Nicolas Maupied

Helen Mirren, the most versatile of British actresses, has played diverse roles in her long and distinguished career, from sexually charged Shakespearian roles to secret agents to Queen Elizabeth II. This documentary paints a portrait of a strong woman, guided by her feminist convictions as a performer and in her private life.

Barbra Streisand grew up in working class Brooklyn, dreaming of escape from her tough childhood. A stellar student, she resisted the pressure to go to college as her sights were firmly set on Broadway. She was determined to become an actress and landed her first role aged 16, but it was two years later, when she started to sing, that her career took off. Subverting stereotypes and breaking glass ceilings, this programme looks at her rise to stardom and the remarkable achievements of her early career.

The absolute queen of country music, Dolly Parton succeeded in rallying a fractured America to her peroxide-colored beehive and her self-assumed paradoxes. Portrait of an immense artist and an irresistibly mischievous icon.

Sylvie Vartan has had an extraordinary life: a Bulgarian child forced into exile, who became the icon of a youth in the midst of revolution in France. After a career spanning 64 years, with nearly 50 albums recorded and 40 million records sold, she has decided to bow out. During her farewell tour, the singer chose to open up to Augustin Trapenard.

He is the only actor in the history of cinema to have won three Oscars. Known for the dramatic intensity of his roles – which are as striking as they are diverse (aristocrat, petty thug, outcast or criminal) – for directors such as Martin Scorsese or Steven Spielberg.

What do Abba, the Bee Gees and the Carpenters have in common? More than 800 million albums sold, non-stop hits. Despite this, the music press initially wrote disparagingly about them: Compared to rock, their sound was considered too slick, their outfits uncool. 40 years later, they are celebrated superstars. This two-part documentary, structured like a before-and-after report, tells the story of three bands who were initially despised for their music and performances, but today, decades later, are more than a cult.