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The Best Episodes of The South Bank Show

Every episode of The South Bank Show ranked from best to worst. Let's dive into the Best Episodes of The South Bank Show!

Binge this in 30d 13h•Peaking at 9.5/10

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

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ITV1Sky Arts
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Episode Rankings

  1. #1 Fan Favorite
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    The South Bank Show Season 42 Episode 1 - Gillian Anderson
    9.5/10(26 votes)

    #1 - Gillian Anderson

    S42:E1

    No description available

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  2. The South Bank Show Season 27 Episode 13 - Ian McKellen
    9.4/10(30 votes)

    #2 - Ian McKellen

    S27:E13

    No description available

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  3. The South Bank Show Season 28 Episode 4 - Malcolm Arnold (1)
    9.2/10(5 votes)

    #3 - Malcolm Arnold (1)

    S28:E4

    No description available

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  4. The South Bank Show Season 8 Episode 15 - David Lean: a Life in Film
    9.1/10(29 votes)

    #4 - David Lean: a Life in Film

    S8:E15

    No description available

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  5. The South Bank Show Season 30 Episode 5 - Dusty Springfield
    8.8/10(11 votes)

    #5 - Dusty Springfield

    S30:E5

    No description available

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  6. The South Bank Show Season 15 Episode 16 - Cecilia Bartoli
    8.5/10(20 votes)

    #6 - Cecilia Bartoli

    S15:E16

    No description available

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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    7. Trending NowTRENDING NOW

    The 20 WORST Episodes of The South Bank Show

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  7. The South Bank Show Season 16 Episode 6 - George Formby
    8.5/10(7 votes)

    #7 - George Formby

    S16:E6

    No description available

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  8. The South Bank Show Season 6 Episode 3 - Peter Gabriel
    8.4/10(12 votes)

    #8 - Peter Gabriel

    S6:E3

    Cameras follow Peter Gabriel during the recording of his fourth solo album.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  9. The South Bank Show Season 15 Episode 13 - Douglas Adams
    8.4/10(28 votes)

    #9 - Douglas Adams

    S15:E13

    Interviews with Douglas Adams Some parts of Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency are filmed as link items, including the Electric Monk.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  10. The South Bank Show Season 28 Episode 9 - Iggy Pop
    8.3/10(9 votes)

    #10 - Iggy Pop

    S28:E9

    No description available

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  11. The South Bank Show Season 7 Episode 14 - Ralph Vaughan Williams
    8.2/10(29 votes)

    #11 - Ralph Vaughan Williams

    S7:E14

    No description available

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  12. The South Bank Show Season 9 Episode 3 - Ian McKellen, Diary of a Year
    8.2/10(29 votes)

    #12 - Ian McKellen, Diary of a Year

    S9:E3

    No description available

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  13. The South Bank Show Season 11 Episode 3 - The Smiths
    8.2/10(14 votes)

    #13 - The Smiths

    S11:E3

    This documentary on The Smiths was filmed just days before the band went their separate ways in 1987. Contains interviews of Morrissey, Marr, Joyce and Rourke, as well as Linder, Shaun Duggan, Jo O'Keefe, John Peel, Nick Kent, Sandie Shaw and Viv Nicholson.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  14. The South Bank Show Season 37 Episode 1 - George R.R. Martin
    8.2/10(5 votes)

    #14 - George R.R. Martin

    S37:E1

    No description available

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  15. The South Bank Show Season 27 Episode 7 - John Lennon's Jukebox
    8.1/10(11 votes)

    #15 - John Lennon's Jukebox

    S27:E7

    Original Air Date—14 March 2004 In the mid-1960s, John Lennon bought a portable jukebox and stocked it with 40 of his favorite 45-rpm records. This documentary showcases those songs and uses them to explore Lennon's musical tastes and influences. Featured are interviews with many of the artists whose songs were in Lennon's jukebox.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  16. The South Bank Show Season 10 Episode 4 - Michael Powell
    8.0/10(21 votes)

    #16 - Michael Powell

    S10:E4

    No description available

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  17. The South Bank Show Season 13 Episode 23 - Vivienne Westwood
    8.0/10(6 votes)

    #17 - Vivienne Westwood

    S13:E23

    No description available

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  18. The South Bank Show Season 14 Episode 1 - George Michael
    7.9/10(8 votes)

    #18 - George Michael

    S14:E1

    No description available

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  19. The South Bank Show Season 3 Episode 4 - Talking Heads
    7.8/10(9 votes)

    #19 - Talking Heads

    S3:E4

    No description available

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  20. The South Bank Show Season 6 Episode 26 - Ken Russell's View of The Planets
    7.8/10(112 votes)

    #20 - Ken Russell's View of The Planets

    S6:E26

    No description available

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  21. The South Bank Show Season 20 Episode 6 - Michael Collins
    7.8/10(11 votes)

    #21 - Michael Collins

    S20:E6

    No description available

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  22. The South Bank Show Season 30 Episode 9 - George Michael: I'm Your Man
    7.8/10(6 votes)

    #22 - George Michael: I'm Your Man

    S30:E9

    Melvyn Bragg interviews George Michael regarding Michael's return to touring on the "25 Live" tour, as well as George Michael performs in the studio rehearsing songs for the tour.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  23. The South Bank Show Season 3 Episode 9 - A Time There was ... (Benjamin Britten)
    7.6/10(34 votes)

    #23 - A Time There was ... (Benjamin Britten)

    S3:E9

    No description available

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  24. The South Bank Show Season 9 Episode 23 - Velvet Underground
    7.6/10(11 votes)

    #24 - Velvet Underground

    S9:E23

    The South Bank Show’s Velvet Underground documentary contains interviews with Lou Reed, John Cale, Sterling Morrison, Moe Tucker, Nico, Andy Warhol and lots of early Velvet performance footage.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  25. The South Bank Show Season 11 Episode 15 - The Golden Age of Television
    7.6/10(25 votes)

    #25 - The Golden Age of Television

    S11:E15

    A lecture about television given at the British Film Institute.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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Best Episodes Summary

"Gillian Anderson" is the best rated episode of "The South Bank Show". It scored 9.5/10 based on 26 votes. Directed by Unknown and written by Unknown, it aired on 11/22/2020. This episode scored 0.1 points higher than the second highest rated, "Ian McKellen".