TV series

Omnibus

1967–2003 · 42 seasons

A calm, thoughtful Sunday-evening window into artists' lives and work, rewarding curiosity more than excitement.

Overview: Omnibus was an arts-based BBC television documentary series, broadcast mainly on BBC1 in the United Kingdom. The programme was the successor to the long-running arts-based series 'Monitor'. It ran from 1967 until 2003, usually being transmitted on Sunday evenings. During its 35-year history, the programme won 12 Bafta awards. Among the series' best remembered documentaries are Cracked Actor, a profile of David Bowie, and Rene Magritte, a graduate film by David Wheatley, 'Madonna: Behind the American dream', a film produced by Nadia Hagger, and a profile of the British film director Ridley Scott. For a season in 1982, the series was in a magazine format presented by Barry Norman. The series was replaced by 'Imagine' hosted by Alan Yentob.

In the UKNo streaming, rental or purchase options known.

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How it feels

Written by AI. It can be wrong.

Tone: earneststrength 2 of 3
warmstrength 1 of 3
melancholicstrength 1 of 3
Pacing: measured, 2 of 4, from slow-burn to relentless
Attention: engaged, 3 of 4, from background-friendly to demanding
Themes: art
music
celebrity
identity
media
Places: workplace
big city
Era: contemporary
Audience: adult
Form: documentary
anthology
true story
Content intensity: Gore none
Language mild
Violence none
Sex mild

All scales, 0 to 10

Scales, 0 to 10
Scale	Value	0 to 10
Action	1
Horror	0
Humour	3
Realism	9
Romance	2
Tension	2
Darkness	3
Complexity	5
Emotional weight	5

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Monitor

1958

A calm, civilised stroll through the arts with thoughtful interviews and elegant filmed profiles.

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Great Performances

1971

A curated stage-to-screen showcase that feels cultured and unhurried, rewarding attention with the craft of live performance.

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The South Bank Show

1978–2023

A calm, intelligent conversation that opens up art and culture without talking down to you.

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Timewatch

1982–2011

A sober, scholarly hour of history that rewards attention with archival footage and expert testimony rather than drama.

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Play for Today

1970–1985

A mixed bag of serious British stage plays on screen, often talky and socially minded, rewarding close attention but uneven from episode to episode.

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Horizon

1964

A sober, inquisitive look at science and philosophy that rewards curiosity with clear explanations and surprising depth.

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The Beatles Anthology

1995–2025

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40 Minutes

1981–1994

A mixed bag of British life in forty-minute slices, quietly observant and varied, rewarding curiosity more than momentum.

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One Pair of Eyes

1967–1984

A slow, thoughtful parade of personal essays, each voice earnest and opinionated, inviting you to sit with someone's convictions rather than a plot.

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Seven Ages of Rock

2007

A warm, knowledgeable stroll through rock history, full of talking heads and archive clips that rewards attention without ever feeling heavy.

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Where to watch in the UK

No UK streaming, rental or purchase options are known.

Streaming data from JustWatch.TMDB

Details

Genres: documentary
Created by: James Erskine, Kate Scholefield, Norman Stone, Chris Bould, Mischa Scorer, John Edginton
Written by: Ben McPherson, Don Taylor, Peter Adam, Jonathan Miller
Starring: Eric Burdon, Anthony Burgess, Donovan, George Harrison, Jimi Hendrix, Mick Jagger, John Lennon, Paul McCartney
Cinematography: John Wyatt, Philip Bonham-Carter
Length: 42 seasons, 784 episodes, 60 min each
Network: BBC One
Country: United Kingdom
Languages: English

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Omnibus

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Where to watch in the UK

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