Referendum Documentaries

How did Scotland reach the point where we will soon be holding a referendum deciding the fate of the United Kingdom? What are the factors responsible, and is there a 'Smoking Gun' to explain it all? The film traces the global and national events of the last 60 years that may have all contributed to us going to the voting booths later this year. From the 'theft' of the Stone of Destiny to the discovery of oil, and even to Elvis Presley and the Cold War. No stone is left unturned as we examine both the fun and serious 'Smoking Guns' that are responsible for making 18 September 2014 one of the most important dates in Scotland's history.

Stuart Cosgrove asks what it means to be Scottish and what role identity will play in the upcoming Independence Referendum. From the girl with the Saltire tattoo, to the Scottish Morris Dancers, Stuart travels the breadth of the nation meeting proud Scots to try, in attempt get under the skin of who they are and how they see themselves. Surveys suggest Scots have never felt more Scottish, but will that determine how they vote, and how will other identities - Britishness in particular - colour the campaign?

The referendum debate will be dominated by the relationship between Scotland and England, but shouldn't we look further afield to define what Scotland's future, independent or not, will be? Many supporters of independence look north, to Scandinavia, for inspiration. They talk of the Nordic model, which marries dynamic, open economies with high public spending, greater equality and excellent public services. Allan Little has reported for the BBC from more than eighty countries. In Our Friends in the North he asks whether we could pick the Nordic model off the shelf and use it here.

The people of Scotland are being asked to decide their country's future. While some may have already made up our minds, many have yet to decide. The BBC has polled Scots from across the country representing the nation, and asked them to rank ten of the most important issues in the referendum. The programme is a politician-free zone, calling on the country's leading academics and experts, to give straight answers to the key questions. These are the ten issues that could decide what happens on 18 September 2014.

Sarah Smith takes a light-hearted look at the early careers of the big players in this year's Referendum debate and lifts the lid on the not-so-public bits of Alex Salmond, Nicola Sturgeon, Alistair Carmichael, Johann Lamont and Alistair Darling's past lives. In Referendum Connections , she'll reveal where their careers have crossed and connected, not just with each other but with a multitude of public figures in Scottish public life and drags up some early TV appearances they'd wish had stayed hidden in the BBC vaults.

There is a gender gap at the centre of the campaign for Scottish independence. For years, polling has suggested that women are less likely to vote 'Yes' than men. And with women making up more than half the electorate, this creates a challenge for the pro-independence campaigns. In 'What Women Want', Jackie Bird leaves the comfort of the studio to get out and about, and meets women from all walks of life, in an attempt to find out why this gap exists. She interviews experts and political leaders, but most importantly women voters, and shows how working out what women want could be key to winning the vote in September.

Writer and broadcaster Janet Street-Porter comes to Scotland to find out what the referendum is all about - what lies behind this historic vote, and what are the key issues. And she does it the way she knows best - sampling three of Scotland's most famous walks and talking to some colourful characters along the way. On her travels in the Borders, the Central Belt and the North East of Scotland, Janet takes in some stunning scenery - and a wide range of views from a variety of age groups and sections of the voting public.

Comedian Sanjeev Kohli takes a humorous look at the referendum on independence and explores the questions that you might want to know the answers to, but were too embarrassed to ask. What will really happen to the oil? And does anybody even understand or care about the 'West Lothian Question'?

Comedian Sanjeev Kohli takes a humorous look at the referendum on independence and explores the questions that you might want to know the answers to, but were too embarrassed to ask. What will our money look like? And what will happen to his Scottish cousin in Wolverhampton?

There's never been a summer like it in Scotland. Just seven weeks after Glasgow hosts the Commonwealth Games, millions of Scots will be going to the polls to decide our country's future. In this programme, ex-rugby international turned broadcaster John Beattie investigates what happens when the worlds of sport and politics collide. John asks if gold medals at this year's Commonwealth Games will influence whether Scots vote Yes or No on September 18th. Yes campaigner and boxing legend Alex Arthur tells John his career suffered because he wouldn't keep his Scottish identity under wraps. Pro-UK supporter and rugby hero David Sole insists the historic 1990 Grand Slam victory over England was just a game of rugby and had nothing to do with the Poll Tax or Mrs Thatcher.

Scotland is about to make one of the most important decisions in its history. On the 18th September, people will vote to decide if Scotland becomes an independent country. Ken MacDonald explores what psychological techniques both campaigns are using to influence how people will make up their minds ahead of this historic vote. By speaking to leading neuroscientists and those campaigning on both sides of the debate, and by conducting research, this programme attempts to determine the factors which affect the way people come to conclusions. Neuroscientists believe that when people are faced with making important decisions, a range of emotional, psychological and neurological factors affect the outcome. Using the latest technology to tap into people's subconscious, it is now possible to determine how a person might vote before they even realise it themselves.

What does your vote mean for the money in your pocket? The arguments coming from both sides can be hard to follow. BBC Newsnight's Chief Correspondent, Laura Kuenssberg, returns to Scotland to meet the workers who make the Scottish economy tick and tries to find answers to some of their biggest questions.

Documentary. Following Scotland's historic vote on independence, this programme looks at what went on behind the scenes of both campaigns. Includes archive footage and interviews.