The Culture Show

Verity Sharp presents an accessible guide to the best exhibitions, books, films and music. As Disney's effects-laden The Incredibles opens in cinemas, The Culture Show considers the future of traditional hand-painted animation. And David Hockney talks to Andrew Marr about his new book Hockney's Pictures.

A reminder of the genius of 17th century Flemish painter Peter Paul Rubens. Franz Ferdinand reveal the ideas behind their songs, and the homeless stage an opera in Nottingham. Plus the restoration of Bexhill's modernist masterpiece, the De La Warr Pavilion, and Salman Rushdie's gruelling publicity tour of Britain and the United States for his book Shalimar the Clown.

What is the public's favourite piece of British design since 1900? The Great British Design Quest aims to find out with everything from the Mini to the mini-skirt being considered. Plus Gwyneth Paltrow on her new film Proof and hip-hop star 50 Cent on why he's branching out from music into merchandising. With Verity Sharp.

Andrew Graham-Dixon goes behind the hype to reveal the true genius of Leonardo da Vinci. The Pet Shop Boys discuss the future of pop, and viewers get to nominate the parts of British culture they can live without.

Scissor Sisters discuss their inspirations, Oliver Stone discusses his new movie World Trade Center and Sting performs tracks from his new album. Plus buildings that make us laugh, Holbein at the Tate and a quirky take on the Booker Prize shortlist. Presented by Lauren Laverne.

Lauren Laverne presents the magazine show which casts a critical eye over the arts. Comedians Paul Whitehouse and Charlie Higson reveal why phone-ins are ripe for ridicule and preview the new series of their BBC Radio 4 spoof Down the Line. The naughty brothers of British art, Jake and Dinos Chapman , talk to Mark Kermode about their controversial new show at Tate Liverpool, Bad Art for Bad People, and there's a look at how porn culture is entering the mainstream. Plus, Lauren Laverne picks out the five bands to watch out for in including the View and the Brian Jacket Letdown.

Lauren Laverne talks to the Manic Street Preachers, who perform live and discuss their new album Send Away the Tigers. Eurovision Song Contest fan Neil Hannon from the Divine Comedy gives his take on how to write the perfect Eurovision song and political cartoonist Steve Bell talks about his work as a major retrospective exhibition opens in Norwich. Mark Kermode picks up the thread of the story behind the action adventure Spider-Man 3.

Lauren Laverne kicks off a new series with Mark Kermode gaining a rare interview with Canadian country music star Neil Young. The acclaimed songwriter talks about his forthcoming album Chrome Dreams 2 and looks back at the changes of direction his music has taken over the past four decades. Elsewhere, Quentin Tarantino provides a masterclass in creating the perfect movie soundtrack, Andrew Graham-Dixon takes an aerial tour of Britain's land art, and Tim Samuels saturates a Scottish village with copies of this year's Booker-nominated novels to find out who gets the villagers' vote for the prize. Plus music from Oxford indie trio the Young Knives.

US movie star and stand-up comedian Chris Rock talks to Lauren Laverne about what tickles his funny bone. Mark Kermode interviews Sweeney Todd star Johnny Depp and director Tim Burton , while the Coen brothers talk about their acclaimed modern western No Country for Old Men. Author Toby Young goes to New York where the film version of his book How to Lose Friends & Alienate People is being made and confronts Simon Pegg , who has the difficult job of playing the writer on the big screen. Plus Glasgow band Sons and Daughters perform a song from new album This Gift.

Lauren Laverne and Mark Kermode return to present a new run of the arts show, which this week joins Ricky Gervais on set in America as he directs his first feature film This Side of the Truth. Meanwhile art critic Andrew Graham-Dixon is in Vienna attempting a Freudian analysis of the work of Gustav Klimt, and Mark joins contemporary poet Simon Armitage as he attempts to release his inner rock star in London's trendy Shoreditch.

Lauren Laverne meets style icon and musical innovator Grace Jones, Mark Kermode celebrates the 25th anniversary of cherished film Local Hero, and Andrew Graham -Dixon argues that £100 million is small beer to prevent two paintings by Titian being sold abroad.

