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Arena

TV series

Arena

7.2/ 10· 9197590 min4 seasons · 695 episodes
Documentary

Arena is a British television documentary series, made and broadcast by the BBC. Voted by leading TV executives in Broadcast as one of the top 50 most influential programmes of all time, it has run since 1 October 1975 with over five hundred episodes made, directed by the likes of Martin Scorsese, Alan Yentob, Roly Keating, Frederick Baker, Volker Schlondorff and Vikram Jayanti. Arena's subjects are a roll-call of the world's best known cultural figures from the 20th and 21st centuries, from singers Bob Dylan and Amy Winehouse to academics Edward Said and Eric Hobsbawm, from writers Jean Genet and V S Naipaul to artists Francis Bacon and Louise Bourgeois. The current series editor is Anthony Wall.

Created by
Diana Mansfield

Seasons and episodes

4 seasons · 695 episodes

Returning
1

Season 1

692 episodesOctober 1, 1975
Open season page
  1. 1
    S1 E1

    Theatre

    Oct 1, 1975

    Premiere. Ronald Eyre reviews what's going on in the theatre, Kenneth Tynan talks to Laurence Olivier about Lilian Baylis and The Old Vic, and a film about David Hockney's sets for The Rake's Progress.

  2. 2
    S1 E2

    Art and Design

    Oct 8, 1975

    George Melly looks at how they sold the 70's and a report on the opening of the Space Studios.

  3. 3
    S1 E3

    Theatre

    Oct 15, 1975

    An interview with Howard Barker, author of 'Stripwell', and an extract from same; commentary by Kenneth Tynan; and an investigation of 'Birds of Paradise'.

  4. 4
    S1 E4

    Art and Design

    Oct 22, 1975

    Cartoonist Mel Caiman on the New Yorker magazine and its artists, Richard Hamilton at the Serpentine Gallery, and a new documentary exhibition from Jarrow.

  5. 5
    S1 E5

    Theatre

    Oct 29, 197590 min

    Peter Hall talks about the history and new South Band location of the National Theater, where he is artistic director.

  6. 6
    S1 E6

    Art and Design

    Nov 5, 197590 min

    Features Observer critic William Feaver on Painting the End of the World, Bill Brandt's selection of landscape photography at the Victoria and Albert Museum, and the best of science fiction illustration.

Starring

Frequently asked questions

Where can I watch Arena?
Arena is not currently listed on a streaming service in the US. Use the country picker on the page to check other markets.
How many seasons of Arena are there?
Arena has 4 seasons and 695 episodes. Status: Returning.
When is the next season of Arena?
No air date has been announced for the next episode of Arena. Status: Returning. The latest episode aired on December 29, 2024.
Who stars in Arena?
Arena stars Indira Varma, Tony Benn, James Brown, Gail Porter, Irvine Welsh.

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