Broadcast Programmes

The Open University works with broadcasters such as the BBC to produce television and radio series such as 'Frozen Planet', 'Wartime Farm' and 'Child of Our Time'. The archive collection of these broadcasts includes the programmes and related documentation, such as transcripts, where available. The OU Digital Archive collection of broadcast programmes includes a small sample of the archive. The collection will grow as more content is added.

Image of Broadcast Programmes
Thumbnail Title Description Date
video record for Olympic dreams : Series 2, programme 2: Making the Olympic Dream Olympic dreams : Series 2, programme 2: Making the Olympic DreamThe programme looks at the training regimes and experiences of three olympic hopefuls in the fields...
video record for Olympic dreams : Series 2, programme 3: Last Coach to Beijing Olympic dreams : Series 2, programme 3: Last Coach to BeijingThe programme follows the journey of Olympic hopefuls through the tough selection processes for the...
video record for Olympic dreams : Series 2, programme 4: The Race for Selection Olympic dreams : Series 2, programme 4: The Race for SelectionThe programme looks at the training regimes of Olympic hopefuls in rowing, diving and the...
video record for Bang goes the theory : series 8 episode 8 Bang goes the theory : series 8 episode 8Hurricanes, floods, earthquakes, wars - all can trigger not just thousands of casualties and...
video record for Bang goes the theory : series 8 episode 1 Bang goes the theory : series 8 episode 1Presenters Jem Stansfield, Liz Bonnin and Maggie Philbin investigate how close Britain might get to...
video record for Bang goes the theory : series 8 episode 3 Bang goes the theory : series 8 episode 3We are living through a revolution that is bigger than the world wide web. The technology we are...
video record for Bang goes the theory : series 8 episode 4 Bang goes the theory : series 8 episode 4The good news that we are living longer brings with it the bad news that many of us will suffer the...
video record for Bang goes the theory : series 8 episode 5 Bang goes the theory : series 8 episode 5We have got used to hearing scare stories about strange strains of flu with names like H1N1, but is...
video record for Bang goes the theory : series 8 episode 6 Bang goes the theory : series 8 episode 6With the waters receding, Bang Goes the Theory takes a more considered look at the recent floods....
video record for Bang goes the theory : series 8 episode 7 Bang goes the theory : series 8 episode 7HS2 may be the most exciting news in the world of railways, but by the time it is built the...
video record for Bang goes the theory : series 8 episode 2 Bang goes the theory : series 8 episode 2It is 60 years since a British doctor first made the link between smoking and lung cancer, and now...
video record for Everyday miracles : the genius of sofas, stockings and scanners : episode 1 - Home Everyday miracles : the genius of sofas, stockings and scanners : episode 1 - HomeProfessor Mark Miodownik shows us what is so great about stuff. All the things of modern life...
video record for Everyday miracles : the genius of sofas, stockings and scanners : episode 2 - Away Everyday miracles : the genius of sofas, stockings and scanners : episode 2 - AwayProfessor Mark Miodownik concludes his odyssey of the stuff of modern life. This time he looks at...
video record for Charles Darwin and the tree of life Charles Darwin and the tree of life"In this one-hour special, Sir David Attenborough asks three key questions: How, and why, did...
video record for The five billion pound super sewer The five billion pound super sewer London's Victorian sewer network is at bursting point. Its tunnels are regularly pushed past...
video record for The five billion pound super sewer The five billion pound super sewer London's Victorian sewer network is at bursting point, and now a huge engineering project is...
video record for The five billion pound super sewer The five billion pound super sewerLondon's Victorian sewer network is at bursting point, and now a huge engineering project is...
video record for First contact First contactIn the 15th and 16th centuries distant and disparate cultures met, often for the first time. These...
video record for Radiance Radiance
video record for The cult of progress The cult of progressIf David Olusoga's first film in Civilisations is about the art that followed and reflected early...
video record for The vital spark The vital sparkSimon Schama begins Civilisations with this premise: that it is in art - the play of the creative...
video record for The secret history of our streets : series 2 episode 1 - The Moray Estate, Edinburgh The secret history of our streets : series 2 episode 1 - The Moray Estate, EdinburghBBC Two's multi-award-winning Secret History of Our Streets told the story of six London streets,...
video record for The secret history of our streets : series 2 episode 2 - Duke Street, Glasgow The secret history of our streets : series 2 episode 2 - Duke Street, GlasgowBBC Two's multi-award-winning Secret History of Our Streets told the story of six London streets,...
video record for The secret history of our streets : series 2 episode 3 - The Fittie Squares, Aberdeen The secret history of our streets : series 2 episode 3 - The Fittie Squares, AberdeenBBC Two's multi-award-winning Secret History of Our Streets told the story of six London streets,...
