Trivia
- In the places where a BBC description isn't available, I've used the opening paragraph from Wikipedia.
| Series | Episode | Title | First Broadcast | Repeated | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | 01 | Ehud Olmert | 20060107 | 20060108 | Radio 4 shines the spotlight on Ehud Olmert, the man who has been appointed acting Prime Minister of Israel after Ariel Sharon suffered a stroke. |
| 01 | 02 | Terry Leahy | 20060114 | 20060115 | This programme focuses on Sir Terry Leahy, chief executive of Tesco, who has been voted one of the most powerful people in Britain in two recent polls. Since Sir Terry took over as chief executive of Tesco eight years ago he has more than doubled profits and pulled in a record number of customers. Yet behind the success lies a very ordinary man. Despite his multi-million pound salary he lives in a modest house and drives himself to work. He's been described as so ordinary that even his employees would be hard pushed to spot him if he shopped at their store. Presented by Chris Blackhurst, City Editor of the London Evening Standard - a journalist who has followed the progress of Sir Terry through his meteoric rise. |
| 01 | 03 | Porter Goss | 20060121 | 20060122, RptofSat7.00pm | Profile offers fresh insights into the motivation of people making the headlines. One individual, from any walk of life, is chosen each week. By talking to a range of people, the programme aims to find out who they are and what makes them tick. America's chief of spooks has come under scrutiny this week over 'rendition' flights. This edition of the programme shines the spotlight on the head of the CIA, Porter Goss. He was put in charge of the CIA to address failures of intelligence over 9/11 and weapons of mass destruction in Iraq. But since he took over, a number of senior intelligence officers have left and critics say that Goss is too close to the White House. Is the CIA under Porter Goss able to provide the intelligence necessary to prevent further terrorist attacks? Tom Mangold talks to Goss' friends and colleagues to assess his impact. |
| 01 | 04 | Brian Barwick | 20060128 | 20060129 | When the England team run out on to the pitch this summer at the World Cup, all eyes will be on Sven and the boys. But the man who will shoulder a great deal of stress is someone that we know little about - Brian Barwick, the Chief Executive of the Football Association. In this edition of Profile, Paul Mason looks at the man who this week has negotiated an agreement for Sven Goran Eriksson's contract to come to an end after the 2006 World Cup finals in Germany. He is also trying to steer the FA through the controversy over alleged illegal payments, while keeping the Wembley stadium project on track. By talking to a range of colleagues and associates, the programme aims to find out what makes him tick. |
| 01 | 05 | George Clooney | 20060204 | 20060205 | There are rumours that George Clooney has his eye on the US Presidency. In the week that he pulls off the rare feat of multiple Oscar nominations for writer, actor and director, Profile looks at the man who started out as a shoe salesman, wooed the world as Dr Doug Ross in ER and is now flexing his political muscles. The BBC's arts correspondent Razia Iqbal gives her insight into the pin-up turned political activist. |
| 01 | 06 | Charles Clarke | 20060211 | 20060212, RptdSun5.40pm | In a week of renewed concern about Islamic radicals, the Home Secretary, Charles Clarke, is the man charged with countering the terrorist threat. On Monday, he leads the push for one of the government's riskiest political gambles to date, the Identity Cards Bill. Charles Clarke was elected to Parliament less than nine years ago, but has long been Labour's toughest backroom boy. He was President of the NUS and Neil Kinnock's chief of staff, before becoming one of Tony Blair's right-hand men. He's on the news every day, yet few people know his colourful past. Have the battles he's fought over the past 35 years prepared him for the struggle that now awaits him? Michael White talks to Neil Kinnock and others who've worked closely with him to find out. |
| 01 | 07 | 20060218 | 20060219 | ||
| 01 | 08 | Debby Reynolds | 20060225 | 20060226 | is Britain's first line of defence against avian flu. As Chief Veterinary officer she'll be devising the policies for containing a disease that could not only wipe out the British poultry industry if it hits Britain, but could cause a human pandemic if it mutates. Miriam O'Reilly profiles Debby Reynolds. |
