The South Bank Show

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Template:Short description Template:Use British English Template:Use dmy dates Template:More citations needed Template:Infobox television

The South Bank Show is a British television arts magazine series originally produced by London Weekend Television and broadcast on ITV between 1978 and 2010. A new version of the series began 27 May 2012 on Sky Arts.<ref name="rt revival">Template:Cite web</ref> Conceived, written, and presented by former BBC arts broadcaster Melvyn Bragg, the show aims to bring both high art and popular culture to a mass audience. In 2023, the series came to an end when it was announced that Bragg would be leaving the series after 45 years.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite webTemplate:Subscription required</ref>

History

ITV (1978–2010)

The programme was a replacement for Aquarius,<ref name="joseph1980">Template:Cite book</ref> the arts series which had been running since 1970. Presenter Melvyn Bragg was already well known for his arts broadcasting on BBC television, notably Monitor and BBC Two's The Lively Arts. It first aired on 14 January 1978, covering many subjects, including Germaine Greer, Gerald Scarfe and Paul McCartney. It is the longest continuously running arts programme on UK television. From the beginning the series' intent was to mix high art and popular culture. This has remained, and the programme has always focused predominantly on art of the 20th and 21st centuries.

For much of its life, the show was produced by London Weekend Television (LWT) for the ITV network.

In May 2009, ITV announced that the show was to come to an end. Although it was originally reported that the show was ending due to Bragg's retirement,<ref>"ITV to axe The South Bank Show when Melvyn Bragg retires next year", The Guardian (London), 6 May 2009</ref> Bragg later made it clear that he decided to leave after they ended the show, and thought ending it was a mistake; according to him, "they've killed the show, so I thought, I'll go as well."<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>See also Bragg's book of reminiscences, The South Bank Show: Final Cut. Hodder, 2010. Template:ISBN</ref>

On Monday 28 December 2009 the final ITV edition of The South Bank Show was broadcast, featuring The Royal Shakespeare Company as its subject. Melvyn Bragg announced on this programme that, after ITV's last South Bank Show Awards in January 2010, there would be a series of ten The South Bank Show Revisited programmes transmitted in early 2010, featuring updates on previous South Bank Show subjects.

The production archive for the ITV series, including unaired footage, is housed at the University of Leeds.<ref>"South Bank Show Production Archive", University of Leeds, 18 November 2020</ref>

ITV had 33 series with 743 episodes, from 1978 until 2010.

Sky Arts (2012–2023)

In July 2010, it was revealed that Bragg had bought the rights to the brand and had first right of access to The South Bank Show archives.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Sky Arts broadcasts South Bank Show archive editions and hosted the South Bank Sky Arts Awards on 25 Jan 2011, presented by Melvyn Bragg, accompanied by a new arrangement of The South Bank Show theme.

Sky Arts revived The South Bank Show with a new series starting 27 May 2012.<ref name="rt revival"/>

From 2012 to 2023 most series only have around 4–6 episodes.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Theme music and visuals

The iconic image of the Hand of God giving life to Adam, used since the series' inception.

The theme music is taken from Andrew Lloyd Webber's Variations composed in 1977 for his brother, the cellist Julian Lloyd Webber. This is based on the theme from Paganini's "24th Caprice". The brand image of the programme is an animated version of a detail from Michelangelo's Sistine Chapel ceiling painting, specifically the image of the Hand of God giving life to Adam. It shows the two hands meeting, generating a lightning bolt. Template:Clear

Subjects

There have been many subjects of the show,<ref name="Ep Guides">Template:Cite web</ref> including: Template:Div col

1970s
1980s
1990s
2000s
2010s

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Directors

Directors who have made editions of the programme include: Template:Div col

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Podcast

From 18 September 2006, ITV released podcast of the interviews from the show, including extra material not included in the broadcast editions.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Awards

The programme has been awarded more than 110 awards (including 12 BAFTAs, 5 Prix Italia and 4 RTS Awards). Pat Gavin's animated title sequences have won two BAFTAs.

Parodies

Template:More citations needed section The comedy series Dead Ringers often parodied The South Bank Show. It does this in a series of sketches called South Bank, a cross between The South Bank Show and the American cartoon South Park, set in the South Bank of London. In these sketches, Melvyn Bragg is Stan Marsh, Alan Yentob is Kyle Broflovski, Mark Lawson is Eric Cartman and Kenneth Branagh is Kenny McCormick.

A sketch in The Smell of Reeves and Mortimer featured Vic Reeves as Melvyn Bragg (with felt-tip marks on his face) presenting a feature on fictional folk singers Mulligan and O'Hare. Reeves depicts Bragg as an unlikely A-Team obsessive.

Harry Enfield's TV film Norbert Smith - a Life is a parody edition of The South Bank Show.

Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant's second series of Extras featured a reference to a fictional episode of The South Bank Show focused on madcap children's television presenters Dick and Dom.

Private Eye tends to parody Melvyn Bragg's name, and Spitting Image would rather accentuate his nasal accent. As Spitting Image was often aired immediately before The South Bank Show, episodes would often end with a send-up of Bragg, most notably in one episode having him advise viewers to switch off their televisions to avoid watching it.

Benny Hill once parodied Bragg in a 1978 episode of The Benny Hill Show as Melvyn Dragg. The name of the show was also parodied, and it was called "The South Blank Show."

Transmission

Series Episodes Broadcast date Network
First aired Last aired
1 24 Template:Start date Template:End date ITV
2 24 Template:Start date Template:End date
3 19 Template:Start date Template:End date
4 26 Template:Start date Template:End date
5 27 Template:Start date Template:End date
6 26 Template:Start date Template:End date
7 23 Template:Start date Template:End date
8 26 Template:Start date Template:End date
9 24 Template:Start date Template:End date
10 26 Template:Start date Template:End date
11 25 Template:Start date Template:End date
12 24 Template:Start date Template:End date
13 25 Template:Start date Template:End date
14 23 Template:Start date Template:End date
15 25 Template:Start date Template:End date
16 25 Template:Start date Template:End date
17 26 Template:Start date Template:End date
18 22 Template:Start date Template:End date
19 20 Template:Start date Template:End date
20 21 Template:Start date Template:End date
21 22 Template:Start date Template:End date
22 16 Template:Start date Template:End date
23 21 Template:Start date Template:End date
24 25 Template:Start date Template:End date
25 19 Template:Start date Template:End date
26 26 Template:Start date Template:End date
27 13 Template:Start date Template:End date
28 22 Template:Start date Template:End date
29 19 Template:Start date Template:End date
30 25 Template:Start date Template:End date
31 19 Template:Start date Template:End date
32 15 Template:Start date Template:End date
33 21 Template:Start date Template:End date
34 4 Template:Start date Template:End date Sky Arts
35 6 Template:Start date Template:End date
36 6 Template:Start date Template:End date
37 6 Template:Start date Template:End date
38 6 Template:Start date Template:End date
39 6 Template:Start date Template:End date
40 6 Template:Start date Template:End date
41 4 Template:Start date Template:End date
42 4 Template:Start date Template:End date
43 4 Template:Start date Template:End date
44 4 Template:Start date Template:End date
45 5 Template:Start date Template:End date
Specials
Special Broadcast date Network
British Comedy Special Template:Start date ITV
30th Anniversary Special Template:Start date Sky Arts
Vincent and Theo Template:Start date

References

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