Movie: The Somme: The First 24 Hours with Tony Robinson

Top 6 Billed Cast

Tony Robinson
Tony Robinson

Presenter

Simon Ashland
Simon Ashland

Private Frank Meakin

Carl Wharton
Carl Wharton

Captain William Folley

Richard Thirlwall
Richard Thirlwall

Private Alf Casey

Josef Dawes
Josef Dawes

Private Reg Glenn

Jon M Coleman
Jon M Coleman

Sergeant Will Streets

  • HomePage

  • Overview

    Hosted by actor and historian Sir Tony Robinson, this one-off special tells the powerful and moving story of five men, all members of a unique volunteer army – the Sheffield City battalion – as it recounts the soldiers’ last days, leaving their homes and loved ones to go and serve alongside their friends and neighbours, completely unaware of what lay ahead of them. Central to the programme is the story of Private Frank Meakin, who recorded his unique personal testimony of the war. Frank and his friends could never have anticipated what they would experience, but 100 years on we know in detail, thanks to his diary – an account that shouldn’t have existed, because keeping one was forbidden for servicemen on active duty on the Western Front. Frank’s diary, which was smuggled back from the Front, reveals the intimate details and dramatic stories of one battalion – and one British city – in the words of one man.

  • Release Date

    2016-07-03

  • Average

    0

  • Rating:

    0.0 starts
  • Tagline

  • Genres

  • Languages:

    English
  • Keywords

Recommendations Movies

Why We Fight: Prelude to War
65%

Why We Fight: Prelude to War(en)

1942-05-27

Prelude to War was the first film of Frank Capra's Why We Fight propaganda film series, commissioned by the Pentagon and George C. Marshall. It was made to convince American troops of the necessity of combating the Axis Powers during World War II. This film examines the differences between democratic and fascist states.

The Class of ‘92
71%

The Class of ‘92(en)

2013-12-01

A detailing of the rise to prominence and global sporting superstardom of six supremely talented young Manchester United football players (David Beckham, Nicky Butt, Ryan Giggs, Paul Scholes, Phil and Gary Neville). The film covers the period 1992-1999, culminating in Manchester United's European Cup triumph.

Sidney
73%

Sidney(en)

2022-09-10

This revealing documentary honors the legendary Sidney Poitier—iconic actor, filmmaker, and civil rights activist. Featuring interviews with Denzel Washington, Spike Lee, Halle Berry, and more.

John Candy: I Like Me
79%

John Candy: I Like Me(en)

2025-09-04

Those who knew iconic funnyman John Candy best share his story, in their own words, through never-before-seen archival footage, imagery, and interviews.

Seduced and Abandoned
62%

Seduced and Abandoned(en)

2013-05-20

SEDUCED AND ABANDONED combines acting legend Alec Baldwin with director James Toback as they lead us on a troublesome and often hilarious journey of raising financing for their next feature film. Moving from director to financier to star actor, the two players provide us with a unique look behind the curtain at the world's biggest and most glamourous film festival, shining a light on the bitter-sweet relationship filmmakers have with Cannes and the film business. Featuring insights from directors Martin Scorsese, 'Bernando Bertolucci' and Roman Polanski; actors Ryan Gosling and Jessica Chastain and a host of film distribution luminaries.

Avatar: The Deep Dive - A Special Edition of 20/20
72%

Avatar: The Deep Dive - A Special Edition of 20/20(en)

2022-12-13

An inside look at one of the most anticipated movie sequels ever with James Cameron and cast.

Love, Marilyn
66%

Love, Marilyn(en)

2013-05-30

Using the book 'Fragments', which collects Marilyn Monroe's poems, notes and letters, and with participation from the Arthur Miller and Truman Capote estates who have contributed more material, each of the actresses will embody the legend at various stages in her life.

2000 Meters to Andriivka
81%

2000 Meters to Andriivka(en)

2025-07-23

Amid the failing counteroffensive, a journalist follows a Ukrainian platoon on their mission to traverse one mile of heavily fortified forest and liberate a strategic village from Russian occupation. But the farther they advance through their destroyed homeland, the more they realize that this war may never end.

Marwencol
72%

Marwencol(en)

2010-03-12

After a vicious attack leaves him brain-damaged and broke, Mark Hogancamp seeks recovery in "Marwencol", a 1/6th scale World War II-era town he creates in his backyard.

For the Love of Spock
74%

For the Love of Spock(en)

2016-09-09

The life of Mr. Spock, as well as that of Leonard Nimoy, the actor who played him for almost fifty years, written and directed by his son: Adam.

That's Entertainment, Part II
70%

That's Entertainment, Part II(en)

1976-05-16

Gene Kelly and Fred Astaire present more golden moments from the MGM film library, this time including comedy and drama as well as classic musical numbers.

