John Peel
Birthday: Born in 1939-08-30 in Heswall, Wirral, Merseyside, England, UK
Deathday: 2004-10-25
John Peel was a British radio presenter, record producer and music journalist. He's best known for his regular "Peel sessions", a segment in his radio show on BBC 1 in which music bands introduced new songs live in the studio, and for his voice over work on BBC television documentaries.
TV Credits
Cyderdelic
Character: Narrator
The revolution will be televised! Eco-warriors Cyderdelic are a radical trio with an anarchic agenda. A BBC crew followed Beetle Smith, Su Long and Frogger on the road in their 'Ambience' - a converted ambulance - in their quest to spread their revolutionary message to anyone who'll listen. Our intrepid trio are inept but well-meaning DJs who take their music and protests wherever they can....
Wogan
Character: Self
Chat show hosted by Terry Wogan, featuring live studio interviews with famous and notable personalities....
Natural World
Character:
Natural World is a nature documentary television series broadcast annually on BBC Two and regarded by the BBC as its flagship natural history brand. It is currently the longest-running series in its genre on British television, with more than 400 episodes broadcast since its inception in 1983. Natural World is produced by the BBC Natural History Unit in Bristol, but individual programmes can be in-house productions, collaborative productions with other broadcasters or films made and distributed...
Shooting Stars
Character: Self
Shooting Stars is a British television comedy panel game broadcast on BBC Two as a pilot in 1993, then as 3 full series from 1995 to 1997, then on BBC Choice from January to December 2002 with 2 series before returning to BBC Two for another 3 series from 2008 until its cancellation in 2011. Created and hosted by double-act Vic Reeves and Bob Mortimer, it uses the panel show format but with the comedians' often slapstick, surreal and anarchic humour does not rely on rules in order to function, w...
Room 101
Character: Self
Fast-moving game show meets talk show, which sees Frank Skinner refereeing three celebrities each week as they compete to banish their top peeve or worst nightmare to the depths of Room 101....
A Life of Grime
Character:
A Life of Grime is a BBC reality series following the work of environmental health inspectors. Launched during an explosion of reality television, the idea found something of a cult following....
Grumpy Old Men
Character: Self
Series giving a voice to 35- to 54-year-old men, very probably the grumpiest sector of our society....
Top of the Pops
Character: Self - Presenter
The biggest stars, the most iconic performances, the most outrageous outfits – it’s Britain’s number one pop show....
Classic Trains
Character: Narrator
...
Top of the Pops
Character: Self - Host
The biggest stars, the most iconic performances, the most outrageous outfits – it’s Britain’s number one pop show....
Movie Credits
Gimme Shelter
Character:
A charity music video collection from the UK-based music paper Melody Maker....
Rock and Roll's Greatest Failure: Otway the Movie
Character: Self (archive footage)
Documentary about the rise and fall and rise again of the legendary John Otway....
Fairport Convention and Matthews Southern Comfort
Character: Self - Narrator
Directed by renowned British film director Tony Palmer, this film captures the band at the Maidstone Fiesta during the summer of 1970 as they run through their set of the time. This included various jigs and reels, and the songs Sir Patrick Spens and Now Be Thankful. The film also features two songs from Matthews Southern Comfort, the band led by former Fairport Convention member, Ian Matthews....
The Fall: The Wonderful and Frightening World of Mark E. Smith
Character: Himself
A 1-hour Documentary looking at the Manchester post-punk group and its infamous leader Mark E Smith. The Film follows the current band recording their final Session for the John Peel Show (they were his favourite group and recorded more sessions than any other band) as well as chronicling the chaotic history of the band & its numerous line-up changes....
Five Seconds to Spare
Character: Big Jon
A young musician travels to London in pursuit of his dreams, but winds up the sole witness to a bizarre murder....
Radio Wonderful
Character:
This documentary is about the first five years of BBC Radio 1 and contains interviews with the disc jockeys and other folk who were involved in the station's inception. It also contains footage from the previous pirate radio era as a means of explaining why Radio 1 came about....
The Artist Formerly Known As Captain Beefheart
Character: Himself (Narrator)
Elaine Shepherd’s classic BBC documentary, introduced and narrated by John Peel. Completely wonderful, a 50 minute joy: reviews, articles, blog posts, etc. relating to The Artist Formerly Known As Captain Beefheart....
John Peel: Suffolk Comfort
Character: Himself
A 30 minute documentary, made by BBC East in 1990: it was never broadcast at the time, for reasons which are currently unknown. The documentary follows John in his day to day life with his family, as well as documenting his career as a DJ. It also shows him attending a gig from Ipswich band Extreme Noise Terror....
Do You Remember the First Time?
Character:
An unconventional promo for the 1994 single of the same name by British band Pulp. Various celebrities are interviewed about their memories of losing their virginity, and frontman Jarvis Cocker reminisces about his....
Everyday Something: True Stories from the 21st Century
Character: Narrator (voice)
Based on the filmmaker's collection of newspaper cuttings the film presents private moments that give strange glimpses into everyday life....
The Story of Microdisney: The Clock Comes Down the Stairs
Character: Self (archive footage)
In 1980, two Cork outsiders, Cathal Coughlan and Sean O’Hagan, met at a New Year's Eve party. Bonding over music, a friendship and songwriting partnership was ignited; the band they formed, Microdisney, was one of the best bands of the 1980s that you’ve probably never heard. Mixing Sean’s stunning melodic arrangements with Cathal’s poetic, angry lyrics, they recorded three brilliant LPs, gained critical adulation and an obsessive cult following. But a hit single eluded them, as did radio play an...
