BBC Four Collections is a selected variation of factual television episodes and series available on British video-on-demand service BBC iPlayer. The collections themselves primarily involve "experts" like Richard Osman, Janet Street-Porter and David Attenborough selecting various programmes from the BBC Archive to be made available on the iPlayer service. Every programme is marked with a short introduction marking the collection with BBC Four branding. Each collection has a particular theme like modern classical music, the British Army and interviews with famous figures. Some collections were established in 2012, more being added to the service until 2014. As of 2023, most of the content is still available on the iPlayer service, with some becoming unavailable due to rights or other reasons, like the Tim Westwood sexual assault allegations.
List of collections Only collections with a noted author (mentioned at the start of each programme) are included in this list. Expert Collection Year Programme Episode Title or Date Available (as of 2023) Mark Urban Army: A Very British Institution1968Breakaway5. "My Friends Think I'm Mad"rowspan="16"1990Everyman"A Game of Soldiers"1977In Her Majesty's Service6. Corporal of Horse Christopher Slater, The Life Guards Squadron of the Household Cavalry Regiment1989In the Highest TraditionN/A, 6-episode series1989Inside Out: Ticking with the Crow/The Officers' Mess N/A1960Meet the Red Devils: Parachute Regiment1985Moment of TruthEpisode 61969OmnibusMakers of the Queen's Music1975PanoramaSandhurst1983The ParasN/A, 7-episode series1977The RegimentN/ASilver JubileeReview of the British ArmyTrooping the ColourSilver Jubilee195219521974Tuesday DocumentaryThe Bomb Disposal Men1968Death or GlorySimon JenkinsLondon1987Open SpaceBad Meaning Good1975Going Places12rowspan="11"1964A City Crowned with GreenN/A1950The Debate Continues1946First-Year Flashbacks1999Inside StoryFish Tales1968One Pair of EyesGeorgia Brown: Who are the Cockneys Now?1956Special EnquiryA Girl Comes to London1960A House in BayswaterN/A1969How They Dug the Victoria Line1971Man AliveHyde Park1969I Love This Dirty Town N/A1985Ours to KeepIncomers1959After the BattleLondon - Ed Murrow Reportsrowspan="16"1957Eye To EyeLondon-New York1955Cities of EuropeLondon: We Live by the River1968ContrastsMarble Arch to Edgware1976Inside StoryThe Market1991Clive JamesPostcard from London1985Just Another DaySohoThe Tower of London1996Modern TimesStreetwise1967Three Swings on a PendulumN/A1985To the World's End: Scenes and Characters on a London Bus RouteClemency Burton-HillModern Classical Music2005Boulez at 80N/ABBC Proms 2005Michael Berkeley, Ben Britten & Vaughan Williams1964Celebrity RecitalBenjamin Britten and Peter Pears.2004John Cage Live at the BarbicanN/A1978Julian Bream MasterclassN/A, 5-episode series2001Music MastersStockhausenJohn Adamsrowspan="8"1968OmnibusDiaghilev: The Years Abroad2001''Philip Glass Concert: Live at the BarbicanN/A2013The Sound and the Fury in ConcertN/A, 3 episode series1964War RequiemN/AGary Boyd-HopeSteam Railways19684472 - Flying ScotsmanN/A1963Let's ImagineA Branch Line Railway with John Betjeman1975The World About UsThe Romance of Indian Railways1986Steam DaysN/A, 6 episode series1979The Rainhill Story: Stephenson's RocketN/A1988The Train Now DepartingN/A, 6 episode series1969Tuesday DocumentaryEngines Must Not Enter the Potato Sidingrowspan="87"1962In ViewMen of Steam1980The Past at WorkRailway Mania1980The Great Railway Cavalcade: Rocket 150 at RainhillN/A1977With a Fine Feeling for SteamRobin Lane FoxArchaeology at the BBC1956Animal, Vegetable, Mineral?3 May 195619581 October 19581960The Grandeur That Was RomeN/A, 3 episode series1958Armchair Voyage: Hellenic Cruise1974Sir Mortimer and MagnusN/A, 6 episode series1966ChronicleVikings in North AmericaThe Roman Goose March: The Holy Sailors1973The Ape Man That Never Was1954Buried TreasureStonehenge1956The Walls of Jericho1958King Solomon's Mines1957Mohenjo-daro1954The Peat Bog Murder MysteryJulian JosephBlues1985ArenaBlues Night (5-episode series)1979The Devil's Music (series 2)N/A, 4-episode series1972Sounding OutB.B. KingJanet Street-PorterPost-War Architecture1986Architecture at the CrossroadsDoubt and ReassessmentStop the BulldozerHouses Fit for People1988Building SightsSchlumberger BuildingByker WallAlexander Fleming House1989Janet Street-Porter1991Lloyd's BuildingTrellick TowerBoarbank Hall Oratory1996Canary WharfWorsley Medical BuildingHauer-King HouseHumber BridgeWood Street Police StationAlton EstateWillis Corroon1972Nairn Across BritainN/A, 3-episode series1969OmnibusThe More We Are Together1979Where We Live NowNew Town, Home TownDavid AttenboroughThe Early Years2013David Attenborough: The Early YearsN/A1963AdventureQuest under Capricorn (6-episode series)1965Zambezi (3 episodes)1961Zoo QuestTo Madagascar (5 episodes)1956for a Dragon (6 episodes)1955to West Africa1960The People of ParadiseFirst 5 episodes of 61969The Miracle of BaliN/A, 3-episode series1961Elsa the LionessN/AMichael ParkinsonTalk1959Face to FaceBertrand RussellDame Edith SitwellCarl Jung1960Stirling MossEvelyn WaughAdam Faith1961Martin Luther King1994Maya AngelouJeanette Winterson1995Lauren BacallKen Dodd1972ParkinsonDavid Niven1974Dr Jacob Bronowski1998Billy Connolly & David Attenborough1974The Frost InterviewDavid Frost interviews Muhammad AliBrian Clough2003Breakfast with FrostTony BlairDominique de Villepin2004Donald Rumsfeld1965Late Night Line-Up16 October 1965196620 November 1966Coco the ClownImtimations10. John le CarrePeople to WatchRonald Reagan1960MonitorHenry Moore1955In Town Tonight22 October 195529 October 1955PanoramaSalvador DalíEd MurrowPress ConferenceOrson Welles1982ArenaDesert Island Discs1963The Solitary Billionaire: J. Paul GettyN/A1971Daphne Du Maurier1984Wogan18 February 198425 December 198419879 November 19871970Personal ChoiceJane Fonda1956Picture ParadeJoan Crawfordrowspan="2"Adam CurtisAll American1972Alistair Cooke's AmericaThe First Impact1981ArenaChelsea Hotelrowspan="10"2004Searching for the Wrong-Eyed Jesus1999Close UpJackson Pollock: Love and Death on Long Island1965Inside America13. The Quiet Persuader1985OmnibusStud Terkel's Chicago1966PanoramaCalifornia 20002001TimewatchThe Empire State Story1967Whicker's WorldConflict in KentuckyRichard OsmanClassic Game Shows2000Friends Like These18 November 20001982Ask the Family2 November 19822009The Weakest Link27 January 20092001Big Break19 May 2001rowspan="2"1987Bob's Full House19 December 19871974What's My Line?19 January 1974rowspan="2"1999Call My Bluff19 November 19991966Quiz Ball22 December 1966rowspan="3"1954Animal, Vegetable, Mineral?28 October 1954Max HastingsThe Great War Interviews1960sThe Great War InterviewsN/A, 13-episode series
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