Eras

When you’ve been in the game for as long as Sting has, it’s tempting to just keep giving the people what they want. But that’s just not him, is it?

In Episode Four, Vernon Kay finds Sting in a place in which inspiration is everything. Whether it’s a lute album, a turn on Broadway, traditional folk or Reggae, Sting refuses to be pinned down.

That’s the attitude that’s won him millions of fans, the respect of his peers, and a musical legacy that only a handful of stars can match. And in his eighth decade, he’s showing no signs of slowing down.

Through the BBC Archive and brand new interviews, you’ll understand what makes Sting truly unique.

A Cup and Nuzzle Production. Written and produced by Joe Foley.

The Police are no more. But Sting never rests on his laurels.

In Episode Three, Vernon Kay follows the first stages in a solo career spanning four decades. Embracing his origins in Jazz, and his magpie instinct for melody, Sting joins the ranks of the great British soloists. At the same time, he’ll help to forge the bond between pop music and philanthropy that still exists today.

Through the BBC archive and brand new interviews, you’ll hear how Sting embraced the new, honed his craft, and fought for a better world.

A Cup and Nuzzle Production. Written and produced by Joe Foley.

When Sting, Stewart Copeland and Andy Summers formed the Police, none of them could have predicted the phenomenon that they would become.

In Episode Two, we follow the band from the start of that journey to their world-dominating peak. In 5 years, they’ll go from grubby bars to the home of arena rock - Shea Stadium.

Along the way, they’ll produce some of the defining hits of a generation. But as Sting asserts himself as a songwriter, tensions brew… and something has to give.

Featuring rare BBC archive, expert interviews and iconic tunes, this is your window into the blend of genius and hard work that propelled Sting and the Police to the top of the charts around the globe.

A Cup and Nuzzle Production. Written and produced by Joe Foley.

Storyteller. Activist. Superstar. This is the story of Sting.

Vernon Kay is your guide to one of British music’s most individual artists.

In Episode One, you’ll hear the stories, and the music, that shaped Sting’s early life. From the terraces of Wallsend to Punk-era London, where a single phone call changed his destiny forever.

Told in Sting’s own words through the BBC archive, and featuring brand new interviews with friends, fans and collaborators, you’ll get to know the man behind the name.

A Cup and Nuzzle Production. Written and produced by Joe Foley.

After establishing themselves as one of music’s pop giants, the ABBA legacy continues in an exciting new chapter - ABBA Voyage. The futuristic and visually groundbreaking show ignites a new love for ABBA, once again.

In Episode 5, Sara Cox sits down with the producers of ABBA Voyage - Svana Gisla and Ludvig Andersson (who is also Benny from the band’s son) to discuss how the concept came about, and what really went into creating one of the most talked-about shows of the last decade.

As Svana and Ludvig give us an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at ABBA in the studio, and Sara Cox also digs into what might be on the cards for ABBA in the future.

They’re famous for their marriages, divorces, and impossibly perfect pop songs.

But how much do you really know about ABBA?

In this series, Sara Cox is your guide to Sweden’s biggest musical export.

When Benny, Bjorn, Agnetha and Anni-Frid won the 1974 Eurovision Song Contest, their lives changed forever. But that win didn’t come easy.

Because the road to Waterloo is a long one. It took years of hard work, and the combination of four world-class talents - each of them already successful in their own right - to pull it off.

Through the BBC’s archive and new interviews with experts and insiders - as well as the group’s timeless back catalogue - you’ll get to know ABBA like never before.

With Waterloo, ABBA became an international act. But in the aftermath, they were almost written off as one-hit wonders.

In Episode 2 of ABBA: Eras, Sara Cox tells the story of how the group pulled themselves back from the brink of obscurity - and found legions of new fans a very long way from Sweden.

Featuring rare BBC archive material, expert interviews and lashings of ABBA’s indelible pop, this is your window into the musical genius and sheer perseverance that brought ABBA to their rightful place at the top.

It’s 1979, and ABBA are one of the world’s most famous bands. But beneath their successful surface, things are changing.

In Episode 3, Sara Cox follows the band to the peak of their career. As ABBA release some of their most iconic and sophisticated music, their personal relationships come under incredible strain. The band play on - but how long can they really last?

Through the BBC Archive and brand new interviews, we chronicle the beginning of the end for the masters of the scene.

After a wildly successful but grueling decade, ABBA were no more. Their ‘indefinite hiatus’ allowed each member of the group to follow their own path. But nothing lasts forever - not even endings.

In Episode 4, Sara Cox tells the story of a comeback like no other.

From pop history’s greatest Greatest Hits, to theatrical smashes, Hollywood acclaim and futuristic entertainment experiences, ABBA have achieved a truly timeless legacy.

Through the BBC Archive and brand new interviews, you’ll understand exactly why.

In the final episode of Eras: The Beatles, we hear the story behind The Beatles' final single Now and Then, including new interviews with Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr.

Narrated by Martin Freeman, the episode also features insight on the new track from Sean Ono Lennon, Olivia Harrison and Peter Jackson.

Listen to the story of how it came about as Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr and more reflect on the decades and discuss the making of the band’s last song.