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Modern Times(1995–2015)
February 22, 199512 Seasons · 107 Episodes
Ended
Documentary
4.5from 1 users
Overview
Documentaries showing faces and places that make up the way we live today.
Network BBC Two
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Documentaries showing faces and places that make up the way we live today.
1995
Documentary following the story of 52 year old Carol Spencer who went on holiday to the Gambia met Lamain Marong, who was 27 and decided to marry him within two weeks of their first meeting. The programme follows their turbulent relationship through their marriage in England and Carol's trip back to the Gambia to see if they can settle there.
Mike Emilianow , New York private eye, has a mixed bag of clients, but they all share one overwhelming doubt: they are in love with someone they do not completely trust. For a few hundred dollars, Emilianow offers at least certainty.
London's Harley Street is a medical marketplace offering everything from plastic surgery to life-saving cures. More than 1,000 doctors are packed into the cramped elegance of private medicine's most exclusive address. But what is really on offer for those who have the means to pay?
The first television portrayal of a mercy killing. Made in Holland, where euthanasia is permitted, it tells the story of a 62-year-old patient with an incurable illness, his wife, and the doctor who agrees to administer the fatal injection.
What is the weekend country cottage - a status symbol, a bolt-hole, a nightmare? Seven contrasting families tell of their on-off love affair with their rural retreat, a place to which they escape every Friday night in the hope that they will have two days of a calmer, gentler life.
Are we odd, foolish or maladjusted when we grieve inconsolably at the death of a much-loved pet? This documentary talks to Janet Thomas , a vet who specialises in understanding pet bereavement, visits a pet cemetery, and hears some of the stories of the bereft.
This documentary goes inside the so-called "holiday camp" of Britain's penal system - Ford Prison, the low-security jail at Arundel, West Sussex - and discovers a two-tier system.
Fly on the wall showing life behind the scenes with Liz Brewer and her high profile clients. Quote Liz "Nothing happens by accident, there's always someone behind the scenes pulling the strings turning the switches, making things happen"
A series about the way we live now. Billy, a former soldier in Northern Ireland and one-time Liverpool gangster, is obsessed by a fear of harming people. Can 12 2 weeks at the Maudsley Psychiatric Hospital in South London cure Billy of his obsession?
The Channel tunnel has been plagued by problems. Now, as the battle hots up between Eurotunnel and P&0 Ferries for cross-Channel business, Modern Times takes a look behind the scenes.
This film records the anti-Establishment lifestyle of the Rainbow Tribe and their confrontations with the police.
A look at the luxurious lifestyles and aspirations of the 20,000 members of the British community in Dubai, the most liberal of the oil-rich Gulf states.
In the last programme of the series, a documentary team is allowed inside the secret world of adoption as two social workers make their decisions.
1996
In 1994, The Tower Colliery in South Wales was shut down. This film tells of the conflicts, tensions and struggles that ensue when a group of miners invest their redundancy money to buy the colliery.
Janis, Caroline and Dominique all have young children and careers in the fashion industry. These modem working mothers face the problem of balancing workplace demands and the more traditional responsibilities of motherhood.
The story of Joey, Tracy, his addiction to heroin and crack, her horrific death at the hands of strangers, and the legacy the tragedy has left behind for their two children.
Having seen their Miss World competition banished from terrestrial television, Eric and Julia Morley have moved on, launching Mr World. The cameras follow three contestants who dream of winning the title they hope will change their lives.
This film follows four individuals as they find very different ways of enjoying Saturday night in Leeds. Their particular chosen pursuits encompass drugs, drink, dinner parties and dressing in drag. Narrated in verse by poet Simon Armitage.
This episode features three households searching for the perfect flatmate. Their quest offers an insight into the domestic sagas, prejudices and conflicts that surface when these three different groups of young people tackle the complicated task of interviewing candidates.
An update on the harrowing story of Ellen Morgan , the child at the centre of America's most bitter and public case of child custody and sexual abuse. Ellen, now a teenager and living in exile in New Zealand, hopes one day to return to America and start a new life without her father. The US Congress has the power to pass a special law that will grant Ellen her wish.
