Alex Cox on the legacy of Moviedrome

“What is a cult film?” asked Alex Cox, the iconoclastic director of Repo Man (1984), Sid and Nancy (1986) and Walker (1987), in the first of his many introductions for one of British television’s most unique and enduring cinema strands. Emerging on BBC2 in 1988 to shake up the typically staid Sunday night schedules, Moviedrome was a beguiling forum for strange, striking and singular films from across different eras. Many of the over 200 titles screened – including The Terminator (1984), Carnival of Souls (1962) and Dead Ringers (1988) – had their first outings on UK TV, while others were often difficult to see elsewhere. All were preceded by Cox’s distinctive forewords – often irreverent, but always deeply informed. After a mid-90s hiatus, Moviedrome returned with Mark Cousins as presenter, who put his own idiosyncratic stamp on the show’s framing segments.

Well before streaming and cable TV, Moviedrome offered an accessible gateway to cinephilia that still resonates with generations of viewers. A quarter of a century on from its final instalment, the strand is being celebrated with a two-month season at BFI Southbank featuring some of the most significant titles from its run. Here, Cox and producer Nick Freand Jones recall their experiences working on the hugely influential series…