dec 24, 1993
- E14 Bheki Mseleku Core Jan 23, 1994
- E15 Darker Than Me Core Feb 6, 1994
- E16 Jean-Claude Carriere Core Feb 13, 1994
- E17 Danny Kaye: Nobody's Fool Core Feb 20, 1994
- E18 Looking for the Perfect Beat: Rap Core Feb 27, 1994
- E19 Larry Adler Plays Gershwin Core Mar 6, 1994
- E20 Kiri's 50th Birthday Concert Core Mar 13, 1994
- E21 Clive Barker Core Apr 10, 1994
- E22 Dawn French Core Apr 17, 1994
- E23 Christian Boltanski Core May 15, 1994
- E24 Eric Newby Mytharc May 22, 1994
- E25 John Steinbeck Mytharc May 29, 1994
Season 18 · 22 episodes
Open the complete Season 18 guide & lore primer →- E1 Kenneth Williams Mytharc Sep 18, 1994
- E2 Marilyn Horne Core Sep 25, 1994
- E3 New Generation Poets Core Oct 2, 1994
- E4 Vanessa Redgrave Core Oct 9, 1994
- E5 David Mamet Core Oct 16, 1994
- E6 The Shearing Touch (George Shearing) Core Oct 23, 1994
- E7 Alan Ayckbourn Core Oct 30, 1994
- E8 Frankenstein Core Nov 6, 1994
- E9 Thora Hird Core Nov 13, 1994
- E10 The Glory of Gershwin Core Nov 20, 1994
- E11 P.J. O'Rourke Core Nov 27, 1994
- E12 Lionel Bart Core Dec 11, 1994
- E13 Carl Orff Core Jan 29, 1995
- E14 Classic Widows Core Feb 5, 1995
- E15 Jonathan Miller Core Feb 12, 1995
- E16 Flags of the Fante Coast Core Feb 19, 1995
- E17 Catherine Bailey, the Lady is a Tramp / Roger Ballen Core Feb 26, 1995
- E18 Edward Albee Core Mar 5, 1995
- E19 Jodie Foster Core Mar 12, 1995
- E20 Martin Amis Core Mar 19, 1995
- E21 Country Music Mytharc Apr 2, 1995
- E22 Miriam Makeba Mytharc Apr 9, 1995
Season 19 · 20 episodes
Open the complete Season 19 guide & lore primer →- E1 Clint Eastwwod Mytharc Sep 10, 1995
- E2 Ackroyd's Blake Core Sep 17, 1995
- E3 Tom Sharpe Core Sep 24, 1995
- E4 kd lang Core Oct 1, 1995
- E5 Pavarotti at 60 Core Oct 8, 1995
- E6 Jimmy Nail Core Oct 15, 1995
- E7 Dame Judi Dench Core Oct 29, 1995
- E8 Coronation Street Filler Nov 5, 1995
- E9 Dame Barbara Cartland Core Nov 12, 1995
- E10 Jonathan Raban: Badlands / Wynton Marsalis Core Nov 19, 1995
- E11 Elaine Page Special Core Apr 7, 1996
- E12 Sting Core Apr 14, 1996
- E13 Albert Finney Core Apr 28, 1996
- E14 Marlene Dietrich Core May 5, 1996
- E15 John Eliot Gardiner Core May 12, 1996
- E16 Vermeer: Light, Love and Silence Core May 19, 1996
- E17 Claes Oldenburg Core May 26, 1996
- E18 Baaba Maal Core Jun 2, 1996
- E19 Maxine Peake / Wynton Marsalis in New Orleans Mytharc Jul 21, 1996
- E20 Alan Ayckbourn Workshop Mytharc Jul 28, 1996
Season 20 · 20 episodes
Open the complete Season 20 guide & lore primer →- E1 Victoria Wood Mytharc Sep 15, 1996
- E2 Sir John Mills Core Sep 22, 1996
- E3 Michael Crawford Core Sep 29, 1996
- E4 Norman Mailer on Picasso Core Oct 6, 1996
- E5 Chanson Core Oct 13, 1996
- E6 Michael Collins Core Oct 27, 1996
- E7 Bryn Terfel Core Nov 3, 1996
- E8 Howard Hodgkin Core Nov 10, 1996
- E9 Jimmy McGovern Core Nov 17, 1996
- E10 Bogart: Here's Looking at You, Kid Core Jan 5, 1997
- E11 Maggi Hambling Core Jan 12, 1997
- E13 The US and Us (1) Core Jan 26, 1997
- E14 The US and Us (2) Core Feb 2, 1997
- E15 Gilbert and George (1) Core Feb 9, 1997
