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His Dark Materials is a trilogy of fantasy novels by Phillip Pullman that includes Northern Lights, Subtle Knife, and Amber Spyglass. In this video, Philip Pullman talks extensively about his internationally acclaimed trilogy and his other body of work. This celebratory tribute to Pullman and his works is scripted by the eminent literature critic Nick Tucker.
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This 1948 adaptation of Terence Rattigan's play tells of a father's struggle to clear his son's name after he is accused of theft at the Royal Naval College. The film was commercially very successful and was nominated for a BAFTA United Nations award (for a film embodying one or more of the principles of the UN charter). Starring Robert Donat, Sir Cedric Hardwicke, Margaret Leighton, and Basil Radford. Directed by Anthony Asquith.
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A delightful adaptation of Thomas Hardy's pastoral romance set in the 19th Century. Amidst the surrounding farms and woodlands of the idyllic village of Mellstock, southern England, a love story grows between local boy Dick Dewey and beautiful schoolteacher Fancy Day. But in seeking her hand in marriage penniless Dick finds himself in competition with other more likely suitors, including wealthy landowner Farmer Shiner and local vicar Reverend Maybold....
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To celebrate the 20th anniversary of the first Harry Potter book, the British Library is hosting an exhibition of the real-life magical history behind JK Rowling's beloved classics. With exclusive access to a priceless collection of artifacts, take a tour around this mesmerizing show. Rowling herself examines the most exciting items on display, and opens her private archive to reveal drawings and drafts that have been hidden away for years. As opening...
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The second part of Andrew Davies' adaptation of Alan Hollinghurst's Booker Prize-winning novel set in 1980s London. It's 1986 and Nick is swept up in the euphoria of excess and power. His affair with self-destructive Lebanese millionaire Wani Ouradi reaches fever pitch at one of the Feddens' high society parties.
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Andrew Davies' adaptation of Alan Hollinghurst's Booker Prize-winning novel set in London in the 1980s. It's 1983 and Oxford graduate Nick Guest is adopted by the rich, privileged family of Tory MP Gerald Fedden. Nick is drawn into the seductive world of the Feddens and finds his feet in London's gay scene, embarking on a secret love affair with a black council worker, Leo Charles.
10) Brighton Rock
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This classic adaptation of Graham Greene's 1938 novel stars a memorable Richard Attenborough as Pinkie, a teenage gangster who pretends to fall in love with an innocent girl. The film is known as one of the finest, and darkest, achievements of 1940s film noir. Also starring Carol Marsh as Rose, William Hartnell as Dallow, and Hermione Baddeley as Ida. Directed by John Boulting; produced by Roy Boulting.
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Ulysses portrayed Dublin as the wide-awake city with all the action taking place after dark. This program chronicles The Ulysses Tour of Dublin. Experience the wonderful sights and sounds of Dublin: the boozers, the brothels, the famous Black Stuff, the Liffy, its world-renowned seats of learning, and much more.
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The final part of Andrew Davies' adaptation of Alan Hollinghurst's Booker Prize-winning novel set in London in the 1980s. It's 1987 and Thatcher has been returned to power once again. Political scandal engulfs the Fedden house and revelations about Nick force a confrontation with family members.
13) Catholics
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This 1973 film is based the novel of the same name by the Irish writer Brian Moore, who also wrote the screenplay. The story is set in the near future, after the Catholic religion has reformed and merged with other religions. A few steadfast Irish monks insist on preserving the old rites, until a young priest arrives from the Vatican to force them to abandon the old ways. The film is also known as The Conflict. Starring Trevor Howard, Martin Sheen,...
15) The Go Between
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When the reserved, elderly Leo Colston comes across a childhood diary, he recalls the painful events of the summer that shaped his character. Fifty years earlier, a 12-year-old Leo is spending the long, hot summer of 1900 with the family of a schoolfriend, Marcus, at their elegant country mansion. Utterly in thrall to the glamorous Maudsley family and their guests, Leo is soon befriended by Marcus’s beautiful older sister Marian, who persuades him...
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In this absorbing documentary, Geldof, a self-confessed devotee of the great Irish Nobel Prize winning poet, traces how W.B. Yeats led the way in imagining a new, proud, strong Ireland into being after The Famine – and how, after centuries of colonial oppression, he gave the people of Ireland back a story they could believe in and fight for. As Gogarty said, there is no Free State without Yeats. By which he meant that Ireland does not exist without...
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It was not until the stage play Peter Pan, or, The Boy Who Wouldn't Grow Up that he became a world-conquering hero, a symbol of the refusal to grow up. This program explores the coming into being and the reception of the play itself as well as later critical analysis. It particularly examines Barrie's close and tragic relationship with the Llewelyn Davies family.
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Through a cruelly bitter winter, Tess continues to work on the farm. Alec, who seems to have replaced any religious fervour he once had with a passion for Tess alone, continues to plague her with his relentless attention. Tess’s younger sister Liza-Lu arrives at the farm to report that their father is dying. Tess and her sister hurry home. John Durbeyfield dies and is buried. The family are turned out of their house. They travel to the village once...
20) Blue/Orange
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English
Description
In a London psychiatric hospital, an enigmatic young man claims, among other things, to be the son of an exiled African dictator - a story that becomes unnervingly plausible. In a fiery and suspenseful debate, his doctor and consultant clash over the patient's diagnosis and treatment. What ensues is an incendiary tale of race, madness and a Darwinian power struggle at the heart of a dying NHS. Filmed on location in London, this dynamic and often very...