PICK OF THE DAY

FRIDAY 18.07

Steve McQueen: the Essence of Cool 8pm ITV4

The subtitle of this profile sums up the appeal of the actor who is still seen as the epitome of hipness some 28 years after his death. It features archive interviews with Steve McQueen himself, as well as contributions from Richard Attenborough, Robert Vaughn and Martin Landau.

BBC Proms 2008 8pm BBC2

Live coverage of the First Night of the Proms from the Royal Albert Hall, featuring pieces by Strauss, Beethoven, Mozart and Scriabin, performed by the BBC Symphony Orchestra under Jiri Belohlavek.

The Blues 8.55pm Sky Arts

In this series, leading film directors deliver their own interpretation of the blues. It opens with Martin Scorsese's suitably moody tribute to the Delta blues, which showcases rare film of Son House, Muddy Waters and John Lee Hooker.

Arena: Voices from the Island 10.25pm BBC4

In this documentary, Nelson Mandela and other former inmates recollect their time spent locked up on Robben Island. It recalls how Mandela and his fellow prisoners started to sketch out their vision for a new South Africa.

Copyright c 2008 Independent Newspapers UK Limited. All rights owned or operated by The Independent.
Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning Company. All rights Reserved.