| 01 | 09 | Dan Brown | 20060304 | 20060305 | This edition attempts to crack the real Da Vinci Code: who is its reclusive writer Dan Brown? The author of the fastest-selling adult novel ever, he's been taken to court this week, accused of plagiarism. But less is known of his career as a Barry Manilow-style singer-songwriter, the influence of his art historian wife and his first attempts at penning a best-seller. The author and critic DJ Taylor takes up the challenge to discover the man behind the publishing phenomenon of the decade. |
| 01 | 10 | John Bond | 20060311 | 20060312 | When he failed to get into university he got a job scrubbing the decks on a boat to Hong Kong. He fell in love with the place and later returned as a trainee banker. Forty five years later he has just announced the highest ever pre-tax profits. He is Sir John Bond, the chairman of HSBC. Business journalist Chris Blackhurst assesses his career and whether his magic touch will help to transform the fortunes of Vodafone when he takes over as chairman later this year. |
| 01 | 11 | Marko Milosevic | 20060318 | 20060319 | This weekend Slobodan Milosevic is to be buried in his home town of Pozarevac. His body was brought from The Hague by his son Marko, who has accused prosecutors there of murdering the former Serbian leader. Unlike his parents, this chain-saw wielding, night-club owning playboy has little interest in politics. But Marko's story provides an insight into the Milosevic regime and its enduring appeal to Serb nationalists. Misha Glenny profiles the former Serbian leader's son, Marko Milosevic. |
| 01 | 12 | Dominique De Villepin | 20060325 | 20060326 | The BBC's Paris correspondent, Caroline Wyatt, profiles French Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin, the man who wants to fill President Chirac's shoes. Next week is a make or break week for Dominique de Villepin, whose controversial youth unemployment law has led to protests in Paris and elsewhere. While the aristocratic, poetry writing politician says he might compromise slightly over plans to end the jobs for life culture in his country, he won't back down. Trade unions are calling his bluff and plan a day of action next Tuesday. But has he alienated voters and his own supporters too much? |
| 01 | 13 | Patricia Hewitt | 20060401 | 20060402 | As the new financial year starts, the spiralling deficit in the NHS and what it means for patients, hits the headlines daily. This edition looks at the woman who's got to play doctor - Health Secretary Patricia Hewitt. A Blair loyalist with a cool, calm manner - has she been handed a poisoned chalice? The Guardian's Michael White profiles Patricia Hewitt, who's leading the charge for value for money in the NHS. But will she get the support she needs? |
| 01 | 14 | 20060408 | 20060409, RptofSat7.00pm, RptdSun5.45am,5.40pm | Italians go to the polls this weekend, and the man tipped to replace Silvio Berlusconi is Romano Prodi, familiar in Britain for his shaky leadership of the EU. Known to his political enemies as Mr Mortadella and to supporters as the Professor, Prodi has a kindly manner which belies a fierce intellect and ambition. Supporters say he is a better Prime Minister than he is a candidate. The programme describes the mysterious séance during which the devoutly Catholic Prodi uncovered the location of a political ally kidnapped by the mafia, and the book Prodi recently co-authored with his wife called Together, which details their close relationship. Mark Mardell profiles Romano Prodi - is he really Italy's Mr Clean? What would his election mean for the rest of Europe? And what answers does he have to Italy's huge problems? | |
| 01 | 15 | 20060415 | 20060416, RptofSat7.00pm, RptdSun5.45am,5.40pm | The violence in Iraq hits the headlines daily, with a recent warning that the country could be descending into civil war. This programme looks at the man who's wielding American influence there - the US Ambassador to Iraq, Zalmay Khalilzad. Hes a complex man, a tough talker and aligned with the Bush administration and the neo conservatives. But Khalilzad has also been described as an Orientalist. Born in Afghanistan, he's credited with doing a good job as US ambassador there after the fall of the Taliban. But can he do the same in Iraq? Can he bring the factions together to form a stable government and stop the violence? | |