- E16 Gilbert and George (2) Core Feb 16, 1997
- E17 Valery Gergiev Core Feb 23, 1997
- E18 Paganini Core May 4, 1997
- E19 David Helfgott Core Jun 22, 1997
- E20 Paul Auster Mytharc Jul 6, 1997
- E21 Young Directors (Preya Lal, Alexander Kelly, Franca Cereghini, Chris Dooks) Mytharc Jul 20, 1997
Season 21 · 22 episodes
Open the complete Season 21 guide & lore primer →- E1 Scarfe on Hercules Mytharc Oct 5, 1997
- E2 Michael Flatley: Lord of the Dance Core Oct 26, 1997
- E3 Kay Mellor Core Nov 2, 1997
- E4 Björk Core Nov 9, 1997
- E5 Iain Banks Core Nov 16, 1997
- E6 Matthew Bourne's Adventures in Motion Pictures Core Nov 23, 1997
- E7 Steven Bochco Core Nov 30, 1997
- E8 Simon Raven Core Dec 14, 1997
- E9 Franco Zeffirelli Core Dec 21, 1997
- E10 Saul Zaentz Core Jan 11, 1998
- E11 Gillian Wearing / Gary Hume Core Jan 18, 1998
- E12 Marks and Gran Core Feb 1, 1998
- E13 Hail Bop: a Portrait of John Adams Core Feb 8, 1998
- E14 Nigel Kennedy Core Feb 15, 1998
- E15 Gary Oldman Core Mar 15, 1998
- E16 Body Art Core Apr 5, 1998
- E17 John Tavener Core Apr 12, 1998
- E18 The Bee Gees Core Jun 7, 1998
- E19 Will Self Core Jul 5, 1998
- E20 Afro-Cuban Allstars Core Jul 19, 1998
- E21 This is Not an Exit: the Fictional World of Bret Easton Ellis Mytharc Aug 23, 1998
- E22 Wayne Sleep Mytharc Aug 30, 1998
Season 22 · 16 episodes
Open the complete Season 22 guide & lore primer →- E1 Ossie Clarke (1) Mytharc Nov 8, 1998
- E2 Ossie Clarke (2) Core Nov 15, 1998
- E3 Lesley Garrett Core Nov 22, 1998
- E4 Harold Pinter Core Nov 29, 1998
- E5 Maxine Peake/Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo Core Dec 6, 1998
- E6 Walter Mosley Core Dec 13, 1998
- E7 Petula Clark Core Dec 20, 1998
- E8 Warren Beatty Core Dec 30, 1998
- E9 John Tomlinson Core Jan 10, 1999
- E10 Javier du Frutos Core Jan 31, 1999
- E11 UB40 Core Feb 7, 1999
- E12 Anish Kapoor Core Feb 21, 1999
- E13 New South African Artists Core Feb 28, 1999
- E14 Lucy Gannon Core Mar 14, 1999
- E15 Tony Harrison Mytharc Mar 28, 1999
- E16 Dolly Parton Mytharc Apr 9, 1999
Season 23 · 21 episodes
Open the complete Season 23 guide & lore primer →- E1 Paul Merton Mytharc Sep 26, 1999
- E2 Frank McCourt Core Oct 3, 1999
- E3 Howard Jacobson Core Oct 10, 1999
- E4 Jose Cura Core Oct 17, 1999
- E5 James Galway Core Oct 24, 1999
- E6 The Lion King (stage play based on the film) Core Oct 31, 1999
- E7 Joan Collins Core Nov 14, 1999
- E8 Blur Core Nov 21, 1999
- E9 Yoko Ono Core Dec 5, 1999
- E10 Cher Core Dec 11, 1999
- E11 Countertenors Core Dec 19, 1999
- E12 Bing Crosby Core Dec 26, 1999
- E13 Shakespeare Core Jan 23, 2000
- E14 Millennium Dome Core Feb 7, 2000
- E15 Sam Mendes Core Feb 14, 2000
- E16 Michael Douglas Core Feb 21, 2000
- E17 Chuck Close Core Mar 5, 2000
- E18 Emir Kusturica Core Mar 12, 2000
- E19 Amis on Amis Core Jun 18, 2000
- E20 (composing classical music) (1) Mytharc Jun 25, 2000
- E21 Simon Holt's Sunrise, Yellow Noise (2) Mytharc Jul 2, 2000
Season 24 · 24 episodes
Open the complete Season 24 guide & lore primer →- E1 Andrew Lloyd Webber, Ben Elton Mytharc Oct 1, 2000
- E2 Santana Core Oct 8, 2000
