It’s a Wonderful Life

Robert Burns was well aware of the revolution taking place across the Atlantic as he grew up. The poet was inspired. And America was to be inspired by him. From Abraham Lincoln to Frederick Douglass, and Walt Whitman to Bob Dylan, some of the most significant figures in American politics and culture have cited Burns as an influence.

The story of Noah building an ark to save his family and save thousands of animals from a flood which destroys all life on earth is an epic from many people's childhoods. It's a wonderful story, found in the Bible, the Koran and the Torah. But is it in fact, real history?

Once Upon a Time In the West demonstrates how precision craftsmanship can elevate a picture from "good" to "legendary." With a sound but not necessarily all that original story and a quartet of fine acting performances up its sleeve, it's not a wonder that this is a quality film, but add to that Director Sergio Leone's and Cinematographer Tonino Delli Colli's breathtaking cinematic framing, pacing, and emotional and thematic manipulation through moving imagery, and suddenly that quality picture becomes something else altogether, in essence yielding a masterwork within not only …

Six classic British books are considered with a fresh eye. Returning to the authors' original manuscripts and letters, expert writers and performers bring their personal insights to these great works.

Helen Macdonald traces the dramatic journey of Britain's greatest river, the Tay, over an entire year. Mixing natural history, cutting-edge science and historical biography with a spectacular travelogue, the film is a celebration of our largest river as it transforms from melting Highland snow to a vast torrent flowing into the cold North Sea.

Each 50 minute episode features a global overview of a different biome or habitat on Earth (Polar, Mountain, Cave, Desert, Plains, Fresh Water, Seas, Ocean, Forest), followed by a ten-minute featurette which takes a behind-the-scenes look at the challenges of filming the episode.

For billions of years our planet was devoid of life, but something transformed it into a vibrant, living planet. That something was soil. It's a much-misunderstood substance, often dismissed as 'dirt', something to be avoided. Yet the crops we eat, the animals we rely on, the very oxygen we breathe, all depend on the existence of the plant life that bursts from the soil every year. In this film, gardening expert Chris Beardshaw explores where soil comes from, what it's made of and what makes it so essential to life.

An antidote to throwaway culture, The Repair Shop shines a light on the wonderful treasures to be found in homes across the country.

Rudolph II, the Holy Roman Emperor, does not have a simple life. And yet he manages to complicate it even more with his frequent outbursts of anger. While he searches for a mythical Golem, an animated clay statue, Matthew the Baker is thrown into the dungeon for selling the special buns for the emperor to people. Matthew is accidentally mistaken for the emperor and takes his place. And when the Golem is finally found, it will complicate things beyond comprehension…