'Beyond Citizen Kane' was first shown in September 1993, on the UK's Channel 4. The programme was delayed for a year as 'Rede Globo' disputed the programme makers' right under British law to use short extracts from Globo programmes without permission for the purposes of "critical comment and review". During this period, Simon Hartog, the director, died after a long illness. The process of editing was taken over by his co-producer, John Ellis. When eventually broadcast, copies were made available at cost by the production company, and many were sent to Brazil by the Brazilian community in Britain.
The documentary features interviews with noted Brazilian personalities, such as the singer-songwriter Chico Buarque, the politicians Leonel Brizola and Antonio Carlos Magalhães and the future president Luis Inácio Lula da Silva.
In 2009, the documentary rights were purchased by Rede Record, as part of the channel efforts to attack the rival Rede Globo, as a response to all accusations and criminal charges against Rede Record's proprietor, Edir Macedo, filled by the Public Ministry of Brazil.