From Pulpit to Politics
The first episode explores the charismatic appeal of Ian Paisley, described by men and women who followed every turn of his often controversial career. The founder of his own church, Paisley gathered converts who viewed him as a prophet, preaching against the temptations of alcohol, gambling and the Catholic church.
By the late 1960s, Northern Ireland was riven by sectarian violence. In response, the Stormont government tried to address the inequality between Catholic and Protestant citizens. For Ian Paisley, these were concessions he thought could lead ultimately to his greatest fear - a united Ireland. He held an uncompromising stance of ‘no surrender' to political change, a populist message which struck a chord with loyalists, the Protestant working class.
As the conflict deepened, Paisley built a mandate combining his religious fanbase with the support of many loyalists. He drew huge crowds onto the streets to protest, which led to the toppling of the prime minister of Northern Ireland from power. Paisley himself was elected to parliament and created his own political party, the Democratic Unionist Party. He had become a powerful force in church and politics which could not be ignored.
With the Troubles raging, the UK and Irish governments were keen to find a solution. The Sunningdale Agreement was their bid for peace, a sharing of power between unionists and nationalists for the first time in the history of the island. For Paisley, it was a step too far. At the helm of a powerful coalition of unionist politicians, paramilitaries and civilian workers, he was able to bring the country to a dramatic standstill, forcing the Agreement to collapse. It was to be a significant victory for him and it would be decades before power sharing would be repeated.
Trailer
Recently Updated Shows
Chicago P.D.
District 21 of the Chicago Police Department is made up of two distinctly different groups. There are the uniformed cops who patrol the beat and go head to head with the city's street crimes. And there's the Intelligence Unit, the team that combats the city's major offenses - organized crime, drug trafficking, high profile murders and beyond. These are their stories.
Chicago Fire
No job is more stressful, dangerous or exhilarating than those of the Firefighters, Rescue Squad and Paramedics of Chicago Firehouse 51. These are the courageous men and women who forge headfirst into danger when everyone else is running the other way and whose actions make the difference between life and death. These are their stories.
LOL: Last One Laughing UK
Famous for his dark humour, one-liners and THAT laugh, Jimmy Carr challenges 10 of Britain's funniest comics to spend the day together without so much as a titter. The rules are simple: laugh and you're out. Over the course of the series, they will use every ounce of their comedic talents to try and break their opponents - without cracking up themselves. And it's not just their rivals they need to watch out for. The series is packed with comedy cameos, format twists and surprises designed to lure laughs from both the players and the viewers. It's a stellar line up of British comedy talent as you've never seen them before, but who will be crowned the inaugural winner of Last One Laughing UK?