Nul Points?!
Character: Self
Love it or hate it, the Eurovision Song Contest has not only redefined Europe, it has redefined music. Conceived in 1956 as a great televised musical event which would bring peace and harmony to Europe, it has since launched meteoric careers and made hits of songs such as Waterloo, Volare and Boom Bang a Bang. It has also bred an annual hotbed of political intrigue, racial rivalry, allegations of bribery and plain old sour grapes. In this programme Abba, Sandie Shaw, Cliff Richard and many other...
Mr Trebus: A Life of Grime
Character: Self - Narrator
A heartfelt tribute to Edmund Trebus, the UK's most famous hoarder, who gained national recognition through the documentary series A Life of Grime. This tribute delves into Edmund's staunch resistance against the council, which dismissed his cherished possessions as mere rubbish. We also explore his early life in Poland, his harrowing experiences as a prisoner of war, and the journey leading up to his later years and eventual passing....
Vivian Stanshall: The Early Years
Character: Self - (1995 obituary show)
The great eccentric and raconteur Vivian Stanshall performs music pieces and talks to us about his early years leading up to his time in The Bonzo Dog Doo Dah Band. Following Stanshall death, this program was repeated and repackaged as 'Diamond Geezer' with a tribute at the beginning from John Peel....
Vivian Stanshall: The Canyons of his Mind
Character: Self
Documentary about the life of the Bonzo Dog Band singer....
When Hippies Ruled The World
Character: Self
When Hippies Ruled The World takes a trip back to the end of the psychedelic Sixties - the dreams, trips, movies, and music - to a time that love was all that was needed. From 1967 to 1970, the hippie revolution gave us great anthems, great events, great sex and great big afghan coats. The music was by The Doors; queen of the hippies Joni Mitchell; and the world was set alight by the number 1 hit Fire by The Crazy World of Arthur Brown. Hippies dropped out at the biggest festival, Woodstock, ...
It's Not Repetition, It's Discipline
Character: Himself
Dandelion Records and DVD's present Probably the nearest you will ever get to an official documentary on Mark E Smith and The Fall. Put together over a period of 13 years by three Danish Fall fans and with full involvement from Mark E Smith this film gives a real insight into the mechanisms of The Fall. Features many live clips and rehearsals of both The Fall and Smith and Ed Blaney. The cast list includes Mark E Smith, John Peel (a real in depth contribution from Peelie), Henry Rollins, Thursto...
The Fall
Character: Himself (Voice Only)
Mick Middles's previously unreleased documentary on The Fall from 1994. Made available as an extra on Northern Cream: The Fall DVD That Fights Back in 2009....
Here Comes the Summer: The Undertones Story
Character: Himself (Archive Footage)
In 1978 the Undertones released Teenage Kicks, one of the most perfect and enduring pop records of all time - an adolescent anthem that spoke to teenagers all over the globe. It was the first in a string of hits that created a timeless soundtrack to growing up, making the Undertones one of punk rock's most prolific and popular bands....
Brass Tacks: Punk Rock
Character: Self
Brass Tacks was a current affairs programme shown on BBC2 between 1977 and 1988. On this episode called Punk Rock, broadcast on 3rd August 1977, it focuses on the Manchester Punk scene, bands and its iconic club, The Electric Circus....
The Story of the Undertones - Teenage Kicks
Character: Himself
Veteran BBC Radio DJ John Peel takes his first visit to Derry and discovers for himself the band that forged his favourite pop song 'Teenage Kicks'.The film, through the use of interviews and archive footage (of Derry and The Undertones), takes us back to 1975. To a time when it would have been normal, even expected, for five Derry teenagers to get together and have a riot. The Undertones got together, formed a band and created their own form of riot, bursting into a vigorous and joyous celibrat...
King Rocker
Character: Self
How does a working class autodidact, with no visible means of support, maintain his role as the leader of a cult British underground band into its fifth decade? Comedian and writer Stewart Lee, director Michael Cumming and James Nicholls investigate the mysterious existence of Robert Lloyd, Britain’s ultimate post-punk survivor. Robert Lloyd’s Prefects played with The Clash on the White Riot tour in 1977, and their ongoing incarnation, as Birmingham’s Captain Beefheart suffused post-punk poets ...
Funk Me Up, Scotty
Character: Himself
JP takes us on a 15-minute trek through the musical careers of assorted crew members of the Enterprise (and others). Broadcast in 1996 as part of a BBC Star Trek Night....
John Peel's Record Box
Character: Self (archive footage)
John Peel's Record Box is a documentary film made by Elaine Shepherd, released on 14 November 2005 on Channel 4. It was nominated for Primetime Emmy Award. It is about a small private collection of the British radio DJ John Peel who died in 2004 at the age of 65. Peel's main archive contained more than 100,000 vinyl records and CDs. This smaller private collection, however, contains 143 singles - some of them doublettes - stored in a private wooden box representing some of his personal favourit...
Richard Thompson: Solitary Life
Character: Narrator
A portrait of Richard Thompson, co-founder of folk-rock group Fairport Convention and also an eminent singer/guitarist/songwriter in his own right....