John Peel's Record Box (2005): cast, story & where to watch

Released in 2005, John Peel's Record Box is a documentary film directed by Elaine Shepherd, running about 60 minutes.

What it’s about. John Peel's Record Box is a documentary film made by Elaine Shepherd, released on 14 November 2005 on Channel 4. It was nominated for Primetime Emmy Award. It is about a small private collection of the British radio DJ John Peel who died in 2004 at the age of 65. Peel's main archive contained more than 100,000 vinyl records and CDs. This smaller private collection, however, contains 143 singles - some of them doublettes - stored in a private wooden box representing some of his personal favourites. According to the documentary, there are no singles by Peel's favorite group, The Fall, because he kept them in a separate box. The film features interviews with John's wife Sheila Ravenscroft, radio DJs and artists like Mary Anne Hobbs, Sir Elton John, Ronnie Wood, Roger Daltrey, Fergal Sharkey, Jack White, Michael Palin and Miki Berenyi.

Who’s in it. John Peel's Record Box stars John Peel as Himself (archive footage), Elton John as Self, Paul Gambaccini as Self and Francis Rossi as Self, among others.

How it landed. With an audience score of 8.0/10, John Peel's Record Box sits among the best-reviewed titles in the catalogue.

Where to watch. Streaming options change often. See the full, country-by-country breakdown on our where to watch John Peel's Record Box page.

If you liked it. Fans of John Peel's Record Box tend to enjoy One Direction: This Is Us, Burn the Stage: The Movie, BTS World Tour: Love Yourself - Japan Edition and Senna.