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The Best Episodes of The South Bank Show

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

The Best Episodes of The South Bank Show

The South Bank Show is a television arts magazine show that was produced by ITV between 1978 and 2010. A new series began on Sky...

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  1. 9.4/10(30 votes)

    #1 - Ian McKellen

    S27:E13

    No description available

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  2. 9.2/10(5 votes)

    #2 - Malcolm Arnold (1)

    S28:E4

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  3. 9.1/10(29 votes)

    #3 - David Lean: a Life in Film

    S8:E15

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  4. 8.8/10(11 votes)

    #4 - Dusty Springfield

    S30:E5

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  5. 8.5/10(21 votes)

    #5 - Cecilia Bartoli

    S15:E16

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  6. 8.5/10(7 votes)

    #6 - George Formby

    S16:E6

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    7. Trending NowTRENDING NOW

    The 20 WORST Episodes of The South Bank Show

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  7. 8.4/10(11 votes)

    #7 - Peter Gabriel

    S6:E3

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

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  8. 8.4/10(28 votes)

    #8 - 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.

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  9. 8.3/10(29 votes)

    #9 - Ralph Vaughan Williams

    S7:E14

    No description available

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  10. 8.3/10(7 votes)

    #10 - Iggy Pop

    S28:E9

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  11. 8.2/10(29 votes)

    #11 - Ian McKellen, Diary of a Year

    S9:E3

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  12. 8.2/10(12 votes)

    #12 - 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.

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  13. 8.2/10(5 votes)

    #13 - Andrew Lloyd Webber

    S37:E1

    No description available

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  14. 8.1/10(20 votes)

    #14 - Michael Powell

    S10:E4

    No description available

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  15. 8.0/10(6 votes)

    #15 - Vivienne Westwood

    S13:E23

    No description available

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  16. 7.9/10(8 votes)

    #16 - George Michael

    S14:E1

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  17. 7.8/10(111 votes)

    #17 - Ken Russell's View of The Planets

    S6:E26

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  18. 7.8/10(25 votes)

    #18 - The Golden Age of Television

    S11:E15

    A lecture about television given at the British Film Institute.

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  19. 7.8/10(11 votes)

    #19 - Michael Collins

    S20:E6

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  20. 7.8/10(11 votes)

    #20 - 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.

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  21. 7.8/10(5 votes)

    #21 - 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.

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  22. 7.6/10(8 votes)

    #22 - Talking Heads

    S3:E4

    No description available

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  23. 7.6/10(11 votes)

    #23 - 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.

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  24. 7.6/10(6 votes)

    #24 - Sting

    S19:E12

    This report brings you back in 1996, when Sting records "Mercury falling". You will see Sting in his home of lake house, talking about the writting process, see him recording the varied tracks of the album and heard them as working versions... a superb moment...

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  25. 7.4/10(33 votes)

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

    S3:E9

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Best Episodes Summary

"Ian McKellen" is the best rated episode of "The South Bank Show". It scored 9.4/10 based on 30 votes. Directed by N/A and written by N/A, it aired on 6/29/2004. This episode scored 0.2 points higher than the second highest rated, "Malcolm Arnold (1)".