Arena is the BBC's premier arts and culture documentary showcase. More than 600 films by some of the world's greatest directors have been featured—from profiles of cultural icons like Bob Dylan, Salman Rushdie, and Orson Welles to explorations of more esoteric topics like the Ford Cortina, New York's Chelsea Hotel, and subcultures from the Caribbean to China. Originally conceived as a weekly magazine-style show in 1975 with three "strands"—Art & Design, Theatre, and Cinema—it transitioned to feature-length movies in 1979.
| Season | From | To | Episodes |
|---|---|---|---|
| All Seasons | |||
| Specials | November 1988 | November 2015 | 22 |
| Season 1975 | October 1975 | December 1975 | 12 |
| Season 1976 | January 1976 | December 1976 | 34 |
| Season 1977 | January 1977 | December 1977 | 47 |
| Season 1978 | January 1978 | December 1978 | 28 |
| Season 1979 | January 1979 | September 1979 | 29 |
| Season 1980 | January 1980 | December 1980 | 21 |
| Season 1981 | January 1981 | December 1981 | 25 |
| Season 1982 | January 1982 | December 1982 | 22 |
| Season 1983 | January 1983 | December 1983 | 19 |
| Season 1984 | January 1984 | December 1984 | 28 |
| Season 1985 | February 1985 | December 1985 | 25 |
| Season 1986 | January 1986 | June 1996 | 24 |
| Season 1987 | January 1987 | December 1987 | 22 |
| Season 1988 | January 1988 | December 1988 | 17 |
| Season 1989 | January 1989 | December 1989 | 26 |
| Season 1990 | January 1990 | December 1990 | 34 |
| Season 1991 | January 1991 | October 1991 | 16 |
| Season 1992 | January 1992 | December 1992 | 20 |
| Season 1993 | January 1993 | May 1993 | 21 |
| Season 1994 | January 1994 | August 1994 | 18 |
| Season 1995 | February 1995 | August 1995 | 4 |
| Season 1996 | January 1996 | December 1996 | 4 |
| Season 1997 | January 1997 | December 1997 | 7 |
| Season 1998 | April 1998 | December 1998 | 6 |
| Season 1999 | January 1999 | December 1999 | 12 |
| Season 2000 | January 2000 | December 2000 | 5 |
| Season 2001 | May 2001 | December 2001 | 13 |
| Season 2002 | May 2002 | December 2002 | 10 |
| Season 2003 | January 2003 | December 2003 | 9 |
| Season 2004 | May 2004 | December 2004 | 5 |
| Season 2005 | January 2005 | December 2005 | 12 |
| Season 2006 | November 2006 | December 2006 | 2 |
| Season 2007 | January 2007 | December 2007 | 13 |
| Season 2008 | April 2008 | December 2008 | 9 |
| Season 2009 | February 2009 | June 2009 | 3 |
| Season 2010 | January 2010 | December 2010 | 5 |
| Season 2011 | April 2011 | November 2011 | 3 |
| Season 2012 | January 2012 | December 2012 | 10 |
| Season 2013 | April 2013 | October 2013 | 3 |
| Season 2014 | March 2014 | June 2014 | 3 |
| Season 2015 | June 2015 | November 2015 | 2 |
| Season 2016 | March 2016 | October 2016 | 4 |
| Season 2017 | February 2017 | June 2017 | 5 |
| Season 2018 | February 2018 | November 2018 | 4 |
| Season 2019 | April 2019 | December 2019 | 10 |
| Season 2020 | March 2020 | November 2020 | 5 |
| Season 2021 | March 2021 | November 2021 | 7 |
| Season 2022 | February 2022 | November 2022 | 5 |
| Season 2023 | April 2023 | December 2023 | 8 |
| Unassigned Episodes | 17 |
| Season | From | To | Episodes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Specials | 0 | ||
| Unassigned Episodes | 715 |
| Season | From | To | Episodes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Season 1 | 0 | ||
| Unassigned Episodes | 715 |
No actors for this record.
