Michael Palin

Nonostante sia stato sempre bloccato nel perseguire lo sport che amava, Seve Ballesteros ha lottato contro ogni avversità per diventare il più spettacolare e carismatico giocatore di golf. La sua storia, ripercorsa con un mix di fiction e materiale d'archivio, parte da quando bambino a sei anni giocava con un ferro 3 rotto legato a un bastone sulle spiagge della Spagna per concludersi con i suoi trionfi da numero uno al mondo.

In 1964, with the Cuban Missile Crisis fresh in viewers' minds, the Cold War at its frostiest, and the hydrogen bomb relatively new and frightening, Stanley Kubrick dared to make a film about what could happen if the wrong person pushed the wrong button – and played the situation for laughs. Dr. Strangelove's jet-black satire (from a script by director Stanley Kubrick, Peter George, and Terry Southern) and a host of superb comic performances (including three from Peter Sellers) have kept the film fresh and entertaining, even as its issues have become (slightly) less timely.

The Alexandrov Ensemble (commonly known as The Red Army Choir in the West) is an official army choir of the Russian armed forces. Founded during the Soviet era, the ensemble consists of a male choir, an orchestra, and a dance ensemble. The Ensemble has entertained audiences both in Russia and throughout the world, performing a range of music including folk tunes, hymns, operatic arias and popular music. The group's repertoire has included The Volga Boatmen's Song, Katyusha, Kalinka, and Ave Maria. It is named for its first director, Alexander Vasilyevich Alexandrov (1883–1946).

Jack Whitehall presents a documentary that celebrates 70 years of one of the greatest arts festivals in the world - from the idealism of its glorious beginnings in 1947, when the Edinburgh Festival was conceived as a 'bond of reunion in a disintegrated world', part of a healing process in the aftermath of the Second World War, to the birth of the Fringe the same year and the creative anarchy that it unleashed. Jack recalls the miraculous encounters between artists, musicians, writers and performers that Edinburgh has witnessed over the decades, and reflects on what the Edinburgh Festival has done for culture, both nationally and internationally.

Christopher Willis is currently recording his score for the upcoming comedy The Death of Stalin. The film is directed by Armando Iannucci (In the Loop) and stars Adrian McLoughlin, Steve Buscemi, Simon Russell Beale, Rupert Friend, Jason Isaacs, Michael Palin, Jeffrey Tambor, Andrea Riseborough, Paddy Considine and Olga Kurylenko. The movie is based on the French graphic novel by Fabien Nury & Thierry Robin and chronicles the chaotic days before Joseph Stalin’s funeral, marked by fierce infighting for the supreme power. Iannucci also co-wrote the screenplay with David Schneider, Ian Martin and Peter Fellows. Yann Zenou, Nicolas Duval-Adassovsky & Laurent Zeitoun (The Intouchables, Heartbreaker) and Kevin Loader (The Lady in the Van, Hyde Park on Hudson) are producing the project. Willis is recording his score at Galaxy Studios in Belgium. The composer has previously collaborated with Iannucci on HBO’s hit series Veep, which will return for a sixth season on April 16, 2017. The Death of Stalin is expected to be released later this year by IFC Films.

The long-awaited autobiography of one of Britain’s best-loved actors, and the star of Only Fools and Horses.

Roque Banos has been hired to score the upcoming film adaptation of The Man Who Killed Don Quixote. The film is directed by Terry Gilliam (Brazil, The Fisher King, The Brothers Grimm) and stars Adam Driver, Michael Palin, Stellan Skarsgard and Olga Kurylenko. The movie follows a jaded young advertising executive who returns to the Spanish village where he made a film based on Cervantes’ masterpiece years earlier and meets a villager who believes himself to be Don Quixote as he gets swept up in a fantastic extravaganza complete with damsels in distress, knights and giants. Gilliam also co-wrote the screenplay with Tony Grisoni (Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, Tideland) based on the novel by Miguel de Cervantes y Saavedra. Gerardo Herrero (Son of the Bride) is producing the project with Mariela Besuievsky (The Secret In Their Eyes), Gabriele Oricchio and Amy Gilliam. Banos has previously scored the Herrero-produced feature The Last Circus. Alberto Iglesias was originally attached when the movie was set to go into production last year. The Man Who Killed Don Quixote is expected to premiere in 2018.

Documentary exploring the key events of 1966, a period when British pop music, fashion and sport was making waves across the globe, but when the nation's upbeat mood was undercut by darker sensibilities. Narrated by Maxine Peake and featuring contributions from Michael Palin, Janet Street-Porter and Peter Stringfellow, who share their memories of the era.