Mark Kermode's Secrets of Cinema
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2019}}
{{Infobox television
| image = Mark Kermodes Secrets of Cinema.jpg
| image_upright =
| image_size =
| image_alt =
| caption =
| genre = Documentary
| creator =
| based_on =
| developer =
| writer = Kim Newman
Mark Kermode
| screenplay =
| story =
| director = Nick Freand Jones
| creative_director =
| presenter = Mark Kermode
| theme_music_composer = Neil Brand
| country = United Kingdom
| language = English
| num_series = 4 (inc. specials)
| num_episodes = 14
| list_episodes =
| executive_producer = Richard Bright
John Das
| producer = Nick Freand Jones
| location =
| cinematography =
| animator =
| editor = Jude Suggett
Beth Hourston
Steve Miller
| camera =
| runtime = 60
| company = BBC Studios
| budget =
| network = BBC Four
| first_aired = {{Start date|2018|07|17|df=yes}}
| last_aired = {{End date|2021|01|25|df=yes}}
| related =
}}
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.
Format
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
=Series overview=
{{Series overview
| color1 = #000000
| link1 = #Series 1 (2018)
| episodes1 = 5
| start1 = {{Start date|2018|7|17|df=y}}
| end1 = {{End date|2018|8|14|df=y}}
| color1S = #000000
| link1S = #Specials (2018–19)
| linkT1S = Specials
| episodes1S = 3
| start1S = {{Start date|2018|12|20|df=y}}
| end1S = {{End date|2019|4|22|df=y}}
| color2 = #833A7A
| link2 = #Series 2 (2020)
| episodes2 = 3
| start2 = {{Start date|2020|3|19|df=y}}
| end2 = {{End date|2020|4|2|df=y}}
| color3 = #13599F
| link3 = #Series 3 (2021)
| episodes3 = 3
| start3 = {{Start date|2021|1|11|df=y}}
| end3 = {{End date|2021|1|25|df=y}}
}}
=Series 1 (2018)=
{{Episode table |background=#000000 |overall=6 |season=6 |title=30 |airdate=20|episodes=
{{Episode list
|EpisodeNumber = 1
|EpisodeNumber2 = 1
|Title = The Romcom
|OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|2018|7|17|df=y}}
|ShortSummary =
|LineColor = 000000
}}
{{Episode list
|EpisodeNumber = 2
|EpisodeNumber2 = 2
|Title = The Heist
|OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|2018|7|24|df=y}}
|ShortSummary =
|LineColor = 000000
}}
{{Episode list
|EpisodeNumber = 3
|EpisodeNumber2 = 3
|Title = Coming of Age
|OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|2018|7|31|df=y}}
|ShortSummary =
|LineColor = 000000
}}
{{Episode list
|EpisodeNumber = 4
|EpisodeNumber2 = 4
|Title = Science fiction
|OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|2018|8|7|df=y}}
|ShortSummary =
|LineColor = 000000
}}
{{Episode list
|EpisodeNumber = 5
|EpisodeNumber2 = 5
|Title = Horror
|OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|2018|8|14|df=y}}
|ShortSummary =
|LineColor = 000000
}}
}}
=Specials (2018–19)=
{{Episode table |background=#000000 |overall=6 |season=6 | title=30 |airdate=20|episodes=
{{Episode list
|EpisodeNumber = 6
|EpisodeNumber2 = 1
|Title = Mark Kermode's Christmas Cinema Secrets
|OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|2018|12|20|df=y}}
|ShortSummary =
|LineColor = 000000
}}
{{Episode list
|EpisodeNumber = 7
|EpisodeNumber2 = 2
|Title = Mark Kermode's Oscar Winners: A Secrets of Cinema Special
|OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|2019|2|21|df=y}}
|ShortSummary =
|LineColor = 000000
}}
{{Episode list
|EpisodeNumber = 8
|EpisodeNumber2 = 3
|Title = Disaster Movies
|OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|2019|4|22|df=y}}
|ShortSummary =
|LineColor = 000000
}}
}}
=Series 2 (2020)=
In October 2019, the BBC announced that three more episodes of the series would be broadcast, covering superheroes, British history movies, and spies.{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre/mediapacks/visualarts/bbcfour#heading-mark-kermodes-secrets-of-cinema-3-x-60|title=BBC Arts announce ambitious new slate of programmes focusing on the visual arts - BBC Four: Mark Kermode's Secrets Of Cinema (3 x 60')|publisher=BBC|date=14 October 2019|access-date=14 October 2019}}
{{Episode table |background=#833A7A |overall=6 |season=6 |title=30 |airdate=20|episodes=
{{Episode list
|EpisodeNumber = 9
|EpisodeNumber2 = 1
|Title = Superheroes
|OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|2020|3|19|df=y}}
|ShortSummary =
|LineColor = 833A7A
}}
{{Episode list
|EpisodeNumber = 10
|EpisodeNumber2 = 2
|Title = British History Movies
|OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|2020|3|26|df=y}}
|ShortSummary =
|LineColor = 833A7A
}}
{{Episode list
|EpisodeNumber = 11
|EpisodeNumber2 = 3
|Title = Spies
|OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|2020|4|2|df=y}}
|ShortSummary =
|LineColor = 833A7A
}}
}}
=Series 3 (2021)=
