Omnibus (British TV programme)
Flagship arts documentary series from 1967 to 2003.
Omnibus was a British documentary series broadcast mainly on BBC One, succeeding the arts-based series Monitor. It ran from 1967 until 2003, usually transmitted on Sunday evenings. Over its 35-year history, the programme won 12 British Academy of Film and Television Arts awards.
Quick Facts
- Genre
- Documentary
- Presenter
- Humphrey Burton; Barry Norman
- Country
- United Kingdom
- Language
- English
- Runtime
- 43 minutes
- Channel
- BBC One (1967–2001); BBC Two (2001–2003)
- First aired
- 13 October 1967
- Last aired
- 8 January 2003
Facts from the source article.
History
In 1982, Omnibus spent a single season as a magazine-style show hosted by Barry Norman. The BBC moved it to BBC Two in 2001, which led to criticism that arts coverage was being pushed aside. Roly Keating, the BBC’s arts commissioning controller, argued the change would let the documentary series cover more subjects. Known as the BBC’s flagship arts program, it was one of just two regular arts shows on the network. The BBC announced in late 2002 that Omnibus would end the following year, with Alan Yentob’s new series Imagine taking its place.
Selected list of programmes
Among the series' best remembered documentaries are Song of Summer (1968), a biographical film by Ken Russell about Frederick Delius and Eric Fenby; Whistle and I'll Come to You (1968), Jonathan Miller's adaptation of M.R. James's ghost story starring Michael Hordern; Cracked Actor (1975), a profile of David Bowie during the peak of his cocaine addiction; Fear and Loathing on the Road to Hollywood (1978), following Hunter S. Thompson and Ralph Steadman on a trip to Hollywood; Rene Magritte (1979), a graduate film by David Wheatley; Leonard Bernstein's West Side Story (1984), which won the Robert Flaherty Award for best television documentary in 1986; Anna Benson-Gyles Madonna: Behind the American dream (1990), watched by 7.7 million; Van Gogh (1991); a profile of Ridley Scott (1992); a two-hour career overview of Jean Renoir (1995); and a documentary about The K Foundation's art projects (1995).
Frequently Asked Questions
When did Omnibus (British TV programme) first air?
Omnibus first aired on 13 October 1967.
When did Omnibus (British TV programme) end?
Omnibus last aired on 8 January 2003.
More in 1970s British Documentary Television Series
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