The Art of Dying

Production: BBC
Executive Producer: Basil Comely

Programme run: 1 x 60 mins

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This programme embarks on a moving journey to find out what can help when faced with the inevitability of death. We seek - and test - the solace to be found in faith, philosophy and, ultimately, in art. The series looks at representations of death through the ages, from Medieval tombs which reveal both belief in an afterlife, but also the warning of the Day of Judgement, to a contemporary artist who has painted the people she loves in death.

Out of Mind

Production: Blakeway Productions/BBC
Executive Producer: Denys Blakeway

Programme run: 1 x 60 mins

One person in four experiences a mental health issue at some point in their life. Even more are touched by its impact on friends or family. Campaigners complain that society still has a long way to go to understand and accept mental illness properly. But things have come a long way since the days when "madness" was still one of the great social taboos. This documentary charts the scientific breakthroughs, pivotal legislation and social struggles that revolutionised diagnoses, treatments and social attitudes.

Thinking Big

Production: Blakeway/BBC World Service
Executive Producer: Mary Wilkinson

Programme run: 3 x 26 mins

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Want to change the world? Every so often someone comes up with an idea that does just that. Ideas about how we organise society or the way we live, such as votes for women and universal healthcare, can have a dramatic impact on millions of people. This series looks at some of the most ambitious current schemes, from a society powered without oil to a new global currency. Are they a stroke of genius or hopeless pipedreams?

Syrian School

Programme run: 5 x 60 mins

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Despite rarely finding itself out of the headlines, the Middle East is frequently misunderstood and associated most commonly with war and oil. Syrian School meets the human face of a fast growing young population, whose government is modernising the education system to encourage a generation of children able to think for themselves.

Eyewitness

Production: BBC
Executive Producer: Tina Fletcher

Programme run: 3 x 60 mins

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Eyewitnesses play a crucial role in solving crimes, yet 60% of wrongful convictions are estimated to be caused by mistaken eyewitness identification. Using full scale staged crimes and investigations to test the memories of ten ordinary members of the public, this series discovers how what someone sees for just a few seconds could be the key to solving a crime - or could send the wrong person to prison.

Chinese School

Programme run: 5 x 60 mins

Life in a Chinese school shares all the delights and challenges of schooling throughout the world, with its own unique issues and priorities. How has the one child policy affected parental expectations and classmate relationships?

African School

Programme run: 10 x 30 mins

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While the teachers worry about league tables, targets and discipline, the pupils discuss football, pop music, and the school play. It might be any school, but this African school also faces issues that its European counterparts rarely think about; severe poverty, civil war and HIV. This groundbreaking series shows the resourcefulness, creativity and humour of a school facing enormous challenges.