Prior to the 19th century to be wealthy meant owning land but the industrial revolution made it possible for anyone with a good idea and a little luck to make a fortune.

What the Victorians Did For Us - Making It Big (Monday, 8.30 p.m., BBC2) tells how some, like arms entrepreneur William Armstrong, built grand houses packed with the latest technology.

The outgoing chairman and chief executive of General Electric, Mr Jack Welch, appears on the first show of this season's Agenda (Sunday, 12 noon, TV3). Mr Welch transformed the company from a $13 billion company in 1981 into a $530 billion company today.

sokelly@irish-times.ie