Bbc Icons Series 1: Live Final (2019)

The live final of the series exploring the achievements of some of the greatest figures of the 20th century. The public vote for who they believe should be called the greatest. / In eight episodes, Icons is series exploring the achievements and legacies of some of the greatest figures of the 20th century. Seven well-known advocates each front an hour-long documentary arguing the case for four people from a different field of human endeavour - leaders, explorers, scientists, entertainers, sports stars, artists and writers, and activists. At the end of each documentary the public vote for their favourite.

Eight-part series exploring the achievements and legacies of some of the greatest figures of the 20th century. Seven well-known advocates each front an hour-long documentary arguing the case for four people from a different field of human endeavour - leaders, explorers, scientists, entertainers, sports stars, artists and writers, and activists. At the end of each documentary the public vote for their favourite. The icon who wins the public vote in each category is put through to a live final, which sees all of the celebrity advocates return to fight their icon's case - the public then vote again for the person they believe was the greatest figure of the 20th century.

This episode sees actress Lily Cole examine four of the 20th century's greatest artists and writers. Lily explores the lives of Pablo Picasso, Virginia Woolf, Alfred Hitchcock and Andy Warhol - finding out what inspired their most celebrated works, and why they still resonate today. In the 20th century, history unfolded at a rate humanity could barely keep up with. Wars industrialised killing, science radically altered the way we live, and rampant consumerism and mass media swept across the planet. Helping us process these seismic shifts were a group of complex, sometimes dark geniuses: our artists and writers.

This episode sees naturalist Chris Packham assess the lives of the 20th century's greatest scientists. Chris examines the lives of Marie Curie, Albert Einstein, Alan Turing and Tu You You. He explores some of their most famous discoveries - as well as the lesser known human stories behind them - so often overshadowed by the scale and impact of their work. In the 20th century, advancements in science saw life expectancy double; they helped us advance technology in a way which would have been unimaginable just years before - they even meant we shook off gravity and left the Earth itself.

The fourth in the series, this episode charts the story of entertainment in the 20th century. This episode sees Hollywood star Kathleen Turner examine the achievements and legacies of four of the century's greatest entertainers. The story of entertainment in the 20th century ranged from vaudeville clowns to Space Oddities, and everything in between. This was 100 years where technological developments changed the face of entertainment forever - giving rise to our first movie stars, recording artists, and creating a cult of celebrity. In short, the 20th century was the 100 years in which we fell in love with the people who entertained us.

Dermot O'Leary tells the story of exploration, profiling four figures on the shortlist for the greatest explorer, with the public invited to vote for their favourite at the end of the programme. He introduces four explorers – ice-bound hero Ernest Shackleton, Middle East pioneer Gertrude Bell, first man on the Moon Neil Armstrong and anthropologist Jane Goodall. The latter is still alive and well, still travelling across the globe with her conservation message and, in conversation with O’Leary, it’s apparent age hasn’t dimmed her in the slightest. In eight episodes, Icons is series exploring the achievements and legacies of some of the greatest figures of the 20th century.

Sanjeev Bhaskar explores the lives of the 20th century's greatest activists, examining the lives of Emmeline Pankhurst, Mahatma Gandhi, Helen Keller and Martin Luther King Jr. He'll assess the qualities that made them great and the groundbreaking ways in which each of them fought for their causes. In eight episodes, Icons is series exploring the achievements and legacies of some of the greatest figures of the 20th century. Seven well-known advocates each front an hour-long documentary arguing the case for four people from a different field of human endeavour - leaders, explorers, scientists, entertainers, sports stars, artists and writers, and activists.

Clare Balding examine the achievements of four of the 20th century's most influential sports stars. Clare will be assessing the legacies of Pele, Muhammad Ali, Billie Jean King and Tanni Grey Thompson. Each of them transcended their sport and had an impact on the century far beyond their professional record. As the 20th century began, sports mostly belonged to those who could afford leisure time and was often an amateur pursuit. By the year 2000, sport provided some of the most watched moments in human history - often uniting billions. The 20th century also saw records smashed and previously unimaginable sporting feats achieved. Increasingly, the work of our greatest sports stars highlighted urgent social issues.