TS Eliot

Synopsis

For the first time on television, Arena tells the whole story of the life and work of TS Eliot including the happiness he found in the last years of life in his second marriage. His widow Valerie Eliot has opened her personal archive, hitherto unseen, including the private scrapbooks and albums in which Eliot assiduously recorded their life together.

Arena brings an unprecedented insight into the mysterious life of one of the 20th century's greatest poets, and re-examines his extraordinary work and its startling immediacy in the world today. Thomas Stearns Eliot materialises as banker, critic, playwright, children's writer, churchwarden, publisher, husband and poet.

Contributors include Nobel Laureate Seamus Heaney, Lady Spender, Jeanette Winterson, Christopher Ricks and Andrew Lloyd-Webber.

Related Links

• BBC Poetry Season: TS Eliot
• BBC London: TS Eliot and the capital
• The Poetry Archive: TS Eliot (www.poetryarchive.org)
• Wikipedia: Valerie Eliot (en.wikipedia.org)
• The Guardian: Dear Mrs Eliot ... (www.guardian.co.uk)
• The Observer: Revealed - the remarkable tale of TS Eliot's late love affair (www.guardian.co.uk)

Credits

Director

Adam Low

Broadcasts

1. Sat 6 Jun 2009
   21:45
   BBC Two (except Northern Ireland, Northern Ireland (Analogue))
2. Sat 6 Jun 2009
   22:00
   BBC Two (Northern Ireland, Northern Ireland (Analogue) only)
3. Thu 8 Oct 2009
   22:25
   BBC Four