imagine...: Full TV Schedule and Live Stream
Alan Yentob's acclaimed series delving into the heart of the cultural world - featuring candid conversations with the biggest names from art, film, music, literature and dance.
Available for Streaming
2024/25: The Academy of Armando
imagine... profiles one of the great satirists of our age, Armando Iannucci, delving into classics such as The Day Today and The Thick of It and his new stage adaptation of Dr Strangelove.
2023/24: French & Saunders: Pointed, Bitchy, Bitter
imagine... profiles the UK’s most successful double act of the last 40 years, French & Saunders, exploring a brand of comedy based on satire, silliness and, above all, friendship.
2023/24: 1. Stephen Frears: Director for Hire
imagine… profiles Stephen Frears, acclaimed film director of Dangerous Liaisons and The Queen. Some say he’s grumpy, others that he’s mischievous. What drives this 81-year-old?
2022: Douglas Stuart: Love, Hope and Grit
Alan Yentob meets Douglas Stuart, the author of the Booker Prize-winning novel Shuggie Bain, which was based on Stuart’s own troubled upbringing amid poverty and addiction in 1980s Glasgow.
2022: Sonia Boyce: Finding Her Voice
Alan Yentob follows acclaimed artist Sonia Boyce as she prepares to make history as the first black woman to represent Great Britain at the Venice Biennale.
2022: Malorie Blackman: What If?
As she prepares to publish her long-awaited autobiography, former children's laureate Malorie Blackman discusses the key moments in her life that made her a writer.
2022: Miriam Margolyes: Up for Grabs
Following the release of her autobiography, This Much Is True, actress Miriam Margolyes opens up to Alan Yentob about her career highs and her most vulnerable moments.
2022: Wayne McGregor: Dancing on the Edge
Alan Yentob profiles dance pioneer Wayne McGregor, the resident choreographer at the Royal Ballet, charting his ascent from childhood in 1970s Stockport.
2022: Labi Siffre: This Is My Song
Alan Yentob presents a film exploring the life and work of the Ivor Novello Award-winning black British singer-songwriter Labi Siffre.
2022: Marian Keyes: My (not so) Perfect Life
Alan Yentob meets Marian Keyes to explore her incredible journey from hard-partying waitress to best-selling author and everything she's learned about life, love and storytelling.
2021: Tom Stoppard: A Charmed Life
Playwright Tom Stoppard tells Alan Yentob the extraordinary story of his life and his latest play, Leopoldstadt, in which he faces up to the pain and loss in his past.
2021: Bernardine Evaristo: Never Give Up
Alan Yentob explores the remarkable life and work of the trailblazing Anglo-Nigerian writer Bernardine Evaristo, author of the Booker Prize-winning novel Girl, Woman, Other.
2021: Kazuo Ishiguro: Remembering and Forgetting
A revealing profile of the Nobel Prize-winning novelist Kazuo Ishiguro, author of The Remains of the Day and Never Let Me Go, as he publishes his much-anticipated new book, Klara and the Sun.
2019: 3. Bill Viola: The Road to St Paul's
Charting the career of Bill Viola over 12 years, following him as he creates a permanent video installation for St Paul's Cathedral.
Winter 2017/18: 4. Philip Pullman: Angels and Daemons
Alan Yentob spends time with Philip Pullman in Oxford, discovering how the ex-teacher became an acclaimed author of fantasy fiction and an outspoken critic of organised religion.
Summer 2016: DANGER! Cornelia Parker
Alan Yentob follows sculptor Cornelia Parker's creative process in a film that sees her delve deep into America's history, cinema and art, as well as her own personal past.
Summer 2015: 5. Richard Flanagan: Life after Death
2014 Man Booker Prize-winner Richard Flanagan journeys with Alan Yentob through his native Tasmania, visiting the places that have inspired his novels.
Winter 2014: 7. Colm Toibin: His Mother's Son
Alan Yentob talks to acclaimed and curiously divided Irish writer Colm Toibin. Loud and affable in person, Toibin writes sombre stories of grief and quiet heartbreak.
Winter 2012: 1. Ian Rankin and the Case of the Disappearing Detective
Crime writer Ian Rankin invites imagine... to follow him as he writes his next novel, and as he ponders what to write about after retiring his most famous creation.
Summer 2010: 4. Tom Jones: What Good Am I?
Alan Yentob examines the extraordinary story of one of Britain's most recognisable pop icons, Sir Tom Jones. In a frank and revealing interview, Sir Tom describes his rise to fame.
imagine... FAQs
When is imagine... next on?
imagine... is not currently scheduled for broadcast. Check back soon for fresh listings.
Which channel is imagine... next on?
We'll highlight the channel here as soon as a new slot for imagine... is confirmed. For now, keep an eye on the tables above.
When will imagine... be available on iPlayer?
Episodes land on BBC iPlayer just after the show finishes airing. Use the streaming section above to jump in as soon as it drops.