Summary
Mark Kermode's Secrets of Cinema is a British TV documentary series on BBC Four. Presented by the film critic Mark Kermode, each 60-minute episode examines the tropes which come together to make a particular genre of cinema. An initial series of five episodes aired in 2018. A Christmas special was broadcast later that year, followed by two further specials in 2019. Series two and three, each consisting of three episodes, aired in 2020 and 2021 respectively. The programme has attracted positive reviews from TV critics.
| Mark Kermode's Secrets of Cinema | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Genre | Documentary |
| Written by | Kim Newman Mark Kermode |
| Directed by | Nick Freand Jones |
| Presented by | Mark Kermode |
| Theme music composer | Neil Brand |
| Country of origin | United Kingdom |
| Original language | English |
| No. of series | 4 (inc. specials) |
| No. of episodes | 14 (list of episodes) |
| Production | |
| Executive producers | Richard Bright John Das |
| Producer | Nick Freand Jones |
| Editors | Jude Suggett Beth Hourston Steve Miller |
| Running time | 60 |
| Production company | BBC Studios |
| Original release | |
| Network | BBC Four |
| Release | 17 July 2018 – 25 January 2021 |
Format edit
In each episode, Kermode takes a different genre of cinema and examines the elements that go up to make the perfect example of what a film in that genre would be like. Animated captions list each trope, with Kermode then explaining each one using examples from various movies.
Episodes edit
Series overview edit
| Series | Episodes | Originally aired | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| First aired | Last aired | |||
| 1 | 5 | 17 July 2018 | 14 August 2018 | |
| Specials | 3 | 20 December 2018 | 22 April 2019 | |
| 2 | 3 | 19 March 2020 | 2 April 2020 | |
| 3 | 3 | 11 January 2021 | 25 January 2021 | |
Series 1 (2018) edit
| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Original air date |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | "The Romcom" | 17 July 2018 |
| 2 | 2 | "The Heist" | 24 July 2018 |
| 3 | 3 | "Coming of Age" | 31 July 2018 |
| 4 | 4 | "Science fiction" | 7 August 2018 |
| 5 | 5 | "Horror" | 14 August 2018 |
Specials (2018–19) edit
| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Original air date |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 | 1 | "Mark Kermode's Christmas Cinema Secrets" | 20 December 2018 |
| 7 | 2 | "Mark Kermode's Oscar Winners: A Secrets of Cinema Special" | 21 February 2019 |
| 8 | 3 | "Disaster Movies" | 22 April 2019 |
Series 2 (2020) edit
In October 2019, the BBC announced that three more episodes of the series would be broadcast, covering superheroes, British history movies, and spies.[1]
| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Original air date |
|---|---|---|---|
| 9 | 1 | "Superheroes" | 19 March 2020 |
| 10 | 2 | "British History Movies" | 26 March 2020 |
| 11 | 3 | "Spies" | 2 April 2020 |
Series 3 (2021) edit
In December 2020, the BBC announced that another three episodes of the series would be broadcast, covering British comedy, pop music movies, and cult movies.[2]
| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Original air date |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12 | 1 | "British Comedy" | 11 January 2021 |
| 13 | 2 | "Pop Music Movies" | 18 January 2021 |
| 14 | 3 | "Cult Movies" | 25 January 2021 |
Production edit
In an interview with Den of Geek, the chief writer of the series Kim Newman said that the reason for the creation of Secrets of Cinema was that: "there hasn't been a show like this before. Even in the deep history of TV discussions of cinema, they've always been about a director, a movie star, sometimes even a studio. One thing we've bent over backwards on is not to use the word genre in the title, or the publicity for the show. But that's what this is about!"[3]
Releases edit
The entire first series of Secrets of Cinema was made free to watch on the BBC iPlayer from 12 December 2018 for several months.[4] All previous series typically appear on iPlayer when repeated or a new series begins airing.
Reception edit
Secrets of Cinema received positive reviews from TV critics. Sean O'Grady wrote in The Independent concerning "The Heist" episode: "It was a compelling watch because gradually every crime "caper" you've ever seen suddenly slotted into his minimalist structure, albeit one that sometimes gets twisted."[5] In The Observer, a newspaper Kermode also writes for, Euan Ferguson wrote in his review that, "I try to make it a rule never to be too nice to colleagues, let alone quote two in one piece, but I have to say Mark Kermode's Secrets of Cinema was an endlessly refreshing delight. [...] This was a splendid hour, could have run for three: you not only get Mark's insights, often lancet-sharp, you get to see a lot of snatches of films."[6]
In The Herald, Alison Rowat wrote humorously in her review: "Who does Mark Kermode think he is? Coming into our living rooms with his Mark Kermode's Secrets of Cinema, a five-part series that could have gone to some poor, starving, blonde, Glaswegian TV critic who takes in film reviewing and washing on the side? How dare he, with chief writer Kim Newman, take film fans on a lucid, funny, fascinating, trip through the various genres, using perfectly chosen clips to show how each works?"[7]
Writing in the Irish Independent, a reviewer commented that the experience of viewing the episode on "Disaster Movies" was "like sitting through a lecture from the world's coolest professor", whilst at the same time drawing attention to the role of Kim Newman as "the series' unseen and usually unsung hero".[8]
References edit
- ^ "BBC Arts announce ambitious new slate of programmes focusing on the visual arts - BBC Four: Mark Kermode's Secrets Of Cinema (3 x 60')". BBC. 14 October 2019. Retrieved 14 October 2019.
- ^ Brew, Simon (22 December 2020). "Mark Kermode's Secrets Of Cinema: trailer for new series". Film Stories. Retrieved 25 January 2021.
- ^ Brew, Simon (19 July 2018). "Mark Kermode & Kim Newman interview: Secrets Of Cinema". Den of Geek. Retrieved 21 April 2019.
- ^ "Best Christmas ever with over 100 BBC iPlayer box sets". BBC. 4 December 2018. Retrieved 21 April 2019.
- ^ O'Grady, Sean (25 July 2018). "Mark Kermode's Secrets of Cinema TV review: UK's leading film critic gives mainstream cinema the respect it deserves". The Independent. Retrieved 21 April 2019.
- ^ Ferguson, Euan (22 July 2018). "The week in TV: Unforgotten, Who Is America?, Prison and more". The Observer. Retrieved 21 April 2019.
- ^ Rowat, Alison (4 August 2018). "Alison Rowat's TV week: Travels in Trumpland; Age Before Beauty; Succession; Mark Kermode's Secrets of Cinema". The Herald. Retrieved 21 April 2019.
- ^ Stacey, Pat (23 April 2019). "Ghosts Review: 'It's Joyously, Infectiously Silly, yet at the Same Time Whip-smart'". Irish Independent. Dublin. Retrieved 18 January 2021.
External links edit
Main links edit
- Mark Kermode's Secrets of Cinema at BBC Online
- Mark Kermode's Secrets of Cinema at IMDb
- Mark Kermode's Secrets of Cinema at Rotten Tomatoes
Episode links edit
Lists of titles featured in each episode at IMDb:
- Series 1: The Romcom / The Heist / Coming Of Age / Science Fiction / Horror
- Specials: Christmas Cinema Secrets / Oscar Winners: A Secrets Of Cinema Special / Disaster Movies
- Series 2: Superheroes / British History Movies / Spies
- Series 3: British Comedy / Pop Music Movies / Cult Movies