Even in the peerless career of David Bowie, the 1972 album The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars stands out. After years of hard graft and novelty hits, he imagined an alien rock ‘n’ roll star – and then became him.
David Bowie: Stardust (Christmas Day, 8.35pm) explores that riot of shimmering guitars and androgyny, from the vision behind it to the rapturous reception it received among Britain’s youth – sentiments not always shared by the older generation. Looking at Bowie’s fusion of music, style and theatre, this documentary pays tribute both to the man, and to the incredible album that made him. This is the story of the moment when Brixton-born dreamer David Jones ascended into the ranks of rock royalty.
