Channel 4

Da Ali G Show

Da Ali G Show is a British satirical television series created by and starring English comedian Sacha Baron Cohen. In the series, Baron Cohen plays three unorthodox journalists: faux-streetwise poseur Ali G, Kazakh reporter Borat Sagdiyev, and gay Austrian fashion enthusiast Brüno Gehard. These characters conduct real interviews with unsuspecting people, many of whom are celebrities, high-ranking government officials, and other well-known figures, during which they are asked absurd and ridiculous questions.

Philosophy: A Guide to Happiness

Alain de Botton's psychobabble-free self-help course for the philosophically minded.

Jam

Adapted from Blue Jam, a late night radio show, Jam consists of six shows featuring dark humour and unsettling sketches unfolding over an ambient soundtrack. From the mind of Chris Morris.

Big Bangs

Howard Goodall examines the impact of five major developments—notation, opera, equal temperament, piano, and recorded sound—on classical music.

Escape from Colditz

The best known and most notorious PoW camp in history is Colditz, an 18th century castle in eastern Germany. With its imposing walls, steep cliffs, and rigorous policing, it was seen as the ultimate prison, home to the worst troublemakers from allied PoW camps all over Europe. Using archive material and dramatic reconstruction, and the personal testimony of Colditz veterans, this series documents the creative and often spectacular attempts to go over, under, around or through the walls. A specially commissioned archaeologist, working with the veterans, also uncovers the secret rooms, hidden tunnels and concealed doors that were so important in securing each precious escape from Colditz. At the start of 1942, British prisoners were lagging behind the French and Dutch in terms of "home runs" but the British success rate was about to improve, as they were getting help from a new source.

The Wilsons

Comedy drama about a deeply dysfunctional family from South London. Ray, a friendly but hopeless fifty-something, is a widower with three daughters, two sons and a drink problem.

Trigger Happy TV

Trigger Happy TV is a hidden camera/practical joke reality television series. The original British edition of the show, produced by Absolutely Productions, starred Dom Joly and ran for two series on the British television channel Channel 4 from 2000 to 2003. Although Channel 4 is owned and operated by the Channel Four Television Corporation, he made a name for himself as the sole star of the show, which he produced and directed with cameraman Sam Cadman.

Disinformation

Disinformation, AKA Disinfo Nation, was a television show hosted by Richard Metzger. It aired for two seasons on Channel 4 in the UK as part of their late night "4Later" block. Called a "punk rock 60 Minutes" and "wilder than Jackass" by the Los Angeles Times and Wired magazine, the sixteen 30-minute episodes produced for C4 were then cut down to four one-hour "specials" intended for the SciFi Channel in America, but never aired due to their controversial nature. According to interviews, Metzger was told just twelve days prior to the first specials' air-date that he would have to cut 50% of the material to pass USA Network's lawyers' scrutiny. Those four shows have been released on DVD with a bonus disc presenting highlights of DisinfoCon, a twelve hour event featuring shock rocker Marilyn Manson, Kenneth Anger, Joe Coleman, Douglas Rushkoff, Mark Pesce, Grant Morrison, Robert Anton Wilson and others.

That Peter Kay Thing

That Peter Kay Thing is a series of six spoof documentaries shown on Channel 4 in January 1999. Set in and around Bolton, these follows the lives of different characters and stars Peter Kay as the subject of each documentary. All of the episodes display Kay's penchant for nostalgic humour and unsympathetic lead characters. The series was narrated by Andrew Sachs. Many of the plot lines were based around actual events from Kay's life. At least six of the characters appear in the spin-off series Peter Kay's Phoenix Nights.

Secrets of the Stone Age

Anthropologist and author Richard Rudgley sets off on an epic journey back in time and around the world to discover the real roots of civilization.

Shipwrecked

Shipwrecked is a British reality television programme airing on Channel 4's youth programming brand, T4. The original version ran for three series from 9 January 2000 to 19 December 2001 and was constructed as a social experiment, without a competitive format or a prize. The programme returned for four series from 8 January 2006 to 10 May 2009 in a new format, as Shipwrecked: Battle of the Islands. It featured two teams competing with each other for new members, with the largest team winning a cash prize at the end. The show returned on 23 October 2011 on E4 as Shipwrecked: The Island. In 2013, a Russian version of the show will air on NTV.

Longitude

The fascinating story of John Harrison who, in the 18th century, believed he could make a clock that would work on board a ship—and so solve the problem of finding longitude at sea.

Massive Landmarks Of The Twentieth Century

Kid in the Corner

As a couple struggles to cope with the difficulties of raising a child with Attention Deficit Disorder, they fight with a society that can’t agree on what do to with him.

Fork to Fork

Gardening programmes usually stop at the kitchen door and cookery programmes rarely step into the garden. But in Fork To Fork, celebrated TV gardener Monty Don and wife Sarah restore our faith in food by showing us the basics of growing organic fruit, herbs and vegetables and using the produce to create simple but delicious seasonal recipes. Monty shows he’s got more than just green fingers as he prepares a dazzling display of dishes including Aga-roasted onions, organic pizza and fresh herb omelette. Filmed at the Dons’ beautiful Herefordshire home, it portrays the unbroken – and traditional - journey from garden to table.

West Heath Yard

A sitcom co-written by musician Edwin Collins, best known as frontman of the band Orange Juice. The action follows two faded 70's rock musicians Denny Lorimar and Jackson Gold running a near-bankrupt recording studio in London. They devise a number of make-it-big schemes, including trying to steer a shambolic group of 'indie' musicians to Britpop level stardom. A well-observed cult satire of the music industry and early 90's indie pop.

Shockers

An anthology series of horror stories by contemporary British screenwriters.

Bremner, Bird and Fortune

Bremner, Bird and Fortune is an award-winning satirical British television programme produced by Vera Productions for Channel Four, uniting the longstanding satirical team of John Bird and John Fortune with the satirical impressionist Rory Bremner, and to date has 16 series.

Pornography: The Secret History Of Civilization

Ten years in the making, PORNOGRAPHY: THE SECRET HISTORY OF CIVILISATION is a six-part series, which tells for the first time on British television the history of pornography. This landmark series charts the changes in imagery prompted by the advent of new technologies over thousands of years: from ancient times to print, photography, film, video and the Internet.

If You Can't Stand The Heat

Pat McDonald visits failing restaurants and attempts to revive them. Ran for six episodes on Channel 4 in 1999.