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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 produced by ITV between 1978 and 2010. A new series began on Sky Arts from...

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  1. Background image for Gillian Anderson
    9.5/10(26 votes)

    #1 - Gillian Anderson

    S42:E1

    No description available

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    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown
  2. Background image for Ian McKellen
    9.4/10(30 votes)

    #2 - Ian McKellen

    S27:E13

    No description available

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    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown
  3. Background image for Malcolm Arnold (1)
    9.2/10(5 votes)

    #3 - Malcolm Arnold (1)

    S28:E4

    No description available

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    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown
  4. Background image for David Lean: a Life in Film
    9.0/10(30 votes)

    #4 - David Lean: a Life in Film

    S8:E15

    No description available

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    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown
  5. Background image for Dusty Springfield
    8.8/10(11 votes)

    #5 - Dusty Springfield

    S30:E5

    No description available

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    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown
  6. Background image for Cecilia Bartoli
    8.5/10(20 votes)

    #6 - Cecilia Bartoli

    S15:E16

    No description available

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    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown
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    The 20 WORST Episodes of The South Bank Show

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  7. Background image for George Formby
    8.5/10(7 votes)

    #7 - George Formby

    S16:E6

    No description available

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    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown
  8. Background image for Peter Gabriel
    8.4/10(11 votes)

    #8 - Peter Gabriel

    S6:E3

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

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    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown
  9. Background image for 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.

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    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown
  10. Background image for Ralph Vaughan Williams
    8.3/10(29 votes)

    #10 - Ralph Vaughan Williams

    S7:E14

    No description available

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    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown
  11. Background image for Iggy Pop
    8.3/10(7 votes)

    #11 - Iggy Pop

    S28:E9

    No description available

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    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown
  12. Background image for Ian McKellen, Diary of a Year
    8.2/10(29 votes)

    #12 - Ian McKellen, Diary of a Year

    S9:E3

    No description available

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    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown
  13. Background image for The Smiths
    8.2/10(12 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.

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    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown
  14. Background image for George R.R. Martin
    8.2/10(5 votes)

    #14 - George R.R. Martin

    S37:E1

    No description available

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    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown
  15. Background image for Michael Powell
    8.0/10(21 votes)

    #15 - Michael Powell

    S10:E4

    No description available

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    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown
  16. Background image for Ken Russell's View of The Planets
    7.8/10(111 votes)

    #16 - Ken Russell's View of The Planets

    S6:E26

    No description available

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    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown
  17. Background image for The Golden Age of Television
    7.8/10(25 votes)

    #17 - The Golden Age of Television

    S11:E15

    A lecture about television given at the British Film Institute.

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    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown
  18. Background image for Michael Collins
    7.8/10(11 votes)

    #18 - Michael Collins

    S20:E6

    No description available

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    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown
  19. Background image for John Lennon's Jukebox
    7.8/10(11 votes)

    #19 - 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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    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown
  20. Background image for George Michael: I'm Your Man
    7.8/10(5 votes)

    #20 - 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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    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown
  21. Background image for Talking Heads
    7.6/10(8 votes)

    #21 - Talking Heads

    S3:E4

    No description available

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    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown
  22. Background image for Velvet Underground
    7.6/10(11 votes)

    #22 - 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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    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown
  23. Background image for A Time There was ... (Benjamin Britten)
    7.4/10(34 votes)

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

    S3:E9

    No description available

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    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown
  24. Background image for Björk
    7.3/10(8 votes)

    #24 - Björk

    S21:E4

    No description available

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    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown
  25. Background image for Ingmar Bergman at 60
    7.1/10(11 votes)

    #25 - Ingmar Bergman at 60

    S1:E22

    No description available

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    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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".