BBC Showing Racing Legends Barry Sheene

The life and racing career of Barry Sheene is the subject of the latest series of shows in the Racing Legends TV show with Vic Reeves presenting the show on December 28 at 9pm on BBC2.

Vic Reeves (using his real name of Jim Moir for this show) tells the life story of 1970s racing icon Sheene and rides the bikes that are part of the Sheene legend. Sheene racing teammate and best mate Steve Parrish was also closely involved in the making of the show and helps to shed light on Sheene’s life.

The BBC description of the show adds: “Moir tells how Sheene rose to the top of his sport and also became a hugely popular public figure, transcending the world of bike racing. As well as taking to the track himself, Moir meets members of Sheene’s family, close friends and rivals.

“Packed with rare archive and home-movie footage, the programme gives an intimate and enthralling portrait of a man who lived life at full-throttle, and who, in his career, survived more than one hair-raising crash.”

The show will be straight after the Top Gear Christmas special show on BBC2 which starts at 8pm.

The following two programmes in the series are covering the life and racing times of Graham Hill and then John Surtees.

Graham Hill

In the second episode of Racing Legends, Jeremy Irons examines the life of one of his heroes, motor racing champion Graham Hill –and drives the cars that are part of the Hill legend. Irons tells the story of how Hill rose to the top of his sport and also became a hugely popular and charismatic public figure. Along the way, Irons meets members of Hill’s family, close friends and rivals – and gets a driving master class from Hill’s son Damon. Packed with rare archive and home -movie footage the programme gives an intimate and enthralling portrait of a complex man who lived life at full-throttle, in an era when death and injury were an ever-present danger. 

John Surtees

In the final episode of Racing Legends, Paul Hollywood meets one of his heroes: John Surtees, the only man to win World Championships with both bike and car. To get an insight into the life and times of one of Britain’s greatest living sportsmen, Hollywood takes to the track and the Isle of Man circuit to recreate some of Surtees finest races. He learns how Surtees went from humble beginnings to working for the aristocrats of Italian racing; Ferrari and MV Agusta. Now in his eightieth year, John Surtees looks back on a life, filled with danger, glamour and intrigue. It is a life that has seen both triumph and devastating personal tragedy. With contributions from Surtees’ wife and daughters as well as rivals and commentators, the programme gives an intimate and enthralling portrait of a complex man who survived and succeeded in an era when death and injury were an ever-present danger in racing.