I found a fabulous (and rare) old documentary from about ten years ago about the removal of the hereditary peers from the House of Lords through the House of Lords Act 1999, the behind-the-scenes machinations.
It has extensive interviews with lords in the actual house, and the camera is allowed extensive access within parliament. This really is a must watch for anyone interested in British politics. It's fascinating just how diverse are some of the lords, their circumstances, the reasons their families were ennobled in the first place.
I strongly encourage you to watch, not just comment, before it's taken down (off youtube). It's a superb insight into the British constitution (yes, I know, unwritten etc) and you will not regret it if you are a bit of a politico (skip the intro, starts at 1:05, and click the youtube button in the lower right hand corner if you want to watch in full screen)
(And yes, pictured in the preview box is Lord Russell, 5th Earl Russell and the son of the famous philosopher Bertrand Russell, the 3rd Earl Russell of that dynasty of Liberal/Whig grandees)
[video="youtube;lhtKFRnWko4"]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lhtKFRnWko4[/video]