Jonathan Meades: Magnetic North (2008). A genuinely smart and engaging documentary series, where Meades tries to both psychologically map and understand Northern Europe. I do hope BBC4 repeats this at some point.

This youtube channel will be of interest

A serious country would give Meades a sizeable budget and the freedom to make whatever the hell shows he wants.

Amazing broadcaster. It’s a tragedy none of his stuff is on iPlayer.

Off Kilter (his three part tour of Scotland) taught me so much about my own country.

Famed, also, as one of the greatest amateur chefs of our time. His cookbook (“A Plagiarist in the Kitchen”) is brilliant.

Meades was quite something - a strong and heady draught of opinions. I don’t agree with it all, but it’s great to have TV that challenges you to keep up. He was also a great fan of Ian Nairn, who did the same thing on a more lavish drinks budget.

I have the DVD collection but it never we had ALL his stuff on it. So still hoping one day to get a complete Jonathan Meades set.

He does amazing history programs. If only it were taught like this in schools.

Iirc there’s a dvd set of much of meades around that era. He’s an absolute hero of mine. The very concept of which would make him shudder, obvs.

Meades is head and shoulders above the majority of cultural programming in assuming the intelligence of his audience. Would be considered not inclusive enough to be commissioned for a similar series today.

The Reservoir Dog of Architectural Critics 😃

Almost all of Meades is on YouTube and has been easily downloadable from Vimeo. Also, much, if not all of it, is in essay form in Pedro and Ricky Come Again.

Absolutely love Jonathan. His docs were highly entertaining.

Meades is a genius.

Blew my mind watching this as a teenager. Loved his style & swagger.

Genuinely great broadcaster who could bring his subject matters to life with genuine wit and irony.

Sadly this didn't work for me. I just recall as pretentious.

Meades was good stuff

He trained as an actor and he speaks and performs his lines well. Always looking for the joke or irony. An all-round talent which is overlooked.

Yep all of his stuff should be on iPlayer

Imagine this being produced today...

I love his programmes.

Meades Shrine,YouTube....

Instant follow for Meades reference. There’s a shrine to him on YouTube.

I have a copy of 'Museum Without Walls' which collects a great number of his documentaries' scripts, and it's dazzlingly enjoyable.

Is this narrated by Dr. Strangelove?

You can watch it on YouTube.

It's on YouTube at

I always thought he looked like my uncle. And then he filmed just up the road from where I live. He was talking about his mother who was from Stirling. So I’m pretty sure we are related several generations back.

I bet the music rights for his stuff is a nightmare, thus preventing any repeats.

I quite enjoyed the Jonathan Meades