40 Minutes was a BBC TV documentary strand broadcast on BBC Two between 1981 and 1994. The documentaries could be on any possible subject, the only connection being that they last forty minutes. Some documentaries in the original series were revisited and updated in a 2006 version, Forty Minutes On.
Oct 19, 1989 - 40m
Ten of the most dangerous and disruptive men in the prison system have been brought together in an experimental unit at Hull Jail. A new softly-softly regime is being tested on inmates like Fred Low, who is serving three life sentences - one for killing a fellow prisoner - and Patrick Mackay, serving five life sentences for manslaughter and robbery. 40 Minutes gained access to the unit as the prisoners started to reveal themselves to the hand-picked staff, and as conflicts began. The most serious clash was over the only woman working full time in the unit, and it involved David McAllister, serving 19 years for armed robbery and assault, who later escaped from the unit and was on the run for five days. This film tells the story of the most controversial unit in our prisons.
Oct 26, 1989 - 40m
A eulogy to the joy of cycling.
Nov 2, 1989 - 40m
No overview available.
Nov 9, 1989 - 40m
No overview available.
Nov 16, 1989 - 40m
No overview available.
Nov 23, 1989
This film documents one day in the life of Angel station on the Northern Line of the London Underground in the days before its refurbishment. We see the ticket collectors, station manager and other staff as they cope with angry passengers, lift failures and cancelled trains.
Nov 30, 1989 - 40m
At least one in every five children in Britain suffer from bullying. In our schools the problem is worse than anywhere else in Europe. 40 Minutes reveals what's really going on in the playground.
Dec 7, 1989 - 40m
No overview available.
Dec 14, 1989 - 40m
No overview available.
Jan 4, 1990 - 40m
No overview available.
Jan 11, 1990 - 40m
No overview available.
Jan 18, 1990 - 40m
No overview available.
Jan 25, 1990 - 40m
No overview available.
Feb 1, 1990 - 40m
No overview available.
Feb 15, 1990 - 40m
No overview available.
Feb 22, 1990 - 40m
John Pitman meets a selection of women to ascertain their views on the wearing of coats made of fur.
Mar 1, 1990 - 40m
No overview available.
Mar 8, 1990 - 40m
In New Jersey, USA, a team of cops and scientists is 'busting' polluters. For the first time a film crew has been given total access to their operations. 40 Minutes follows the trail - the surveillance. the 'sting', the raid. Whether it's one small operator dumping chemicals on the street or the president of a multi-million-dollar company caught polluting a river - both are likely to face serious criminal charges. In New Jersey, they believe only tough action will deter dumpers. Is there a lesson for us in Britain?
Mar 15, 1990 - 40m
No overview available.
Mar 22, 1990 - 40m
Two children who feel sure they died terrible deaths and have been born again tell their extraordinary stories. Nicola, aged 12, lives in Keighley, Yorkshire, near to the railway tracks where she played in the 19th century in another life. Then, she says, she was a boy. Parish records suggest that it isn't just a childhood fantasy. Titu, aged 6, lives in north India in the shadow of the Taj Mahal. His is a violent story. He alleges he was gunned down by a murderer. Another vivid imagination? The radio shop he ran still exists, and his widow is still alive. When he mentions buried gold, it seems to jog her memory...
Mar 29, 1990 - 40m
No overview available.
Apr 5, 1990 - 40m
No overview available.
Apr 12, 1990 - 40m
No overview available.
Apr 19, 1990 - 40m
No overview available.
Apr 26, 1990 - 40m
No overview available.
May 3, 1990 - 40m
No overview available.
