Ian McMillan

Comedian, actor and ex-English teacher Greg Davies is a lifelong fan of Barry Hines's classic novel A Kestrel for a Knave, the story of Billy Casper training a kestrel as an escape from his troubled home and school life. In this documentary, Greg goes in search of the book's enduring appeal, travelling to Barnsley, where the book was set and where Ken Loach's famous adaptation, Kes, was filmed.

Inspired by the early pioneers of exploration and speed, Lyndon Poskitt entered the infamous Dakar Rally, now hosted in South America. Lyndon looked to the pre-commercialised origins of the race where competitors set off with very little assistance or hope of reaching the finish line. To this day, even though the Dakar Rally has outgrown it’s humble origins, it still retains the Malle Moto class for those who seek a pure test of spirit and endurance. One man. One bike. One box of tools. 12 days and 10,000 kilometers of hard racing.

The South Bank Show is a television arts magazine show produced by ITV between 1978 and 2010. A new series began on Sky Arts from 27 May 2012. Presented by Melvyn Bragg, the show aims to bring both high art and popular culture to a mass audience.

A look at life in the protected countryside of the national parks of the Lake District and Yorkshire Dales.