The Secret Life of Mary Poppins

The musical Mary Poppins is currently touring to great critical acclaim, but if you have seen the award winning film Saving Mr Banks starring Emma Thompson and Tom Hanks you will know something of the background to the making of the 1964 the Mary Poppins film which premiered in Hollywood to world acclaim. But PL Travers the author of the books loathed it.

A  Culture Show special on BBC2 on 27th December from 12:45pm is presented by Victoria Coren Mitchell and explores the dark and complex life of the writer. Her twenty year battle with Walt Disney, the strange adoption of her child (he was one of twins) and how the film version overshadowed her writings but made her rich. 

With contributions from Emma Thompson, Cameron Mackintosh and PL Travers's granddaughter