Walter Murch picks Mohammad Mossadegh, prime minister following the nationalisation of the Anglo-Iranian oil company in 1951. Mossadegh was ousted in a coup in 1953.
Murch became fascinated in Mossadegh's life while working on a Sam Mendes film about the first Iraq War. Walter Murch is an editor best known for Apocalypse Now, The Godfather and The Constant Gardener. He also worked on a documentary called Coup 53. This is the first in a new series of Great Lives and includes archive of Kermit Roosevelt, a CIA operative. The British were also heavily involved in the coup. The expert is Professor Ali Ansari of St Andrews University, presenter on Radio 4 of Through Persian Eyes.
The producer in Bristol is Miles Warde
Future programme subjects include singer Eartha Kitt, author JG Ballard, and pioneering British aviator Diana Barnato-Walker who delivered Spitfires in World War Two.
George Lascelles, 7th Earl of Harewood nominated by Lesley Garrett
Romy Gill on poet Amrita Pritam
Rosalind Franklin picked by Kate Bingham, former head of the UK government's vaccine taskforce
Dame Kathleen Ollerenshaw, Educationalist
Ravi Shankar, India's famous sitar player
Holly Walsh on BS Johnson
Pat Nevin on Johan Cruyff
Judy Garland
Joan Rhodes, strongest woman in the world
Rob Newman on Franklin D Roosevelt
Mr Manchester Tony Wilson nominated by Terry Christian
Gil Scott-Heron
Lolita Chakrabarti on actor Ira Aldridge
Janet Ellis on Puffin editor Kaye Webb
Tom Hopkinson, editor of Picture Post
Brian Cox on Lindsay Anderson
Spike Milligan
Roma Agrawal on Mrinalini Sarabhai
Lady Hale on Lady Rhondda
William Lever, Lord Leverhulme, founder of Unilever
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