| 01 | 16 | 20060422 | 20060423, RptofSat7.00pm, RptdSun5.45am,5.40pm | David Grossman profiles Zac Goldsmith, the 31 year old multi-millionaire editor of The Ecologist. He is also advising the Tory Party on the environment. Zac Goldsmith is a man of contradictions. A poker-playing, chain-smoking socialite. The son of an arch-capitalist, yet he hates supermarkets and flying, and thinks plastic should be illegal. Expelled from Eton aged 16, Zac has always been cynical about politicians and was once quoted as saying the only way he would vote Conservative was if he was drugged first. Now he says of David Cameron: "The people he has got around him, who are helping him to craft this new identity, are good people. I am genuinely enthusiastic about him." How can the man who once said that all unnecessary consumer products should be banned, who opposed GM food and nuclear energy, fit in with the traditional policies and free market ethos of the Conservative party? Could this be the man who turns the Tory blue to green? | |
| 02 | 01 | Katharine Jefferts Schori | 20060624 | 20060625 | Profile returns, shining the spotlight on an individual who is making the headlines. The programme is presented by a team of journalists and commentators who have expert knowledge of the person in question. By talking to friends and enemies, colleagues and confidants we present a revealing insight into the personality and motivation of one of the movers and shakers of the week. She's an expert on squid and oyster, she flies a plane to visit her flock and she's a rock climber - not skills one would normally associate with a newly appointed chief bishop. But it's not her hobbies that have caused such a furore sending ripples across the world. Katharine Jefferts Schori is the first woman to head the American Episcopalian Church and this week in Profile the BBC's Jane Little reveals the woman who has taken the church by storm. |
| 02 | 02 | 20060701 | 20060702 | Jeff Randall hears from friends and foe to reveal the man behind Mittal Steel, Britain's richest man ever and owner of the world's largest steel company. | |
| 02 | 03 | 20060708 | 20060709 | Following the London bombings a year ago, Assistant Commissioner Tariq Ghaffur - Britain's most senior Muslim policeman - is profiled by Barnie Choudhury. | |
| 02 | 04 | 20060715 | 20060716, RptofSat7.00pm, RptdSun5.45am,5.40pm | You couldn't make it up. Late last year, Lech Kaczynski became Poland's President. This week, his identical twin brother Jaroslaw was nominated as the country's Prime Minister. In this week's Profile, Tim Whewell focuses on Europe's most unusual political partnership: the Kaczynski brothers. They may be a gift to satirists and cartoonists but the 57 year old brothers are seasoned politicians whose Law and Justice Party is dedicated to fighting corruption and a bullish nationalist agenda. Former child actors who then became active in Solidarity, the rise of the Kaczynskis has been nothing short of spectacular. But how is their conservative double act affecting Poland? Outside Poland they stand accused of homophobia and intolerance. With Poland now one of the EU's major players, what will the Kaczynski twins mean for Europe? | |
| 02 | 05 | The Kaczynski Brothers | 20060722 | 20060723 | You couldn't make it up. Late last year, Lech Kaczynski became Poland's President. This week, his identical twin brother Jaroslaw was nominated as the country's Prime Minister. In this week's Profile, Tim Whewell focuses on Europe's most unusual political partnership: the Kaczynski brothers. In addition to the potentially tricky situation of having identical twins holding the two most powerful positions in Poland, the 57-year-old brothers are committed to a nationalist and Catholic agenda that has been criticised for its lack of tolerance. Former child actors who then became active in Solidarity, the rise of the Kaczynskis has been nothing short of spectacular. But how is their conservative double act affecting Poland's hard-won progressive reforms? And what does it mean for Poland's relations with the European Union? |
| 02 | 06 | Andrew Lloyd Webber | 20060729 | 20060730 | As Andrew Lloyd Webber begins his television hunt to cast The Sound of Music, we examine the man who divides the nation's musical tastes. |
| 02 | 07 | John Howard | 20060805 | 20060806 | Australian prime minister John Howard has this week announced that he is standing for a fifth term. How has a man who could easily pass as an elderly country solicitor become such a powerful political force? Australian journalist Michael Dodd talks to friends and foe. |