This film looks at "The Knowledge", the training that London "cabbies" - black-cab drivers - must undertake as they prepare for one of the hardest examinations they will ever take.
Every year more than 11,000 racial incidents are recorded by the police in Britain. "Modern Times" talks to both black and white victims of racial hatred and their families. This programme explores the legacy of hatred left by the violence.
In one in five households, women are now the major breadwinners. But what happens to the men who stay at home while their wives go out to work? This programme meets just some of an increasing number of men who have decided to become "househusbands".
This programme offers an insight into military life in the deserted killing fields of northern Bosnia, where American and Russian soldiers patrol the area known as "the Zone" - a haunted no-man's-land sandwiched between the warring factions.
1995
The documentary series about how we live today starts with a look at the men who pose as officials to trick their way into the homes of the elderly and the vulnerable.
In tonight's edition of the documentary series about how we live today, wives of Tory MPs talk candidly about the toll that their husband's careers have had on them and their families
An inner city comprehensive prepares to undergo a compulsory appraisal by the government's newly privatised inspectors.
Cheryl Tooze's parents were murdered over two years ago, and her boyfriend was sentenced to life imprisonment for the crime. But her trauma continues as those around her "judge" the extent of her grief and her continued loyalty to her partner.
Gentle, tranquil film, filmed in cinema style, showing life for English people relaxing by the water away from all the stresses of modern life.
A documentary about the unique corporate culture of Britain's John Lewis Partnership.
Three men with very different circumstances who, like thousands of other people throughout Britain, are using small ads and dating agencies to locate their perfect partner.
Streaming availability information not available
1997
Documentary looking at the growing of mangetouts on a farm in Zimbabwe for Tesco. Follows Mark Dady the produce buyer on his annual visit to the Chipaware farm and Claire Montague who throws a dinner party serving mange tout to her guests.
Contemplates the future of Hong Kong, once it is handed back to the Chinese, with comments from old colonials, young entrepreneurs both British and Chinese.
Documentary following Steve and Michaela's wedding plans. Before they can get married Steve has to convert to Judaism and the documentary follows the long process that he goes through.
In 1951, scientists removed cancerous cells from American Henrietta Lacks just before she died in the hope that they held the secret of how to conquer cancer.
If you were told you had a fortune to spend, but only a year to live, what would you do? Terminally-ill people can now cash in their life policies and use the money to fulfil their dreams. Tonight's programme follows two such people as they set out to enjoy themselves.
You can tell a lot about people from the mess that they make, and cleaners have the most intimate vantage point from which to view others. From daily helps to street cleaners, these are the stories of the sights that are seen, and the lives that are led, by those who do other people's dirty work.
The world of business is becoming increasingly competitive, but what happens when the going gets too tough? Four men, driven to succeed, found the pressure led them to despair. These are the moving stories of families where the men have either disappeared, committed suicide, or simply given up everything
What is it really like to be a juror? What are the personal ramifications of sitting through a high profile trial, exposed to harrowing evidence? Forthe first time, jurors - all of whom have served on highly distressing murder trials - talk frankly about the trauma of what they have seen and heard.
As the influence of organised religion wanes, more and more people are devising alternatives to the traditional methods of burying the dead. One man ordered a bubble-wrapped cardboard coffin to lay his aunt to rest in, while another has built up a funeral superstore in what used to be a carpet warehouse. From pagan ceremonies to burial in a wicker basket, the programme looks at the different ways people are saying their last goodbyes.
What do the British public really want to talk about? It's not politics it seems, but sex and relationships. In the intimacy of the hairdresser's chair, people happily confess their personal tales of birth, love and death. Shot secretly from behind a mirror, this film captures the surprising secrets of ordinary lives.
1996
Three couples decided to fly in the face of social convention by choosing to be together despite age gaps greater than 25 years. What particular strains do such differences place upon long-term relationships? Can love bridge the age gap? All three couples talk frankly about personal and familial reactions.
