The Story of Musicals was a three-part documentary looking at how British musicals reclaimed London's West End from American domination after World War II with contributions from composers and leading ladies and gentlemen and footage of the shows being featured.

Björn made a brief appearance in Episode 2 talking about Chess both in London and New York. A very brief snippet of footage of the Chess première was included of the outside of the theatre and the chaos in the theatre foyer when Benny & Björn went in (I was just outside!). Björn continued in Episode 3 but this time talking about Mamma Mia!.

The episodes in detail (only those relevant to this site):

1. Episode 2 charted how British musical talent in the 1980s stormed the West End with hits like Cats, Les Miserables, Blood Brothers and Phantom of the Opera. There were first-hand accounts from the extraordinary individuals whose tenacity and creativity ensured these shows became mega-hits despite often precarious beginnings. And it revealed how the titantic shows of Andrew Lloyd-Webber and Cameron Mackintosh became global phenomena, securing Britain's reputation as the powerhouse of musical theatre. It also featured contributions from Lord Andrew Lloyd-Webber, Sir Cameron Mackintosh, Sir Tim Rice, Stephen Fry, Trevor Nunn, Sir Cliff Richard, Elaine Paige, Gillian Lynne, Paul Nicholas, Bonnie Langford, Richard Stilgoe, John Caird, John Napier, Bill Kenwright, Willy Russell, Alain Boublil, Claude-Michel Schonberg, Anthony Pye-Jeary, Arlene Phillips, Charles Hart, Don Black, Harold Prince and Michael Ball.
   
   
2. Episode 3, the final episode, brought the story up to the 90s and beyond. We saw the rise of the jukebox musical as Björn Ulvaeus and Judy Craymer told the story of the creation of Mamma Mia! Ben Elton and Brian May revealed how We Will Rock You defied the critics to become a smash hit. And as pop culture invaded musical theatre with celebrities like Jason Donovan taking leading roles, the Jerry Springer Opera proved a step too far for the moral majority. Billy Elliot took inspiration from the doyenne of British musical theatre, Joan Littlewood, as the hit movie was recreated for the stage, while Andrew Lloyd-Webber embraced the medium of television to find new stars.

Thanks to Billy Strachan and "justforme"
YouTube links c/o 575goofy