Harry Houdini

Paul Daniels explores the life of Harry Houdini, with help from biographer William Kalush.

• 30 mins

Rudyard Kipling

John Major discusses the life of Rudyard Kipling, poet to the British Empire.

• 30 mins

Henry V

Sir Ranulph Fiennes discusses the life of Henry V and tries to separate fact from myth.

• 30 mins

Tennessee Williams

Stand-up comedian Rich Hall discusses the life of playwright Tennessee Williams.

• 30 mins

Vivian Stanshall

Neil Innes discusses the life of his colleague and friend Vivian Stanshall.

• 30 mins

Hannah Arendt

Munira Mirza discusses the life of the influential political philosopher Hannah Arendt.

• 30 mins

Nero

Christopher Biggins champions the life of the Roman Emperor Nero.

• 30 mins

Lise Meitner

Jenny Agutter champions the life and work of pioneering Austrian physicist Lise Meitner.

• 30 mins

Picasso

Photographer David Bailey discusses the life and work of Pablo Picasso.

• 30 mins

Bill Hamilton

Professor Richard Dawkins discusses the evolutionary theorist Bill Hamilton.

• 30 mins

Bertolt Brecht

Playwright John Godber discusses the life of German writer Bertolt Brecht.

• 30 mins

Robin Hood

Human rights lawyer Clive Stafford Smith discusses Robin Hood.

• 30 mins

Douglas Jardine

Peter White discusses the controversial England cricket captain Douglas Jardine.

• 30 mins

Matthew Flinders

Sir Stuart Rose discusses the life of the cartographer who mapped Australia.

• 30 mins

Buckminster Fuller

TV producer John Lloyd discusses the life of American architect Richard Buckminster Fuller

• 30 mins

Jack Johnson

Matthew Syed chooses the first African-American world heavyweight boxing champion.

• 30 mins

Carl Sagan

Physicist Brian Cox reveals how Carl Sagan's Cosmos TV show changed his life.

• 30 mins

Charlotte Guest

Sarah Hogg chooses as her champion Lady Charlotte Guest.

• 30 mins

Harold Pinter

Matthew Parris introduces the life of writer Harold Pinter, chosen by Diane Abbott MP.

• 30 mins

Arthur Wharton

Viv Anderson champions the life of Arthur Wharton, the first black professional footballer

• 30 mins

John Lennon

John Lennon is the life nominated by writer John Harris. Matthew Parris presents.

• 30 mins

Sappho

Greek poet Sappho - intellectual or vamp?

• 30 mins

Richard Nixon

Historian Dominic Sandbrook discusses the life of Richard Nixon.

• 30 mins

Mary Carpenter

Camila Batmanghelidjh discusses the life of her Victorian equivalent, Mary Carpenter.

• 30 mins

Simone Weil

Eleanor Bron discusses the life of French philosopher and mystic Simone Weil.

• 30 mins

Winston Churchill

Lord Digby Jones chooses wartime leader, Winston Churchill.

• 30 mins

Golda Meir

Edwina Currie discusses the life of former Israeli prime minister Golda Meir.

• 30 mins

Walt Disney

Gerald Scarfe, merciless political cartoon satirist, chooses an icon who created icons.

• 30 mins

Michel de Montaigne

Professor Robert Winston chooses a famous writer from the French Renaissance.

• 30 mins

Malcolm McLaren

Public relations expert Mark Borkowski discusses the life of the Sex Pistols' manager.

• 28 mins