Jul 27, 2026
Heath Ledger’s career lasted barely more than a decade, yet it produced some of the most memorable performances of his generation. From his childhood in Perth and early work in Australian television, he progressed from teenage heart-throb to an ambitious actor determined to avoid typecasting. Roles in A Knight’s...
Jul 20, 2026
Aretha Franklin possessed one of the most powerful and expressive voices in popular music, but her life away from the microphone was every bit as complex as the songs she performed. This episode follows her from a childhood shaped by gospel music, family upheaval and the influence of Detroit’s Black church, through...
Jul 13, 2026
Dame Maggie Smith’s career stretched from post-war repertory theatre to the National Theatre, Oscar-winning cinema, Harry Potter and Downton Abbey. In this episode of Compact Biographies, we look at the life and legacy of an actor whose wit, precision and emotional force made her one of Britain’s...
Jul 6, 2026
In this episode of Compact Biographies, we follow Jobs from his early friendship with Steve Wozniak and the birth of Apple, through the triumph and turmoil of the Macintosh, his painful departure from the company he co-founded, his years building NeXT and Pixar, and his return to Apple, where he helped launch some of...