

Tommie Smith and John Carlos raise gloved hands at the 1968 Olympics. Photograph: AP

If, like the friend who texted me last night, you were one of the many people beating your head against a wall while watching Personal Services Required on Channel 4, I'll say the same as I did to them: more fool you. Because you should have been watching Black Power Salute on BBC4. I strongly advise you watch it on iPlayer now.

It was one of those documentaries they're not supposed to make any more - even the EPG-friendly title was perfect in its Ronseal clarity. Following the story of John Carlos and Tommie Smith's black gloved salutes at the 1968 Olympics, it took the time to tell the complete story, from the politicisation of black athletes at San Jose State University thanks to Harry Edwards through to the irony of them calling their one-time hero Jesse Owens an 'Uncle Tom' for begging them to toe the International Olympic Committee's line.

The subtleties of the story weren't glossed over, from the support of the white anglo-saxon protestant (WASP)-ish Harvard Olympic rowing team to the criticism Lee Evans - perhaps the most militant of the athletes - received from his own colleagues for removing his beret for the Star-Spangled Banner (an act which only made him look more dignified).

Unlike Personal Services Required, it was the sort of programme that restores your faith in humanity. It was also a reminder of the power live television can have, when no amount of editorialisation can replace the raw thrill of seeing life-changing events unravel before our eyes. As I'm too young to have witnessed either the 1968 Olympics or the moon landings, here are the five most memorable live TV events of my lifetime: what are yours?

1. The Iranian Embassy siege, 1980.

I distinctly remember the next day's playground discussion, particularly over the confusing issue of how the SAS can be 'the goodies' if they wear black.

2. The fall of the Berlin Wall, 1989.

More school-based confusion: turning up at my girlfriend's house to find one of my teachers watching this on the sofa with her mum.

3. Tiananmen Square, 1989.

In the same year as the fall of the Berlin Wall, perhaps the most symbolic silent protest since that of Smith and Carlos.

4. The World Trade Centre, 2001.

Shock and awe on the grandest scale - before that became a mere catchphrase...

5. Shock and Awe, 2003.

...and after.