Reputations

Born Richard Jenkins in Wales in 1925, actor Richard Burton 's life and career were changed for ever by his temptestuous relationship with Elizabeth Taylor. The first programme in this new eight-part series uses interviews and extracts from Burton's notes and diaries to reveal his private agonies over his relationship with Taylor, his struggles with addiction, and his attempts to fulfil his acting potential.

The second in this new eight-part series focuses on the founder of modern nursing, who cared for wounded soldiers in the Crimea. The film reveals, however, that Nightingale was neurotic, tyrannical and ruthlessly ambitious, and that more men died in her hospital at Scutari than elsewhere in the Crimea.

The third in this new eight-part series focuses on Canadian sprinter Ben Johnson , who scooped a world record and gold medal at the Seoul Olympics in 1988. Then, after just two days, Johnson tested positive for steroids, was stripped of his medal and left Seoul in disgrace. Reputations charts his rapid rise and sudden fall.

The fourth film in this new eight-part series paints afresh portrait of jazz diva Billie Holiday. By combining rare archive material, including footage of performances unseen for almost 50 years and interviews with close friends, many of whom have never spoken before on television, a new insight is achieved into the well-publicised excesses of her short life - she died of cirrhosis of the liver aged 44 -which questions the received image of her as a stereotypical victim.

The fifth film in this eight-part series presents a profile of the controversial leader of the Moonies, the Rev Myung Moon. While claiming to be the new Messiah, he is accused of heading a ruthless cult that abducts and brainwashes teenagers. He runs an empire worth billions and to his friends he is a hero, a man of profound spirituality who strives to vanquish evil. To his detractors, however, he is a megalomaniac, a fraud who plans to dominate the world.

The sixth film in this eight-part series presents a profile of the controversial heavyweight champion. An ex-convict who learned to box in prison, his mob connections almost guaranteed him notoriety and his reputation was finally destroyed by allegations of fight-fixing in his title bouts with Floyd Paterson and the then unknown Cassius Clay.

The acknowledged guru of psychedelic drugs, Timothy Leary claimed to have learnt more about himself the first time he ate magic mushrooms than in all his years as a psychologist. Described as "the most dangerous man in America" by the judge who imprisoned him in 1970, his mission was to turn America on to psychedelics. This programme explores the motives, morals and influences of the man who urged a generation to "turn on, tune in, drop out", and became demonised in the process.