| Name | Number of Episodes | Dates | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Anthony Wall | 24 | 02/13/1980 - 10/23/2016 | |
| Nigel Finch | 10 | 03/22/1978 - 01/31/1992 | |
| Bernard MacMahon | 7 | 05/21/2017 - 06/09/2017 | |
| Adam Low | 7 | 04/20/1987 - 03/17/2012 | |
| Martin Scorsese | 6 | 05/20/2011 - 11/13/2011 | |
| David Thompson | 6 | 07/13/2007 - 04/24/2016 | |
| Mary Dickinson | 5 | 03/25/1988 - 12/19/2003 | |
| Mike Dibb | 5 | 07/28/1985 - 10/31/2021 | |
| Nicola Roberts | 4 | 10/06/2007 - 02/10/2017 | |
| Alan Yentob | 4 | 01/18/1978 - 11/02/1984 | |
| Nigel Williams | 4 | 01/17/1981 - 12/25/2005 | |
| Gisela Grischow | 3 | 01/23/1992 - 01/25/1992 | |
| Jana Bokova | 3 | 03/04/1988 - 04/15/1990 | |
| Volker Schlöndorff | 3 | 01/23/1992 - 01/25/1992 | |
| Helen Gallacher | 3 | 02/20/1987 - 04/07/1989 | |
| Rachel Maclean | 3 | 11/04/2018 | |
| Francis Hanly | 3 | 04/25/2011 - 10/06/2012 | |
| Judy Marle | 2 | 09/29/1979 - 03/31/1989 | |
| Dennis Marks | 2 | 03/21/1981 - 08/16/1981 | |
| Zimena Percival | 2 | 07/19/2008 - 07/26/2008 | |
| Heather Lenz | 2 | 09/01/2019 | |
| Vikram Jayanti | 2 | 10/25/2008 - 03/18/2016 | |
| Debbie Geller | 2 | 02/24/1989 - 01/29/1993 | |
| Paul Tickell | 2 | 07/24/2016 | |
| Charles Pattinson | 2 | 01/22/1988 - 01/13/1989 | |
| Charles Chabot | 2 | 05/02/1981 - 02/17/2012 | |
| Caroline Catz | 2 | 05/16/2021 | |
| Kate Meynell | 2 | 04/10/1987 - 03/27/1992 | |
| Georg Stefan Troller | 2 | 12/18/1987 - 02/03/1989 | |
| Gavin Millar | 2 | 03/14/1981 - 11/17/1981 | |
| Daniel Vernon | 2 | 11/04/2019 - 05/18/2020 | |
| Alan Lewens | 2 | 11/30/1982 - 12/23/1988 | |
| Murray Lerner | 1 | 10/14/2007 | |
| Amir Amirani | 1 | 05/13/2001 | |
| Jane Price | 1 | 09/26/2005 | |
| Paul Lee | 1 | 01/08/1988 | |
| Udayan Prasad | 1 | 12/04/1987 | |
| Randall Wright | 1 | 12/25/2012 | |
| Caroline Tisdall | 1 | 06/06/1987 | |
| Rosemary WIlton | 1 | 03/07/1981 | |
| Howard Brookner | 1 | 02/22/1983 | |
| Roger Michell | 1 | 06/02/2018 | |
| Bruce Ricker | 1 | 12/03/2010 | |
| Geoff Cox | 1 | 11/21/2021 | |
| Ian Rickson | 1 | 12/24/2010 | |
| Peter Lydon | 1 | 03/01/1991 | |
| Dick Fontaine | 1 | 02/17/2012 | |
| Ian Potts | 1 | 03/20/1987 | |
| Jonathan Miller | 1 | 02/05/1988 | |
| Jill Evans | 1 | 02/17/1989 | |
| Rick Gardner | 1 | 12/23/1983 | |
| Gina Newson | 1 | 11/03/1981 | |
| Alex Jones | 1 | 11/22/2015 | |
| Jane Bywaters | 1 | 09/26/2005 | |
| Maurice Linnane | 1 | 07/23/2012 | |
| Jeff Perks | 1 | 02/26/1979 | |
| Peter West | 1 | 05/16/1981 | |
| Carol Bell | 1 | 02/21/1981 | |
| Harley Cokeliss | 1 | 07/27/1985 | |
| Jennifer Lebeau | 1 | 03/30/2018 | |
