Jonathan Meades On France

Jonathan Jones, a professor of ancient languages, comes into possession of an ancient coin. He translates its inscription, which gives him three powers: to inflict pain, slow down time or kill. Soon, he's pursued by enemy spies who have learned about the magic coin.

An American art dealer (Miguel Sandoval), who specializes in southwestern topaz, arrives by train in Liverpool. Similarly, a very proper British art dealer (Alex Cox), who specializes in African art, arrives in the same hotel. The two meet in the hotel's abandoned restaurant and decide to set off in finding an evening meal, which becomes problematic immediately when the Brit reveals he is vegetarian. While following their pursuit of a mutually acceptable meal, the main point of the film is their discourse en route to their various attempts at an eatery.

Two estranged brothers born on the same day, five years apart, run into each other at their family vacation home with wildly different expectations for how their birthday weekend is going to play out.

Howard is mild-mannered and slightly simple-minded, with a habit of picking up teenage hitchhikers while driving his delivery routes. Sometimes the girls admit to being runaways, and if they claim to hate their mothers it drives Howard into a violent frenzy; his sister ran away from home years ago and was never heard from again, causing his desperate, addled mother to tighten her hold on him. Howard never remembers raping his victims or strangling them with wire coat hangers, though his boss does notice missed deliveries and late arrivals.

Janna Riley is the awkward and shy girl nobody ever seems to notice. Not being able to live up to her mother's expectations of popularity, Janna walks through the school hallways alone, though her eyes are always on a certain football player, Bo Callahan. Laughed at and made fun of by the in-crowd, Janna sees her opportunity to become accepted when a fateful motorcycle "accident" lands Bo into her arms and under her doting care. Bo's vulnerable condition enables Janna to kidnap Bo and, in the style of Stephen King's "Misery," the viewer is held captive for every thrilling second.

In the spring of 1913, Parisian businessman Gabriel Astruc opens a new theater on the Champs Elysées. The first performance is the premiere of Igor Stravinsky's 'The Rite of Spring', danced by the Ballet Russes. The rehearsal process is extremely fraught: the orchestra dislike Stravinsky's harsh, atonal music; the dancers dislike the 'ugly' choreography of Vaslav Nijinsky. The volatile, bisexual Nijinsky is in a strained relationship with the much older Sergei Diaghilev, the Ballet Russes' charismatic but manipulative impresario. Public expectation is extremely high after Nijinsky's success in 'L'apres-midi d'un faune'. Finally, 'The Rite of Spring' premieres to a gossip-loving, febrile, fashion-conscious Parisian audience sharply divided as to its merits.

Writer and broadcaster Jonathan Meades turns his gaze onto Spanish dictator Francisco Franco.

Two lifelong buddies must unravel the circumstances that led to a corpse in their bathtub in the wake of a Halloween party.

Having previously investigated the architecture of Hitler and Stalin's regimes, Jonathan Meades turns his attention to another notorious 20th-century European dictator, Mussolini. His travels take him to Rome, Milan, Genoa, the new town of Sabaudia and the vast military memorials of Redipuglia and Monte Grappa. When it comes to the buildings of the fascist era, Meades discovers a dictator who couldn't dictate, with Mussolini caught between the contending forces of modernism and a revivalism that harked back to ancient Rome. The result was a variety of styles that still influence architecture today. Along the way, Meades ponders on the nature of fascism, the influence of the Futurists, and Mussolini's love of a fancy uniform.

Jonathan Meades examines the cult of Stalinism through its buildings and monuments.

Jonathan Meades explores the architecture of Nazi Germany, from its holiday camps to its concentration camps.

In this routine drama, two men (a crass Brit and a slow Frenchman) decide to evade the war in 1917, but their flight on a stolen boat goes awry and they end up on the coast of France, close to the fighting they wanted to leave behind. Once on shore, they make the acquaintance of a like-minded young widow who begins an affair with both men (she just wants to have a child by each) -- but their unusually idyllic existence is threatened with imminent tragedy as the French army advances ever closer.

Tim is on the way to a wedding. He drives through the desert and picks up a hitchhiker. Later, he picks up another who is drenched in blood. A serial killer is on the loose. Who will be the next victim?

Two couples drive to a secluded house in the desert for a weekend getaway, each with their own baggage, expectations, and secrets. Upon their arrival, they’re met by two strangers, claiming to have rented the house as well.

When a young woman takes notice of her neighbor, she has a plan to make him hers. Only problem is, she's a vampire.

Jonathan Meades takes a quixotic tour of Scotland, a country which has intrigued him since he first encountered lists of towns only known from football coupons

Two-part documentary in which Jonathan Meades makes the case for 20th-century concrete Brutalist architecture in an homage to a style that he sees a brave, bold and bloodyminded. Tracing its precursors to the once-hated Victorian edifices described as Modern Gothic and before that to the unapologetic baroque visions created by John Vanbrugh, as well as the martial architecture of World War II, Meades celebrates the emergence of the Brutalist spirit in his usual provocative and incisive style. Never pulling his punches, Meades praises a moment in architecture he considers sublime and decries its detractors.

Seven millions years ago Hawaii rose from the sea a volcanic wasteland, how these islands transformed themselves into paradise is a story that defies the odds and challenges our expectations. Nat Geo WILD takes us on an untamed journey to Hawaii, a place that through an alchemy of fire, ice and water has become an experiment in creation.

Jonathan Meades travels from the flatlands of Flanders to Germany's spectacular Baltic coast in an attempt to decipher exactly what northernness entails.

Series following the Brits who have moved to Benidorm for a low-cost life full of sun and fun.

Former marine Monty Halls retraces the routes of great escapes from Nazi territory, meeting surviving escapees and locals who risked their lives to help them.

Bargain Loving Brits in Blackpool is a series about Blackpool's residents and visitors, who are taking advantage of the resort's budget prices and business or showbusiness opportunities.

In this provocative television essay, writer and broadcaster Jonathan Meades turns his forensic gaze on that modern phenomenon that drives us all up the wall - jargon. In a wide-ranging programme he dissects politics, the law, football commentary, business, the arts, tabloid-speak and management consultancy to show how jargon is used to cover up, confuse and generally keep us in the dark. He contrasts this with the world of slang, which unlike jargon actually gets to the heart of whatever it's talking about even if it does offend along the way. With plenty of what is called 'strong language', Meades pulls no punches in slaying the dragon of jargon.

Shaun Greenhalgh and Dr Janina Ramirez research and remake a selection of precious objects from the past using traditional materials and methods.

For over 30 years, actress and author Carol Drinkwater has been living the Mediterranean life in Provence. In this series, Carol invites us into her home, an olive farm overlooking the bay of Cannes, and shares her local secrets.

Documentary series following three sets of characterful Brits, who have fallen in love with France and made it their new home. A funny and irreverent look beneath the surface of the French dream

A coming-of-age comedy about a Mexican-American teenager balancing college aspirations, societal expectations, and a hectic home life anchored by his single mom and five uncles.

Bettany Hughes follows in the footsteps of 18th century aristocrats going on a Grand Tour as she travels through France and Italy to see how travel, the arts and culture and the finest foods can enrich and inspire our lives.

Jonathan Meades Explores architecture and the British psyche once again in this series.