Reputations

The flight lasted just 108 minutes but Yuri Gagarin's venture into space, made 37 years ago next month, guaranteed his place in history. This Reputations special tells the story of the first man in space, from the privations of a peasant Russian childhood to the pressure he suffered under the weight of worldwide renown.

A one-off special in the Reputations strand that provides an intimate portrait of the late Sir John Betjeman, the poet laureate who died, aged 77, in 1984. Betjeman's life was full of contrasts. He entertained the world with his warmth and enthusiasm, but, inwardly, he was haunted by fear, religious doubt, remorse and guilt. Highlighting his achievements as a conservationist and broadcaster, the film features contributions from the Prince of Wales and Lord Snowdon, who speak publicly for the first time about the most popular English poet of the 20th century.

A compilation of two previous "Reputations" episodes on Kenneth Williams. One of Britain's funniest yet most complex performers is the subject of an entry in the occasional Reputations series. Michael Parkinson , director John Schlesinger , actors Hugh Paddick , Sheila Hancock , Miriam Margolyes , Derek Nimmo and Leslie Phillips , and writers Alan Simpson and Peter Shaffer discuss his life and career. Includes clips from his work and readings from his diaries.