Mark Kermode's Secrets of Cinema

Mark Kermode's Secrets of Cinema is a British TV documentary series which debuted on BBC Four on 17 July 2018. Presented by the film critic Mark Kermode, in each episode Kermode examines the tropes which come together to make certain genres of cinema. The first series aired five episodes, and the series has since been followed by a selection of special editions. The BBC has since commissioned three more episodes.[1] The series has attracted positive reviews from TV critics.

Mark Kermode's Secrets of Cinema
GenreDocumentary
Written byKim Newman
Mark Kermode
Directed byNick Freand Jones
Presented byMark Kermode
Theme music composerNeil Brand
Country of originUnited Kingdom
Original language(s)English
No. of series2
No. of episodes8
Production
Executive producer(s)Richard Bright
John Das
Producer(s)Nick Freand Jones
Editor(s)Jude Suggett
Beth Hourston/Steve Miller
Running time60
Production company(s)BBC Studios
Release
Original networkBBC Four
Original release17 July 2018 (2018-07-17) –
present
External links
Website

Format

In each episode, Kermode takes a different genre of cinema and examines the elements that go up to make the perfect example of what a film in that genre would be like. Animated captions list each trope, with Kermode then explaining each one using examples from various movies.

Episodes
SeriesEpisodesOriginally aired
First airedLast aired
15+3 Specials17 July 2018 (2018-07-17)22 April 2019 (2019-04-22)
2319 March 2020 (2020-03-19)2 April 2020 (2020-04-02)

Series 1 (2018–19)
No.
overall		No. in
season		TitleOriginal air date
Season
11"The Romcom"17 July 2018 (2018-07-17)
22"The Heist"24 July 2018 (2018-07-24)
33"Coming of Age"31 July 2018 (2018-07-31)
44"Science fiction"7 August 2018 (2018-08-07)
55"Horror"14 August 2018 (2018-08-14)
Specials
6-"Mark Kermode's Christmas Cinema Secrets"20 December 2018 (2018-12-20)
7-"Mark Kermode's Oscar Winners: A Secrets of Cinema Special"21 February 2019 (2019-02-21)
8-"Disaster movies"22 April 2019 (2019-04-22)

Series 2 (2020)

In October 2019, the BBC announced that three more episodes of the series would be broadcast, covering Superheros, British history movies, and Spies.[1]

No.
overall		No. in
season		TitleOriginal air date
91"Superheroes"19 March 2020 (2020-03-19)
102"British history movies"26 March 2020 (2020-03-26)
113"Spies"2 April 2020 (2020-04-02)

Production

In an interview with Den of Geek, the chief writer of the series Kim Newman said that the reason for the creation of Secrets of Cinema was that: "there hasn't been a show like this before. Even in the deep history of TV discussions of cinema, they've always been about a director, a movie star, sometimes even a studio. One thing we've bent over backwards on is not to use the word genre in the title, or the publicity for the show. But that's what this is about!"[2]

Releases

The entire first series of Secrets of Cinema was made free to watch on the BBC iPlayer from 12 December 2018,[3] for several months.

Reception

Secrets of Cinema received positive reviews from TV critics. Sean O'Grady wrote in The Independent concerning "The Heist" episode: "It was a compelling watch because gradually every crime "caper" you've ever seen suddenly slotted into his minimalist structure, albeit one that sometimes gets twisted."[4] In The Observer, a newspaper Kermode also writes for, Euan Ferguson wrote in his review that, "I try to make it a rule never to be too nice to colleagues, let alone quote two in one piece, but I have to say Mark Kermode’s Secrets of Cinema was an endlessly refreshing delight. ... This was a splendid hour, could have run for three: you not only get Mark’s insights, often lancet-sharp, you get to see a lot of snatches of films."[5]

In The Herald, Alison Rowat wrote humorously in her review: "Who does Mark Kermode think he is? Coming into our living rooms with his Mark Kermode's Secrets of Cinema, a five-part series that could have gone to some poor, starving, blonde, Glaswegian TV critic who takes in film reviewing and washing on the side? How dare he, with chief writer Kim Newman, take film fans on a lucid, funny, fascinating, trip through the various genres, using perfectly chosen clips to show how each works?"[6]

References
  1. "BBC Arts announce ambitious new slate of programmes focusing on the visual arts - BBC Four: Mark Kermode's Secrets Of Cinema (3 x 60')". BBC. 14 October 2019. Retrieved 14 October 2019.
  2. Brew, Simon (19 July 2018). "Mark Kermode & Kim Newman interview: Secrets Of Cinema". Den of Geek. Retrieved 21 April 2019.
  3. "Best Christmas ever with over 100 BBC iPlayer box sets". BBC. 4 December 2018. Retrieved 21 April 2019.
  4. O'Grady, Sean (25 July 2018). "Mark Kermode's Secrets of Cinema TV review: UK's leading film critic gives mainstream cinema the respect it deserves". The Independent. Retrieved 21 April 2019.
  5. Ferguson, Euan (22 July 2018). "The week in TV: Unforgotten, Who Is America?, Prison and more". The Observer. Retrieved 21 April 2019.
  6. Rowat, Alison (4 August 2018). "Alison Rowat's TV week: Travels in Trumpland; Age Before Beauty; Succession; Mark Kermode's Secrets of Cinema". The Herald. Retrieved 21 April 2019.
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