Channel 4 at 25
First on More4 Sept 2007; rpt Sat 27 Oct 9pm
In November 2007, Channel 4 Television celebrated its 25 birthday.
Told by the people who have shaped Channel 4's identity over the years – including Jon Snow, Michael Grade, Alan Bleasdale, and Jamie Oliver – Channel 4 at 25 is a witty, fast-paced, and at times unorthodox two-hour journey through one of the most exciting periods of British broadcasting and contemporary history.
This intelligent and occasionally irreverent doc explores how the fourth button on the remote control altered the broadcasting landscape beyond recognition.
Born in Thatcherism and having outlived Blairism, the film examines how Channel 4 has reflected and, on occasions, helped to shape the cultural, social and political landscape of our times.
From the first, and only, prime time sitcom with an all black cast in Desmond's, to the first pre-watershed lesbian kiss in Brookside, the film shows how the channel has broken boundaries and challenged social taboos.
Unlike traditional anniversary programmes, Channel 4 at 25 is a quietly celebratory, but not uncritical look at the broadcaster's defining moments, tackling the controversy that it has courted, or inadvertently created, head on.
