PBS: Starts Tuesday 27 February at 7.40pm

Thirties in Colour: Countdown to War

From the hardships of the Great Depression to the looming spectre of international conflict, film footage from the 1930s leaves a record of a turbulent decade.

Adding colour to this visual legacy lends an extraordinary immediacy to events further distanced by grainy monochrome. By doing so, this documentary series offers vivid insights into the Britain of almost a century ago, and the everyday lives of its citizens.

Be it ordinary East Enders taking to the streets in the fight against home-grown fascism, or families enjoying the then-novel attractions of Butlin’s holiday camp, each episode shows how we used to live during that pivotal era, a time of steady scientific advances and increasing social freedoms – but also enormous political uncertainty.