The Bruce Dickinson Wellbeing Network

Bruce on tv

This page covers game shows and documentaries featuring Bruce as either a guest, a host or an actor.

Never mind the buzzcocks

Bruce has appeared three times on this BBC pop quiz

Bruce apperared in the very first episode of the BBC panel show "Never mind the Buzzcocks" on 12 november 1996 alongside british comedian Donna MacPhail on Phill Jupitus' team. The opposing team, lead by Sean Hughes, was made up of Richard Fairbrass (Right Said Fred) and Math Priest (Dodgy)

Bruce's second appearance was in season 2 episode 6 on 20 October 1997 where he once again was on Phill Jupitus' team, this time with Brian Molko (Placebo). Sean Hughes had Saffron (Republica) and comedian David Baddiel on his team.

Bruce made a third appearance on the show in season 10 episode 9 on 4 march 2002, this time on Sean Hughes' team together with comedian Ian Stone. Phill Jupitus' team was actor Shaun Williamson and Coleen Nolan (The Nolans).

Team Captain Phill Jupitus' comments on Bruce's appearance: "Some of the guests are dead and I have to shepherd them towards a joke and try and get them to use it. But Bruce is a monster of comedy!"

Space Cadets

On 12 august 1997 Bruce was on episode five of this UK Sci-Fi quiz show on Bill Bailey's team with Angela Rippon. Craig Charles' team was made up of Ford Kiernan and William Shatner. According to Bruce most of the funny parts were edited out, and I can agree that it must have been heavily edited, since Bruce, who is generally talkative and never short on words, barely gets to say anything. One notable moment is when he, on the subject of the movie Dune recites parts of the second verse to Iron Maiden's "To tame a land".

Last Chance Lottery

At the beginning of the show they showed the audience queueing up waiting to get into the studio, and being busked-at by a scraggy looking, though familiar sounding busker in a big hat, specs and strumming an ageing acoustic guitar. It was later revealed to have been Bruce, who had collected a sum-total of 37 pence, a dime and some pre-chewed gum. He came on wearing a ridiculous leopard-print suit and a quiff (being Def Leppard Clyde), to play the Last Chance Lottery Wheel.

The theme was classic Welsh songs, and the wheel feaures such lovely songs as 'Walking In The Air' by Aled Jones and some Shirley Bassey stuff. Bruce was in luck though, cos the wheel came to rest upon 'Delilah' (most likely a fix). Anyway, he did an absolutely cracking rendition of the song and raised a further 400 pounds towards the jackpot.

Greatest Ever: Tank

In 2005 Bruce was gueston an episode of the Military Channel's "The Greatest Ever: Tank" where he drove a Russian T-34 tank. The tank came in at number three.

An excerpt from "Greatest Ever: Tank"

Ultimate trains (2004)

In 2004 Bruce took part in an episode of Discovery Europe's "Ultimate Trains", a part of the "Ultimate Phenomenon"-series, where he shared his thoughts on the British railway system. He is introduced as a "train enthusiast" and makes his entrance on a bike whistling "Run to the hills".

Trainspotting (2004)

Bruce made another train related appearance in series 2 episode 1 of "Trainspotting" on Discovery Channel. The program, presented by Mark Collins, was premiered on october 22 2004 and sees Mark and Bruce driving a steam engine. The engine, the "Blackmoor Vale", is part of Bluebell Railways and Bruce and Mark are shown the ropes and have a go at driving it.

Greatest ever: Fighter planes (2005)

Bruce makes an appearance in Discovery's "Greatest Ever: Fighter Planes" in the capacity of famous enthusiast. The show presents a top 10 list of fighter planes based on their performance in their day. Bruce speaks enthusiastically about the Supermarine Spitfire (ranked at number two, only beaten by the North American P-51 Mustang) and how this WW2 fighter captured and still captures the imagination of aviation nutters across the world.

Ice Pilots NWT

Bruce is a guest star in season 4 episode 13 of reality show "Ice Pilots NWT". On 28 July 2012 Bruce spent a day with Buffalo Airways flying "touch-and-go"s with the company's Douglas DC-4 and flying for the first time in a float plane, a Noorduyn Norseman, with company president Joe McBryan in the pilot seat.

Following a concert in Edmonton, Canada, the day before, Bruce hopped into a Buffalo Airways' Douglas DC-3 together with company pilot Mike McBryan and friends and flew back to Yellowknife. Bruce actually flew the plane the entire stretch from Edmonton to Buffalo's bass at Red Deer Regional Airport where he, in Mike McBryan's words, "was handed the keys to the hangar".

