2x1 - Edinburgh International Festival 1976: Part 1

August 25, 1976

Features Elisabeth Schwarzkopf, Galina Visnevskaya in the Scottish Opera's production of Macbeth, The Kantor Theatre Company from Poland, and Fenella Fielding in a late-night revue.

2x2 - Edinburgh International Festival 1976: Part 2

September 1, 1976

Features the La Mama Theatre Company from New York; Bunraku, traditional Japanese Puppet Theatre; a recital by Frederica Von Stade; and Judith Blegen as Susanna in 'The Marriage of Figaro'.

2x3 - Edinburgh International Festival 1976: Part 3

September 8, 1976

Writer Germaine Greer and her god-daughter Ruby take a look at a child's Edinburgh Festival and some of the fringe activities, including Gruppo Teatro Libero from Rome and Quentin Crisp.

2x4 - Theatre: A Dream Come True

September 15, 1976

A look at the opening of the Royal Exchange Theatre in Manchester.

2x5 - Robert Altman

September 22, 1976

Gavin Miller interviews the director Robert Altman on "M*A*S*H", "Nashville", "Buffalo Bill and the Indians" and more.

2x6 - Art and Design: After Samuel Palmer

September 29, 1976

David Gould, the expert who discovered Tom Keating's Samuel Palmer imitations, shows the process of identifying and analyzing suspected pictures.

2x7 - Frank Westmore

October 6, 1976

Gavin Millar talks with Frank Westmore, whose family has dominated the make-up departments of American cinema for decades.

2x8 - Theatre

October 13, 1976

Peter Shaffer, writer of 'Equus', talks about his plays, his life and the theatre with an excerpt from the 1976 stage production of 'Equus'.

2x9 - Cinema: Eric Rohmer

October 20, 1976

Gavin Millar interviews director Eric Rohmer about 'Die Marquise von O', 'Claire's Knee' and 'Love in the Afternoon'.

2x10 - Art and Design: The Illustrators: The Work of Mick Brownfield and Allan Manham/The Swish of the Curtain

October 27, 1976

British illustrators Mick Brownfield and Allan Manham are documented working on their current projects; Artist Chris Orr probes the dreadful truth behind the net curtains of suburbia.

2x11 - Don Siegel

November 3, 1976

Don Siegel, director of 'The Shootist', 'Charley Varrick', 'Coogan's Bluff', 'Dirty Harry' and many other violent thrillers talks about the problems of the director who is typecast by his success in one specialized genre.

2x12 - Theatre: The Cultural Common Market

November 10, 1976

A look at Theatre National Populaire, one of France's leading theaters, and Patrice Chéreau's 'La Dispute' by Marivaux and Roger Planchon's 'Tartuffe', as well as scene's from Planchon's scenes from his Blues, Whites and Reds.

2x13 - Cinema

November 17, 1976

In light of the low proportion of British films in the 20th London Film Festival, Gavin Millar looks at what's wrong with the British film industry and distribution system.

2x14 - Art and Design: Sculpture for the Blind/Linda Benedict-Jones/James Boswell

November 24, 1976

Sculpture for the Blind - a special Tate Gallery exhibition; Linda Benedict-Jones, photographer; James Boswell - a revival of his war pictures.

2x15 - Cinema

December 1, 1976

Arena speaks with Spanish directors at the Madrid premiere of 'The Long Vacation of 36'.

2x16 - Theatre: Brecht in Newcastle

December 8, 1976

20th anniversary tribute to Bertolt Brecht at Newcastle's University Theatre with scenes from 'The Good Woman of Setzuan' and prose, poetry and music.

2x17 - Cinema: Christmas Special

December 15, 1976

A look at the Disney exhibit at the Victoria and Albert Museum; an interview with 'The Ritz' director Dick Lester and actress Rita Moreno; an excerpt from Buster Keaton's 'Spite Marriage'; and the results of the Titles Competition.

2x18 - Cinema

January 5, 1977

Gavin Millar talks to Mel Brooks just before the London release of 'Silent Movie'.

2x19 - Art and Design: Sam Smith: Genuine England/Arena Review

January 12, 1977

An introduction to the magical world of wood-sculptor Sam Smith, plus a look at one of this month's major exhibitions.

2x21 - Theatre: Spokesong/At Home with Mole

January 26, 1977

An interview with Stewart Parker about his new musical 'Spokesong' with excerpt; a profile of 81 year old actor Richard Goolden with scenes from 'Toad of Toad Hall' and Tom Stoppard's 'Dirty Linen and New-Found-Land'.