- E3 Joyce [Carol Oates] on Marilyn [Monroe] Core Oct 15, 2000
- E5 Mark Morris Dance Group Core Oct 29, 2000
- E6 George MacDonald Fraser Core Nov 12, 2000
- E7 Courtney Pine Core Nov 19, 2000
- E8 Ron Howard Core Nov 26, 2000
- E9 Dame Gillian Weir Core Dec 3, 2000
- E10 [Marlene] Dumas and [Jemima] Stehli Core Dec 10, 2000
- E11 Mark Quinn Core Dec 17, 2000
- E12 Tom Jones Core Dec 24, 2000
- E13 Ken Russell Core Feb 11, 2001
- E14 Shirin Neshat Core Feb 18, 2001
- E15 Russell Watson Core Feb 25, 2001
- E16 Amos Oz Core Mar 4, 2001
- E17 Greta Garbo Core Mar 11, 2001
- E18 Elvis Costello with Annie Sofie von Otter Core Mar 18, 2001
- E19 Bill Bryson Core Mar 25, 2001
- E20 Ian Rankin Core Jul 1, 2001
- E21 Ian Bostridge Core Jul 8, 2001
- E22 Edmund White Core Jul 22, 2001
- E23 Steve Coogan Core Aug 5, 2001
- E24 Ravi Shankar Mytharc Aug 12, 2001
- E25 Tracey Emin Mytharc Aug 19, 2001
Season 25 · 19 episodes
Open the complete Season 25 guide & lore primer →- E1 High and Low Culture in the Age of Television Mytharc Oct 7, 2001
- E2 (highlights) Core Oct 14, 2001
- E3 Rachel Whiteread Core Oct 28, 2001
- E4 Norman Foster Core Nov 11, 2001
- E5 Dr. John Core Nov 18, 2001
- E6 Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings Core Dec 16, 2001
- E7 Ladies and Gentlemen, Miss Renée Fleming Core
- E8 The Sopranos Core Feb 10, 2002
- E9 Leif Ove Andsnes Core Feb 24, 2002
- E10 Why the Novel Matters Core Mar 17, 2002
- E11 Meera Syal Core Mar 24, 2002
- E12 Johnnie Ray Core Mar 31, 2002
- E13 Mario Vargas Llosa Core Apr 21, 2002
- E14 Fay Weldon Core May 5, 2002
- E15 R.E.M. Core May 9, 2002
- E16 Neil LaBute Core Jun 23, 2002
- E17 Cinema of Fire (Iranian cinema) Core Jun 30, 2002
- E18 Moby Mytharc Jul 7, 2002
- E19 Bernie Taupin Mytharc Aug 4, 2002
Season 26 · 25 episodes
Open the complete Season 26 guide & lore primer →- E1 Mike Leigh Mytharc Oct 13, 2002
- E2 Akram Khan Core Oct 20, 2002
- E3 Graham Vick: Beethoven in the Big Top Core Oct 27, 2002
- E4 Craig David Core Nov 10, 2002
- E5 Andrew Davies Core Nov 17, 2002
- E6 Joan Rivers Core Nov 24, 2002
- E7 Willie Nelson Core Jan 12, 2003
- E8 James MacMillan Core Jan 5, 2003
- E9 Irek Mukhamedov Core Jan 19, 2003
- E10 Gerhard Richter Core Feb 2, 2003
- E11 Hanif Kureishi Core Feb 9, 2003
- E12 How to Get Rich: Felix Dennis Core Feb 16, 2003
- E13 Philip Pullman Core Mar 9, 2003
- E14 Caryl Phillips Core Apr 13, 2003
- E15 Conor McPherson Core May 18, 2003
- E16 Herbie Hancock Core Jun 29, 2003
- E17 Caetano Veloso Core Jul 6, 2003
- E18 Ang Lee Core Jul 13, 2003
- E19 The Real George Orwell Core Jul 27, 2003
- E20 Juan Diego Florez Core Aug 3, 2003
- E21 Nick Cave Core Aug 10, 2003
- E22 Albert Camus Core Aug 31, 2003
- E23 Robert Harris Takes on Rome Core Sep 7, 2003
- E24 Andrew Lloyd Webber, the Full Picture Mytharc Sep 19, 2003
- E25 Ewan McGregor Mytharc Sep 21, 2003
Season 27 · 13 episodes
Open the complete Season 27 guide & lore primer →- E1 Germaine Greer Mytharc Oct 19, 2003
- E2 Daniel Barenboim and the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra Core Dec 7, 2003