A tempestuous year in the life of London's Victoria & Albert Museum.
Documentary film-maker Lynn Alleway explores the problems fathers have in keeping touch with their children after separation or divorce. Tonight, three separated families reveal the difficulties of staying in touch - and staying friends.
The secrets of the antiques trade are revealed in this programme about three traders who sell antiques to the very rich. David Dickinson knows what his clients like, and has to buy 20 or 30 new pieces each month. Keith Skeele deals at a remarkable rate: at a Paris fair he can easily spend £200,000 in a day. Lady Pamela Pidgeon has an impressive client list-will one of them pay £500,000 for a writing desk?
They can set neighbour against neighbour, damage houses and gardens and make others' lives a misery with their noise and mess. This film portrays dogs as agents of social mayhem.
The story of 61-year-old beef farmer Robin White , who wants to quit after BSE left him with cattle that nobody can eat and no one will buy.
Robert Smith sells grand feudal titles to wealthy commoners, such as Melody Urquhart, now known as the Baroness of Leyny. This film follows the newly titled through a summer of auctions and functions, culminating in a ball for those celebrating their elevated status.
The story of Keith Sinclair, whose horse-trailer business flourished in the eighties but went under with the new decade. He blames the bank for his downfall and his subsequent inability to start afresh.
A behind-the-scenes look of the annual power boat race at Cowes.
In his first full-length documentary for BBC TV, director Ken Loach returns to the Liverpool docks, the subject 27 years ago of his drama The Big Flame. Today the docks are the scene of a bitter dispute.
1997
The fast, furious and utterly chaotic life of Drum & Bass DJ LTJ Bukem and his cunning manager as they try to rake in money from the latest dance craze hitting the clubs.
Leka Zog , whose father was the last king of Albania, believes that the Balkan state's monarchy should be reinstated and that he should be the new king. But in a country torn asunder by poverty and anti-government rebellion, can he convince his would-be subjects that his sovereignty will prove their salvation?
Pub landlady Elaine Biglyn was beaten senseless while her regular customers stood by. Fellow passengers ignored Phyllis Collins when she was tormented on a train. What happens when people intervene on behalf of strangers - and when they don't?
Some selective schools are now testing and rejecting children as young as two. At one girls school in north London, pupils and parents are interviewed separately. What pressure does this put on families anxious to avoid rejection for children so young?
Chalet girls working a ski season and Tony Taylor who went for a week at Xmas and stayed for the season. travelling home Friday mornings to his job in the City and back every Friday night to the nightclubs of Meribel.
There are 4,500 railway arches in and around London that witness an astonishing range of activities, from the mundane to the outrageous. This film meets some of the occupants of this netherworld who use their personal space in a variety of ways. Brian sells a whole range of second-hand goods, Master B indulges his sexual proclivities, Robin relaxes by practising his golf on a driving range, while Ian makes coffins.
For a century, the Guinness family has been a leading light in British and Irish society, but the 1981 Guinness scandal ended with the dynasty losing control of its sources of power and wealth. Key figures, including ex-chief executive Ernest Saunders , reveal how the family coped with public disaster and personal tragedy.
A portrait of the dedicated music-lovers who queue for whole days of the summer to secure places at the front of the Promenade concerts at London's Royal Albert Hall. They have their own rituals, territorial squabbles and their own amateur orchestra. They even hold engagement parties following romances formed while queuing for tickets.
The documentary series enters the action- packed, rocket-powered, space-hopping, train-driven, model-mad world of toys in a Christmas special that profiles the people who play with them.
The death of Diana, Princess of Wales, was followed by an overwhelming outpouring of grief that took the form of an extraordinary pilgrimage to the gardens of Kensington Palace. Taking the eve of the funeral as a starting point, this extended entry in the documentary series recalls how a normally genteel royal park became the focus for a display of deep and fervent devotion. Last in the current series. It is set to return in the spring.
