RECENT
BENT COPPERS: CROSSING THE LINE OF DUTY
(BBC 2)
At the dawn of the 1970s, a secret network of corrupt detectives in London abused their power and cultivated a culture of greed and fear.
Those at the sharp end reveal how gutsy coppers sought to flush them out – forming the first anti corruption branch A10, whose inner workings inspired the BBC drama Line of Duty.
Using secret recordings, archive and animation this series reveals an age of excess, where tabloid scoops uncover Soho’s dirty secrets, incriminating evidence is planted on the innocent and big money robberies expose dizzying levels of corruption.
BBC 2, Spring 2021 3×60 minute films
DIRECTED BY TODD AUSTIN / EXECUTIVE PRODUCER MIN CLOUGH
THE FESTIVAL THAT ROCKED THE WORLD
On the weekend of August 15th 1969, more than half a million people united at a farm near Woodstock for the now legendary festival.
Fifty years on, this feature length documentary is told uniquely through the voices and the home-movies of the people who were there.
Featuring a treasure trove of astonishing, never seen before interviews and super 8 footage, The Festival That Rocked The World tells the colourful, magical and very personal story of those halcyon days that defined a generation.
“The best of a rash of documentaries, Todd Austin’s film looks past the logistics of 1969’s Woodstock music and art fair to communicate the free spirit of the festival…” The Guardian
“Whereas previous films focused on the most beautiful and bizarre specimens of life on site, this offers an earthier glimpse into an experience that feels more “real”. Radio Times
DIRECTED BY TODD AUSTIN / EXECUTIVE PRODUCER MIN CLOUGH
WOODY GUTHRIE: THREE CHORDS AND THE TRUTH (BBC)
The conventional image of Woody Guthrie is of the Dust Bowl Troubadour emerging from a boxcar in the Great Depression of the 1930s, but there is so much more to him.
Interviews with Arlo and Nora Guthrie, Ani DiFranco, Ramblin’ Jack Elliott, Billy Bragg and Tom Morello reveal a tale of survival, creativity and reinvention.
Railing against his racist upbringing, Woody is proof that there is always potential for change and even today, fifty years after his death, he is challenging Donald Trump from beyond the grave.
This film unearths a previously unheard Guthrie recording. Deportee (Plane Crash at Los Gatos) was written by Guthrie, but until now it was thought he never recorded it. We hear it for the very first time along with rare and unseen archive.
“It’s an evocative film, one that manages to end with perhaps the most uplifting moment of the TV week.” The Times
“The main takeaway from this stirring doc is the modern resonance of the songs.” The Guardian
DIRECTED BY TODD AUSTIN / EXECUTIVE PRODUCER MIN CLOUGH
JOHN LEE HOOKER: THE BOOGIE MAN (BBC)
John Lee Hooker was one of the greatest bluesmen of the 20th Century.
Born into poverty and racial segregation, he lived through a monumental time in American history.
This is the story of a cultural icon and his far-reaching impact on popular music, told in his own words and those of his family and closest collaborators.
Interviews with Keith Richards, Van Morrison, Carlos Santana, Bonnie Raitt and Robert Cray tell how an illiterate man from the rural and impoverished backwaters of the Mississippi Delta influenced their own musical journey.
His life is the tale of a man who became a superstar against extraordinary odds. It’s the story of modern America through the incredible and touching journey of a singer-songwriter who has left an indelible mark on modern music.
“Todd Austin’s definitive documentary…. an intimate social as well as musical history.” The Observer
“This doc offers a superior portrait of an icon…as befits the man, this is surely the coolest programme of the week.” The Times
DIRECTED BY TODD AUSTIN / EXECUTIVE PRODUCER MIN CLOUGH
TOURETTES TEENAGE TICS (BBC)
Twelve year old Rory Brown has Tourette Syndrome. After recently moving to secondary school his physical and verbal outbursts have exploded.
In 1988 John Davidson featured in ‘John’s Not Mad’. He’s determined that no other child should go through the horrific experience he had as a child. He’s taken Rory under his wing.
Rory also has help from Greg Storey. In 2002, aged 8 Greg took part in the ‘The Boy Can’t Help It’ a follow up film to ‘John’s Not Mad’.
It’s Rory’s first time at Tourette Camp. Here he comes together with John and Greg. Greg has has found his own unique way to manage his Tourettes and John and Greg hope it may give Rory some much needed respite from his tic-cing.
‘TOURETTES TEENAGE TICS’ is an intimate and revealing documentary that over time captures the challenges and triumphs in John and Greg’s lives and introduces the audience to Rory, a boy at the very beginning of his journey with Tourette Syndrome.
“In terms of raising awareness and showing the highs and lows of Tourette’s along with the laughter and tears, this is the best effort so far, if only because its underlying message is one of hope and optimism”. Telegraph
DIRECTED BY MIN CLOUGH / EXECUTIVE PRODUCER TODD AUSTIN
EMI: THE INSIDE STORY (BBC)
One record company has been a constant presence in popular music throughout our lives.
EMI brought the Beatles to the world and in every decade since has been instrumental in producing some of Britain’s most celebrated and enduring music.
But behind the success lay a very British institution often at odds with the music it released. It had to come to terms with Psychedelia, face Punk head on & find huge sums of money to feed the excesses of the 1980s.
Interviews with EMI artists including members of Queen, Pet Shop Boys, Pink Floyd and Sex Pistols reveal how their demands for more & more control ultimately led to drastic changes at EMI. Former EMI employees share the gossip and goings on in an industry infamous for its extravagance.
The British music industry is world renowned. It has produced decades of memorable music that has reached all corners of the globe.
EMI has always been at the forefront and has left an indelible mark on our culture forever.
“Eye-opening documentary”. The Daily Telegraph
DIRECTED BY TODD AUSTIN / PRODUCED BY MIN CLOUGH
