People’s Century: BBC2, Saturday, August 31, 12.20-6.45pm and 9.00-11. 45pm. The first 10 episode’s of the BBC’s acclaimed oral history of the 20th century are repeated as an hors d’oeuvre to the second series to be screened later in the autumn. Archive film, combined with personal recollections bring life to the first soccer World Cup of 1930, the siege of Leningrad and the Russian revolution and tell of the hopes and fears of millions of people on the brink of a new world order.
Break the Science Barrier with Richard Dawkins: Channel 4, Sunday 1 September, 7-8.00pm. We didn’t need mad cow disease to bring home how little most of us know about science. Richard Dawkins, the first Oxford professor for the Public Understanding of Science knows this and uses the BSE crisis to highlight the importance of possessing adequate scientific knowledge. Helping out are Sir David Attenborough, Dr Jocelyn Bell-Burnell, Sir Alex Jeffreys and Dr Matthew Freeman.
Remembering: BBC2, Monday 2 September to Friday 6 September, 2.00-4.00am. The BBC’s overnight education service, The Learning Zone, is broadcasting a week of history programmes in association with Middlesex University. These will provide viewers with a chance to gain credits which will count towards university entry qualifications. Personal reminiscences cover everyday life from the turn of the century, including fashion, architecture and the role of women. Details: 0181 746 1111.
