Schooled in Fife, coming of age in a rock ’n’ roll band, then finding her forte was directing temperamental actors, Cora Bissett is no stranger to theatrical Scottish swearing. So who better to present a celebration of Caledonian cursing? This documentary sees Cora sing, swear and scrutinise why Scotland swears so well. Cora begins with the first hurdle – how does one discuss swear words on the BBC? Aunty Beeb is the institution that has been historically priggish about language - always bleeping words and apologising for those that slipped through. So Cora runs a list past BBC Scotland’s head of editorial standards to see what she can get away with.
Himself (archive footage)
16 Nov 2018
The programme shows Primal Scream's Bobby Gillespie's fascination with music from an early age, listening to the sounds of Elvis and Aretha Franklin before graduating to punk. He talks about his passion for music and how to keep creativity on the right track. In the early 90s the UK music scene was changing - with Oasis and Blur emerging, this alternative rock band was recording in Memphis but suddenly sounded out of step with the music scene.
01 Jan 1970
Explore the growth of Aberdeen’s sparkling streets.
03 Mar 1959
An array of brave 1950s water skiing girls and guys bring a bit of Hollywood glamour to the chilly waters of Loch Earn.
27 Jun 2012
Work. Eat. Sleep. And back to work. For a long time skippers in the North East of Scotland could not find locals to work on their fishing vessels. That was until Filipino fishermen started coming to town for work. Both nationalities strive to shorten the distance between two very different worlds.
24 Aug 2021
Best-selling author Graeme Armstrong reveals his passion for rave, meeting some of the superstar DJs and hardcore party people who created the vibrant and little-explored world of the Scottish rave scene.
09 Jun 2025
Everyone knows Neil Armstrong came back from the Moon in 1969 – but it wasn’t until three years later, when the people of a tiny Scottish town stepped in, that he finally got home. Neil Armstrong and the Langholmites is a film about the day one of the world’s most famous men visited the small ‘burgh’ of Langholm and the profound emotional effect the place, and its people, had on the normally stoic astronaut. From Industria Studios and Duncan Cowles, director of acclaimed 2024 feature Silent Men, comes a wry and beautiful slice of Scottish life and a unique, lesser-known tale about one of America’s most famous sons.
23 Dec 2013
Alex Norton discovers how showbusiness has handled the portrayal of the Scottish accent. For over 100 years audiences have struggled to understand our braw brogue: silent Harry Lauder films attempted an accent in the captions, and in Hollywood's golden era , everyone wanted to paint their tonsils tartan- but as examples from Katharine Hepburn, Orson Welles and Richard Chamberlain show, they couldnae. Then Disney made Brave and proved that it disnae have to be all bad!
01 Jan 1955
Affectionate observational shots of toddlers, school age girl and very new baby.
23 Jan 2019
Ewan McGregor narrates a captivating portrait of wild Shetland and traces the course of a breeding season as the animals on these remote islands battle for survival.
04 Jun 2025
Charts the life and career of Scottish boxer Ken Buchanan, the 1970-71 undisputed lightweight world champion.
25 Jan 2017
Robert Burns was well aware of the revolution taking place across the Atlantic as he grew up. The poet was inspired. And America was to be inspired by him. From Abraham Lincoln to Frederick Douglass, and Walt Whitman to Bob Dylan, some of the most significant figures in American politics and culture have cited Burns as an influence.
20 Sep 2025
No overview found
04 Sep 2023
A group of friends reunite in the north of Scotland during summer.
01 Oct 2017
This documentary highlights the endangered existence of the Scottish wildcats, and the conservation efforts required to prevent their extinction.
10 Apr 2022
Determined to play, nine-year-old Julie Fleeting’s life in football began with a local boys club. It was the first step in achieving a dream she didn’t even know existed. From playing professionally in America to winning multiple honours with Arsenal, and scoring more goals for Scotland than anyone else, Julie has consistently inspired, empowered and led from the front. In a story of tenacity and triumph, Julie’s journey in football is also one of family, humility and respect.
25 Oct 1997
A profile of the Hippest band of the 60's and 70's as they prepare for a reunion gig.
15 Mar 2025
Independent whisky bottlers are the rebels and visionaries of today’s whisky world—crafting rare, exceptional spirits that defy convention. Created by the team behind The Water of Life – A Whisky Film, Independent Spirits is a documentary that explores these passionate artisans redefining whisky through creativity and craftsmanship. The film, which was co-directed by Greg Swartz and Guy Satchwell, features exclusive interviews with more than 50 industry leaders, offering an inside look at their dedication to sourcing, blending, and aging exceptional whisky, highlighting the ingenuity that sets independent bottlers apart.
02 Dec 2016
Bus Stories follows filmmaker Simeon Costello as he travels from John O'Groats in Scotland to Land's End in Cornwall using only local buses investigating why public transport is crucial to the UK.
30 Nov 2015
A varied history of gay people and Scotland.
08 Jun 2025
In 1994, a masked man shot a waiter in the only Indian restaurant in the Orkney Islands. The murder remained unsolved for years, until new evidence emerged. Delve into one of Scotland's most controversial cases, now with powerful new testimony.