Series 2

From flying saviour figures in primary-coloured costumes to brooding nocturnal vigilantes, the superhero movie has spawned many record-breaking global hits. It has also provoked a backlash from some leading film-makers, yet superheroes have had a relationship with cinema that stretches back to the first half of the 20th century, and the genre taps deeply into timeless themes and storytelling traditions. Drawing on a range of films, past and present, Mark Kermode explores the key elements of superhero movies, including origins, superpowers, costumes, secret identities, villains and sacrifice, to show why they resonate with audiences across the world. Mark also addresses criticisms of the genre, and offers his own thoughts on how superhero movies must adapt for the future.

'History', says Mark Kermode, 'is the quintessential British film genre'. America may have its great outdoors for road movies and westerns, and teeming cities for cop and crime sagas. But there is more than enough in two millennia of British history to provide a bottomless well of story material. To prove the point, Mark looks at some of the best films about British history in the order of when they are set, tracing the story of Britain from the Roman invasion to the modern era, via medieval times, the Tudors, the English Civil War and the 18th and 19th centuries. He shows, from action and adventure to political intrigue, and from forest-dwelling outlaws to embattled kings and queens, that British history encompasses a remarkable range of styles and situations. Each period is almost a genre in itself, with its own particular themes and characters. And facts are rarely allowed to stand in the way of a good story or striking image.

Mark Kermode explores one of the most distinctive and popular genres of all. The spy movie plays on our paranoia and feeds our fears as well as fulfilling our fantasies of secret missions and special skills. It has also given us perhaps the most famous hero in all of cinema – James Bond. Spy movies capture a world not of black and white but shades of grey. But if the morality is often ambiguous, the genre is full of tried and tested conventions. Mark opens up the cinematic agent’s essential toolkit, from the spy boss to the mysterious McGuffin, surveillance techniques to a striking set of opening titles, and he traces the development of the genre from its earliest days. Whether you’re a blockbuster superspy or a compromised cold warrior, Mark reveals all you need to survive in the murky yet thrilling world of big screen espionage.