- E3 TV Stories (1) Core Feb 1, 2004
- E4 TV Stories (2) Core Feb 8, 2004
- E5 Jamie Cullum Core Feb 22, 2004
- E6 The Wilson Twins Core Mar 7, 2004
- E7 John Lennon's Jukebox Core Mar 14, 2004
- E8 Jack Vettriano Core Mar 21, 2004
- E9 The Dance Theatre of Harlem Core Apr 4, 2004
- E10 Jeanette Winterson Core May 2, 2004
- E11 Johnny Hallyday Core May 9, 2004
- E12 Othello Mytharc May 16, 2004
- E13 Ian McKellen Mytharc Jun 29, 2004
Season 28 · 23 episodes
Open the complete Season 28 guide & lore primer →- E1 Street Music Stories Mytharc Aug 22, 2004
- E2 Ronnie Wood Core Sep 5, 2004
- E3 Willie Nelson Core Sep 19, 2004
- E4 Malcolm Arnold (1) Core Sep 26, 2004
- E5 Malcolm Arnold (2) Core Oct 3, 2004
- E6 Robert Frank Core Oct 17, 2004
- E7 Michael Frayn Core Nov 14, 2004
- E8 The Darkness Core Nov 21, 2004
- E9 Iggy Pop Core Dec 5, 2004
- E10 Ruth Rendell Core Dec 12, 2004
- E11 Howard Goodall Core Dec 19, 2004
- E12 Pete 'n' Dud, The Lost Shows Core Jan 1, 2005
- E13 Ian McEwan Core Feb 20, 2005
- E14 Going Sane Core Mar 6, 2005
- E15 Khaled and Rachid Core Mar 13, 2005
- E16 Alina Cojocaru, Johan Kobborg Core Mar 27, 2005
- E17 The Garden of Cosmic Speculation Core Apr 3, 2005
- E18 John Boorman Core Apr 10, 2005
- E19 Red Priest Core Apr 24, 2005
- E20 National Theatre's production of Henry IV Core May 1, 2005
- E21 The Secret Art of War Core May 8, 2005
- E22 Paul Abbott Mytharc May 15, 2005
- E23 Eric Sykes Mytharc Sep 18, 2005
Season 29 · 13 episodes
Open the complete Season 29 guide & lore primer →- E1 Margot Fonteyn (1) Mytharc Aug 7, 2005
- E2 Margot Fonteyn (2) Core Aug 14, 2005
- E3 Sophie Calle Core Aug 21, 2005
- E4 Karl Jenkins Core Sep 11, 2005
- E5 Eric Sykes Core Sep 18, 2005
- E6 Maxim Vengerov Core Oct 2, 2005
- E7 Alan Bennett Core Oct 9, 2005
- E8 Pablo Trapero, Lucrecia Martel, Daniel Burman Core Oct 16, 2005
- E9 The Life and Times of Tristram Shandy (film) Core Oct 23, 2005
- E10 Peter Hall (1) Core Oct 30, 2005
- E11 Peter Hall (2) Core Nov 6, 2005
- E12 Little Britain: A South Bank Show Special Mytharc Dec 25, 2005
- E13 Armando Iannucci Mytharc
Season 30 · 11 episodes
Open the complete Season 30 guide & lore primer →- E1 Armando Iannucci Mytharc Feb 12, 2006
- E2 Manga Mania Core Feb 19, 2006
- E3 John Rutter Core Mar 12, 2006
- E4 PD James Core Mar 26, 2006
- E5 Dusty Springfield Core Apr 9, 2006
- E6 Seu Jorge Core Jun 4, 2006
- E7 Romeo and Juliet Core Jun 11, 2006
- E9 George Michael: I'm Your Man Core Nov 17, 2006
- E10 Peter Blake Core Nov 19, 2006
- E11 Nick Park & Aardman Animations Mytharc Nov 26, 2006
- E12 Steve Reich Mytharc Dec 10, 2006
Verified insights
Frequently asked questions
Who presents The South Bank Show?
Melvyn Bragg presents the show throughout its run.
What kind of topics does it cover?
The show covers both high art and popular culture topics.
When did the show originally start?
It began in 1978 and ran for many years.
Is it still being made?
A new series began in 2012 on Sky Arts.
What network originally aired it?
ITV originally produced and aired the show.
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