Front Row: Archive 2014

Director Peter Jackson and co-writer Philippa Boyens talk to John Wilson about their final instalment of The Hobbit film franchise; the author Philip Pullman reflects on one of his heroes, William Blake, as a new exhibition at the Ashmolean in Oxford explores his formation as an engraver; and historian Kathryn Hughes makes her selection of biographies and memoirs of the year.

Suzy Klein, Kate Mossman and Greg James make their picks from pop, classical and alternative for a Christmas wishlist of albums.

The artist Jeremy Deller discusses curating an exhibition of work by his artistic heroes - William Morris and Andy Warhol.

David Benedict reviews the latest revival of Stephen Sondheim's Assassins; the darkly comic musical depicting the lives of the 13 people who have tried to assassinate a President of the United States.

The Royal Photographic Society was founded in 1853. 'Drawn by Light' is the RPS' first major London exhibition showcasing a selection from the treasures of its 250,000 strong collection.

Kirsty Lang reviews the film St Vincent, which stars Bill Murray as a reluctant babysitter.

She talks to the winners at last night's Evening Standard Theatre Awards, including Tom Hiddleston and Gillian Anderson.

Mark Thomas on his new stand-up show about Surveillance.

And Jeff Park chooses his favourite crime books of the year.

Annie Lennox talks to Kirsty Lang about her new album Nostalgia, on which she covers songs from The Great American Songbook. Hollywood actor and director James Franco shows Kirsty round his latest art venture Fat Squirrel. The international human rights lawyer Philippe Sands discusses A Song of Good and Evil, a show he developed when he realised that both a Nuremberg prosecutor and defendant shared a passion for Bach. And with the New York Film Critics Circle Awards kicking off the awards season this weekend, film critic Tim Robey gives us his advice on how to win an Oscar.

Producer Jerome Weatherald.

Front Row pays tribute the writer PD James who has died aged 94. Fellow crime writer and friend Ruth Rendell reflects on James's life and work and, in a clip from our archive, James describes the four key motives for murder in a good crime story.

Rugby player Gareth Thomas, footballer Bobby Moore and ice skater John Curry are among the subjects of the books shortlisted for the William Hill Sports Book of the Year Award, the longest-running prize for sports writing. At the awards ceremony, John Wilson talks to the seven shortlisted authors and speaks to the winner of the £26,000 prize.

Maggi Hambling, who was the National Gallery's very first artist in residence in 1980, has returned to the gallery with "Walls of Water" a new exhibition of her paintings of the sea. She talks to John Wilson about painting raging storms, her tribute to Amy Winehouse and why, in her late sixties, she feels much younger than she used to.

Presenter: John Wilson

With John Wilson.

Actor Idris Elba discusses his album, mi Mandela, inspired by the experience of portraying Nelson Mandela in The Long Walk to Freedom. He also explains why he won't be reprising his role as John Luther in a forthcoming US remake of the BBC drama Luther.

Painter Howard Hodgkin talks to John in his studio about 30 gouaches inspired by India which he painted between 1990-91, and are on show for the first time in London.

As the V&A Museum prepare to open the newly refurbished Italian Courts, under the new name Weston Cast Courts, curator Marjorie Trusted talks about the renovations and highlights some of the great Italian sculptures in the collection, including a cast of Michelangelo's David.

Barry Manilow talks to Samira Ahmed about his new album, 'My Dream Duets'. It's a collection of duets with artists beyond the grave such as John Denver, Judy Garland and Whitney Houston.

Diana Souhami, whose novel Gwendolen imagines life from the point of view of Daniel Deronda's heroine, and Viv Groskop, Artistic Director of the Bath Literature Festival, discuss the trend for novels from the perspective of peripheral characters.

David Baddiel and David Schneider unpick the changing nature of Jewish comedy as a new festival begins in London.

And a new exhibition of war photography, Conflict, Time, Photography, at Tate Modern in London, hangs pictures according to how long the picture was taken after the events depicted. Is it a successful approach? Colin Ford, founding director of the National Media Museum, reviews.

Samira Ahmed with Jude Law, who discusses how playing Henry V on stage inspired his role as a desperate, out of work submarine captain searching for Nazi gold in his new film Black Sea.

The French DJ and record producer David Guetta discusses his latest album Listen, featuring the vocal talents of Emeli Sandé, Sam Martin, Ladysmith Black Mambazo and Nicki Minaj, and explains why he has never felt inspired by French Music.

A new exhibition at the Saatchi Gallery in London, Post Pop: East Meets West, explores how pop art has had a powerful and lasting influence on artists around the world from the United States to China.

And Catherine Bray reviews Stations of the Cross, a German film about a teenage girl raised in a strict religious family, which is filmed in fourteen long takes.

Presenter: Samira Ahmed

Kirsty Lang talks to artist and puppet-maker Peter Firmin, whose iconic children's tv characters include Bagpuss, Basil Brush and The Clangers.

Robert Edric on his novel Sanctuary, which explores the final months in the turbulent life of Branwell Brontë - brother to the more famous Brontë sisters.

Kate Muir reviews the new film from Turkish director Nuri Bilge Ceylan, Winter Sleep, which won the Palme D'Or at this year's Cannes Film Festival.

And a new exhibition at the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art revives the reputation of artists Robert Colquhoun and Robert MacBryde. Jan Patience reviews.

Blues legend Dr John talks to John Wilson about his tribute album to fellow New Orleans musician Louis Armstrong, and how the project was the result of a visit from Armstrong in a dream.

The American composer John Adams talks about the world stage premiere of his opera The Gospel According to the Other Mary at English National Opera, which tells the Passion story from the perspective of Mary Magdalene.

Following the news of the death of director Mike Nichols, best known for his film The Graduate, actor Adrian Lester, playwright David Hare and writer Patrick Marber pay tribute to the man who won a Grammy, an Oscar, four Emmys and eight Tonys for his film and stage work.