Storyline
Movie critic Ian Nathan goes in search of the cinematically sublime and explores the ingredients that went into making a classic. With each episode devoted to a single film, their story will be told with detail, affection, looking for the truth behind the myth, and all the trials and triumphs that went into forging the classic.
Episodes
Series 1
No overview available for this season.
The Third Man
Aug 31, 2023
In this opening episode, movie critic Ian Nathan examines the qualities that made this 1949 film noir starring Orson Welles an enduring classic.
The Ladykillers
Sep 07, 2023
Movie critic Ian Nathan examines the qualities that made this 1955 black comedy - starring Alec Guinness and Peter Sellers - a classic.
Brighton Rock
Sep 14, 2023
Movie critic Ian Nathan examines the qualities that made this 1948 gangster film noir starring Richard Attenborough, an enduring British classic.
The Graduate
Sep 21, 2023
Movie critic Ian Nathan examines the qualities that made this 1967 romantic comedy-drama starring Dustin Hoffman an all-time classic.
Ran
Sep 28, 2023
Movie critic Ian Nathan examines the qualities that made this 1985 epic action drama, directed and co-written by Akira Kurosawa, an enduring classic.
Terminator 2: Judgment Day
Oct 05, 2023
Movie critic Ian Nathan examines what helped to make James Cameron's 1991 sci-fi-action sequel, starring Arnold Schwarzenegger and Linda Hamilton, so critically-acclaimed within the genre.
Series 2
No overview available for this season.
Brief Encounter
Aug 08, 2024
Ian Nathan returns to cast his eye over more cinematic masterpieces, beginning with David Lean's 1945 romantic tragedy starring Celia Johnson and Trevor Howard.
Whisky Galore!
Aug 15, 2024
Ian Nathan examines Alexander Mackendrick's 1949 Ealing comedy, in which Scottish islanders try to salvage 50,000 cases of whisky from a shipwreck.
The Producers
Aug 22, 2024
Ian Nathan examines Mel Brooks' classic 1968 comedy, which stars Zero Mostel and Gene Wilder as two men who set out to make a Broadway flop.
I'm All Right, Jack
Aug 29, 2024
Ian Nathan examines the Boulting brothers' 1959 comedy, a satire on British industrial life starring Ian Carmichael Peter Sellers, Richard Attenborough and Margaret Rutherford.
Murder on the Orient Express
Sep 05, 2024
Ian Nathan examines the 1974 adaptation of the Agatha Christie mystery, featuring a stellar cast of train-bound suspects and Albert Finney as Belgian detective Hercule Poirot.
The Deer Hunter
Sep 12, 2024
Ian Nathan examines Michael Cimino's 1978 Vietnam War drama, which starred Robert De Niro, Christopher Walken, John Savage, John Cazale and Meryl Streep.
Series 3
No overview available for this season.
The Ipcress Files
May 01, 2025
One of the greatest spy films ever made, The Ipcress Files begins with a kindap, a killing and a cup of coffee.
Kind Hearts and Coronets
May 08, 2025
Kind Hearts and Coronets is one of a kind, a superb pitch-black comedy about gentle serial killing.
The Dam Busters
May 15, 2025
The Dam Busters begins in 1942, where a bespectacled man plays marbles with his children under a silver sky.
Scott of the Antarctic
May 22, 2025
From Charles Frend, this 1948 drama tells the story of Robert Falcon Scott’s failed attempt to be the first to reach the South Pole.
Flash Gordon (1980)
May 29, 2025
As Mike Hodges’ flamboyant science fiction epic and Queen’s iconic rock song declares, Flash Gordon will be the saviour of the universe.
Billy Liar
Jun 05, 2025
Directed by John Schlesinger in 1963, Billy Liar is one of the signature films of the British New Wave, the dynamic naturalism of the sixties.
Series 4
No overview available for this season.
The 39 Steps
Oct 16, 2025
Embark on a journey to discover what makes The 39 Steps not only a quintessential thriller but also an espionage thriller.
The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp
Oct 23, 2025
Released in 1943, The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp, is an extremely exceptional epic, which is exactly what makes it a masterpiece.
Passport to Pimlico
Oct 30, 2025
One of the great British comedies the plot of Passport to Pimlico is gloriously absurd. A combination of fantasy and realism told with a light touch.
Highlander (1986)
Nov 06, 2025
Highlander is one of a kind, a strange and haunting fantasy epic about immortality and sword fights. Rediscovered again and again since its release in 1986.
The Railway Children
Nov 13, 2025
Adapted from the book by legendary children's author E. Nesbit, it is a cinematic rite of passage that makes us remember the mysteries of childhood.
Escape from New York (1981)
Nov 20, 2025
In the dystopian future of Escape from New York, the island of Manhattan has been turned into a maximum-security prison.
Series 5
No overview available for this season.
Great Expectations
May 07, 2026
A look at the vivid '40s adaptation of the Dickens classic about a poor young orphan who becomes a gentleman of means thanks to a mysterious benefactor.
Chaplin
May 14, 2026
A look at one of Robert Downey Jr's career-defining performances in the 1992 hit from Richard Attenborough co-starring Anthony Hopkins.
Three Days of the Condor
May 21, 2026
This standout 70's spy classic blends paranoia, politics and tight suspense, proving how some films outlast their time.
Mulholland Drive
May 28, 2026
A look at David Lynch's 2001 mystery thriller, defined by the shifting relationship between Betty and Rita.
The Lion in Winter
Jun 04, 2026
Peter O'Toole delivers a memorable performance as King Henry II in a tale of palace intrigue bolstered by a stellar cast, including Anthony Hopkins.
Series Info
Status
Returning Series
Seasons
5
Episodes
29
Language
en
Networks
