Synth Britannia (01:27:46) follows a generation of post-punk musicians who took the synthesiser from the experimental fringes to the centre of the pop stage.

In the late 1970s, small pockets of electronic artists including the Human League, Daniel Miller and Cabaret Volatire were inspired by Kraftwerk and JG Ballard and dreamt of the sound of the future against the backdrop of bleak, high-rise Britain.

The crossover moment came in 1979 when Gary Numan's appearance on Top of the Pops with Tubeway Army's Are Friends Electric heralded the arrival of synthpop. Four lads from Basildon known as Depeche Mode would come to own the new sound whilst post-punk bands like Ultravox, Soft Cell, OMD and Yazoo took the synth out of the pages of the NME and onto the front page of Smash Hits.

By 1983, acts like Pet Shop Boys and New Order were showing that the future of electronic music would lie in dance music.

Contributors include Philip Oakey, Vince Clarke, Martin Gore, Bernard Sumner, Gary Numan and Neil Tennant.

Spanish subtitles are an optional feature for this programme. Use your DVD or Blu-ray remote to turn on the subtitle feature.


With Moogs turned up to 11, Synth Britannia at the BBC (00:58:51) is a 1970s/80s journey through the BBC's synthpop archives, from Roxy Music to New Order.

1. Roxy Music ~ Do the Strand
2. Tubeway Army ~ Are 'Friends' Electric?
3. Sparks ~ Beat the Clock
4. The Human League ~ The Path of Least Resistance
5. Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark ~ Messages
6. Ultravox ~ Vienna
7. Depeche Mode ~ New Life
8. New Order ~ Temptation
9. Soft Cell ~ Say Hello, Wave Goodbye
10. Japan ~ Ghosts
11. Yazoo ~ Don't Go
12. Tears for Fears ~ Mad World
13. Eurythmics ~ Love is a Stranger
14. Heaven ~ 17 Temptation
15. Howard Jones ~ What Is Love?
16. Pet Shop Boys ~ Opportunities

PAL video format DVDs are also available for select international customers.

International Buyers – Please Note:

• Import duties, taxes and charges are not included in the item price or shipping charges. These charges are the buyer’s responsibility.
• Please check with your country’s customs office to determine what these additional costs will be prior to bidding/buying.
• These charges are normally collected by the delivering freight (shipping) company or when you pick the item up – do not confuse them for additional shipping charges.
• We do not mark merchandise values below value or mark items as ‘gifts’ – US and International government regulations prohibit such behavior.


Notice: Due to the overwhelming demand, we have extended our standard order handling time to 10 business days, prior to shipping. 
If you need faster handling and shipping, select Priority Mail service, and your order will be processed and shipped within 5 business days. If you require even faster service, please contact us, prior to placing your order. Thank you!