And The Academy Award Goes To
First broadcast from 20080202 to 20100220.
Paul Gambaccini traces the history of the Oscars and tells the story behind award-winning films.
10 episodes
| Series | Episode | Title | First Broadcast | Repeated | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | 01 | Lawrence Of Arabia | 20080202 | 20080907 | |
| 01 | 02 | One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest | 20080209 | 20080914 | Director Milos Foreman recalls how the film reflected his views on the Iron Curtain and how the script came to influence mental healthcare in America. Louise Fletcher recalls the experience of acting alongside the mixed cast of amateurs and professionals including Jack Nicholson |
| 01 | 03 | The Silence Of The Lambs | 20080216 | 20080921 | Jodie Foster recalls the experience of working with Anthony Hopkins and director Jonathan Demme. Screenwriter Ted Tally considers the extent to which The Silence of the Lambs reveals more about celebrity culture than serial killers. |
| 01 | 04 LAST | The English Patient | 20080223 | 20080928 | Paul talks to author Michael Ondaatje about the adaptation of his novel. Publicist Tony Angelloti recalls how he ran the campaign to persuade the Academy that this film was a winner. |
| 02 | 01 | The Godfather And The Godfather, Part Ii | 20090131 | Series in which Paul Gambaccini explores what Oscar-winning films can tell us about the American society of the time. Paul explores the potboiler novel that spawned not only one of the most violent 'family' movies ever, but also led to an even more successful sequel. The potboiler novel that spawned one of the most violent 'family' movies ever. | |
| 02 | 02 | Shakespeare In Love | 20090207 | Series in which Paul Gambaccini explores what Oscar-winning films can tell us about the American society of the time. Paul examines the last comedy to win the Best Picture Oscar and Dame Judi Dench's performance, which was one of the shortest appearances to win the Best Supporting Actress award. Paul examines the last comedy to win the Best Picture Oscar. | |
| 02 | 02 | Shakespeare In Love | 20090207 | Paul examines the last comedy to win the Best Picture Oscar and Dame Judi Dench's performance, which was one of the shortest appearances to win the Best Supporting Actress award. | |
| 02 | 03 | Crash | 20090214 | Paul examines the film that was loved and reviled in equal measure by the very same LA society whose darker side it set out to explore. | |
| 02 | 04 LAST | West Side Story | 20090221 | Series in which Paul Gambaccini explores what Oscar-winning films can tell us about the American society of the time. Paul tells the story of how West Side Story won 10 Oscars in 1961 and hears from producers, stars and musicians involved in the film. It tackles tough issues through the medium of the musical. With a fresh young cast that included Natalie Wood in her first adult role, the movie sizzles with colour, drama, the outstanding choreography of Jerome Robbins, the music of Leonard Bernstein and the lyrics of a young Stephen Sondheim. Behind the scenes, however, there were arguments, dubbings and overuns, plus issues over racial casting and 'blacking up'. Yet what emerged from a tumultuous production was a trumph. Paul tells the story of how West Side Story won 10 Oscars in 1961. | |
| 03 | 01 | The Deer Hunter | 20100220 | Away from the red carpet, bright lights and tearful speeches, what do the decisions made by the Academy each year tell us about the state of America at the time? Vietnam War film The Deer Hunter, starring Robert DeNiro, Meryl Streep and Christopher Walken, won the Oscar for Best Picture in 1978, at the 51st Academy Awards ceremony. When it emerged as a potential Oscar winner, it was only three years since the end of the Vietnam War. The film became the subject of huge controversy, not least for its portrayal of the Vietnamese as sadistic torturers, and for the unforgettable scenes featuring a game of Russian roulette. Paul Gambaccini explores how the original shocking screenplay came about, the battles between the producers, and director Michael Cimino's approach to acting that almost brought the cast to the edge of a nervous breakdown. He also ponders whether The Deer Hunter was actually even a war film at all. How The Deer Hunter came to win the Oscar for Best Picture in 1978. |