Catch up TV

Episode 29 August 2026

In 1985, Wham! made history as the first western pop act to perform in communist China. George Michael and Andrew Ridgeley travelled to Beijing and Guangzhou for a series of concerts that would make history. At a time when China was beginning to open to the wider world, their performances represented more than just entertainment - they were a rare cultural exchange and, for the audiences who attended, a first glimpse of western pop music performed live.\n\nFilm-maker Lindsay Anderson had been commissioned to document the tour, but the project was fraught with challenges, leading to Anderson's dismissal. Though a version of the film was released, most of the footage was largely unseen. Using digitised archival footage alongside interviews with those who were there, this film presents a vivid portrait of a tour that has become legendary. It captures intimate moments behind the scenes, the nuanced political context, the excitement of the performances and the bizarre twists and turns of a true story that is stranger than fiction.

Source: BBC 2