Ian Nathan continues his exploration of cinema with a look at comedy, parody and satire, beginning with the early days of on-screen comedy with the silent actors who took vaudeville slapstick to the next level, including Buster Keaton and Charlie Chaplin. As silent film gave way to talkies, films found new ways to keep the laughs coming, with stars like Groucho Marx bringing his famous one-liners to the screen in Duck Soup, and Peter Sellers excelling in satire in titles like I'm All Right, Jack and Two Way Stretch.

Ian takes a look at biopic, examining the different ways in which film has presented the real-life stories of significant figures. From Laurence Olivier's Shakespearean portrayal of Richard III to Robert Downey Jr's acclaimed role as Charlie Chaplin, and even stretching into the current decade with Kristen Stewart's take on Diana, Princess of Wales in 2021's Spencer.

The writer and critic returns to examine the many layers of the world of film-making, beginning by looking at director Alfred Hitchcock's early work in Britain.