Reggae Britannia/ Rocksteady: The Roots of Reggae, BBC Four

From Trenchtown to Camden Town with the Beeb's Reggae Britannia season

by Adam SweetingMonday, 14 February 2011

Handsworth revolutionaries: Steel Pulse, bringing an activist attitude to British reggae

BBC Four's Britannia series keeps it simple - it tells the story in a straight line, illustrates it with as much archive material as the budget will allow, and interviews as many key protagonists as it can find. If the subject is strong enough, you'll get a good film out of it.

We completely bastardised reggae,' beamed Stewart Copeland. 'We plundered it without remorse

Buy

Rocksteady: The Roots of Reggae on Amazon

Explore topics

Share this article

Subscribe to theartsdesk.com

Thank you for continuing to read our work on theartsdesk.com. For unlimited access to every article in its entirety, including our archive of more than 10,000 pieces, we're asking for £3.95 per month or £30 per year. We feel it's a very good deal, and hope you do too.

To take an annual subscription now simply click here.

And if you're looking for that extra gift for a friend or family member, why not treat them to a theartsdesk.com gift subscription?

more TV

Summer of Rockets, BBC Two review - pride and prejudice in 1950s Britain Real-life experiences make Stephen Poliakoff's Cold War drama ring true

Alastair Campbell: Depression and Me, BBC Two review - is there an alternative to a life on anti-depressants? Former spin doctor explores solutions to his mental health issues

Heathrow: Britain's Busiest Airport, ITV review - 80 million passengers but not much action Fifth season of meandering documentary gets off to an uneventful start

Hatton Garden, ITV review - ancient burglars bore again The infamous pensioners' heist doesn't improve on a fourth telling

Thatcher: A Very British Revolution, BBC Two review - demolishing the boys' club Charting the irresistible rise of Britain's first female Prime Minister

Game of Thrones, Sky Atlantic, Series 8 Finale review – who will sit on the Iron Throne? HBO’s epic saga ends a controversial final season on a high

What We Do In the Shadows, BBC Two review - black comedy vampire spin-off from cult movie Squabbling neck nibblers raise the undead in spritely sitcom

Cannes 2019: Too Old to Die Young - nightmarish LA noir 'Neon Demon' director Nicolas Winding Refn turns to TV with Miles Teller

Gentleman Jack, BBC One review - the revolutionary life of Anne Lister Suranne Jones shines in Sally Wainwright's swashbuckling dramatisation

David Harewood: Psychosis and Me, BBC Two review - actor confronts his painful past The 'Homeland' star explores the mental health crisis he suffered in his twenties

Mum, BBC Two, series 3 review - welcome last hurrah for adult family sitcom Mum's still the word as heavenly Cathy, hellish Pauline and co return

The Virtues, Channel 4 review - close and personal with stunning Stephen Graham Shane Meadows returns to directing TV with brutal realism

Follow @theartsdesk