| 02 | 08 | Andy Coulson | 20060812 | 20060813 | Nick Higham examines the man behind some of the biggest tabloid exposés of recent years, News of the World editor Andy Coulson |
| 02 | 09 | Michael Ryan | 20060819 | 20060820 | Simon Calder presents a profile of Michael Ryan, CEO of Ryanair. |
| 02 | 10 | John Reid | 20060826 | 20060827 | Simon Hoggart delves into the life of the Home Secretary John Reid, casting a satirical look at Reid's political journey from former communist to Blair's hardman. |
| 02 | 11 | Suzi Leather | 20060902 | 20060903 | Nick Higham profiles Dame Suzi Leather the newly appointed head of the Charity Commission. |
| 02 | 12 | Trevor Phillips | 20060909 | 20060910 | Elinor Goodman takes a closer look at one of the most powerful black public figures in Britain - Trevor Phillips |
| 02 | 13 | Ant And Dec | 20060916 | 20060917 | John Wilson uncovers the secret of the success of arguably the most powerful players in British television - duo Ant and Dec. |
| 02 | 14 | Mahmoud Ahmadinejad | 20060923 | 20060924 | As part of Radio 4's Uncovering Iran Season, Profile takes a look at the Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad |
| 02 | 15 | 20060930 | 20061001 | On the eve of the Conservative Party conference, Profile takes a look at one of the key party figures, who aspire to challenge Labour in the next election. | |
| 02 | 16 | Ban Ki-moon | 20061007 | 20061008 | , the foreign minister of South Korea, a virtual unknown outside his own country, is almost certain to be confirmed as the successor to Kofi Annan as Secretary-General of the United Nations. Who is he and how has he clawed his way to the top? Mike Wooldridge tells all. |
| 02 | 17 LAST | 20061014 | 20061015 | ||
| 03 | 01 | Sheikh Mohammed Bin Al Rashid Maktoum | 20061216 | 20061217 | Hugh Pym examines Sheikh Mohammed Bin Al Rashid Maktoum. He's the King of British horse-racing, the ruler of Dubai, a poet and one of the wealthiest men in the world. Sheikh Mo to his friends and the 'boss' to his employees, he has snapped up the London Eye, Madame Tussauds, Travelodge and is now poised to buy one of the jewels of UK sport, Liverpool Football Club. So who is this man busy hoovering up British interests and where does he have his sights set next? |
| 03 | 02 | Charlie Mayfield | 20061223 | 20061224 | He's the young Turk of British business. Not even 40, Charlie Mayfield has just been appointed chairman of John Lewis. After serving in the Scots Guards, Mayfield switched his uniform for the city suit, got a job as a management consultant and just a few years later was head-hunted by John Lewis to join the board of directors. So what is behind his meteoric rise? Lesley Curwen finds out. |
| 03 | 03 | Nancy Pelosi | 20061230 | 20061231 | Justin Webb puts the spotlight on Nancy Pelosi, the new speaker of the House of Representatives. The 66-year-old grandmother is known for being something of a snappy dresser and for not mincing her words. |
| 03 | 04 | Lady Elizabeth Butler-sloss. | 20070106 | 20070107 | In the legal world, she has not been afraid to be the odd one out. Back in the 1960s as a mother of three - in a very male domain - she set up and ran the first nursery for toddlers in the basement of the Inner Temple. But Lady Butler-Sloss had not taken the usual path to legal eminence. She never went to university. Instead, she took a secretarial course and then worked her way up to the top of the judiciary becoming the first woman Justice of the Court of Appeal. Next week, she comes out of retirement to preside over the inquest into the deaths of Princess Diana and Dodi Fayed. |
| 03 | 05 | Lieutenant General David Petraeus | 20070113 | 20070114 | 'Tell me how this ends' - the rhetorical question repeatedly posed by Lieutenant General David Petraeus as he and his troops marched on Baghdad in 2003. Four years on, the American soldier has got to come up with some answers. Lt Gen Petraeus - described as a unique combination of warrior and intellectual - has just been appointed the US military's most senior man in Iraq. Robert Fox assesses why President Bush has picked him to do what's been described as one of the toughest assignments since Vietnam. |
| 03 | 06 | Barack Obama | 20070120 | 20070121 | America came a tiny step closer to having its first black President. Barack Obama - the charismatic Democrat from Illinois - announced he would form an exploratory committee to start fundraising for a possible presidential bid. Justin Webb hears about the man who appeals to mid-west housewives and hard-bitten political hacks alike. Does Barack Obama have what it takes to get to the White House? |
