The Call Of The Wild

The Call Of The Wild

From a nostalgic exploration of Britain under pedal power to wild swimming, camping and bird-watching, BBC Four’s The Call Of The Wild celebrates the great British love affair with the countryside – whatever the weather.

Programmes in the season

1. Ball Trap on the Cote Sauvage

   Gentle comedy drama following the antics of several British families on holiday in France.

2. Belleville Rendez-Vous

   Quirky feature-length animation about an orphaned boy who becomes obsessed with cycling, from the imagination of Sylvain Chomet.

3. Britain By Bike

   Clare Balding embarks on a pedal-powered odyssey across Britain to rediscover the magical world of 1950s cycling.

4. Britain Goes Camping

   How camping evolved from Edwardian times to the British family pastime it is today.

5. Britain’s Park Story

   Dan Cruickshank reveals the rich history of the evolution of the nation's parks.

6. Death on the Mountain: The Story of Tom Simpson

   A look at the 1967 Tour de France, when British cyclist Tom Simpson died trying to climb Mont Ventoux.

7. The Games That Time Forgot

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   Alex Horne tries to discover why some games survived, and examines those that didn't.

8. Great British Outdoors

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   Mark Benton voices a witty tribute to a very British story of mud, sweat and tent pegs in a world without a solid roof.

9. The Great Outdoors

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   The Great Outdoors follows the hikes, heartaches, friendships and rivalries of a group of ramblers.

10. Ian Hislop's Scouting for Boys

    Ian Hislop uncovers the story behind the book which launched the Scout movement.

11. Imagine: David Hockney - A Bigger Picture

    The return from California of England's favourite living artist, at the age of 70.

12. Munro: Mountain Man

    The life of adventurer Hugh Munro, who climbed and listed the high peaks of Scotland.

13. Nuts In May

    Mike Leigh's classic comic tale of camping holidays and an increasingly domineering husband.

14. On Hannibal's Trail

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    Three Australian brothers set out cycling on the trail of Hannibal, the warrior who's army marched from Spain to Rome.

15. Ride of My Life: The Story of the Bicycle

    Bike-obsessed author Rob Penn travels around the world collecting handbuilt parts for his dream bicycle.

16. Thoroughly Modern... The Bicycle

    How the Edwardians promoted the bicycle as a truly democratised means of transport.

17. Wainwright: The Man Who Loved the Lakes

    Documentary recalling the life of eccentric Lancastrian Alfred Wainwright.

18. Wild Swimming with Alice Roberts

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    Alice Roberts plunges into lakes and rivers to examine the phenomenon of wild swimming.

19. Youth Hostelling: The First 100 Years

    The story of youth hostelling, told using archive film found at the YHA headquarters.

20. 100 Years of Girl Guides

    Documentary delving into the Girl Guide movement's extraordinary archive.