HBO - The One To Watch

Tuesday 5 February
2233-2330

This programme contains strong language, which some listeners may find offensive.

Stephen Merchant considers the unparalleled success of the entertainment giant Home Box Office, creator of The Sopranos, Sex and the City and Six Feet Under.

He charts the development of HBO from being the first cable-channel in Manhattan, to becoming an international lead in sport, drama and film for television.

We hear from leading figures working on both sides of the camera, including Aiden Gillen from the Wire and the core team behind The Sopranos.

With 40 million subscribers worldwide, HBO is changing film-making and TV-watching simultaneously, and is quickly becoming "the one to watch".