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Peter Capaldi as Dr Who, new Star Wars, US poet Ben Lerner and E R Braithwaite

Samira Ahmed talks to Peter Capaldi about the Dr Who Christmas special; Rogue One reviewed; US poet Ben Lerner; E R Braithwaite, who wrote To Sir With Love.

Peter Capaldi tells Samira Ahmed what it's like for a young sci-fi fan to regenerate as one of his heroes - he's Dr Who in the Christmas Special. He touches, too, on another doctor, Martin Tucker, the eloquently foul-mouthed spin man in The Thick of it.

Rogue One is a new Star Wars story that goes back before the beginning. It's a prequel to the original 1977 block-buster. Lots of familiar archetypes, a C3PO-type droid, Darth Vader himself and storming troops of Stormtroopers. But is it adequately Force-full? Critic Catherine Bray considers.

Ben Lerner recently wrote a monograph, The Hatred of Poetry, in which he questions why there is such anxiety and embarrassment about the art, and so reveals his love of it. Now he has published, No Art, which brings together his many poems old and new. He explains that in a world of Trump, climate change and poverty, poetry is as important as ever.

E.R. Braithwaite has died aged 104. His novel 'To Sir With Love', about a black teacher's struggles, and eventual success, as a teacher in an East End London school in the 1950s, made a profound impact. It was made into a film starring Sidney Poitier - with Lulu - in 1967. The playwright Roy Williams, who dramatised the book for radio and the stage, remembers the man, and his work.

Available now

30 minutes

Chapters

  • Peter Capaldi

    Duration: 09:00

  • Rogue One

    Duration: 04:27

  • E R Braithwaite

    Duration: 05:49

  • Ben Lerner

    Duration: 08:11

Peter Capaldi

Peter Capaldi
Logan Hoffman and Peter Capaldi

Dr Who Christmas Special is on Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ One 25 December at 5.45pm

Rogue One

Rogue One
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story -Β Stormtroopers
Photo credit:Β Jonathan Olley Β© 2016 Lucasfilm Ltd
Rogue One is on general releaseΒ 

Ben Lerner

Ben Lerner
Ben Lerner
Photo credit: Matt Lerner
No Art is available now

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Credits

Role Contributor
Presenter Samira Ahmed
Interviewed Guest Peter Capaldi
Interviewed Guest Catherine Bray
Interviewed Guest Ben Lerner
Interviewed Guest Roy Williams

Broadcast

  • Wed 14 Dec 2016 19:15

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