Naqoyqatsi
61%

Naqoyqatsi(en)

2002-09-02

A visual montage portrait of our contemporary world dominated by globalized technology and violence.

Human Flow
69%

Human Flow(en)

2017-10-02

More than 65 million people around the world have been forced from their homes to escape famine, climate change and war, the greatest displacement since World War II. Filmmaker Ai Weiwei examines the staggering scale of the refugee crisis and its profoundly personal human impact. Over the course of one year in 23 countries, Weiwei follows a chain of urgent human stories that stretch across the globe, including Afghanistan, France, Greece, Germany and Iraq.

Downloaded
65%

Downloaded(en)

2013-06-20

A documentary that explores the downloading revolution; the kids that created it, the bands and the businesses that were affected by it, and its impact on the world at large.

I Am Heath Ledger
74%

I Am Heath Ledger(en)

2017-04-23

The life and career of an actor, artist, and icon. His own journey through his own camera.

Looking for Richard
68%

Looking for Richard(en)

1996-10-11

Al Pacino's deeply-felt rumination on Shakespeare's significance and relevance to the modern world through interviews and an in-depth analysis of "Richard III."

A Love Song for Latasha
70%

A Love Song for Latasha(en)

2019-04-28

A dreamlike conversation with the past and the present, reimagining Latasha Harlins' story by excavating intimate memories shared by those who loved her.

Marvel Studios Assembled: The Making of Hawkeye
71%

Marvel Studios Assembled: The Making of Hawkeye(en)

2022-02-09

Join the likes of Jeremy Renner, Hailee Steinfeld, Florence Pugh, and Vincent D’Onofrio as they reveal how Marvel Studios’ “Hawkeye” was conceived and created. Witness firsthand what it took to pull off the show’s pulse-pounding action set pieces, and discover how iconic characters from the pages of Marvel Comics such as Kate Bishop were adapted and brought to life for the six-episode series.

Bobby Robson: More Than a Manager
70%

Bobby Robson: More Than a Manager(en)

2018-06-06

The definitive portrait of one of sport's most inspirational, influential figures - whose legacy lives on far beyond the football field.

White Boy
70%

White Boy(en)

2017-03-31

“White Boy Rick”, as he was called, was a novelty: A white teenager seemingly running a major inner-city drug operation. In May of 1987, 17-year-old Richard Wershe Jr. was charged with a non-violent, juvenile drug offense. By the time of his arrest he was already a Detroit legend, frequently making front-page headlines and leading the local television news. In this film, gangsters, hit men, journalists and federal agents struggle to explain why he remains in prison at nearly 50 years old. The possible explanation is more stunning than the crimes Wershe was alleged to have committed.

Similar Movies

The Shogun
40%

The Shogun(en)

2008-12-21

With cunning and courage the japanese warlord Tokugawa Ieyasu managed to unify Japan after 150 years of civil war.

Grandpa's in the Tuff Shed
80%

Grandpa's in the Tuff Shed(en)

1998-01-01

It adroitly tells the story of a "counter culture" young man who when his grandfather dies, packs the body in dry ice, and stores him in a Tuff Shed, waiting for the time when advances in modern medicine can bring him back to life. I am not making this up. Then our young men gets deported back to Norway on unrelated charges. Then, quite a while later, people look up and take notice ... "Hey ... there appears to be a frozen dead guy in that shed over there."

102 Years in the Heart of Europe: A Portrait of Ernst Jünger
100%

102 Years in the Heart of Europe: A Portrait of Ernst Jünger(sv)

1998-04-15

102 Years in the Heart of Europe: A Portrait of Ernst Jünger (Swedish: 102 år i hjärtat av Europa) is a Swedish documentary film from 1998 directed by Jesper Wachtmeister. It consists of an interview by the journalist Björn Cederberg with the German writer, philosopher and war veteran Ernst Jünger (1895-1998). Jünger talks about his life, his authorship, his interests and ideas. The actor Mikael Persbrandt reads passages from some of Jünger's works, such as Storm of Steel, The Worker, On the Marble Cliffs and The Glass Bees.

Queen Victoria's Letters: A Monarch Unveiled
100%

Queen Victoria's Letters: A Monarch Unveiled(en)

2014-11-13

This is the story of Queen Victoria as never heard before; a psychological insight of the woman told through her own words, her experiences recounted solely through her personal diaries and letters.

The Harlem Hellfighters' Great War
0%

The Harlem Hellfighters' Great War(en)

2017-12-13

Nicknamed the "Harlem Hellfighters", these African-Americans wanted to become ordinary citizens like everyone else. They saw fighting heroically in the trenches as their chance to achieve this. In 1918, the 15th New York National Guard Regiment became the most highly decorated unit of the First World War.

The Somme
59%

The Somme(en)

2005-11-14

Drama-documentary recounting the events of the 1st July 1916 and the Battle of the Somme on the Western Front during the First World War. Told through the letters and journals of soldiers who were there.

