Many black, UK-based, female R&B performers, especially those from the early 2000s, have found it hard to establish a career at home.

Acts such as Estelle, Jamelia, Sade, Ms Dynamite, Cleopatra and Misteeq have either left the music industry completely, diversified into presenting and acting or have re-established a base in the US in an attempt to continue their careers. Meanwhile American performers such as Beyonce, Rihanna and Alicia Keys who started their careers at a similar time, continue to dominate the music world. British acts, despite early chart recognition, awards and fan devotion, struggled to make an impact in the same way. And in the modern era, performers such as Laura Mvula, despite enormous talent and massive critical acclaim, have encountered problems dealing with the music industry.

Why do the women involved in British R&B fail to find lasting success at home? Why can’t British artists maintain the same trajectory as their American counterparts? Why do they feel it necessary to relocate abroad or work in other parts of the entertainment industry? And will the R&B artists of the future face the same problems?



With Yomi Adegoke and Tara Joshi.

Presenter: Hayley Campbell

Stephen King is one of the most popular and successful authors on the planet. Known primarily as a horror writer, King has also written fantasy, science-fiction, thrillers, memoirs, essays, crime novels and a well-regarded book about the craft of the novelist entitled On Writing.

Since 1974, when his first book Carrie was released, King has sold an estimated 350 million books, and he is the most adapted living author with most of his works turned in films and TV series. But he has also faced criticism throughout his career. Many critics dismissed his work as an entertaining irrelevance and he was never accorded the respect of his contemporaries, who were deemed more ‘literary’.

Has the author’s populism damaged his critical reputation? Why are bestselling or prodigious authors looked upon differently by cultural tastemakers? And why do the painful, disturbing themes that King returns to again and again in his novels engage with audiences so readily?

With Matt Thorne, Roz Kaveney and Kim Newman.

Presenter: Hayley Campbell

The Role Playing Game Final Fantasy VII was released for the Sony Playstation in 1997 and was a massive commercial and critical success, eventually selling nearly 10 million copies worldwide and spawning various spin-offs, sequels, and a new reboot planned for the future. With its epic scope, high drama and relentless action, it is considered an iconic, seminal, impeccable video game that has had a massive influence on the gaming world.

But it is not without its critics. Some feel that the game is overrated with its almost mythical status overlooking certain flaws including a confused storyline, poorly defined characters and a lack of pace. The film that continued the game’s story failed to be a box office success while the highly anticipated reboot has been delayed and beset with problems.

What made Final Fantasy VII so different from its contemporaries? What influence did it have on the gaming world and wider popular culture? And why has it proven so difficult to adapt?

With Aoife Wilson, Julia Hardy and Tamoor Hussain.

Presenter: Hayley Campbell

Released in 1986, first as a twelve-part comic book series and then collected together as a graphic novel, Watchmen came from the unique mind of writer Alan Moore alongside artist Dave Gibbons. It featured superheroes as they had never been seen before: flawed, vulnerable, evil and damaged; existing in a dystopian, alternative 1980s America where Richard Nixon was still the President.

Published by comics giant DC, Watchmen was an enormous critical success, introducing a new, adult audience to the comic book world, winning numerous awards and eventually included on Time magazine's 100 best books of the 20th Century.

But the afterlife of Watchmen has proven to be fraught. Alan Moore bitterly opposed any sort of film adaptation - but despite this, a big budget Hollywood version was released in 2009, to highly mixed reviews. Sequels, spin-offs and video games have also been released under the Watchmen banner without Moore’s blessing. And now a new television version of the book is about to be released.

Just why was Watchmen so successful? Why has it been so difficult to adapt and how much did it influence popular culture’s current obsession with all things superhero?

With Andy Riley, Gavia Baker-Whitelaw and Nathaniel Metcalfe.

Presenter: Hayley Campbell

The Channel 4 television series Eurotrash launched in 1993, ran for 16 series and was considered the most popular entertainment offering on the channel at that time with its mix of snark, sex, outrageous behaviour and bizarre individuals. Originally hosted by Antoine de Caunes and Jean-Paul Gaultier, it was a magazine style show with its tongue firmly in its cheek. Each week it showcased peculiarities from around the globe including strange animal acts, naked Germans, an obsession with defecation and terrible musical moments.

The show was massively successful, heralding the era of ‘post-pub TV’ and pushing the boundaries of what could be broadcast on British TV. Each episode received numerous complaints from viewers objecting to its focus on nudity, porn and fetishes while Home Secretary Jack Straw attempted to get the show banned due to its lewd content.

Why did Eurotrash prove to be so popular with audiences? What does the show tell us about British attitudes towards sex and the perception of Europe? Why was it so controversial and what influence has it had on wider popular culture and TV today?

With Stuart Heritage, Scott Bryan and Maria McErlane.

