Britain's Best Buildings
Britain's Best Buildings is a BBC documentary series in which the TV presenter and architectural historian Dan Cruickshank discusses his selection of the finest examples of British architecture. It was first broadcast on BBC Two from 2 to 23 November 2002, and returned on BBC Four from 5 May to 2 June 2004.
| Britain's Best Buildings | |
|---|---|
| Genre | Documentary |
| Presented by | Dan Cruickshank |
| Country of origin | United Kingdom |
| Original language(s) | English |
| No. of seasons | 2 |
| No. of episodes | 9 |
| Production | |
| Producer(s) | Martin Mortimore Naomi Austin Tanya Batchelor |
| Running time | 60 minutes |
| Distributor | BBC |
| Release | |
| Original network | BBC Two (2002) BBC Four (2004) |
| Picture format | 16:9 |
| Audio format | Stereo |
| Original release | 2 November 2002 – 2 June 2004 |
| External links | |
| Website | |
Episode list
Series one
- Tower Bridge 2 November 2002
- Blenheim Palace 9 November 2002
- Durham Cathedral 16 November 2002
- Windsor Castle 23 November 2002
Series two
- Harlech Castle 5 May 2004
- Palace of Westminster 12 May 2004
- Hardwick Hall 19 May 2004
- The Circus 26 May 2004
- Forth Bridge 2 June 2004
Edited editions of the Palace of Westminster edition (ranging from 5–15 minutes) are often shown on the BBC Parliament channel, when live coverage of the House of Commons, House of Lords, committees etc. ends early, before the beginning of the next programme. These edited editions are used to fill the gaps.
The UKTV channel Yesterday frequently repeats the series. However the episodes are shown in an edited 46 minute format to allow for commercials.
Companion book
The 2002 companion book to the series, also written by Cruickshank, covers the four buildings featured in the first series along with four additional buildings; these are Holyroodhouse, Edinburgh; Cardiff Castle; Midland Grand Hotel, St. Pancras Station, London; and Highpoint I, London.
Selected editions
- Cruickshank, Dan (10 October 2002). The Story of Britain's Best Buildings. BBC Books (hardcover). ISBN 978-0-563-48823-1.
- Cruickshank, Dan (10 February 2003). The Story of Britain's Best Buildings. Firefly Books (paperback). ISBN 978-1-55297-748-4.
External links
- Britain's Best Buildings at BBC Programmes
- Britain's Best Buildings BBC press release
- Choosing Britain's Best Buildings by Dan Cruickshank at BBC History
- Building Styles Gallery at BBC History
- Britain's Best Buildings on IMDb