• Air date: 26 Jun '12 6 episodes
      Imagine is a wide ranging arts series first broadcast on BBC One in 2003, hosted and executive produced by Alan Yentob. Each series usually consists of 4 to 7 episodes, each on a different topic. Episodes have been directed by, among others, Geoff Wonfor, Lucy Blakstead, Roger Parsons and Zoë Silver.
  • List of Episodes (6)
    • 1. Theatre of War

      26 Jun '12
      From rehearsal room to triumphant performance, imagine... follows the extraordinary theatrical production of The Two Worlds of Charlie F. Professional front line soldiers, all of whom have sustained injury ranging from amputation to post traumatic stress, join forces with a professional theatre company to help write, rehearse and perform a play based on their experiences of war in the killing fields of Afghanistan. What happened when they swapped the theatre of war for the London stage?
    • 2. Paul Simon's Graceland - Under African Skies

      03 Jul '12
      Paul Simon's Graceland album is one of his greatest achievements - a brilliant fusion of African rhythms and western pop which became a global phenomenon. It also proved hugely controversial, as Simon broke the UN-backed cultural boycott of a country still under the grip of apartheid. Joe Berlinger's film captures Simon's return to South Africa 25 years on and contrasts the value of individual artistic expression versus collective political action as instruments of change. Did Paul Simon's uniq
    • 3. Just One Falsetto

      10 Jul '12
      From the Beach Boys to Queen and Jeff Buckley, falsetto singing has a long and distinguished presence in all types of music, one that continues to fascinate and enthral audiences. Alan Yentob delves into the world of falsetto singing, the high-pitched vocal range sung by men that comes closer to the female voice, and discovers why falsetto can express emotions that could not otherwise be achieved. With contributors including Frankie Valli, Brian May, Philip Bailey from Earth, Wind and Fire and H
    • 4. Glasgow: The Grit and the Glamour

      17 Jul '12
      imagine... explores the story of a group of artists and curators who stormed the international art world and turned their home city of Glasgow into a global capital for contemporary art. Amongst the artists Alan Yentob encounters are 2011 Turner Prize-winner Martin Boyce, as well as previous winners Douglas Gordon, Simon Starling and Richard Wright, to tell the story of a city now as famed for its contemporary art as it was for its shipbuilding.
    • 5. Dancing with Titian

      24 Jul '12
      With three of Titian's mythological paintings of the goddess Diana being shown together for the first time at the National Gallery, Alan is behind the scenes of a collaboration with the Royal Ballet. He talks to the creative team transforming the works into contemporary dance.
    • 6. Ian Rankin and the Case of the Disappearing Detective

      06 Nov '12
      The show follows Ian Rankin’s creative process, beginning in December 2011 with a trawl through hisnotes, newspaper clippings and story ideas scribbled on the back of napkins. It also features intimate video diary footage as we see him wrestle with his demons and various unfolding plots.