video record for Hidden histories: Britain's oldest family businesses : episode 1 - Balson the butcher Hidden histories: Britain's oldest family businesses : episode 1 - Balson the butcherThe first of three documentaries following the bosses of some Britain's oldest family businesses as...
video record for Hidden histories: Britain's oldest family businesses : episode 2 - Toye the medal maker Hidden histories: Britain's oldest family businesses : episode 2 - Toye the medal makerFiona Toye married into a family that has been making regalia for generations, including OBEs for...
video record for Hidden histories: Britain's oldest family businesses : episode 3 - Durtnell the builder Hidden histories: Britain's oldest family businesses : episode 3 - Durtnell the builderAlex Durtnell's family have been builders for over 400 years. We follow Alex as he travels back...
video record for The people vs the NHS - who gets the drugs? The people vs the NHS - who gets the drugs?PrEP is a drug that experts believe could end the HIV and AIDS epidemic. But in 2016 the NHS, after...
video record for Inventing the impossible Inventing the impossibleA team of inventors attempt to change the lives of three inspiring people with very different...
video record for Inventing the impossible Inventing the impossible A team of inventors attempt to change the lives of three inspiring people with very different...
video record for Inventing the impossible Inventing the impossibleIn this episode, the fixers take on three more challenges to change lives, including one of their...
video record for Shock and awe - the story of electricity : 1. Spark Shock and awe - the story of electricity : 1. SparkUntil fairly recently, electricity was seen as a magical power, but it is now the lifeblood of the...
video record for Shock and awe - the story of electricity : 2. The age of invention Shock and awe - the story of electricity : 2. The age of inventionUntil fairly recently, electricity was seen as a magical power, but it is now the lifeblood of the...
video record for Shock and awe - the story of electricity : 3. Revelations and revolutions Shock and awe - the story of electricity : 3. Revelations and revolutionsUntil fairly recently, electricity was seen as a magical power, but it is now the lifeblood of the...
video record for The fantastic Mr Feynman The fantastic Mr FeynmanRichard Feynman is one of the most iconic, influential and inspiring scientists of the 20th...
video record for The market : 1. The fish market: inside Billingsgate The market : 1. The fish market: inside BillingsgateSmithfield, Billingsgate and New Spitalfields are the great markets of Britain. This series looks...
video record for The market : 2. The meat market: inside Smithfields The market : 2. The meat market: inside SmithfieldsSmithfield, Billingsgate and New Spitalfields are the great markets of Britain. This series looks...
video record for The market : 3. The fruit and veg market: inside Spitalfields The market : 3. The fruit and veg market: inside SpitalfieldsSmithfield, Billingsgate and New Spitalfields are the great markets of Britain. This series looks...
video record for The Challenger The ChallengerWhen the Space Shuttle Challenger blew up in 1986, it was the most shocking event in the history of...
video record for Knowing better : Degrees of success Knowing better : Degrees of successAnglia Television/Channel 5 series Wideworld.;N.B. this series consists of a re-versioning of OU...
video record for Bang goes the theory : series 6 episode 1 Bang goes the theory : series 6 episode 1The team investigates why petrol costs so much, and whether we can use science to make fuel for...
video record for Bang goes the theory : series 6 episode 2 Bang goes the theory : series 6 episode 2The team asks whether modern life is damaging our ears. Dallas explores how safety-conscious...
video record for Bang goes the theory : series 6 episode 3 Bang goes the theory : series 6 episode 3Liz finds out how safe digital storage formats such as DVDs and memory sticks are, and whether the...
video record for Bang goes the theory : series 6 episode 4 Bang goes the theory : series 6 episode 4Dallas finds out how crowds can co-operate subconsciously, Liz sees how architects control the flow...
video record for Bang goes the theory : series 6 episode 5 Bang goes the theory : series 6 episode 5The team reveals how life surrounded by wireless signals affects us. Twenty-six years after his...
video record for Bang goes the theory : series 6 episode 6 Bang goes the theory : series 6 episode 6Jem dreams of flying under his own power by pedalling a homemade plane into the air. He sets out to...
video record for Bang goes the theory : series 6 episode 7 Bang goes the theory : series 6 episode 7The team looks at some of the biggest travel nightmares. Liz investigates what causes traffic jams,...
video record for Bang goes the theory : series 6 episode 8 Bang goes the theory : series 6 episode 8The team sets out to discover what is behind our special relationship with dogs. In Austria, Liz...
video record for Stargazing live 3 : programme 1 Stargazing live 3 : programme 1Professor Brian Cox and comedian Dara O'Briain celebrate the wonder of our amazing night sky. They...
video record for Stargazing live 3 : programme 2 Stargazing live 3 : programme 2Professor Brian Cox and comedian Dara O'Briain tell us the history of the universe by looking deep...