Acting
Mary Whitehouse
Acting credits
NRIn 1977 the Old Bailey saw the start of the first trial for blasphemy in this country for over half a century. Begun by Mary Whitehouse against the homosexual newspaper Gay News, it ended in a conviction, heavy fines and a suspended prison sentence for the editor. An appeal is pending. Was this prosecution an attack on free speech? Or was it a necessary defence of the principle that, even in a permissive society, some things must remain sacred? This dramatised documentary reconstructs the crucial moments of this historic trial, and explores the issues it raises. Peter France questions the people on both sides, including Mary Whitehouse and Denis Lemon, Editor, Gay News, about their actions and reactions during the case.
Blasphemy at the Old Bailey
1977
7.9A documentary celebrating the 30th anniversary of Doctor Who, featuring new interviews, rare archive footage and recently discovered material.
30 Years in the TARDIS
1993
5.0A documentary about the portrayal of Adolf Hitler in popular culture.
Hitler: The Comedy Years
2007
6.8An in-depth analysis of the "Video Nasty" scandal of the early 1980s in Britain.
Ban the Sadist Videos!
2005
4.7Behind-the-scenes stories from the long-running sci-fi drama. There are tales of stunts that went dangerously wrong and secrets of how the crew brought monsters to life, as well as revelations about how some storylines proved to be so scary the BBC were forced to re-edit episodes.
Doctor Who: 60 Years of Secrets & Scandals
2023
The history of film and video censorship in Great Britain.
Empire of the Censors
1995
8.0In 2004 a documentary was commissioned by the BBC looking back at the Philip Hinchcliffe era of British Television Series Doctor Who and what made those years some of the most popular in the series history.
Serial Thrillers
2004
6.5Explores the salacious career of mysterious British filmmaker and distributor David Hamilton-Grant, who was the only supplier to be sent to prison for releasing a "video nasty". Hamilton-Grant navigated loopholes in the law in the 70s in order to produce and screen smut in an extremely censorship restricted Britain. When the home video boom hit in the 80s he was one of the first to capitalize on the initially far less regulated format... but he would pay the price. Then things get really dark and strange.
Damaged: The Very British Obscenity of David Hamilton-Grant
2023
6.5An investigation of UK video censorship after the video recordings act was introduced.
Ban the Sadist Videos! Part 2
2006