| 03 | 07 | Willie Walsh | 20070127 | 20070128 | Security alerts, Christmas fog, clashes over a cross and planes contaminated with radioactive polonium-210. There's been an awful lot in the in-tray of Willie Walsh since he took up the job of Chief Executive of British Airways 15 months ago. Now the company is trying to stave off more airport chaos threatened by a cabin crew strike. Stephen Evans takes a look at Walsh, a former pilot and union negotiator turned 'suit', who is ruffling feathers with his tough talking management style. |
| 03 | 08 | Khalid Meshal | 20070203 | 20070204 | Allan Little presents an insight into the life of Khalid Meshal, an elusive figure who has risen to prominence through the ranks of Hamas to become the organisation's leader and a vital component in the politics of the Middle East. He survived an Israeli assassination attempt in 1997, which made him revered figure among Hamas supporters, and he forms an important bridgehead between the political masters of Hamas and the gunmen and bombers who enforce their authority on the streets. |
| 03 | 09 | Guido Fawkes | 20070210 | 20070211 | |
| 03 | 10 | Duncan Fletcher | 20070217 | 20070218, RptofSat7.00pm | Duncan Fletcher became a national hero in 2005 when his England cricket team defeated Australia to take the Ashes for the first time in a generation. Little more than a year later he'd turned into a national villain. England had surrendered the Ashes in the most humiliating fashion, beaten 5-0 Down Under. Then they looked utterly lost in the one-day series that followed, as they suffered defeat after defeat. But suddenly the team turned the cricket world on its head by defeating Australia in the finals to win the one-day tournament in Sydney, and raised hopes that they would mount a decent challenge in the World Cup in March. It could be Fletcher's last tour as England coach. Christopher Martin-Jenkins profiles the Zimbabwean who's presided over both one of England's greatest triumphs and humiliating defeats. |
| 03 | 11 | Cressida Dick | 20070224 | 20070225 | Jon Silverman profiles the highest ranking woman in the Metropolitan Police, Deputy Assistant Commissioner Cressida Dick |
| 03 | 12 | Ronald Cohen | 20070303 | 20070304 | |
| 03 | 13 | Attorney General Lord Goldsmith | 20070310 | 20070311 | Guardian columnist and legal writer Marcel Berlins profiles Attorney General Lord Goldsmith. . |
| 03 | 14 | 20070317 | 20070318 | ||
| 03 | 15 | John Bird | 20070324 | 20070325 | John Bird, the founder of The Big Issue |
| 03 | 16 | Charles Saumarez Smith | 20070331 | 20070401 | Director of the National Gallery in London. |
| 03 | 17 | Alan Johnstone | 20070407 | 20070408 | Alan Graham Johnston (born 17 May 1962) is a British journalist working for the BBC. He has been the BBC's correspondent in Uzbekistan, Afghanistan and the Gaza Strip. Johnston was kidnapped by a group of Palestinian militants on 12 March 2007, and released nearly four months later on 4 July, after Hamas' military occupation of Gaza. |
| 03 | 18 | François Bayrou | 20070414 | 20070415 | |
| 03 | 19 | Christiana Ronaldo | 20070421 | 20070422 | |
| 03 | 20 | 20070428 | 20070429 | ||
| 03 | 21 | 20070505 | 20070506 | ||
| 03 | 22 LAST | Bertie Ahern | 20070512 | 20070513 | Patrick Bartholomew "Bertie" Ahern (Irish: Pádraig Parthalán Ó hEachthairn;[1] born 12 September 1951) is an Irish politician who, since 26 June 1997, has served as the tenth Taoiseach of Ireland. He currently heads a coalition government that is led by his Fianna Fáil party and includes the Green Party and the Progressive Democrats, with the support of independent TDs. |
| 04 | 01 | Wolfgang Wagner | 20070721 | 20070722 | |
| 04 | 02 | Barbara Young | 20070728 | 20070729 | Barbara Scott Young, Baroness Young of Old Scone (born 8 April 1948) is a Labour member of the House of Lords. She was created a life peer in 1997 as Baroness Young of Old Scone, of Old Scone in Perth and Kinross. Lady Young of Old Scone was the chief executive of the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds from 1991 to 1998, and has been chief executive of the Environment Agency since 2000. She has been Chairman of English Nature and Vice-Chairman of the BBC. |
| 04 | 03 | Benazir Bhutto | 20070804 | 20070805 | |
| 04 | 04 | Michel Aoun | 20070811 | 20070812 | Tim Llewellyn profiles Lebanese politician Michel Aoun. |
| 04 | 05 | Mitt Romney | 20070818 | 20070819 | Allan Little profiles Republican Presidential Candidate Mitt Romney. |
