Great Lives Episodes Episode guide
-
Eliza Carthy on Caroline Norton
Eliza Carthy chooses Caroline Norton who campaigned for women in the 19th-century.
-
Maureen Lipman on Dame Cicely Saunders
Maureen Lipman champions the life of hospice campaigner Dame Cicely Saunders.
-
Tony Hawks on Marshall Rosenberg
The life of the creator of nonviolent communication Marshall Rosenber, with Matthew Parris
-
Dag Hammarskjold
Matthew Parris on the life and death of Dag Hammarskjold
-
Sara Pascoe on Virginia Woolf
Sara Pascoe champions Virginia Woolf, author of 'Mrs Dalloway' and 'A Room of One's Own'.
-
Alex Salmond on Thomas Muir
Alex Salmond chooses Thomas Muir, whom he describes as the father of Scottish democracy.
-
Hilary Devey on Gracie Fields
The life of Dame Gracie Fields is championed by Hilary Devey. From 2016.
-
Frank Turner on Joseph Grimaldi
Frank Turner chooses Joseph Grimaldi who changed the face of Clowning forever.
-
George Fox
George Fox, founder of the Quakers, nominated by Ann Limb
-
Charles Moore on Gordon Hamilton-Fairley
Cancer pioneer Gordon Hamilton-Fairley, killed by an IRA bomb when he was just 45.
-
Richard the Lionheart
Timmy Mallett chooses Richard the Lionheart. With Helen Castor and Matthew Parris.
-
Graeme Lamb on Christine Granville
Lt-Gen Sir Graeme Lamb champions wartime spy Christine Granville. Matthew Parris chairs
-
Sudha Bhuchar chooses the life of Zohra Sehgal
Playwright and actress Sudha Bhuchar nominates the life of actor Zohra Sehgal.
-
Ray Peacock chooses the life of Lenny Bruce
Comedian Ray Peacock nominates the controversial life of Lenny Bruce.
-
Nancy Dell'Olio chooses the life of Lucrezia Borgia
Nancy Dell'Olio champions the much maligned Lucrezia Borgia.
-
Alfred Hitchcock
Anthony Horowitz champions the life of Alfred Hitchcock.
-
Eliza Manningham-Buller chooses Abraham Lincoln
Eliza Manningham-Buller on why she regards Abraham Lincoln as a great life.
-
Nitin Sawhney on Jeff Buckley
Nitin Sawhney champions the life of American singer-songwriter Jeff Buckley
-
Susan Calman on Molly Weir
Comedian Susan Calman chooses the life of actress Molly Weir.
-
Martin Jennings on Charles Sargeant Jagger
Martin Jennings nominates the British sculptor Charles Sargeant Jagger.
-
Precious Lunga chooses Wangari Maathai
Matthew Parris explores the remarkable life of Professor Wangari Maathai.
-
Alvin Hall chooses James Baldwin
Matthew Parris meets financial guru Alvin Hall, whose hero is James Baldwin.
-
Roger Saul chooses Gertrude Jekyll
Fashion designer Roger Saul chooses garden designer Gertrude Jekyll
-
Dickie Bird on the life of Sir Leonard Hutton
Dickie Bird champions his hero Sir Leonard Hutton.
-
Toyah Willcox on Katharine Hepburn
Toyah Willcox nominates her hero Katharine Hepburn who she met and worked with.
-
Nick Stadlen on Bram Fischer
Nick Stadlen champions the life of the Afrikaner Revolutionary Bram Fischer.
-
Hannah Rothschild on Thelonious Monk
Hannah Rothschild looks back at the life of jazz musician Thelonious Monk.
-
George Sand
Mary Kenny nominates the 19th-century French novelist.
-
Frances Crook on Barbara Castle
Frances Crook proposes Labour politician Barbara Castle. Roy Hattersley is witness
-
Genghis Khan
American commentator Joe Queenan chooses the Mongol leader Genghis Khan.