Talking Pictures

A look back at television appearances by legends of the silver screen, using archive footage to tell the story of their lives and careers.

1. 

   E1. Spartacus

   Jun 5, 2025 · 43m

   Celia Imrie tells the story of the 1960 epic Spartacus, starring Kirk Douglas, revealing how the film, which was then the most expensive of all time, made it onto the big screen.

2. 

   E2. The Silence of the Lambs

   Aug 21, 2025 · 43m

   Celia Imrie takes a trip through the BBC archives on a forensic examination of one of cinema’s most frightening franchises, The Silence of the Lambs.

3. 

   E3. The Godfather Trilogy

   Aug 28, 2025 · 44m

   Celia Imrie explores the story behind Francis Ford Coppola’s acclaimed Godfather series, featuring insights from cast members Al Pacino, Robert De Niro, James Caan, Robert Duvall and Coppola himself.

4. 

   E4. Psycho

   Dec 11, 2025 · 38m

   Celia Imrie takes a journey in the BBC’s archives to tell the story of one of the most acclaimed films of all time, Alfred Hitchcock’s groundbreaking 1960 horror, Psycho.

5. 

   E5. Jaws

   Dec 31, 2025 · 43m

   Celia Imrie dives into the BBC’s archives to tell the behind-the-scenes story of Steven Spielberg’s classic aquatic horror, Jaws. It had arrived in cinemas with the warning slogan 'Don’t go in the water', but the team from the BBC’s Film 74 had already got in early, capturing the first days of shooting and filming revealing interviews with the young director, his cast and crew. These gems are combined with later archive moments that explore the entire Jaws phenomenon and its many sequels to produce a Talking Pictures that comes with extra bite.

6. 

   E6. Bonnie And Clyde

   Feb 19, 2026 · 28m

   Celia Imrie tells the story behind one of the most groundbreaking and influential films of the sixties, 1967's Bonnie And Clyde.