Presenter: Hayley Campbell

First released in 1983, the Now That's What I Call Music compilation album series was a joint venture between music giants Virgin and EMI, which collected together 30 of the biggest chart hits from that particular period. The success of the first Now album led to a number of copycat versions including Hits and Out Now, but these were short-lived compared to Now, who saw every release reach multiple platinum sales.

And the series has continued to go from strength to strength despite enormous changes in the music industry. 1999’s Now 44 became the biggest seller in the series, 2008’s Now 70 sold the most units in its first week while 2016’s Now 95 was the biggest selling album of that year. There have been spin-off editions covering everything from Dad Rock to Video Games and global editions released in China, Argentina and Korea.

But why did this particular compilation capture the public’s imagination? Do compilation albums of this type help to form or frustrate musical tastes? Can they devalue music in some way? And how has the series survived in the age of streaming and downloads?

With Sheryl Garratt former editor of The Face and The Observer Magazine, Emma Garland from Vice and Now expert Rich Lally.

Presenter: Hayley Campbell

Founded in 2010, the photo sharing social media platform Instagram quickly exploded in popularity, registering one million users in its first two months, followed by 10 million in its first year. In 2012, Facebook bought the service for around $1 billion. Today, it boasts 800 million monthly active users with 70 million photos uploaded every day. Alongside Twitter and Facebook it has become a dominant social media force.

But Instagram has also been the subject of criticism. Studies have found it to be the worst platform for your mental health. There have been allegations of censorship and appropriation, a rise in entirely fake, computer generated Instagrammers and a blurring of the line between personal expression and advertising.

We look at the rise and influence of Instagram. Is the site raising a generation of selfie-obsessed narcissists? Why is the service more popular with women and what influence has the platform had on the art world? Can Instagram change the world for the better?

With Grace Banks, Sophie Wilkinson and Kat Brown.

Presenter: Hayley Campbell

Bridget Jones first appeared in diary form in the pages of The Independent during the mid-1990s, detailing her life of failed romances, over-indulgence and a determination to change. The columns were collected into a book - 1996’s Bridget Jones Diary - which went on to sell over two million copies worldwide and won the 1998 British Book of the Year.

A film followed in 2001 which grossed over $280 million and earned an Academy Award nomination for the film’s star Renée Zellweger. Three more books and two more films followed, most recently Bridget Jones’s Baby, one of the most successful British films of 2016.

But Bridget has also attracted criticism. Some feel the character is ‘anti-feminist’, getting cheap laughs while exploiting what are seen as some of the worst female character flaws and only finding happiness when she has landed her man.

We look at the influence and legacy of Bridget Jones. Why did the character strike such a chord with readers and cinema-goers? Did the films affect the reputation of the books. Are the criticisms levelled at her justified and what influence has the franchise had on wider popular culture? Is the comic novel, as a genre, disregarded and maligned in critical circles?

With Daisy Buchanan, Lucy Vine and Andy Miller.

Presenter: Hayley Campbell.

In 2010, One Direction came only third in TV talent show The X Factor. And yet they went on to become one of the biggest bands in the world. The group went on to have enormous success around the world, selling more than 50 million albums and 25 million singles. In 2015, the band announced an indefinite hiatus and all the members launched solo careers.

They also, partly through their canny use of social media, developed a large and passionate fanbase. With much of the band’s activity shared and showcased on Twitter and Facebook, Directioners (as the fans are known) cultivated even more intense bonds to the boys, harkening back to the days of Beatlemania or Bowie. This intense fan interaction also propagated a series of increasingly bizarre rumours, stories, fanfic and conspiracy theories concerning individual members that spread online.

Why did runners up in a talent show become global chart toppers? Why do they generate such a devoted following? What do Directioners tell us about the nature of fandom today? And did all the social media attention and the online speculation concerning the band eventually do more harm than good?



With guests Joe Stone, Laura-May Coope and Chris Lochary.

Presenter: Hayley Campbell

Created in 1989, the American television sitcom Seinfeld was almost cancelled after the first episode, but it slowly grew in reputation to become, after nine seasons and 180 episodes, one of the most influential and successful TV series ever. As well as introducing the characters of Seinfeld, Elaine, George and Kramer to the television viewing public, the show invented a lexicon that entered the language including 'yada yada yada', 'double dipping' and 'regifting'. Famously a show about nothing, Seinfeld insisted on a 'no hugging no learning' policy that added a touch of darkness to the comedy.

The show's final episode in 1998 was a huge cultural event, attracting an audience of 76 million people and is still the fourth most-watched television finale of all time. But many were disappointed by the way the show ended - the story was too dark, too big and moved too far away from the persona of the show. The failure of the finale developed into an industry joke and affected many of the stars and creators of the show.

Why was Seinfeld so successful and influential? Why did its finale fail to capture the audience’s imagination? What effect did this have the show's writers and performers and what lessons were learned from the programmes that came after Seinfeld? Discussing this are Lauren Bravo, Darren Richman and Sarah Dempster.

Presenter: Hayley Campbell