United Kingdom of Pop

Let’s hope that the blessing of British pop culture is not lost to us after Brexit. After all, the UK is Europe’s number one pop nation, by a long stretch.

The British gave us the Beatles, Led Zeppelin, Coldplay and Adele. James Bond and Harry Potter. Monty Python, Mr Bean and Eddie Izzard. Music, humour and films from the UK are permanent fixtures in definitive European culture. Now the divorce is looming. But despite the nostalgic feelings, it has never been an easy relationship. In the two-part cultural documentary United Kingdom of Pop, Signed Media pays homage to Europe’s most innovative pop superpower and presents the main genres, their stars sand subcultures in the form of film essays. United Kingdom of Pop revisits the most important protagonists and contemporaries behind the crucial lines of development over the past decades, reviews them with experts and categorises them. In the course of this process, United Kingdom of Pop also follows up the most important political, cultural and economic events that are reflected in the country’s pop culture, and celebrates the open and multicultural spirit that has made British pop culture so great and so unique. Each episode is commented by the stars of britpop: New wave icon John Watts, Spice Girl Mel C, late Malcom McLaren, Rag 'n' Bone and many more.

English title United Kingdom of Pop
Genre Documentary
Production year 2017
Duration 2 x 52 mins
Production Company Produced by Signed Media Produktion, ZDF / ARTE
Director Thorsten Ernst, Nicole Kraack
Soloist feat. John Watts, Spice Girl Mel C, Malcom McLaren, Adele, Rag 'n' Bone, Skunk Anansie, Paul Weller, Westlife, Take That, and many more