Front Row Late

Mary Beard returns with the live, topical cultural debate programme. Mary and her guest panellists discuss the representation of older people in our culture. Featuring a rare television interview with writer, poet and cultural commentator Clive James.

As the V&A opens its first outpost outside London, in Dundee, Mary Beard and her panel of guests discuss iconic architecture, and the role of cultural buildings in changing the fortunes of our towns and cities. Mary and her panel also debate whether Glasgow School of Art should be rebuilt, whatever the cost, and how Grenfell Tower should be memorialised. And Mary takes a day trip to Margate, to find out how hostile attitudes to Turner Contemporary have been reversed since it opened in 2011.

Mary Beard is joined by historian and broadcaster David Olusoga, novelist Kate Mosse and historian Laura Ashe to discuss how film, theatre, literature and photography shape our understanding of history.

And Mary takes part in a re-enactment of the Battle of Prestonpans to explore the popular appetite for reliving historical events.

From Glasgow, Mary Beard is joined by playwright James Graham, writer Denise Mina and Munira Mirza, former deputy mayor for education and culture at the Greater London Authority, to debate the cultural response to Brexit and whether it is possible to effectively dramatise, or satirise, one of the hottest topics in our culture.

Mary Beard and her panel of guests - Kate Mosse, Sathnam Sanghera and Dreda Say Mitchell - are in Birmingham, where the Birmingham Literature Festival is under way.

Ahead of the announcement of this year's Man Booker Prize, they discuss who tells us what to read, and are prizes and critics important when choosing a book, or are digital algorithms just as useful?

Mary also investigates how the publishing industry spends money to influence the books we buy.

Mary Beard is in conversation with Oscar-winning actress and writer Emma Thompson.

Mary Beard, Mike Leigh, Shahidha Bari and Paul Morley discuss the ethics of portraying human suffering on the big screen. Mary and Dom Joly tour London's Jack the Ripper museum.

Ahead of the award of the 2018 Turner Prize, Mary Beard and her panel of guests discuss the shortlisted artists and the level of commitment required to take in the exhibition.

In this special edition of Front Row Late, Mary Beard is in conversation with author, critic and broadcaster Clive James.