In 1984, Britain stood on the brink of massive change. The way people made, and spent, money was changing, the era of the yuppy was arriving. It was a vibrant, fluid, controversial time of change. And in the midst of it all was the Thatcher revolution, and the miners' strike. In March 1984, the government announced plans to close 20 coalmines, with the loss of 20,000 jobs. National Union of Mineworkers leader Arthur Scargill led his workers out on strike.
This documentary uses extensive archive footage and the recollections of an eclectic mix of the key players from both camps, including politicians, policemen, comedians, pop stars and, of course, miners and their wives, to recount the events of this unique and formative period in modern domestic history: the year Britain went to war.
-
-
Sat 20 Jun 2009
In 1984, Britain stood on the brink of massive change. The way people made, and spent, money was changing, the era of…
- This programme has episodes with subtitles available.
-
MORE:
-
The Battle for Barking
1 Episode
Laura Fairrie's film records the battle between Labour's Margaret Hodge and BNP leader Nick Griffin in the London borough of Barking during this year's election
-
Commando
4 Episodes
This four-part series tells the true story of Churchill's band of brothers - an unorthodox mix of misfits and buccaneers who operated outside the normal rules of warfare
-
Apocalypse: The Second World War
6 Episodes
The story of World War II, told in painstakingly digitally colourised and evocative footage, and through the personal testimony of those who were there
-
Fighting on the Frontline
3 Episodes
With unprecedented access to Britain's armed forces, this series allows troops to reveal the inside story of what it's really like fighting on a tour of duty in Afghanistan today
-
Britain's Supreme Court
1 Episode
True Stories goes behind the scenes of Britain's new Supreme Court, where the country's top judges hear high-profile cases that will shape the nature of our society
-
Richard Wilson on Hold
1 Episode
From telephone car parking payment systems to supermarket self-service tills, Richard Wilson investigates the rise of automated services across Britain and puts the machines to the test
-
Inside Nature's Giants
7 Episodes
The award-winning series that gets under the skin of the largest animals on the planet. Most wildlife documentaries show how animals behave, but by exploring their anatomy, Inside Nature's Giants reveals how these creatures really work.
-
Coppers
4 Episodes
Filmed across Britain, from inner cities to country beats, Coppers reveals what the police are up against every day of their working lives
-
The Big C
4 Episodes
US drama series The Big C follows reserved suburban wife and mother Cathy Jamison, who vows to dramatically shake up her life after she is diagnosed with terminal cancer
-
Google Baby
1 Episode
An Israeli entrepreneur is proposing a new service: pregnancy producing. His customers can select sperm and eggs online, with surrogacy outsourced to India. But what are the ethical and moral implications?
-
A Bipolar Expedition
1 Episode
Paul Downes, a successful businessman with bipolar disorder, invites 12 Ukrainian women to join him at a castle in Jamaica, hoping that one of them can be persuaded to marry him
-
Britain's Supreme Court
1 Episode
True Stories goes behind the scenes of Britain's new Supreme Court, where the country's top judges hear high-profile cases that will shape the nature of our society
-
Bodysnatchers of New York
1 Episode
The chilling story of New York surgeon Dr Michael Mastromarino, who illegally carved up hundreds of corpses without permission before selling the bones and tissue on for transplants
-
The Nurture Room
1 Episode
Filmed over a year, this documentary follows three troubled Glasgow schoolchildren on a journey to recapture their childhood
-
Dolphin Boy
1 Episode
The story of a young man suffering from severe post-traumatic stress disorder, and his last chance of recovery, using dolphin-assisted therapy
-
The Ancient World with Bettany Hughes
6 Episodes
A new film about Alexandria provides the centrepiece of Bettany Hughes' definitive history of the ancient world and classical civilisation
