The Best Seasons of The South Bank Show

Every season of The South Bank Show ever, ranked from best to worst by thousands of votes from fans of the show. The best seasons of The South Bank Show!

Top season: Season 42; 9.5avg
Best episode: S42E1 Gillian Anderson; 9.526 votes

Season 42

4 Episodes

First Aired: Nov 2020

9.5/ 10

Average Rating

Best episodeE1 · Gillian Anderson 9.5

Season 8

24 Episodes

First Aired: Oct 1984

9.1/ 10

Average Rating

Best episodeE15 · David Lean: a Life in Film 9.1

Season 28

23 Episodes

First Aired: Aug 2004

8.7/ 10

Average Rating

Best episodeE4 · Malcolm Arnold (1) 9.2

Other Seasons

Season 16

25 Episodes

First Aired: Oct 1992

8.3/ 10

Average Rating

Best episodeE6 · George Formby 8.3

Season 30

11 Episodes

First Aired: Feb 2006

8.3/ 10

Average Rating

Best episodeE5 · Dusty Springfield 8.8

Season 7

22 Episodes

First Aired: Oct 1983

8.2/ 10

Average Rating

Best episodeE14 · Ralph Vaughan Williams 8.2

Season 37

6 Episodes

First Aired: Jun 2015

8.2/ 10

Average Rating

Best episodeE1 · George R.R. Martin 8.2

Season 15

24 Episodes

First Aired: Sep 1991

8.1/ 10

Average Rating

Best episodeE16 · Cecilia Bartoli 8.5

Season 27

13 Episodes

First Aired: Oct 2003

8.1/ 10

Average Rating

Best episodeE7 · John Lennon's Jukebox 8.1

#10

Season 10

23 Episodes

First Aired: Oct 1986

8.0/ 10

Average Rating

Best episodeE4 · Michael Powell 8.0

#11

Season 3

19 Episodes

First Aired: Dec 1979

7.7/ 10

Average Rating

Best episodeE9 · A Time There was ... (Benjamin Britten) 7.6

#12

Season 9

24 Episodes

First Aired: Oct 1985

7.7/ 10

Average Rating

Best episodeE3 · Ian McKellen, Diary of a Year 7.8

#13

Season 14

23 Episodes

First Aired: Sep 1990

7.7/ 10

Average Rating

Best episodeE1 · George Michael 7.9

#14

Season 5

27 Episodes

First Aired: Nov 1981

7.6/ 10

Average Rating

Best episodeE25 · Werner Herzog 7.0

#15

Season 6

26 Episodes

First Aired: Oct 1982

7.5/ 10

Average Rating

Best episodeE26 · Ken Russell's View of The Planets 7.8

#16

Season 13

25 Episodes

First Aired: Sep 1989

7.5/ 10

Average Rating

Best episodeE23 · Vivienne Westwood 8.0

#17

Season 20

20 Episodes

First Aired: Sep 1996

7.5/ 10

Average Rating

Best episodeE11 · Maggi Hambling 7.2

#18

Season 1

24 Episodes

First Aired: Jan 1978

7.3/ 10

Average Rating

Best episodeE23 · Hullabaloo over George and Bonnie's Pictures (1) 7.3

#19

Season 21

22 Episodes

First Aired: Oct 1997

7.3/ 10

Average Rating

Best episodeE4 · Björk 7.3

#20

Season 11

24 Episodes

First Aired: Oct 1987

7.2/ 10

Average Rating

Best episodeE15 · The Golden Age of Television 7.6

#21

Season 23

21 Episodes

First Aired: Sep 1999

7.1/ 10

Average Rating

Best episodeE1 · Paul Merton 7.1

#22

Season 19

20 Episodes

First Aired: Sep 1995

6.8/ 10

Average Rating

Best episodeE12 · Sting 7.6

#23

Season 33

6 Episodes

First Aired: May 2008

6.6/ 10

Average Rating

Best episodeE4 · Sarah Waters 6.6

#24

Season 26

25 Episodes

First Aired: Oct 2002

6.3/ 10

Average Rating

Best episodeE21 · Nick Cave 6.3

#25

Season 12

24 Episodes

First Aired: Sep 1988

0.0/ 10

Average Rating

Best episodeE13 · Derek Walcott 0.0

#26

Season 2

24 Episodes

First Aired: Nov 1978

N/A/ 10

Average Rating

#27

Season 4

26 Episodes

First Aired: Nov 1980

N/A/ 10

Average Rating

#28

Season 17

25 Episodes

First Aired: Sep 1993

N/A/ 10

Average Rating

#29

Season 18

22 Episodes

First Aired: Sep 1994

N/A/ 10

Average Rating

#30

Season 22

16 Episodes

First Aired: Nov 1998

N/A/ 10

Average Rating

#31

Season 24

24 Episodes

First Aired: Oct 2000

N/A/ 10

Average Rating

#32

Season 25

18 Episodes

First Aired: Oct 2001

N/A/ 10

Average Rating

#33

Season 29

12 Episodes

First Aired: Aug 2005

N/A/ 10

Average Rating

#34

Season 31

30 Episodes

First Aired: Sep 2006

N/A/ 10

Average Rating

#35

Season 32

6 Episodes

First Aired: Nov 2007

N/A/ 10

Average Rating

#36

Season 34

6 Episodes

First Aired: Sep 2008

N/A/ 10

Average Rating

#37

Season 35

9 Episodes

First Aired: Jan 2009

N/A/ 10

Average Rating

#38

Season 36

6 Episodes

First Aired: May 2014

N/A/ 10

Average Rating

#39

Season 38

6 Episodes

First Aired: Jun 2016

N/A/ 10

Average Rating

#40

Season 39

6 Episodes

First Aired: Jul 2017

N/A/ 10

Average Rating

#41

Season 40

6 Episodes

First Aired: Nov 2018

N/A/ 10

Average Rating

#42

Season 41

4 Episodes

First Aired: May 2019

N/A/ 10

Average Rating

#43

Season 43

4 Episodes

First Aired: Jun 2021

N/A/ 10

Average Rating

#44

Season 44

4 Episodes

First Aired: Jul 2022

N/A/ 10

Average Rating

#45

Season 45

4 Episodes

First Aired: Aug 2023

N/A/ 10

Average Rating

The Best Seasons of The South Bank Show

Season 42

Season 8

Season 28

Other Seasons

Season 16

Season 30

Season 7

Season 37

Season 15

Season 27

Season 10

Season 3

Season 9

Season 14

Season 5

Season 6

Season 13

Season 20

Season 1

Season 21

Season 11

Season 23

Season 19

Season 33

Season 26

Season 12

Season 2

Season 4

Season 17

Season 18

Season 22

Season 24

Season 25

Season 29

Season 31

Season 32

Season 34

Season 35

Season 36

Season 38

Season 39

Season 40

Season 41

Season 43

Season 44

Season 45

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