Screenshot - The Swinging Sixties
Ellen E Jones and Mark Kermode revisit the decade that transformed Britain’s image around the world, focusing on how film and TV captured - and helped shape - the spirit of Swinging London, from Blow-Up to Alfie.
Mark speaks to the "Face of 1966", model and fashion icon Twiggy, about what she was watching as the sixties started to swing - and how closely the films of the era reflected the world she experienced.
Meanwhile, Ellen speaks to cultural historian Matthew Sweet about why Richard Lester and The Beatles proved such a turning point, and how films including The Sorcerers and Two Gentlemen Sharing offer a different perspective on the Swinging Sixties story.
And Mark also talks to the iconic actress Rita Tushingham, whose remarkable run of 1960s films - including The Knack... and How to Get It, A Taste of Honey and Smashing Time - mirrored British cinema's shift from gritty black-and-white social realism to vibrant pop culture.
Producer: Jane Long
A Prospect Street production for BBC Radio 4
Published on Friday, 17th July 2026.
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