Lives Well Lived

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Season 2024

Documentary

Episode 1: Episode 1

Summary

Kirsty Wark presents the first of two programmes celebrating some of the actors, broadcasters, literary giants and sporting greats who died this year. She begins by looking at the long film and stage career of Maggie Smith, speaking to colleagues Frances de la Tour, Charles Dance and Alex Jennings. Sven-Goran Eriksson is remembered by fellow England manager Roy Hodgson, novelist Anne Enright and Joan Bakewell pay tribute to the Irish writer Edna O'Brien, and colleagues of the radio DJ Steve Wright discuss what they learned from the broadcasting legend. There are also tributes to Ian Lavender and James Earl Jones

Review

David Butcher

A better title for this two-part obituary programme might be Lives Famously Lived. It is not dedicated to community leaders and teachers, you won’t be surprised to hear; they don’t have clips in the archives.

No, we’re talking famous lives, mainly much-loved actors; people we all feel we knew, despite never having met. Chief among them this year is the great Dame Maggie Smith, who died in September at the age of 89 and is the subject of a number of programmes on BBC Two and BBC Four tonight.

Friends who worked with Dame Maggie, including Frances de la Tour, Charles Dance and Alex Jennings, reflect on her life and career, and with luck we’ll also be treated to examples of her sharp way with a one-liner, whether in screen roles (“What is a ‘weekend’?”) or, more rarely, on chat shows.

Also remembered in tonight’s programme are actor James Earl Jones, former England football manager Sven-Goran Eriksson, Irish writer Edna O’Brien, DJ Steve Wright and Dad’s Army star Ian Lavender. The second part is on tomorrow at 6pm.

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rolenamePresenterKirsty WarkSeries producerBernadette KitterickExecutive producerMatthew Shaw

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Episode 2

Episode 2

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Episode 1

Episode 1

Summary

Kirsty Wark presents the first of two programmes celebrating some of the actors, broadcasters, literary giants and sporting greats who died this year. She begins by looking at the long film and stage career of Maggie Smith, speaking to colleagues Frances de la Tour, Charles Dance and Alex Jennings. Sven-Goran Eriksson is remembered by fellow England manager Roy Hodgson, novelist Anne Enright and Joan Bakewell pay tribute to the Irish writer Edna O'Brien, and colleagues of the radio DJ Steve Wright discuss what they learned from the broadcasting legend. There are also tributes to Ian Lavender and James Earl Jones

Review

David Butcher

A better title for this two-part obituary programme might be Lives Famously Lived. It is not dedicated to community leaders and teachers, you won’t be surprised to hear; they don’t have clips in the archives.

No, we’re talking famous lives, mainly much-loved actors; people we all feel we knew, despite never having met. Chief among them this year is the great Dame Maggie Smith, who died in September at the age of 89 and is the subject of a number of programmes on BBC Two and BBC Four tonight.

Friends who worked with Dame Maggie, including Frances de la Tour, Charles Dance and Alex Jennings, reflect on her life and career, and with luck we’ll also be treated to examples of her sharp way with a one-liner, whether in screen roles (“What is a ‘weekend’?”) or, more rarely, on chat shows.

Also remembered in tonight’s programme are actor James Earl Jones, former England football manager Sven-Goran Eriksson, Irish writer Edna O’Brien, DJ Steve Wright and Dad’s Army star Ian Lavender. The second part is on tomorrow at 6pm.

Details

Languages

Formats

Colour

Credits

Crew

rolenamePresenterKirsty WarkSeries producerBernadette KitterickExecutive producerMatthew Shaw

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