Known for Acting
Smokey Robinson and Halle Bailey co-host NBC's "A Motown Christmas"
A celebration of the work of songwriter Lamont Dozier, who passed away in 2022, featuring a rich selection from the BBC's archive of performances of his work from over the decades. This collection features Dozier’s best loved and most recognisable hits, performed by the artists like Diana Ross and the Supremes, The Four Tops, and Martha and the Vandellas, whom he helped turn into international stars, as well as those who have kept his work alive and relevant to this day including Phil Collins, Kylie Minogue, Rod Stewart and Rag'n'Bone Man.
For over 85 years, steamship Ste. Claire transported generations of Detroiters to Boblo Island, an amusement park nestled in the waters between the US and Canada. When the vessel comes under threat of ruin, a doctor, psychic and amusement park fanatic unite to save their beloved steamship from the scrapyard. Interweaving local lore and mythology, "Boblo Boats" explores the whitewashed history of amusement parks and one crew's crusade to bring back the memories.
Inspired by the music and subjects featured in the series “Godfather of Harlem,” this documentary series brings alive the dramatic true story of Harlem and its music during the 1960s, and connects that history to our present moment.
John, a man haunted by his beginnings, struggles with finding meaning and worth in his life. This leads him to choose a path of selfishness and drug abuse. Consequently there's a breakdown of relationships with his family and his wife. When things start to crumble all around him, John gets the wake up call that he needs in the form of a caring new friend, and others in his life that reach out to him in ways they hadn't before. God working through them and reaching out to John, guides him on a path of discovery about where his worth and value truly come from, and what in life is truly valuable.
Comedian and former Tonight Show host Jay Leno shares his passion for motor vehicles. Jay and guests drive cars, motorbikes and anything that moves all while meeting new people and exploring the rich motoring history of America and beyond.
A look at post-industrial Detroit and its burgeoning urban agricultural movement.
To mark the 50-year anniversary of Motown in 2009, a compilation of some of the iconic record label's greatest names filmed live in the BBC studios. Visitors from Hitsville USA over the years have included Smokey Robinson and the Miracles, Diana Ross and the Supremes, the Temptations, Stevie Wonder, The Four Tops and The Jackson 5.
Documentary looking at how Detroit became home to a musical revolution that captured the sound of a nation in upheaval. In the early 60s, Motown transcended Detroit's inner city to take black music to a white audience, whilst in the late 60s suburban kids like the MC5 and the Stooges descended into the black inner city to create revolutionary rock expressing the rage of young white America.
The story of the big names that have shaped the musical genres, plus an occasional stopgap for the new rock 'n' roll - comedy.
Soul music has conquered the world in the last 50 years - growing from the raw, electric rhythms of the black underclass, it is now a billion dollar industry with R&B and hip hop dominating the world's charts. It's been the soundtrack to some of the most extraordinary social, political and cultural shifts. Together with the civil rights movement, it has challenged white hegemony, helped break down segregation and encouraged the fight for racial equality. This new six-part series, made by the BBC team who produced the critically-acclaimed Lost Highway, Walk On By and Dancing In The Street series, charts the evolution of soul music - with a fascinating combination of rare archive footage and over 100 contemporary interviews. The movers and shakers from the world of soul – such as James Brown, Mary J Blige, Beyoncé and Martha Reeves, - plus some often overlooked talent, track the music that shaped our lives.
The unforgettable R&B soul diva shows her incredible range with hits like “Nowhere to Run,” “Jimmy Mack,” “Heatwave,” and others.