| Kristina Lindström | 1 | 02/13/2022 | |
| Eddie Hutton-Mills | 1 | 11/27/2022 | |
| Andy Haries | 1 | 02/06/1987 | |
| Raoul Peck | 1 | 06/20/2020 | |
| Andrew Douglas | 1 | 07/09/2004 | |
| Chris Austin | 1 | 02/27/1987 | |
| Christine Pearce | 1 | 01/27/1989 | |
| Rob Walker | 1 | 12/09/1988 | |
| Nigel French | 1 | 04/04/1981 | |
| Georg Misch | 1 | 02/12/2005 | |
| Margy Kinmonth | 1 | 12/09/2004 | |
| Ted Clisby | 1 | 01/22/1979 | |
| Andrew Starke | 1 | 11/21/2021 | |
| Andrew Eaton | 1 | 12/16/1988 | |
| Fisher Dilke | 1 | 01/19/1990 | |
| Tristram Powell | 1 | 12/08/1981 | |
| Morgan Neville | 1 | 02/05/2005 | |
| Chuck Workman | 1 | 05/28/2001 | |
| Alex Marengo | 1 | 11/20/1987 | |
| Gerry Pomeroy | 1 | 01/23/1987 | |
| Gillian Wearing | 1 | 11/10/2019 | |
| Kristian Petri | 1 | 02/13/2022 | |
| Vivian Kubrick | 1 | 10/04/1980 | |
| Rosemary Bowen-Jones | 1 | 01/16/1987 | |
| Hrafnhildur Gunnarsdóttir | 1 | 11/28/2021 | |
| Bennett Maxwell | 1 | 03/28/1981 | |
| Martin Rosenbaum | 1 | 12/24/2010 | |
| Nigel Smith | 1 | 11/25/1988 | |
| Michael MacIntrye | 1 | 04/03/1987 | |
| Biyi Bandele | 1 | 11/21/2020 | |
| James Marsh | 1 | 07/02/2000 | |
| John Byrne | 1 | 04/01/1988 |
| Name | Number of Episodes | Dates | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Duke Erikson | 3 | 05/21/2017 - 06/09/2017 | |
| Jon Savage | 3 | 02/13/1980 - 07/24/2016 | |
| Philip Hoare | 3 | 12/18/1993 | |
| B.B. King | 3 | 07/27/1985 | |
| Allison McGourty | 3 | 05/21/2017 - 06/09/2017 | |
| Adrian Wootton | 2 | 04/24/2016 | |
| Studs Terkel | 2 | 07/28/1985 | |
| Robert Redford | 2 | 05/28/2017 - 06/04/2017 | |
| John Walters | 2 | 07/27/1985 | |
| George Melly | 2 | 01/18/1978 | |
| Jim White | 2 | 07/09/2004 | |
| Harold Pinter | 1 | 12/24/2010 | |
| Steve Haisman | 1 | 07/09/2004 | |
| Arthur Miller | 1 | 01/18/1991 | |
| Dilly Barlow | 1 | 06/28/2015 | |
| John Read | 1 | 09/07/1986 | |
| James Baldwin | 1 | 06/20/2020 |
| Name | Number of Episodes | Dates | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Phil Everly | 1 | 12/23/1983 | |
| Don Everly | 1 | 12/23/1983 |
| Name | Number of Episodes | Dates | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Natasha Dack Ojumu | 1 | 11/27/2022 | |
| Stephanie Bennett | 1 | 12/23/1983 |
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No lists.
The BFI TV 100 is a list of 100 television programmes or series that was compiled in 2000 by the British Film Institute (BFI), as chosen by a poll of industry professionals, with the aim to determine the best British television programmes of any genre that had been screened up to that time.
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