History

The films will explore the events surrounding the New Cross Fire in January 1981, which killed 13 black teenagers, the Black People’s Day of Action in the aftermath of the fire in March, which saw more than 20,000 people join the first organised protest by black British people, and the Brixton riots that followed in April.

Steve McQueen and James Rogan will both executive produce and direct the series, revealing how these three events intertwined and defined race relations for a generation.

RTS London Centre has produced an online event to celebrate this milestone, and this article contains links to other sites and sources we think will interest you.

A good starting place is the BBC’s own history site, with a huge range of archive footage and oral history interviews with some key figures, including Biddy Baxter MBE, Editor of Blue Peter for 23 years.

Lenny Henry’s Race Through Comedy, will chronicle and celebrate British TV comedy over the years and focus on iconic shows that have highlighted Britain’s mix of multiculturalism.

Henry is a fellow of the RTS and has previously been recognised for his work in helping to raise awareness of issues surrounding diversity within the television industry. 

The Eastenders actor will reenact the lives of his ancestors in history series Danny Dyer's Right Royal Family.

Mary Beard’s career began with a piece of cake. On a trip to the British Museum with her mother, a curator noticed her struggling to see one of the exhibits, a 3,000-year-old piece of carbonised cake from Ancient Egypt.

“He got his keys out, he opened the case, he got the bit of cake out and he showed it to me.” It was a “light-bulb moment” for the then five-year-old, and a lesson in the joy of sharing. “People will see you wanting to know something and they’ll get their keys and unlock the case.”

Historian and writer Dan Jones will front the mini-series from independent production company Pernel Media and Chris Holt (Elizabeth I) has been hired as director.

The series documents the turbulent conflicts between the French royal houses of Valois and Burgundy, and their Plantagenet rivals in England, which exploded with such ferociousness in the colossal struggle of The Hundred Years War.

The Shiers Trust grant, now in its 18th year, is normally worth £2,000. This year, to mark the 90th anniversary of the RTS, it has been raised to £4,000. 

Launched in 2000, the Shiers Trust grant is named after George Shiers, a distinguished US TV historian.

The grant has enabled a range of projects, including the digitalisation of back issues of the Radio Times and the creation of a website which presents a collection of historical consumer electronics images.

The History of Football will be broadcast on May 28 to June 10 and will capture the anticipation of the World Cup in the build up to this year’s event in Russia.

The series will include a slate of original, globally-focused premium documentary series, and short form specials.