See George Orwell shot in the Spanish Civil War. See George Orwell report on the industrial slums of South Yorkshire. See George Orwell go down a coal mine. See George Orwell in the Home Guard during World War Two.

It was rewarding to find from this biographical film that Big Brother - which he created in his novel 1984 - was watching the writer wherever he went. Just don't believe everything you see, the camera does lie. This documentary to mark the centenary of Orwell's birth was one big fib as no recordings of Orwell's voice or moving film of him exist.

What the makers did have was his vast collection of writing - books, journalism, essay, diaries and letters. So, while all the pictures were invented, the words were all his. Framed with an interview with Orwell (played by Chris Langham) were reconstructions of his eyewitness accounts to many key moments of the 20th Century.

As well as inventing Big Brother in his novel 1984 and telling the story of the Russian Revolution in a farmyard in Animal Farm, he reported on events around the world. Some idea of his tastes were indicated early in the interview: "I like English cookery, English beer, French red wine, Spanish white wine, Indian tea, strong tobacco, coal fires, candelight and comfortable chairs. I dislike towns, noise, the motor car, the radio, tinned food, central heating and modern furniture."

Born Eric Blair on June 25, 1903, he was a rebellious schoolboy who constantly questioned everybody. He was not a well person, as frequent chest infections in childhood developed into a chronic illness, probably tuberculosis.

As a young man, he lived in Burma and Paris. Gangly and physically ill-coordinated, he was convinced no one would like him, and that made him "very prickly". But he met Eileen O'Shaughnessy, an Oxford graduate and trainee psychologist "with eyes that danced" and proposed within days of meeting her.

Writing a book was a horribly exhausting struggle, he declared, like a long battle with a painful illness. But reporting on industrial Britain and the working class led to The Road To Wigan Pier, which included an account of his first trip down a mine. He admitted that being a miner was "as much beyond my power as it would be to perform on a flying trapeze or win the Grand National". His trip North led to a political element being added to his writing, and he fought against fascism in the Spanish Civil War.

When the Home Guard was formed, he signed up as Sergeant Orwell. Wife Eileen wasn't always as keen as him on this home defence regime, as we learnt that "she could bear a machine gun under their bed, but the grenades on the mantlepiece were too much". It was a rare moment of humour, as Orwell didn't come across as much of a joker. His intent was more serious - to join his political and artistic purpose into one whole.

When 1984 was published, he warned this was something that could happen - "this is the way our world is going". Even with his insight, however, he couldn't have predicted that the Big Brother concept would be hijacked for a TV reality show.

Published: ??/??/2003