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.{{cite web|url=https://www.filmstories.co.uk/news/mark-kermodes-secrets-of-cinema-trailer-for-new-series-more-details|title=Mark Kermode's Secrets Of Cinema: trailer for new series|first=Simon|last=Brew|publisher=Film Stories|date=22 December 2020|access-date=25 January 2021}}
{{Episode table|background=#13599F|overall=6|season=6|title=30|airdate=20|episodes=
{{Episode list
|EpisodeNumber = 12
|EpisodeNumber2 = 1
|Title = British Comedy
|OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|2021|1|11|df=y}}
|ShortSummary =
|LineColor = 13599F
}}
{{Episode list
|EpisodeNumber = 13
|EpisodeNumber2 = 2
|Title = Pop Music Movies
|OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|2021|1|18|df=y}}
|ShortSummary =
|LineColor = 13599F
}}
{{Episode list
|EpisodeNumber = 14
|EpisodeNumber2 = 3
|Title = Cult Movies
|OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|2021|1|25|df=y}}
|ShortSummary =
|LineColor = 13599F
}}
}}
Production
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!"{{cite web|last=Brew|first=Simon|url=https://www.denofgeek.com/uk/tv/mark-kermode-s-secrets-of-cinema/59171/mark-kermode-kim-newman-interview-secrets-of-cinema|title=Mark Kermode & Kim Newman interview: Secrets Of Cinema|publisher=Den of Geek|date=19 July 2018|access-date=21 April 2019}}
Releases
The entire first series of Secrets of Cinema was made free to watch on the BBC iPlayer from 12 December 2018 for several months.{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre/latestnews/2018/xmas-iplayer-boxsets|title=Best Christmas ever with over 100 BBC iPlayer box sets|publisher=BBC|date=4 December 2018|access-date=21 April 2019}} All previous series typically appear on iPlayer when repeated or a new series begins airing.
Reception
{{Expand section|date=January 2021}}
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."{{cite news|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/tv/mark-kermode-secret-of-cinema-tv-review-romantic-comedy-heist-movie-a8461506.html|title=Mark Kermode's Secrets of Cinema TV review: UK's leading film critic gives mainstream cinema the respect it deserves|first=Sean|last=O'Grady|newspaper=The Independent|date=25 July 2018|access-date=21 April 2019}} 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."{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2018/jul/22/unforgotten-who-is-america-mark-kermode-secrets-cinema-prison-review|title=The week in TV: Unforgotten, Who Is America?, Prison and more|first=Euan|last=Ferguson|newspaper=The Observer|date=22 July 2018|access-date=21 April 2019}}
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?"{{cite news|last=Rowat|first=Alison|url=https://www.heraldscotland.com/arts_ents/16388034.alison-rowats-tv-week-travels-in-trumpland-age-before-beauty-succession-mark-kermodes-secrets-of-cinema/|newspaper=The Herald|title=Alison Rowat's TV week: Travels in Trumpland; Age Before Beauty; Succession; Mark Kermode's Secrets of Cinema|date=4 August 2018|access-date=21 April 2019}}
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".{{cite news|url=https://www.independent.ie/entertainment/television/tv-reviews/ghosts-review-its-joyously-infectiously-silly-yet-at-the-same-time-whip-smart-38043461.html|title=Ghosts Review: 'It's Joyously, Infectiously Silly, yet at the Same Time Whip-smart'|first=Pat|last=Stacey|website=Irish Independent|location=Dublin|date=23 April 2019|access-date=18 January 2021}}
References
External links
=Main links=
- {{BBC programme}}
- {{IMDb title|7907918}}
- {{Rotten Tomatoes|tv/mark_kermodes_secrets_of_cinema|Mark Kermode's Secrets of Cinema}}
=Episode links=
Lists of titles featured in each episode at IMDb:
- Series 1: [https://www.imdb.com/list/ls096176633 The Romcom] / [https://www.imdb.com/list/ls096176990 The Heist] / [https://www.imdb.com/list/ls096176897 Coming Of Age] / [https://www.imdb.com/list/ls096176883 Science Fiction] / [https://www.imdb.com/list/ls096172005 Horror]
- Specials: [https://www.imdb.com/list/ls096172055 Christmas Cinema Secrets] / [https://www.imdb.com/list/ls096172058 Oscar Winners: A Secrets Of Cinema Special] / [https://www.imdb.com/list/ls096172074 Disaster Movies]
- Series 2: [https://www.imdb.com/list/ls092274061 Superheroes] / [https://www.imdb.com/list/ls092851040 British History Movies] / [https://www.imdb.com/list/ls094734337 Spies]
- Series 3: [https://www.imdb.com/list/ls084357585 British Comedy] / [https://www.imdb.com/list/ls084342162 Pop Music Movies] / [https://www.imdb.com/list/ls084342195 Cult Movies]
Category:2018 British television series debuts
Category:2021 British television series endings
Category:2010s British documentary television series
Category:2020s British documentary television series
Category:BBC television documentaries