Bed Peace
75%

Bed Peace(en)

1969-03-24

John and Yoko in the presidential suite at the Hilton Amsterdam, which they had decorated with hand-drawn signs above their bed reading "Bed Peace." They invited the global press into their room to discuss peace for 12 hours every day.

Outerborough
66%

Outerborough(en)

2005-04-19

In 1899, a photographer at American Mutoscope & Biograph mounted his camera on the front of a trolley traveling over the Brooklyn Bridge. The three 90-foot rolls he created were edited together to complete the journey from Manhattan to Brooklyn, entitled Across the Brooklyn Bridge. As a commission by the Museum of Modern Art for the re-opening of their facility, American avant-garde filmmaker Bill Morrison took this remarkable footage and recombined it with itself to form a new split-screen extrapolation.

Echo Of The Past: The Terrence Tower
100%

Echo Of The Past: The Terrence Tower(en)

2012-06-26

A historical documentary documenting the rise, function, and abandonment of a 17 story building that once housed The Rochester Psychiatric Center. This film tells the story of the building through historical footage, interviews of former staff and patients who recount their memories of the behemoth facility while also exploring the abandoned building as it is today.

Il était une fois Disney & la France
0%

Il était une fois Disney & la France(fr)

2023-12-08

French documentary on Walt Disney's relationship with France through his personal and professional life.

Generale - Anatomie der Marneschlacht
80%

Generale - Anatomie der Marneschlacht(de)

1977-04-28

The movie depicts the events from July until September of 1914 which led to the defeat of the German troops at the Marne. While Sebastian Haffner explains and comments on operations and decisions on the basis of situation maps, key scenes are depicted by actors. A main focus is thereby placed by Haffner onto the controversial mission of lieutenant-colonel Richard Hentsch who is said to have, during a war patrol to the various army high commands, contributed to the abortion of the operations significantly.

The New Amazon
0%

The New Amazon(xx)

1915-02-01

This intriguing and beautifully-shot newsreel features sea-faring heroes, feisty females and a generous lick of paint for a Mississippi steamship.

Parcels for the Front
0%

Parcels for the Front(en)

1915-12-01

Tommy's Christmas parcels are despatched to the Front in a fleet of trucks.

Tour Eerie Erie
90%

Tour Eerie Erie(en)

2002-10-31

A short collection of local legends and ghost stories about Erie, Pennsylvania, and its surrounding areas. Produced by and aired on WQLN Channel 54 Erie.

Vanishing of the Bees
70%

Vanishing of the Bees(en)

2009-10-09

This documentary takes a piercing investigative look at the economic, political and ecological implications of the worldwide disappearance of the honeybee. The film examines our current agricultural landscape and celebrates the ancient and sacred connection between man and the honeybee. The story highlights the positive changes that have resulted due to the tragic phenomenon known as "Colony Collapse Disorder." To empower the audience, the documentary provides viewers with tangible solutions they can apply to their everyday lives. Vanishing of the Bees unfolds as a dramatic tale of science and mystery, illuminating this extraordinary crisis and its greater meaning about the relationship between humankind and Mother Earth. The bees have a message - but will we listen?

Entre Terre et Ciel
100%

Entre Terre et Ciel(fr)

1961-01-01

This is Gaston Rebuffat's fourth film, in which, with several close friends, he discovers the sublime landscapes of the Alps. “Mont-Blanc is beautiful. I climbed it several times depending on the time, the color of the sky and the shape of the cornices and ridges. Because of the weather and also because of this feeling of altitude, Mont-Blanc provides great pleasure. For the guide, Mont Blanc is his garden, but the garden becomes more beautiful when shown to a friend. Personally, I really like the bivouacs; only there one penetrates a little the mystery of the altitude. That's why I immediately accepted when Tazieff expressed the desire to spend the night at the top of Mont Blanc in an igloo. The film won the Grand Prix at the Trento Film Festival in 1961.

Newspaper Train
50%

Newspaper Train(en)

1942-11-15

The story of how newspapers were distributed during the Blitz, stressing the importance of an accurate and objective press on the home front.

Searching for Skylab, America's Forgotten Triumph
70%

Searching for Skylab, America's Forgotten Triumph(en)

2019-02-08

The first American space station Skylab is found in pieces scattered in Western Australia. Putting these pieces back together and re-tracing the Skylab program back to its very conception reveals the cornerstone of human space exploration.

Rosslyn Chapel: A Treasure in Stone
0%

Rosslyn Chapel: A Treasure in Stone(en)

2010-10-04

The exquisite Rosslyn Chapel is a masterpiece in stone. It used to be one of Scotland's best-kept secrets, but it became world-famous when it was featured in Dan Brown's the Da Vinci Code.