Bruce also appeared in season 5 episode 6 when Rod McBryan and Corey Dodd visits Cardiff Aviation in Wales to check up on two Buffalo Airways planes brought there for winter storage.

Bruce picks the guys up at the airport and shows them around West London London Aero Club at White Waltham Airfield. At Cardiff he gives them a guided tour of the facilities.

Bruce and Buffalo Airways' Canadair CL-215 at St Athan, Wales

MTV Headbanger's Ball

Bruce has presented Headbangers Ball on MTV Europe at least twice. The first time was on the 14 June 1990 where he's interviewing Dirty White Boy and presenting videos of which a couple were from his own "Tattooed Millionaire" album.

The second time was on the 22 October in 1995. This time he did not interview anyone but he made some scary faces when presenting the Nightranger video for "Sister Christian" and also took the opportunity to promote his cousin Rob's band, Catherine Wheel, which probably was their first and last appearance on the Ball.

Flying Heavy Metal

In the Boeing factory during the shooting of "Flying heavy metal"

Wednesday January 19 2005 saw the premiere of "Flying Heavy Metal", a five part series on UK Discovery Channel hosted by Bruce. The series looks at the history of commercial aviation and we see Bruce flying different aircraft such as DC3, Boeing 727 and Airbus 320. He also gets a ride in a Boeing KC-135 tanker and experiences a night landing in an old DeHavilland Tiger Moth biplane. He flies simulators for Boeing 707 and the Space Shuttle as well as takes a shower onboard a Boeign 787 and goes rollerblading around the deck of the then soon to be unveiled Airbus A380.

Episode 1, "Jet Race", covers the development of the first jet airliners. Episode 2, "Jet Set", talks about how jet travel became available to the masses. In episode 3, "Size Matters", the development of wide body airliners, "jumbo jets", and the Concorde is covered. Episode 4, "Safer Skies", talks about aviation safety and how it has developed and been enchanced over the years. In the last episode, Watch This Space", Bruce looks at the then latest development in airliners and explores the idea of commercial space travel.

The show was produced by a company called Ricochet and over 75 hours of footage was shot. Bruce does a terriffic job as a host and his enthusiasm for aviation and flying is evident throughout. Bruce said of the series:

Almost every pilot I know regrets that fact that we are not allowed to have people visit the flight deck anymore. If we could let people up front then we would. Where are the pilots of tomorrow going to have their first experience of flight? So many young kids became pilots after visiting the flight deck. In some ways TV shows like 'Flying Heavy Metal' are the only ways of telling people what a great job it is.

Bruce's witty and humorous style makes the programs enjoyable for airplane enthusiasts as well as the general viewer and if you happen to be an aeronautically inclined Bruce fan you are twice as lucky.

Inside Spontaneous Human Combustion

On May 29 2006 Dickinson presented a documentary for Sky One entitled "Inside Spontaneous Human Combustion with Bruce Dickinson" in which he investigated the phenomenon of spontaneous combustion. With the help of several experts he performs various experiments to determine its possible cause and at one point burns down a fire testing container while trying to set fire to a pig.

The background music used features both Iron Maiden tunes ("The Wicker Man", "Can I play with madness?", "Rime of the ancient mariner" & "The Number of the beast") and several other rock numbers of which Arthur Brown's classic "Fire" undoubtedly is the most fitting.

The Paradise Club

December 6 1990 saw the broadcast of episode seven of the second season of the tv-series "The Paradise Club". This particular episode, with the title "Rock and Roll Roulette" features Bruce as rock musician Jake Skinner.

The Paradise Club centers around two brothers, Frank and Danny Kane, played by Don Henderson and Leslie Grantham, who own "The Paradise Club". Danny runs a small scale gangster business and Frank is a priest.

Bruce's character, Skinner, is pissed off with the way his record company Dog Eat Dog interfers with his life and this sort of sets the stage for the developing plot. In the opening scene Bruce is seen busking in the street playing "Ballad of Mutt" when a car pulls up. Out come a number of guys to take him with them to the recording studio where he is supposed to be recording an album.

Skinner's band "Fraud squad" is made up of Janick Gers on guitar, Andy Carr on bass and Dickie Flitzar on drums, i.e. the band that Bruce used on the 1990 solo tour. In the studio scene they play a part of the song "Wishing well" by Free, which was occasionally played on the "Tattooed millionaire"-tour. The recording used in the studio scene was done in CTS studios (where all the James Bond themes were done) on June 7-8 1990 when the band was rehearsing for the tour. This studio version of the song remains unreleased.