The Queens of Pop: VivaLa Diva (BBC2, 9.30pm)
WHEN we think of musicians who have reached the pinnacle of their careers, they are often dubbed rock gods – if they are men.
In this fascinating documentary, Ana Matronic explores why, when a female star achieves the same level of fame, they are sometimes labelled a diva.
With that in mind, the presenter is trying to reclaim this word by examining the key elements that shaped the identities and sounds of five of music’s biggest female artists: Beyonce, Cher, Grace Jones, Madonna and Mariah Carey.
She unpicks their triumphs and tragedies to get a deeper understanding of what makes them special, and asks what a “diva” might look like in the future.
BBC Proms 2021 (BBC2, 6.30pm)
IF you are a fan of Sunday afternoon musical movies, then don’t miss out on the opening weekend of this year’s Proms.
Petroc Trelawny presents from the Royal Albert Hall as conductor Richard Balcombe leads the BBC Concert Orchestra. And alongside him will be star singers Louise Dearman, Katie Hall, Nadim Naaman and Jamie Parker in a rousing series of classic songs from Broadway’s Golden Age.
Make sure your vocal cords are good and warm (and maybe warn the neighbours if you’re planning to sing along) as the impressive programme includes ditties from South Pacific, My Fair Lady, Anything Goes, Annie Get Your Gun and High Society.
Don’t go anywhere during the interval either, as Petroc will be joined by director Allyson Devenish to reflect on this Golden Age of sublime composers, singers, music and entertainment.
Living Wild: How to Change Your Life (C4, 8.30pm)
IN the first of an eye-opening two-parter, Sophie Morgan travels around the UK, meeting people who built their lives around the things they love.
She tries her hand at sheep-shearing in rural Nottinghamshire when she meets shepherd Elizabeth, and soars over the Sussex Downs with passionate paragliders Amy and Dave.
Over in Monmouthshire in Wales, Sophie finds out why Muhsen persuaded three generations of his family to up sticks from London and take up farming, and why they now have a rich, fulfilled life.
Southern Journey (Revisited) (Sky Arts, 9pm)
DIRECTORS Rob Curry and Tim Plester’s documentary and road movie is set against the backdrop of the 2018 US mid-term elections and accompanied by a soundtrack of blues and bluegrass, hollers and spirituals.
The film retraces the steps of pioneering ethnomusicologists Alan Lomax and Shirley Collins, who embarked on a trip through Virginia, Kentucky and Mississippi in search of the Deep South’s traditions in 1959.
What they amassed is an unparalleled collection of traditional roots music, inspiring a host of folk musicians as well as providing the inspiration for the soundtrack to the Coen Brothers’ O Brother Where Art Thou.
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