Happy Birthday OU: 50 Years of the Open University

Happy Birthday OU: 50 Years of the Open University

  • Overview
  • Cast
  • Crew

Status

Released

Release Date

Apr 25, 2019

Runtime

0h 59m

Genres

Documentary

Original Title

Happy Birthday OU: 50 Years of the Open University

Director

Paul Baker

Description

2019 marks the 50th birthday of the Open University. In its five decades, the OU has educated more than two million students. Sir Lenny Henry is one of them. Sir Lenny presents this documentary, which tells the story of the OU from 1969 to 2019, with archive and interviews with past graduates, observers and academics. It is nostalgic, affectionate, funny and a piece of cultural and social history. The story begins with Harold Wilson’s idea of a ‘University of the Air’ through the times of late-night black-and-white TV programmes to modern-day landmark series such as Blue Planet II. Today the OU works with space research and avatars and looks forward to the next 50 years.