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Summer TV Classics

Join Grace Dent on a televisual trip of a lifetime as she explores the sights, sounds and schedules of the great British summer.

Join Grace Dent on a televisual trip of a lifetime as she explores the sights, sounds and schedules of the great British summer. Grace’s epic journey covers everything that informs our attitudes to summertime, from the travel shows of the 60s and 70s, which first brought the world’s finest resorts into our living rooms, to Del and Rodney Trotter fooling about abroad and the high jinks of Hi-de-Hi!

She explores the influence that holiday camp staples like beauty contests and talent shows had on primetime programmes like Seaside Special, which attracted stars as iconic as Abba and Grace Jones. Away from the glitz and glamour, there’s a look at the notorious Notting Hill Carnival of 1976, where a celebration of colour ended in rioting that changed Britain’s race laws forever, and a trip to Ibiza in the 80s, where young Brits were discovering new ways of getting away from it all. Also abroad are the then-young cast of EastEnders, with a young Grant Mitchell showing how to hit the clubs of Spain in epic style – and of course, sun, sea and soap means a look at the show that really burned the BBC – Eldorado.

58 minutes

Last on

Sun 4 Aug 2024 02:40
BBC Four

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Music Played

Timings (where shown) are from the start of the programme in hours and minutes

  • 00:07

    The Mallet Men / 80 Drums Around The World

    Dark Eyes / It Happened In Monterey

  • 00:09

    Hugo Montenegro

    (Theme From) The Fox

  • 00:10

    Stevie Wonder

    You Haven't Done Nothin'

  • 00:20

    Mungo Jerry

    In The Summertime

  • 00:37

    Grace Jones

    La Vie En Rose

  • 00:47

    Sinitta

    So Macho

  • 00:53

    M People

    Sight For Sore Eyes (M People Master Mix)

  • 00:55

    Johnny Griggs With Simon May

    Eldorado Theme

  • 00:57

    John Griggs

    When You Go Away

  • 00:57

    Oasis

    Don't Look Back In Anger

Credits

Presenter Grace Dent
Series Producer Simon Goretzki
Producer Simon Catt

Broadcasts

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