| 04 | 06 | Portia Simpson-miller | 20070825 | 20070826 | David Dabydeen profiles Portia Simpson-Miller, Prime Minister of Jamaica. |
| 04 | 07 | Ian Mcewan | 20070901 | 20070902 | John Mullan of UCL looks at the life and work of Booker Prize-winning novelist Ian Mcewan |
| 04 | 08 | Manuel Noriega | 20070908 | 20070909 | Nic Caistor looks at the life of former Panamanian leader Manuel Noriega. |
| 04 | 09 | Michael Caplan | 20070915 | 20070916 | Clive Coleman profiles Michael Caplan QC. |
| 04 | 10 | Mervyn King | 20070922 | 20070923 | BBC Business Editor Robert Peston looks at the career of Mervyn King, Governor of the Bank of England. |
| 04 | 11 | 20070929 | 20070930 | Independent film maker Evan Williams examines the shadowy figures in charge of the Burmese regime. | |
| 04 | 12 | Agustin Pichot | 20071006 | 20071007 | John Inverdale profiles Argentine rugby captain Agustin Pichot, businessman, art collector, campaigner and olive oil producer, tipped by some as a future president of Argentina. |
| 04 | 13 | Adam Crozier | 20071013 | 20071014 | Oliver Morgan, freelance business and industry reporter profiles Adam Crozier, who has been running the Royal Mail since 2003, with the aim to modernise the last big government-owned company. Implementing change is his forte. Before the Royal Mail, Crozier was chief executive of the Football Association, where he soon made headlines when he hired the first ever foreigner to become England manager: Sven-Goran Eriksson. |
| 04 | 14 | Kevin Rudd | 20071020 | 20071021 | A look at the man taking on Australian PM John Howard in the November general election. Kevin Rudd aims to get the Australian Labor Party back into power after 11 years in Opposition. Rudd is a fluent Chinese speaker and former diplomat with a new-age agenda, focusing on issues ranging from global warming to getting the nation onto broadband. But will his past catch up with him? Presented by Rafael Epstein of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. |
| 04 | 15 | David King | 20071027 | 20071028 | Science writer and broadcaster Richard Hollingham profiles David King, the Government's Chief Scientific Adviser. |
| 04 | 16 LAST | 20071103 | 20071104 | ||
| 05 | 01 | Phil Redmond | 20080105 | 20080106 | As Liverpool prepares for the launch of its year as the European Capital of Culture, James Silver looks at the life and career of soap opera king Phil Redmond, now an arts grandee promising 'real culture for real people'. |
| 05 | 02 | Ratan Tata | 20080112 | 20080113 | Business Correspondent Nils Blythe profiles Ratan Tata, head of India's Tata Group, an industrial giant whose interests range from steel to tea to computing, and now motor cars. The group took over Tetley Tea in 2000 and Corus Steel in 2006, and now looks set to buy the Land Rover and Jaguar brands from Ford. New Delhi's Auto Show this week sees the launch of its People's Car. |
| 05 | 03 | Daniel Day-lewis | 20080119 | 20080120 | Profile of one of Britain's leading actors, Daniel Day-Lewis, who has just won a Golden Globe for his portrayal of a ruthless oil prospector in There Will Be Blood. |
| 05 | 04 | Ben Bernanke | 20080126 | 20080127 | Stephanie Flanders, Economics Editor of Newsnight, profiles Ben Bernanke, chairman of the US Federal Reserve, who has just stunned markets with a major interest rate cut. Can this saxophone-playing macro-economist with a deadpan humour steer the US and world economies away from depression? |
| 05 | 05 | 20080202 | 20080203 | ||
| 05 | 06 | 20080209 | 20080210 | ||
| 05 | 07 | Asif Ali Zardari | 20080216 | 20080217 | Kate Clark examines the life of Asif Ali Zardari, husband of the late Benazir Bhutto, who is now leading her Pakistan People's Party into Monday's election. Born into the landholding gentry, he has a reputation for flamboyance and has spent years fighting accusations of corruption from political enemies. Is his reputation deserved, or is he the victim of character assassination? |
| 05 | 08 | Michael Martin | 20080223 | 20080224 | Michael Cockerell tells the story of Michael Martin, speaker of the Commons. A former sheet metal worker from Glasgow, Martin used to be seen as a New Labour working-class hero who could put the party back in touch with its roots outside Westminster. Now, however, his parliamentary perks are becoming the subject of increasing scrutiny. |
| 05 | 09 | Michelle Obama | 20080301 | 20080302 | Colleagues and friends discuss Michelle Obama's influence on her husband's campaign and trace her journey from a childhood in working-class Chicago to the brink of the White House. |
