The Abbey (1995) – or The Abbey with Alan Bennett – is a three-part BBC TV documentary written and hosted by playwright Alan Bennett and directed by Jonathan Stedall. It is a personal tribute to, and tour of, Westminster Abbey. This film is the video equivalent of an erudite tourist visit and is structured as "a day in the life" of the Abbey. Bennett's presentation has been criticized as at times painfully slow, wry, and effete, but it includes a wealth of amusing and informative anecdotes, citations, and historical fact.

Episodes

Production and distribution

Executive producer, John Drury; producer, Andrew Holmes; editor, Pip Heywood; director of photography, Mike Fox; sound, Keith Richardson. 180 minutes. In 1996, the documentary was broadcast by PBS in the US in a 90-minute version called Westminster Abbey.