2x22 - Cinema

February 2, 1977

2x23 - Art and Design: Ralph Steadman

February 9, 1977

Ralph Steadman illustrates a children's anti-war story, caricatures at his local pub, and speaks about his drawing techniques and his work, including Alice, and impressions of the Patty Hearst trial and the Watergate hearings.

2x24 - Cinema

February 16, 1977

Gavin Miller discusses 'Network' with director Sidney Lumet and Robert Kee; Alberto Cavalcanti talks about his film career on the occasion of his 80th birthday.

2x25 - Theatre: The Cultural Common Market: Peter Stein and the Schaubuhne

February 23, 1977

Peter Stein, director of Die Schaubuhne theatre co-operative, comes to London with his Shakespeare Project. Includes extracts from 'Summerfolk' and 'Shakespeare's Memory'.

2x26 - Cinema

March 2, 1977

Gavin Millar talks to New Yorker critic Pauline Kael about Costa-Gavras' 'Z' and 'Section Speciale', along with her passion for the movies and how she wields her power.

2x27 - Art and Design: What Is a Hologram?/Kit Williams - Ring Around the Moon

March 9, 1977

Arena investigates holograms and their potential in the arts; artist Kit Williams' vivid folklore paintings.

2x28 - Cinema

March 16, 1977

On the occasion of the release of the third film version of 'A Star is Born', James Mason talks about the curious business of stardom and how it has changed.

2x29 - Theatre: A Night Out

March 23, 1977

Arena visits three theatres - the Mercury Theater in Colchester, the Humberside Theatre in Hull, and the Duke's Playhouse in Lancaster - to find out what they are doing, how they are doing it and why they think they should go on doing it.

2x30 - Cinema

March 30, 1977

A look at Ealing Studios, including excerpts of many of their popular films.

2x31 - Art and Design: Family Pieces/Both Sides of the Line/The Divine and the Fantastic

April 6, 1977

Portrait painter Philip Sutton; Helmut Weissenborn, a German WWI soldier who illustrated with wood engravings the war diary of Edward Thomas, an English poet who died in WWI; and Gothic art in Cologne.

2x32 - Cinema

April 13, 1977

In a special edition from Rome, Gavin Millar interviews Bernardo Bertolucci, director of 'Last Tango in Paris' and '1900', and Gore Vidal on Hollywood and 'Cinecitta'.

2x33 - Theatre: The Prospect Before Us

April 20, 1977

Prospect Theatre Company reopens the Old Vic. Includes rehearsal footage from 'St Joan', 'Hamlet', 'Antony and Cleopatra', and 'War Music', a new musical adaptation of 'The Iliad' by Christopher Logue.

2x34 - Cinema

April 27, 1977

Gavin Millar talks to director Bernardo Berolucci in Rome about '1900', his new five and a half hour film, as well as his earlier work.

2x35 - Art and Design: The Continuous Diary/Dine's Drawings

May 4, 1977

The artist Ian Breakwall gave up painting for the art of a daily diary; Jim Dine explains why he returned from pop art to drawing the human figure.

2x36 - Cinema

May 11, 1977

Arena looks at erotic films, including 'Je T'Aime Moi Non Plus', 'Hardcore', and 'Come Play With Me'.

2x37 - Cinema

May 25, 1977

An interview with Sophia Loren on the occasion of the opening of 'The Cassandra Crossing'.

2x38 - Cinema

June 8, 1977

Mr Universe, the Crazy Horse Girls de Paris, Yum Yum Shaw, superstars with police escorts, topless bathing beauties-the Cannes Film Festival still sometimes seems more like a circus than a trade fair. But for all that, film people find it an indispensable fortnight in their calendar. More buying, selling and setting up of movies takes place in the jostling corridors of the Carlton Hotel in the last two weeks of May than anywhere else the rest of the year. A report on the business and the ballyhoo.

2x39 - Theatre: Playwrights of the 70's

June 15, 1977

In the last ten years an astonishing number of new writers have emerged. Plays by Barrie Keeffe, John McGrath, David Hare, Howard Barker, Howard Brenton, Trevor Griffiths and Stephen Poli akoff have been performed at the Royal Court, the Aldwych, in the West End and at the National Theatre. The plays they write are about violence, sex and politics. How accurate and useful is their portrayal of society? What is the reason for their success? What are their own roots, influences and attitudes? In an extended Arena, writer and critic Albert Hunt assesses this renaissance of British playwrights, which has given the theatre of the 70s a distinctive voice. Including interviews with, and extracts of plays by: Howard Bren ton, Trevor Griffiths, David Hare, Barrie Keeffe and John McGrath.