Secrets & Scandals

Channel 5 uncovers political chicanery, faked participants, hidden drug messages and BBC bigwigs desperate to avoid winning the song contest.

Secrets & Scandals brings revelations about a Labour leader asking the BBC for a big favour, a Met Police vice squad operation actively targeting celebrities, and a descent into alcoholism that almost tore apart the biggest sitcom in Britain.

A look at how the show's creators had to fight the BBC to keep the show on air, how there was off-screen jostling for top billing, the personal tragedies that befell the cast, and the behind the-scenes secrets about how the show was made.

Revealing the behind-the-scenes stories of how the show was made and became Britain's favourite sitcom, as well as uncovering the secrets behind the hilarious visual gags, lost episodes of the show and how the cast could have looked very different.

At its peak, around half the UK population was watching the antics of hapless Frank Spencer (Michael Crawford) and his family. This documentary reveals the behind-the-scenes stories of how 1970s sitcom Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em was made, and features an interview with show creator, Ray Allen. Contributors include John Thomson, cast member John D Collins, and crew members Stuart Fell and Matt Irvine.

The programme may have been a by-word for cosiness — it was the Queen's favourite sitcom, no less — but behind the soft exterior lay a surprisingly hard centre, with storylines tackling mid-life crises, drunken wifeswapping, and chickens named after famous Communists. The Good Life: Secrets & Scandals reveals the truth of how one of the most unlikely British sitcom successes was really made. The documentary reveals how a special royal episode (requested by the Queen herself) was nearly derailed by a Blue Peter dog on the day of recording. The programme exposes the secrets of the cast's off-screen friendships, including one dinner party that nearly ended in disaster, as well as lifting the lid on the personal scandals of the sitcom's stars. The show reveals how the cast could have looked very different, and how the sitcom might have been unrecognisable if creators had gone ahead with their original idea of filming it all on a yacht. There are also revelations about how the show tackled the role of women, including the notorious episode featuring the Good's homebrew, which nearly ended in adultery, and how the producers had to fight to allow the female characters to drink on screen as well as the scandalous press treatment of Felicity Kendall's iconic character Margo.

A tribute to 'Allo 'Allo, one of the UK's best loved sitcoms which centred on cafe owner turned reluctant French Resistance fighter, Rene Artois (Gorden Kaye), and his family and associates. Featuring contributions from key cast members, including Vicki Michelle, Sue Hodge, Arthur Bostrom, Kim Hartman, Richard Gibson and Guy Siner.

The dark side of the long-running music show, exploring the ruthless tactics of promoters and the demands of big name stars, the artists that admitted to performing drunk on-air, and how one presenter hosted the show drugged. Featuring contributions from former presenters Pete Murray, `Diddy" David Hamilton and Tony Dortie, Pan's People dancer Dee Dee Wilde, Arthur Brown, Cheryl Baker from Bucks Fizz, and backstage crew from across the decades.

The Carry On films are one of British cinema's biggest success stories. Made on the tiniest of budgets, they made millions at the box office, and are still regularly repeated on TV. Carry On... Secrets & Scandals reveals the truth behind the films' cheeky, cheerful image. With behind-the-scenes stories about how they were made, including shocking secrets from the series' stars. The documentary broadcasts, for the first time ever, interviews recorded by the cast at an event in 1998, where they reveal their true feelings about their treatment at the hands of millionaire producer Peter Rogers. Revelations include the cast's scandalous financial treatment as the films gained new popularity, as well as moving insights into the cast's friendships, love lives, and the difficulties they faced after the films ended. The programme exposes the lengths some of the producers went to in order to save money, from filming beach scenes in a studio car park and the occasions when cast members' lives were put at risk due to the tight schedules and tiny budgets. The programme reveals the impact Sid James and Barbara Windsor's affair had on filming, and how the close friendships among the other cast members led to some hilarious experiences, from finding themselves in a gangster's nightclub to being caught short in a caravan. There are also revelations about the games the films' producers played to get around the demands of the censors, and the times the risqué humour went too far. The programme also features interviews with stars of the films including Amanda Barrie, Sherrie Hewson and Valerie Leon, alongside family and friends of the films' producers and cast, production crew members, and historians and critics who discuss the lasting impact of the films.