Highlights from the Manchester International Festival, including a collaboration between film-maker Adam Curtis, theatre company Punchdrunk and Damon Albarn - the theatrical experience It Felt like a Kiss. Plus the Young at Heart Choir, a group of singers aged 70-plus, whose new show is based on iconic Manchester songs, and an interview with Ralf Hutter of Kraftwerk.

Mark Kermode and Simon Mayo present a packed edition from the London film festival, featuring highlights and an interview with David Morrissey about his directorial debut. Michael Palin discusses his films and new book, while Toby Young talks to Cosmo Landesman and Peter Bradshaw about the role of the critics. Plus Miranda Sawyer 's visit to the Frieze Art Fair.

The Culture Show returns with a programme presented by Verity Sharp from the Celtic Connections festival in Glasgow. In 2010, the festival pays tribute to Nick Drake, 35 years since his death at just 26. He's now recognized as one of the 20th century's most influential singer-songwriters.

Coming from the Brighton Festival, artistic director Brian Eno talks about his line-up, Miranda Sawyer drops in at rehearsals of Simon Stephens's new play Marine Parade, and we hear from Seun Kuti, youngest son of Fela and successor of the Afrobeat crown. Sue Perkins visits the Scottish highlands to hear an unusual performance of Benjamin Britten's opera Noye's Fludde, while Mark Kermode reports from the 63rd Cannes Film Festival. Andrew Graham-Dixon meets prize winning author David Mitchell and explores the new Mystery Portraits exhibition at Montacute House. Plus Alastair Sooke talks to artist Alex Katz about his show at the National Portrait Gallery and portrait of Anna Wintour, editor of US Vogue.

Coming from the 60th anniversary celebrations for the Festival of Britain where Nancy Durrant talks to Tracey Emin about her new show at the Hayward. Also, Andrew Graham-Dixon travels north to the new Hepworth Wakefield exhibition space designed by David Chipperfield, while Tom Dyckhoff explores the militarisation of urban architecture. Mark Kermode tries the new video game LA Noire, which draws its inspiration from film noir, while record producer Danger Mouse talks about his new album Rome, spawned from the spaghetti western soundtrack. Alastair Sooke checks out the four shortlisted for the Art Fund Prize Museum of the Year and choreographer Wayne McGregor selects his own prize moments from the BBC archives.

The Culture Show is back and will be featuring many of the highlights from the London 2012 Cultural Olympiad. In this episode, Mark Kermode meets film director David Cronenberg and his lead actor Robert Pattinson to talk about their new movie Cosmopolis. Martin Amis discusses class, character and his latest novel, while Yoko Ono makes a bid to get the whole world smiling. There is a a performance from the acclaimed Pina Bausch dance company, and Andrew Graham-Dixon joins Michael Landy and Bob and Roberta Smith to discover what happens when a gallery is transformed into a classroom and the artists take charge of the lessons.

Manchester's International Festival is a collection of world class talent, theatrical premieres, ground breaking musical performances and global stars from the contemporary art scene. Amongst these gems will be Shelley's The Masque of Anarchy, performed by Maxine Peake, one of the most gifted actors of her generation. The poem is seen as the most politically powerful in the English language, written as a response to Manchester's 1819 Peterloo massacre, an event which ultimately led to the birth of the working class movement. This is the first time it will be performed as a piece of theatre and will be staged yards from where it took place.

Lynn Barber has been interviewing famous people for more than three decades. Renowned for her audacious, brilliantly honest and often caustic profiles, Barber asks the questions no one else dares ask. The 'Demon Barber of Fleet Street' they call her. In this irreverent half-hour programme, Lynn Barber talks to Alan Yentob about her job interviewing and writing about celebrities. She recounts her combustible clashes with Rafa Nadal and Marianne Faithful, she explains why actors are so difficult to interview and why she relishes shouty men. 'I'm embarrassment proof,' she says, 'if somebody loses their temper and starts shouting at me I feel quite cosy with that'.