40 Minutes

40min

Documentary

40 Minutes was a BBC TV documentary strand broadcast on BBC Two between 1981 and 1994. The documentaries could be on any possible subject, the only connection being that they last forty minutes. Some documentaries in the original series were revisited and updated in a 2006 version, Forty Minutes On.

Episodes

Cast

Rough Justice

1. Rough Justice

40min

1st Oct 1981

Portrait of a fractious Welsh village near Merthyr Tydfil.

Sister Genevieve

2. Sister Genevieve

40min

8th Oct 1981

Portrait of a Comprehensive School in the heart of the Falls Road, Belfast.

Hijack

3. Hijack

40min

15th Oct 1981

Story of a Hijack on Independence Day 1977 in New York.

Give Us the Vote

4. Give Us the Vote

40min

22nd Oct 1981

Test case for inmates of mental hospital to get the vote.

Lol: A Bona Queen of Fabularity

5. Lol: A Bona Queen of Fabularity

40min

29th Oct 1981

Life style of Quentin Crisp-esque 'Queen'.

Marathon Man

6. Marathon Man

40min

5th Nov 1981

Attempt to beat record run from John o' Groats to Land's End.

Rocky Circus

7. Rocky Circus

40min

12th Nov 1981

Gary Glitter stars in Gerry Cottle's Circus.

Gorilla G Gorilla

8. Gorilla G Gorilla

40min

19th Nov 1981

Gorilla N'Pongo gives birth to Kumi in Jersey Zoo.

The Harrisons Don't Go to School

9. The Harrisons Don't Go to School

40min

26th Nov 1981

Hereford family educating children at home.

Alison

10. Alison

40min

3rd Dec 1981

Spastic girl's struggle to live a normal life.

Sex, Drugs and the Vicar

11. Sex, Drugs and the Vicar

10th Dec 1981

Backstage at the News of the World.

Children's Parties

12. Children's Parties

40min

17th Dec 1981

An anthology of various children's parties.

The Great Cover-up

13. The Great Cover-up

40min

14th Jan 1982

The bald facts revealed: What men will do to counter hair loss.

Brighton or Bust

14. Brighton or Bust

40min

21st Jan 1982

The London to Brighton vintage car rally.

The Last Resort

15. The Last Resort

40min

28th Jan 1982

Glenthorne high security prison for youngsters.

The George Formby Story

16. The George Formby Story

40min

4th Feb 1982

Biopic of renowned comedian and ukulelist.

Burgled

17. Burgled

40min

11th Feb 1982

Burglary - Britain's fastest growing industry.

Bomber and Brendan

18. Bomber and Brendan

40min

18th Feb 1982

Sheffield's Herol 'Bomber' Graham and Brendan Ingle his trainer in bid for boxing glory.

Mutiny

19. Mutiny

40min

25th Feb 1982

1943 Mutiny of British soldiers in Salerno.

Saved in the Nick of Time

20. Saved in the Nick of Time

40min

4th Mar 1982

Artefacts saved from demolished buildings.

Birth Reborn

21. Birth Reborn

40min

11th Mar 1982

Michel Odent and 'natural' childbirth at his clinic in Pithiviers France

Hunt Saboteurs

22. Hunt Saboteurs

40min

18th Mar 1982

Cameras follow shock troops of anti-hunt demonstrators disrupting hunt.

Heart Transplant

23. Heart Transplant

40min

25th Mar 1982

Magdi Yacoub and his surgical team at work at Harefield Hospital.

Heart Transplant: 2 - A Fight for Life

24. Heart Transplant: 2 - A Fight for Life

40min

1st Apr 1982

Heart Transplant: 3

25. Heart Transplant: 3

40min

8th Apr 1982

Heart Transplant: 4 - Bruce Anderson, New Heart

26. Heart Transplant: 4 - Bruce Anderson, New Heart

40min

15th Apr 1982

Heart Transplant: 5 - Recovery

27. Heart Transplant: 5 - Recovery

40min

22nd Apr 1982

Heart Transplant: 6 - A Matter of Life and Death

28. Heart Transplant: 6 - A Matter of Life and Death

40min

29th Apr 1982

Heart Transplant: 7

29. Heart Transplant: 7

40min

6th May 1982

First air date

1st Oct 1981

Last air date

19th Apr 1994

Status

Ended

Type

Documentary

Original language

en

Networks