This Saturday, Freddie Mercury would have turned 80 years old. Coming up on 35 years after his untimely death, the Queen singer’s legacy as a rock icon only continues to grow. Now BBC Two is honouring the late legend with over 4 and a half hours of Freddie and Queen repeats, from documentaries to filmed live performances, across four programmes on Saturday night.
Queen at the BBC (9pm)
“A trip through the archives that serves up an hour of killer Queen material, featuring some of the band’s greatest musical moments ever delivered to our screens. The legendary band’s huge international status and punishing touring schedules meant that over the years they made surprisingly few appearances on programmes like Top of the Pops, and tragically for their fans, several of those performances were either lost or never recorded.
This collection brings together the very best of what’s survived from one of the most enduring and best-loved acts in British rock, featuring perhaps the most charismatic and popular frontman of all time. Amongst the gems are moments from the band’s celebrated 1975 concert at London’s Hammersmith Odeon and highlights from their trips to the prestigious Montreux Pop Festival in the 1980s – an event that attracted the cream of the world’s music acts every year. Songs featured take us from the band’s first-ever UK hit, Seven Seas of Rhye, through to These Are The Days of Our Lives, Queen’s last hit before Freddie’s untimely death, as well as all the biggest hits, including the iconic Bohemian Rhapsody.”
Queen: The Legendary 1975 Concert (10pm)
“On Christmas Eve 1975, Queen crowned a glorious year with a special concert at London’s Hammersmith Odeon. The show on the final night of their triumphant UK tour was broadcast live on BBC TV and radio, and it has become a legendary event in Queen’s history. Featuring stunning renditions of early hits Keep Yourself Alive, Liar and Now I’m Here alongside Brian May’s epic guitar showcase Brighton Rock, a rip-roaring version of the then new Bohemian Rhapsody and the crowd-pleasing Rock ‘n’ Roll Medley, this hour-long concert shows Queen at an early peak and poised to conquer the world.”
Freddie Mercury: The Final Act (11:05pm)
“The story of the extraordinary final chapter of Freddie Mercury’s life and how, after his death from Aids, Queen staged one of the biggest concerts in history, the Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert at Wembley Stadium, to celebrate his life and challenge the prejudices around HIV/Aids. The film hears from those who performed at the epic gig, including Gary Cherone (Extreme), Roger Daltrey (The Who), Joe Elliott (Def Leppard), Lisa Stansfield and Paul Young, as well as the concert’s promoter, Harvey Goldsmith. For the first time, Freddie’s story is told alongside the experiences of those who tested positive for HIV and lost loved ones during the same period. Medical practitioners, survivors and human rights campaigners, including Peter Tatchell, recount the intensity of living through the Aids pandemic and the moral panic it brought about.”
Freddie Mercury: A Life in Ten Picture (12:35am)
“Freddie Mercury’s image is known around the world. He was one of the most photographed men in history. But could just a handful of photos uncover new truths about someone we think we all know? This documentary throws a unique lens onto an extraordinary life, focusing on ten defining pictures – from iconic shots to private snaps – with their secrets revealed by those who were there and those who knew Freddie Mercury best.”