1998
Evocative visit to Britain's drinking culture, made atmospheric by its use of poetry out of the mouths of the drinkers it portrays.
The documentary series meets two men charged with the job of looking after hundreds of foreign journalists who visit Baghdad to cover the crisis over non-cooperation with UN monitors. Minders Kifah and Alia provide a surprising insight into Saddam Hussein 's Iraq.
The social documentary series takes a look at the pleasure park Alton Towers and follows its transformation into a magical theme resort for the future, complete with a new £12-million roller coaster. But can the park and its new ride fulfil the expectations of both visitors and shareholders?
Jamie and Lizzie have three gay parents - two lesbian mothers and a gay father - while Molly was conceived with sperm from an anonymous donor and has two mothers but will never know her father. This film reveals the great lengths that some gay couples have to go to in order to have children and asks how easy it is to be brought up in families such as these.
The documentary series goes to Liverpool to meet 11-year-old Thomas and his friends as they follow the progress of the England football team over the course of the five weeks of last summer's World Cup. Their passion for the game, devotion to their team and daydreams of sporting glory are in contrast to the poverty that surrounds them in one of the country's poorest inner-cities.
A revolutionary policy being tested in West Yorkshire sees prostitutes counselling men caught kerb-crawling. The aim of the organisation - based on a successful American model set up in San Francisco - is twofold: to stop men from reoffending and to help women to break free from prostitution. The last in the series follows Fiona, a former prostitute who runs a self-help group, and Anna, who wishes to put her experiences to good use.
Documentary featuring a behind the scenes look at Madame Tussaud's waxwork museum.
Featuring the roller-coaster life of race course bookmaker, Barry Dennis, as he desperately tries to win back the mug punters from the greedy corporations. "An absolute pearl of a documentary made with great care and wit." The Independent.
The dark side of Europe's "honey pot" is told through Kris Lenko's moving struggle to escape his mother's destructive, cocaine-fuelled, lifestyle."Crazy title, crazy film" The Times.
Chancellor of the Exchequer Gordon Brown 's proposal to build a memorial garden to Diana, Princess of Wales near her former home in London's Kensington Gardens has not met with the approval of all the residents of London W8. This Modern Times documentary follows their campaign to protect the park from redevelopment. The Modern Times strand resumes later in the spring.
As another St George's Day passes, this unsentimental, affectionate film takes a look at the English and how they see themselves.
1999
Three British men - Derek, 51, Mark, 41, and Michael, 33-travel to the provincial Russian city of Rostov-on-Don on a ten-day package holiday. Their aim is to find a single, attractive woman with whom they will be able to spend the rest of their lives.
When Julia Clark (nee Doveton) divorced her much older, millionaire husband, she was branded a gold-digger. On the other hand, Vira Goldmann was considered to deserve her settlement ofL36 million after 33 years of devotion. Tonight's programme looks at what happens to the wives when the extremely rich divorce.
A film profile of the Adams family - father Barry, son Jason and daughters Danielle and Melanie - who have made a fortune from recycling rubbish at their tip in Southend-on-Sea, Essex, which they run in tandem with ex-money broker Steve Baldwin.
Last April in Denver, Colorado, two students from Columbine high school shot dead 12 pupils and a teacher before killing themselves. Survivors, bereaved relatives, members of the emergency services and friends of the teenage killers recall their traumatic experiences.
A story of passion and ambition set in the bingo halls of Britain as contestants vie for the accolade of National Bingo Caller of the Year plus a holiday in Las Vegas.
Breeding dogs for show is a pastime that can take over the lives of those devoted to the hobby. Cameras follow eight diverse exhibitors as they prepare for Crufts, the biggest dog show in the world. Meanwhile, members of the Kennel Club and Crufts committee discuss the rigorous standards they expect to find.
2015
Growing numbers of British women are using donor sperm, with many of them turning to Denmark, the new sperm capital of the world. It has become a huge global business and is now one of Denmark's biggest exports. Each week, straws of frozen Danish sperm are shipped out to over 70 countries. Award-winning film-maker Sue Bourne's film follows four women as they try to make a baby using Danish sperm. For all of them it turns out to be an extraordinary and hugely difficult and moving journey in a world where women no longer need men to create a family.
