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Synopsis
Arena is a British television documentary series, made and broadcast by the BBC. Voted by leading TV executives in Broadcast as one of the top 50 most influential programmes of all time, it has run since 1 October 1975 with over five hundred episodes made, directed by the likes of Martin Scorsese, Alan Yentob, Roly Keating, Frederick Baker, Volker Schlondorff and Vikram Jayanti. Arena's subjects are a roll-call of the world's best known cultural figures from the 20th and 21st centuries, from singers Bob Dylan and Amy Winehouse to academics Edward Said and Eric Hobsbawm, from writers Jean Genet and V S Naipaul to artists Francis Bacon and Louise Bourgeois. The current series editor is Anthony Wall.
Episode 39 : Theatre: Playwrights of the 70's
June. 15,1977
In the last ten years an astonishing number of new writers have emerged. Plays by Barrie Keeffe, John McGrath, David Hare, Howard Barker, Howard Brenton, Trevor Griffiths and Stephen Poli akoff have been performed at the Royal Court, the Aldwych, in the West End and at the National Theatre. The plays they write are about violence, sex and politics. How accurate and useful is their portrayal of society? What is the reason for their success? What are their own roots, influences and attitudes? In an extended Arena, writer and critic Albert Hunt assesses this renaissance of British playwrights, which has given the theatre of the 70s a distinctive voice. Including interviews with, and extracts of plays by: Howard Bren ton, Trevor Griffiths, David Hare, Barrie Keeffe and John McGrath.
Episode 38 : Cinema
June. 08,1977
Mr Universe, the Crazy Horse Girls de Paris, Yum Yum Shaw, superstars with police escorts, topless bathing beauties-the Cannes Film Festival still sometimes seems more like a circus than a trade fair. But for all that, film people find it an indispensable fortnight in their calendar. More buying, selling and setting up of movies takes place in the jostling corridors of the Carlton Hotel in the last two weeks of May than anywhere else the rest of the year. A report on the business and the ballyhoo.
Episode 37 : Cinema
May. 25,1977
An interview with Sophia Loren on the occasion of the opening of 'The Cassandra Crossing'.
Episode 36 : Cinema
May. 11,1977
Arena looks at erotic films, including 'Je T'Aime Moi Non Plus', 'Hardcore', and 'Come Play With Me'.
Episode 35 : Art and Design: The Continuous Diary/Dine's Drawings
May. 04,1977
The artist Ian Breakwall gave up painting for the art of a daily diary; Jim Dine explains why he returned from pop art to drawing the human figure.
Episode 34 : Cinema
April. 27,1977
Gavin Millar talks to director Bernardo Berolucci in Rome about '1900', his new five and a half hour film, as well as his earlier work.
Episode 33 : Theatre: The Prospect Before Us
April. 20,1977
Prospect Theatre Company reopens the Old Vic. Includes rehearsal footage from 'St Joan', 'Hamlet', 'Antony and Cleopatra', and 'War Music', a new musical adaptation of 'The Iliad' by Christopher Logue.
Episode 32 : Cinema
April. 13,1977
In a special edition from Rome, Gavin Millar interviews Bernardo Bertolucci, director of 'Last Tango in Paris' and '1900', and Gore Vidal on Hollywood and 'Cinecitta'.
Episode 31 : Art and Design: Family Pieces/Both Sides of the Line/The Divine and the Fantastic
April. 06,1977
Portrait painter Philip Sutton; Helmut Weissenborn, a German WWI soldier who illustrated with wood engravings the war diary of Edward Thomas, an English poet who died in WWI; and Gothic art in Cologne.
Episode 30 : Cinema
March. 30,1977
A look at Ealing Studios, including excerpts of many of their popular films.
Episode 29 : Theatre: A Night Out
March. 23,1977
Arena visits three theatres - the Mercury Theater in Colchester, the Humberside Theatre in Hull, and the Duke's Playhouse in Lancaster - to find out what they are doing, how they are doing it and why they think they should go on doing it.
Episode 28 : Cinema
March. 16,1977
On the occasion of the release of the third film version of 'A Star is Born', James Mason talks about the curious business of stardom and how it has changed.
Episode 27 : Art and Design: What Is a Hologram?/Kit Williams - Ring Around the Moon
March. 09,1977
Arena investigates holograms and their potential in the arts; artist Kit Williams' vivid folklore paintings.
Episode 26 : Cinema
March. 02,1977
Gavin Millar talks to New Yorker critic Pauline Kael about Costa-Gavras' 'Z' and 'Section Speciale', along with her passion for the movies and how she wields her power.
Episode 25 : Theatre: The Cultural Common Market: Peter Stein and the Schaubuhne
February. 23,1977
Peter Stein, director of Die Schaubuhne theatre co-operative, comes to London with his Shakespeare Project. Includes extracts from 'Summerfolk' and 'Shakespeare's Memory'.
Episode 24 : Cinema
February. 16,1977
Gavin Miller discusses 'Network' with director Sidney Lumet and Robert Kee; Alberto Cavalcanti talks about his film career on the occasion of his 80th birthday.