| 05 | 10 | 20080308 | 20080309 | ||
| 05 | 11 | Gurkhas | 20080315 | 20080316 | BBC Kathmandu correspondent Charles Haviland examines the history and culture of the Gurkhas, who are recruited from four ethnic groups in the Nepalese Himalayas. He explores their combat record in the British army and their reputation around the world. Next Wednesday some three thousand Gurkhas are expected to gather outside parliament to demand the right to stay in the United Kingdom after retirement from the army. |
| 05 | 12 | Simba Makoni | 20080322 | 20080323 | BBC Johannesburg correspondent Peter Biles profiles Simba Makoni, Robert Mugabe's former finance minister who is standing against the president in this week's election. |
| 05 | 13 | Britney Spears | 20080329 | 20080330 | Paul Henley profiles troubled pop phenomenon Britney Spears, who has made headlines in recent months for reasons far removed from her musical career. Divorce, a bitter custody battle for her two children and her admission to a psychiatric ward in a Los Angeles hospital have all eclipsed the success she continues to enjoy. Can Britney overcome her demons and make the personal comeback her fans are hoping for? |
| 05 | 14 | Comte Jacques Rogge | 20080405 | 20080406 | Gordon Farquhar assesses the form of Comte Jacques Rogge and asks if he is strong enough to smooth the path of the Olympic torch as it makes its way to Beijing. |
| 05 | 15 | Peter Robinson | 20080412 | 20080413 | David McKittrick looks at the life and career of the Democratic Unionist Party's deputy leader Peter Robinson, who is likely to replace Ian Paisley as party leader and First Minister of Northern Ireland next month. The youngest ever MP when first elected, he has amassed a formidable track record as long-standing MP for East Belfast, Member of the Northern Ireland Assembly and, until recently, Alderman of Castlereagh Council. |
| 05 | 16 LAST | Giles Clarke | 20080419 | 20080420 | Sybil Ruscoe profiles Giles Clarke, chairman of the England and Wales Cricket Board. Former City golden boy Clarke co-founded upmarket off-licence chain Majestic Wine and made another fortune with the PetCity business. It was Clarke who first negotiated the rights deal which took cricket off terrestrial TV. He now faces the challenge of the Indian Premier League and the riches on offer to the world's top players. |
| 06 | 01 | 20080621 | 20080622 | The spotlight falls on Arthur Ryan, who has steered clothes chain Primark to top of the UK retail sales league. Tanya Datta is on the trail of the man behind 'Prim-ani'. | |
| 06 | 02 | Thabo Mbeki | 20080628 | 20080629 | Grant Ferrett looks at the life of South African President Thabo Mbeki. He took on the unenviable challenge of stepping into Nelson Mandela's shoes in 1999, but to many he seems more comfortable in the back rooms of political power. |
| 06 | 03 | Michael Nazir Ali | 20080705 | 20080706 | Mishal Husein looks at Michael Nazir Ali, Bishop of Rochester. |
| 06 | 04 | Colin Myler | 20080712 | 20080713 | Mishal Husain looks at the personality and career of News of the World editor Colin Myler. |
| 06 | 05 | Luis Moreno-ocampo | 20080719 | 20080720 | Brian Hanrahan looks at Luis Moreno-Ocampo, Chief Prosecutor at the International Criminal Court in The Hague. He made his reputation as deputy public prosecutor in the trial of former members of Argentina's military government, the first trial for the mass killing of civilians since Nuremberg. His recent announcement that he is seeking an arrest warrant for the President of Sudan has attracted controversy. |
| 06 | 06 | Susan Rice | 20080726 | 20080727 | Mishal Husain looks at Susan Rice, a rising star in Barack Obama's inner circle of policy advisors. As Director of Peacekeeping at the National Security Council, Rice was criticised for not taking enough of a hard line during the Rwandan genocide in 1994. Three years later she became Assistant Secretary of State for Africa under Bill Clinton. Recently she has taken a tough stance on Sudan, advocating US military force. |
| 06 | 07 | 20080802 | 20080803 | Series of profiles of people who are currently making headlines. | |
| 06 | 08 | 20080809 | 20080810 | ||
| 06 | 09 | Mikheil Saakashvili | 20080816 | 20080817 | Claire Bolderson looks at the career of Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili. Since coming to power in 2003, the American-educated leader has been a staunch ally of the West. What do the events of the last week reveal about him? |