Actor Warwick Davis puts his money on the line to set up the Reduced Height Theatre Company, producing classic plays cast entirely with short actors. It's always been Warwick's dream to be taken seriously as a stage actor and to give other short actors opportunities outside panto and creature roles. But will the actors, many of whom are not professionally trained, be up to the task of learning lines and performing in the demanding play See How They Run? As Warwick and the company rehearse for their big night and his wife Sam undergoes major spinal surgery, we learn about the challenges of theatrical production, and the physical and psychological pressures of being a person of short stature in an average height world.
Documentary tracking City Link management, employees and customers experiences as the company struggles to survive in the summer of 2014. The documentary is updated with events as 2014 comes to a clos
From the upmarket resident who dresses in Victorian clothing to the cabbie living in social housing, Welcome to Mayfair offers an intimate portrait of the characters who live, work and play in one of London's most famous areas. The most coveted square on the Monopoly board is a meeting place of fairy tales and conspicuous consumerism - more concentrated wealth than anywhere else on the planet, streets teeming with oligarchs and aristocrats, 20 Michelin-starred restaurants, nearly 4,000 five-star hotel rooms and the world's most expensive retail outlets.
For Richer for Poorer follows four couples risking it all to start the business of their dreams. The stakes couldn't be higher. They're not just gambling their savings, loans or family nest-eggs, but also putting their relationships on the line. How does life change when a partner becomes a business partner? Who really wears the trousers when love and work collide? There's a fine line between fortune and ruin - and since one in four businesses don't make it past the first year, the pressure to get things right couldn't be greater. In Canterbury, married couple Barry and Vicky have opened up a furniture store and baking school and have just six months to make a profit or shut up shop for good. Husband and wife Andrew and Theresa have been happily together for 25 years, but their different ambitions for their fledgling Jamaican Patty Company are keeping them awake at night.
Lucy Cohen's film goes behind the net curtains to discover amateur naturalists all over Britain who have transformed their gardens into intense filming environments in the pursuit of capturing the daily and nightly goings-on amongst the wildlife population. From foxes treated like family to the social lives of hedgehogs, these dogged naturalists will stop at nothing to capture that elusive shot.
In Britain today, more than six million of us employ domestic help in the form of cleaners - a job primarily done by the scores of immigrants arriving in the UK looking for work. What do the contents of our homes and our interactions with a workforce paid to clean up after us reveal about us? With access to cleaners and their clients, this documentary lifts the lid on what our cleaners really think about us. It also tells the story of an invisible class struggling to earn a living and make a life in the UK.
The world of extreme military-style obstacle courses is taking the country by storm. In total, 205,000 people ran obstacle races in Britain in 2013. Globally the industry is estimated to be worth over half a billion dollars. This film follows five men over the length of one of these courses, the Tough Mudder. As they attempt to conquer the 12-mile course they face 12-foot walls, crawling through mud-filled trenches, enduring electrocution, and submerging themselves in giant skips full of ice.
A duke is the highest rank of the peerage. Dukedoms are created by the monarch to reward people who have made an outstanding contribution to the country. The last dukedom was created by Queen Victoria. If a duke dies without a male heir (the title can be inherited but not passed on by a female heiress) the dukedom will die out. This film looks at titles which are about to become extinct and examines what it means to be a duke in the 21st century - do they still have power and wealth?
2000
Father and son relationships are dissected in the passionate and volatile world of under 11's football, where winning is more than everything.
Tonight's documentary focuses on mature people who refuse to see age as a barrier to romance. They include Olga, who had a holiday romance, 70-year-old David, who makes 56-year-old Lorna act like a "lovesick teenager", and Edna, who is having the time of her life with fellow sexagenarian Harry.
