Vienna On The Box

In spite of its grand history, Vienna seems to be on TV a lot less than former rivals London and Paris. But this week, the BBC will be redressing the balance, with a double dose of 'Masterpieces of Vienna'.

The new series on BBC Four takes us back to the time when Vienna was a crucible of the avant-garde. The focus is on three men who blazed a trail into the twentieth century - Oskar Kokoschka, Sigmund Freud and Egon Schiele.

Clips can be watched on the BBC's website, but if you can tune in to BBC Four, this week you'll find episodes about psychoanalytical seer Sigmund Freud, followed by Expressionist painter Egon Schiele. Given that Mahler, Klimt and Otto Wagner were also in vogue in Vienna at that time, the series has plenty of potential for expansion.


Freuds's Couch: 19:30, Wednesday, 9th January 2007 (BBC Four)

Schiele's Death And The Maiden: 19:30, Thursday, 10th January 2007 (BBC Four)