Episode 23 : Art and Design: Ralph Steadman
February. 09,1977
Ralph Steadman illustrates a children's anti-war story, caricatures at his local pub, and speaks about his drawing techniques and his work, including Alice, and impressions of the Patty Hearst trial and the Watergate hearings.
Episode 22 : Cinema
February. 02,1977
Episode 21 : Theatre: Spokesong/At Home with Mole
January. 26,1977
An interview with Stewart Parker about his new musical 'Spokesong' with excerpt; a profile of 81 year old actor Richard Goolden with scenes from 'Toad of Toad Hall' and Tom Stoppard's 'Dirty Linen and New-Found-Land'.
Episode 20 : Cinema
January. 19,1977
Gavin Miller talks to director Martin Ritt, writer Walter Bernstein, and actors Woody Allen and Zero Mostel about 'The Front'
Episode 19 : Art and Design: Sam Smith: Genuine England/Arena Review
January. 12,1977
An introduction to the magical world of wood-sculptor Sam Smith, plus a look at one of this month's major exhibitions.
Episode 18 : Cinema
January. 05,1977
Gavin Millar talks to Mel Brooks just before the London release of 'Silent Movie'.
Episode 17 : Cinema: Christmas Special
December. 15,1976
A look at the Disney exhibit at the Victoria and Albert Museum; an interview with 'The Ritz' director Dick Lester and actress Rita Moreno; an excerpt from Buster Keaton's 'Spite Marriage'; and the results of the Titles Competition.
Episode 16 : Theatre: Brecht in Newcastle
December. 08,1976
20th anniversary tribute to Bertolt Brecht at Newcastle's University Theatre with scenes from 'The Good Woman of Setzuan' and prose, poetry and music.
Episode 15 : Cinema
December. 01,1976
Arena speaks with Spanish directors at the Madrid premiere of 'The Long Vacation of 36'.
Episode 14 : Art and Design: Sculpture for the Blind/Linda Benedict-Jones/James Boswell
November. 24,1976
Sculpture for the Blind - a special Tate Gallery exhibition; Linda Benedict-Jones, photographer; James Boswell - a revival of his war pictures.
Episode 13 : Cinema
November. 17,1976
In light of the low proportion of British films in the 20th London Film Festival, Gavin Millar looks at what's wrong with the British film industry and distribution system.
Episode 12 : Theatre: The Cultural Common Market
November. 10,1976
A look at Theatre National Populaire, one of France's leading theaters, and Patrice Chéreau's 'La Dispute' by Marivaux and Roger Planchon's 'Tartuffe', as well as scene's from Planchon's scenes from his Blues, Whites and Reds.
Episode 11 : Don Siegel
November. 03,1976
Don Siegel, director of 'The Shootist', 'Charley Varrick', 'Coogan's Bluff', 'Dirty Harry' and many other violent thrillers talks about the problems of the director who is typecast by his success in one specialized genre.
Episode 10 : Art and Design: The Illustrators: The Work of Mick Brownfield and Allan Manham/The Swish of the Curtain
October. 27,1976
British illustrators Mick Brownfield and Allan Manham are documented working on their current projects; Artist Chris Orr probes the dreadful truth behind the net curtains of suburbia.
Episode 9 : Cinema: Eric Rohmer
October. 20,1976
Gavin Millar interviews director Eric Rohmer about 'Die Marquise von O', 'Claire's Knee' and 'Love in the Afternoon'.
Episode 8 : Theatre
October. 13,1976
Peter Shaffer, writer of 'Equus', talks about his plays, his life and the theatre with an excerpt from the 1976 stage production of 'Equus'.
Episode 7 : Frank Westmore
October. 06,1976
Gavin Millar talks with Frank Westmore, whose family has dominated the make-up departments of American cinema for decades.
Episode 6 : Art and Design: After Samuel Palmer
September. 29,1976
David Gould, the expert who discovered Tom Keating's Samuel Palmer imitations, shows the process of identifying and analyzing suspected pictures.
Episode 5 : Robert Altman
September. 22,1976
Gavin Miller interviews the director Robert Altman on "M*A*S*H", "Nashville", "Buffalo Bill and the Indians" and more.
Episode 4 : Theatre: A Dream Come True
September. 15,1976
A look at the opening of the Royal Exchange Theatre in Manchester.
Episode 3 : Edinburgh International Festival 1976: Part 3
September. 08,1976
Writer Germaine Greer and her god-daughter Ruby take a look at a child's Edinburgh Festival and some of the fringe activities, including Gruppo Teatro Libero from Rome and Quentin Crisp.
Episode 2 : Edinburgh International Festival 1976: Part 2
September. 01,1976
Features the La Mama Theatre Company from New York; Bunraku, traditional Japanese Puppet Theatre; a recital by Frederica Von Stade; and Judith Blegen as Susanna in 'The Marriage of Figaro'.
Episode 1 : Edinburgh International Festival 1976: Part 1
August. 25,1976
Features Elisabeth Schwarzkopf, Galina Visnevskaya in the Scottish Opera's production of Macbeth, The Kantor Theatre Company from Poland, and Fenella Fielding in a late-night revue.
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