Death doesn't mean you can't be a father-if you're in America. Pamela Reno's son is dead, but her dream of being a grandmother lives on. Gaby Vernoff has an 18-month-old daughter by a husband who died four years ago. This documentary examines their motives and the ethics of "posthumous procreation"
With statistics showing that in Britain two young men a day kill themselves, Modern Times examines the role of the internet in suicide. Unable to communicate in any other way, depressed young men are turning to the many websites dedicated to suicide to share feelings and discuss methods.
Sudden Wealth Syndrome has arrived in California's Silicon Valley, a condition afflicting Americans struggling to come to terms with recently acquired wealth. This film from the human-interest strand, the last until a new series is aired next spring, follows five newly made millionaires as they tackle the problem.
1998
The series opens with a look at the different approaches to parenting of two middle-class families. Amid chaotic scenes at their 17th-century Cornish manor house, Yvonne and Richard complain about their "children from hell". in London's Belgravia, Amalia and John believe they have cracked the secret of rearing well-behaved children.
On 15 July 1997, designer Gianni Versace was shot dead in Miami. As the fashion world and celebrity fans mourned the loss, the race was already on to make the movie.
As more and more people express their unhappiness through the columns of newspapers and magazines, the documentary strand listens to five top agony aunts - Deidre Sanders, Jane Butterworth, Virginia Ironside, Karen Krizanovich and Denise Robertson - discuss their varying approaches to the job.
For the dedicated minimalist, objects are out, nothingness is in, and status comes from owning only the bare essentials. But modern everyday existence is overwhelming in its clutter and disorder. What happens when art and real life come into conflict?
The Mothers' Union, formed at the end of the last century, was founded to uphold the values of family life and marriage. Over 100 years on, its image is of middle-aged, middle-class women out of step with the world. But, with over 750,000 members worldwide, and projects that address very modern issues, the union shows no sign of becoming extinct.
In New York, people are seriously rich only when they are able to give away money. The charity party for the New York City Ballet is used as a backdrop to explore just how the absurdly affluent are persuaded to part with their millions.
A group of close-knit friends who have reached their thirties face the prospect of making difficult decisions in both their personal lives and professional careers.
The tale of Leon and Vaughan Gingell , two entrepreneurial brothers who reinvented marbles by placing pictures of footballers inside them. This film spans the two years from the birth of Flikaball to the launch and beyond.
Can a rundown council estate in Bacup, Lancashire, achieve a sense of community pride through a gardening competition among its residents? Housing officer Patrick Collins thinks so, and he plans to make sure everyone takes part. Last in the series; Modern Times returns in the autumn.
2000
In the first of five new programmes, the controversial documentary strand investigates the practice of paying women to donate their eggs. Although illegal in Britain, it is big business in California. Egg-donor agencies help couples find the perfect donor, who can pick up $3,000-$50,000. This programme follows a couple, who have had one child using another woman's eggs, as they try to pay for another, while their original donor meets the child who is, genetically speaking, hers.
Sugar Reef is the latest and biggest mega-restaurant to be opened in London's West End. For restaurateur Mark Fuller it is the first venture of this size - a venue that seats 1,000 - and one that will make or break his reputation. Tonight's film follows the build-up to the L250,000 opening night.
This is the estimated number of detectives for hire in Britain, playing an increasingly important role in the evolution of the British legal system. Modem Times talks to some of them about the task of finding errant husbands, tracking down missing children, investigating espionage and fraud, and stepping in to help the police and private prosecutors.
A look at the sometimes-fiery relationship between three people and their personal trainers. Jonathan is an overweight lawyer desperate to get in shape. Jessica is a 45-year-old mother who believes her husband left her because she "let herself go", and Tracey is a 34-year-old marketing manager who wants to feel fitter and more confident.
Documenting London life in the 24 hours after this year's first-ever London Mayoral election. Mixing conventional footage with CCTV and minicam, the film paints a portrait of a vibrant city filled with a diverse mix of people. From bustling market life to the loneliness of a pensioner, the film takes a snapshot of millions of lives that brush past each other anonymously each day.