Stephen Poliakoff, award-winning writer and director, is already being lauded for his new TV series Summer Of Rockets.
The semi-autobiographical account of living in the UK at the start of the Space Race sees a star-studded lineup of Keeley Hawes, Timothy Spall and Toby Stephens take on Poliakoff’s family history.
So with the new series out, the BBC has decided to celebrate the man behind the stories and have released some of his best shows to iPlayer.
Read on to find out which shows made it and whether Summer of Rockets has what it takes to join the best of Poliakoff’s best…
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Shooting The Past (1999)
This eccentric tale of London librarians protecting a series of rare photographs won a Royal Television Society (RTS) award for Best Drama.
It stars Timothy Spall, who would continue to have a great working relationship with Stephen Poliakoff and work in many more of his shows.
Other stars include Game of Thrones‘ Liam Cunningham, Emilia Fox and Andy Serkis!
Perfect Strangers (2001)
After the success of Shooting The Past, Stephen was quickly making a name in the TV world.
It seems he managed to rope in even more A-List actors this time around!
The cast of the BAFTA and RTS-winning Perfect Strangers includes Michael Gambon, Matthew MacFadyen and Summer Of Rockets’ Timothy Spall and Toby Stephens.
The Lost Prince (2003)
Stephen shifted into the genre of historical drama with The Lost Prince and it clearly suited him well, as he won an Emmy for this miniseries.
This two-part series explores the life of Prince John, the youngest child of King George V and Queen Mary.
The cast includes Bill Nighy, Miranda Richardson and Michael Gambon, again!
Gideon’s Daughter (2006)
Gideon’s Daughter really put Stephen Poliakoff’s name on the map and was his most successful work to date.
Set against a backdrop of the rise of New Labour and Princess Diana’s death, the show follows a PR consultant as they navigate political and family drama.
This show features some of Hollywood’s most sought after actors… Emily Blunt and Tom Hardy to name a few!
Emily Blunt and her on-screen father Bill Nighy won Golden Globes for their performances.
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Dancing On The Edge (2013)
This series tells the story of a black jazz band living and performing in 1930s London.
The series was nominated for three Golden Globes, but Jacqueline Bisset was the only one to take home an award, for Best Supporting Actress.
Starring alongisde Jacqueline was Chiwetel Ejiofor, John Goodman, Anthony Head and Jenna Coleman.
…Summer Of Rockets?
It seems like Summer Of Rockets has all the ingredients to become a Stephen Poliakoff hit.
A-List actors? Check. Historical drama? Check.
But it still seems some fans are not convinced, with some arguing his series have got worse as they gone on.
Lucky for them all their favourite series can now be watched in one place!
WATCH THE STEPHEN POLIAKOFF COLLECTION ON IPLAYER NOW.
What year does Summer of Rockets take place in? When was the Cold War?