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Against All Odds

Episode 1 of 2

Documentary which traces the story of Live Aid from its humble beginnings, a pop tune cobbled together in the back seat of a taxi, to the eve of the biggest televised event ever.

Documentary which traces the story of Live Aid from its humble beginnings, a pop tune cobbled together in the back seat of a taxi, to the eve of the biggest televised event ever staged on both sides of the Atlantic.

Against the background of Thatcher's Britain, one scruffy, fading rock star - Bob Geldof - recalls how he and his motley band of pop idols, rock and roll Del Boys and unpaid do-gooders tried to pull off the impossible - a global televised concert, never before attempted, to save the lives of the starving millions in Africa and force the Establishment to sit up and take the problem seriously.

With only weeks to go before the big day, Geldof had no stars on board, no line-up, no broadcaster and no venues - all he had was a date in the diary. The film tells the story of the race against time to put together the biggest event in pop history. Geldof remembers how he blagged, bluffed and lied to coerce the biggest stars of the day, while they - Elton John, Queen, Paul McCartney, David Bowie, U2 and others - recall how they finally buckled under the pressure.

1 hour, 30 minutes

Last on

Mon 13 Jul 2020 23:30
BBC Two

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Music Played

Timings (where shown) are from the start of the programme in hours and minutes

  • 00:05

    Band Aid

    Do They Know It's Christmas?

  • 00:07

    Pet Shop Boys

    Opportunities

  • 00:08

    Spandau Ballet

    Gold

  • 00:08

    Duran Duran

    Wild Boys

  • 00:08

    The Boomtown Rats

    Like Clockwork

  • 00:08

    Spandau Ballet

    Gold

  • 00:23

    Tears for Fears

    Mad World

  • 00:31

    a‐ha

    The Sun Always Shines on TV

  • 00:32

    Thompson Twins

    Hold Me Now

  • 00:34

    Madonna

    Material Girl

  • 00:42

    The Boomtown Rats

    A Hold of Me

  • 00:47

    Culture Club

    It's A Miracle

  • 00:48

    Wham!

    I'm Your Man

  • 00:49

    Bruce Springsteen

    Born In The USA

  • 01:04

    Dire Straits

    Money For Nothing

  • 01:05

    Status Quo

    Down Down

  • 01:06

    Bryan Adams

    Run To You

  • 01:08

    Elton John

    Rocket Man (Radio 2 Live in Hyde Park)

  • 01:09

    Simple Minds

    Don't You (Forget About Me)

  • 01:11

    USA for Africa

    We Are The World

  • 01:12

    Billy Ocean

    When the Going Gets Tough, the Tough Get Going

  • 01:14

    Ennio Morricone

    The Good, the Bad, the Ugly (Main Title)

  • 01:15

    Huey Lewis and the News

    The Power Of Love

  • 01:17

    Eurythmics

    There Must Be An Angel (Playing With My Heart)

  • 01:18

    a‐ha

    Take On Me

  • 01:22

    Dead or Alive

    You Spin Me Round

  • 01:28

    Elmer Bernstein

    The Great Escape

  • 01:21

    Dead or Alive

    You Spin Me Round (Like A Record)

  • 01:28

    Elmer Bernstein

    The Great Escape – Main Title

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