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Rich Hall's Red Menace

2019 marks the 30th year since the fall of the Berlin Wall and the end of the Cold War. Rich Hall examines the relationship between the West and
the USSR in his inimitable fashion.

2019 marks the 30th year since the fall of the Berlin Wall and, ostensibly, the end of the Cold War. In light of this, Rich Hall embarks on an examination of the relationship between the West and the East, America and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics.

In his unique way, Rich looks at the propaganda, ignorance, fear and secrecy, and the natural offspring of these, paranoia, and considers how a 40-year stand-off between the superpowers brought the US and Russia to the verge of nuclear war.

The documentary does not look at the Cold War from an American perspective alone. Rich Hall also delves into the psyche of those living in the Soviet Union, of those who took part in the machinations, plots and conspiracies, and of ordinary citizens who, like Rich, lived through this most tense of times.

The Cold War and America鈥檚 obsession with communism and the Soviet Union isn鈥檛 just about the race to produce the atom bomb and conquer space. It鈥檚 about spying, political scheming and the fear of communism in Hollywood, in literature and on television.

It was science fiction. It went from the absurd to the ridiculous. It even created incredible sporting drama. Rich uses the bizarre, the extraordinary and previously untold stories to give us his take on the Cold War and America鈥檚 hysterical preoccupation with the 鈥楻ed Menace鈥.

1 hour, 31 minutes

Last on

Tue 5 Nov 2019 21:00

Music Played

  • The Ronettes

    Be My Baby

  • Ruddy Gaddis

    Uranium Fever

  • The Cinematic Orchestra

    All Things

  • Tom Lehrer

    We Will All Go When We Go (Orchestrated Edit)

  • Anna Calvi

    Rider To The Sea

  • The Buchanan Brothers

    Atomic Power

  • Billy Hughes' Buccaroos

    Atomic Sermon

  • The Manhattan Transfer

    Choo Choo Ch'boogie (Album Version)

  • Balalaika Ensemble 鈥榃olga鈥

    Poscholej

  • Balalaika Ensemble 鈥榃olga鈥

    Bandura

  • James Last Orchestra

    The Girl From Ipanema

  • Hank Williams

    No, No Joe

  • Elmore James

    I'm Worried

  • Fight Like Apes

    Captain A Bomb

  • The Adam & Eve Project

    Gulls N' Buoys

  • Arthur 鈥淏ig Boy鈥 Crudup

    Im Gonna Dig Myself A Hole (Take A)

  • Percy Faith

    Theme from A Summer Place

  • Buble Michael, Enfoires Les, Feature Film

    Staying Alive

  • Sam Hinton

    Old Man Atom

  • Jay Ward

    Rocky and Bullwinkle

  • Jerry Engler

    Sputnick

  • The City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra, Paul Bateman Conductor

    Doctor Zhivago - Lara's Theme

  • Warren Smith

    Uranium Rock

  • Louisiana Red

    Red's Dream

  • Floyd Tillman

    This Cold War With You

  • The Soul Stirrers

    Jesus Hits Like The Atom Bomb (feat. R. H. Harris)

  • Barry McGuire

    Eve Of Destruction

  • Barry Sadler

    The Ballad of the Green Berets

  • Clodagh Rodgers

    Jack In The Box

  • Johnny Rivers

    Secret Agent Man

  • John Coltrane

    Slowtrane

  • David Holmes

    Radio 7

  • Talking Heads

    Burning Down The House

Credits

Role Contributor
Presenter Rich Hall
Interviewed Guest Eleanor Clift
Interviewed Guest Thomas Doherty
Interviewed Guest Peter Finn
Producer John McCormack
Director Chris Cottam

Broadcast

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