UPCOMING EPISODES

In the mid 1960s, with hits like Surfin USA and Good Vibrations, the Beach Boys became THE carefree sound of American youth. On stage the three brothers and cousin that formed the backbone of the band seemed like one happy family but nothing could be further from the truth. Its lead singer songwriter Brian Wilson battled with his mental health and the legacy of an abusive father. His drug-addicted brother Dennis redefined the meaning of excess. And frontman Mike Love’s obsession with the bottom dollar clashed with the rest of the band’s creative ambitions. Mental breakdowns and bitter fist fights would overshadow much of their 20 year reign as one of the world’s greatest ever bands.

Fleetwood Mac has sold over 100 million records making them one of the most successful bands in the world. It was their album Rumours that propelled them into the rock and roll stratosphere but behind the scenes the record was a story of two couples at war. Hit songs like Dreams and Go Your Own Way were evidence of the bitter conflict. Out of fame and extraordinary fortune came jealousy and infidelity, raging egos, addiction and unadulterated excess. Yet they held it together for another decade and the biggest surprise was how they kept going for so long. ‘Breaking the Band: Fleetwood Mac’ reveals the story of the legendary band.

The Eagles are one of the biggest bands in history, selling over 150 million records. Their music defined the 1970s, with songs like Hotel California, Take It Easy and Life In The Fast Lane and their greatest hits album was the greatest selling album of the twentieth century. Their music was the soundtrack to our lives. They were a band who left nothing to chance. Founder members Glenn Frey and Don Henley had a ruthless ambition for The Eagles and let nothing and nobody stand in their way. Yet after almost a decade together, the band suddenly fell apart amidst power struggles , bullying and feuding. the sex, drugs and rock’n’roll lifestyle eventually caused them to self destruct.

Led Zeppelin split on December 4th 1980, 2 months after the tragic death of iconic drummer, John Bonham. Throughout the 1970’s, at the height of the bands powers, Led Zeppelin became the world’s first rock supergroup, selling over 300 million albums and headlining 600 concerts worldwide. Zeppelin’s rock star excesses became the stuff of legend, and dark rumours swirled around their closely guarded inner circle as everything Zeppelin touched miraculously turned to gold. But after nearly a decade at the top, disaster engulfed the band, and fans speculated that Zeppelin was finally paying the price for their huge success. And 40 years after the split, Zeppelin’s popularity still hasn’t faded; fans, new and old, clamour for a final reunion, which has been described as the “billion dollar tour” by promoters worldwide. But lead singer, Robert Plant, has sworn that he will never play with Zeppelin again, denying lead guitarist Jimmy Page and bass guitarist John Paul Jones the reunion they want. So what really happened to the once close members of the world’s greatest ever rock band? Why won’t they ever play together again? We’ll uncover the truth behind the break up of Led Zeppelin.

With over 100 million albums sold Worldwide across an incredible 50 year career, German Heavy Metal giants Scorpions are one of the most successful international rock bands of all time. We chart their meteoric journey from post war Germany, to headlining Madison Square Garden and living out their American dream. After establishing themselves as one of the iconic Heavy Metal acts of the 1980’s the band’s attention turned elsewhere and Scorpions played a leading role as the Winds of Change brought the Cold War to an end. But as is so often the case when a Rock Band realizes its ambitions, trouble is never far away. Find out the true story, told by the Scorpions themselves, of how excess, money and power-struggles within the band turned its American Dream... into a Heavy Metal nightmare.

Skid Row burst onto the rock and roll scene in 1989, with a leg up from their friend Jon Bon Jovi. United in their sheer ambition and drive Skid Row stormed the stage, set the charts ablaze and brought MTV metal to the masses. Marketed as ‘the new bad boys of rock’, Skid Row’s unpredictable frontman Sebastian Bach, did his best to live up to the label. But as tales of controversy stalked them, Sebastian’s behavior began to jeopardize everything the band had worked towards. Skid Row’s charismatic, sex-symbol frontman became a double edged sword, pushing the band’s popularity up, but also pushing them closer to the brink of break-up. As Skid Row’s fame grew, power struggles and clashing egos destroyed the brotherly bond that had propelled them to fame. And a band already self-combusting had no choice but to pull the plug on their nine year rock and roll roller coaster.

Formed in the late 1970s and racking up more than a hundred million album sales, British band Iron Maiden have been heavy metal’s undisputed kings for nearly 40 years. Loud, proud and famed for their spectacular album covers and live shows, their meteoric rise from the pubs and clubs of London, England to the stadiums of the world, was borne out of the uncompromising musical vision of founder and bass player Steve Harris. But that same leadership and vision ignited long-festering tensions – especially when the band signed up flamboyant lead vocalist Bruce Dickinson. Not only did he constantly push Steve aside to take center stage, he had plenty of his own musical ideas too. As the band grew exhausted touring the world performing its massive shows relentlessly, these tensions loomed larger and large and ultimately shook Iron Maiden to its very foundations in the early 1990s.

Black Sabbath: One of the greatest rock bands on the planet the so called fathers of heavy metal came from very humble origins to become among the most successful – and outrageous – of rock stars. Their hedonism was legendary, as was their volatility. 'Black Sabbath: Breaking the Band' will follow their journey from their early beginnings to sell-out tours and chart-topping success, to their eventual break up. Combining high-end stylized drama reconstruction, extensive archive and revealing interviews, we'll chart the turbulent history of a band who battled with egos, Satanists, crippling drug and alcohol addictions and music business mobsters who robbed them of everything they had.