BBC ONE Autumn 2006
Factual
Planet Earth
Four years in the making and narrated by Sir David
Attenborough, the smash-hit series that pulled in more
than nine million viewers earlier this year returns to
continue the ultimate portrait of our planet.
Using high-definition cameras and the latest aerial filming techniques, the
team explores Earth's furthest-flung places, capturing unique animal
behaviours and providing an unparalleled view of awe-inspiring landscapes.
From Antarctica to the Great Plains, from forests to jungles and from
shallow seas to the deepest ocean, the world's premier cameramen
explore the diversity of the planet.
In the frozen wastes, hungry polar bears are forced to tackle more unusual
prey; in the great plains, a revolutionary new aerial photography system
tracks spectacular migrations and dramatic hunts; elusive creatures
including the snub-nosed monkey and the Amur leopard are filmed in
forests; and, in the oceans, great white sharks chase fur seals and
stunning footage lets viewers into the world of a humpback whale and her
newborn calf.
For those who can't get enough, the website – which clocked up over six
million page impressions during the first run of the series – features even
more clips in the Planet Earth Explorer.
BR/LS2
Who Do You Think You Are?
The series that stirred the nation's passion for genealogy returns for a
third run – and this time it's putting down its roots on BBC ONE.
Lining up to delve into their deepest family pasts are stars from stage
and screen: Jeremy Irons, Nigella Lawson, Robert Lindsay, Barbara
Windsor, David Tennant, Julia Sawalha and David Dickinson.
The Posh and Becks of the Thirties, 1840s Chartists and the Bedouins
of the Jordanian desert are among the characters the series meets
along the way.
KA
A Child Against All Odds
Infertility is a growing problem in the UK and
within a decade one in three couples is likely to
be affected. Professor Robert Winston draws on
his 30 years of experience in the field to present
this landmark series that follows the stories of
couples desperate to conceive as they receive
the newest treatments available.
With techniques becoming ever more
sophisticated, the series explores the latest
scientific developments and also considers
moral dilemmas such as who owns a frozen
embryo when partners separate and whether a
couple should be allowed to choose the sex of
their child.
The emotional impact of IVF on the couples
featured in the series is huge – it is a process in
which every stage of treatment is full of
jeopardy, with couples receiving both good news
and bad.
Following ordinary people in
extraordinary situations, A Child Against All Odds
brings to the fore the reality of creating new life
in the 21st century.
BBC Learning will also be running a campaign
to explore moral and ethical issues raised in
the programme.
GM
BBC Children in Need
Broadcasting live from BBC Television Centre in
London, the BBC Children In Need Appeal will
once again entertain the nation.
Last year saw
the most successful appeal to date, with
appearances from stars including Madonna,
Catherine Tate and a singing Jordan and
Peter Andre, who all helped to raise over £17m
on the night.
This November's appeal will see stars of stage
and screen gather to perform their most
spectacular musical hits, or perhaps reveal their
more hidden talents.
Local BBC Radio and Television will also be
joining in the fun on the night with news of star-studded
events in viewers' own regions.
Every single penny donated to the charity goes
directly to help disadvantaged children in the UK.
GM
Celebrity Masterchef
John Torode and Gregg Wallace are back and
this time they're not looking for the next star
restaurant chef – they're finding out which
celebrities can really cook.
The 24 competitors are athletes, singers,
actors, models and presenters but they believe
they also have the skill, knowledge and tenacity
to get through the MasterChef challenges.
Only four celebrities will survive the heats and
go on to face a gruelling final week that will see
them cater for one of Britain's most outstanding
cooking dynasties, face the toughest food critics
and attempt to convince the judges that their
food is good enough to make them worthy of the
title of Celebrity MasterChef 2006.
GM
The Great British Summer
Alan Titchmarsh narrates this new series
exploring British people's relationship with the
sunniest season.
A celebration of the countryside, culture and events that define the
summer, it features characters including a struggling Blackpool hotelier,
a butterfly expert, a surf instructor and a group of buskers travelling
around the country – all of whom talk about their experience of the
summer months.
During the series, events taking place across the British Isles – from
baking-hot days on the beach to the stoic acceptance of a washed-out
Wimbledon – reveal just why summer is held with such great affection in
the British psyche.
GM
Head Doctors
In this major observational
documentary series, a year
is spent with the patients and
doctors at one of the
world's leading brain hospitals
– The National Hospital for
Neurology and Neurosurgery –
bringing viewers a
dramatic insight into the
pioneering work of a
200-year-old institution.
More than 100 consultants treat everything from head
injuries and Parkinson's disease to paralysis and
epilepsy. Some of the doctors are the only
specialist of their kind in the country. Many of
the patients suffer from conditions so rare they
affect just one in a million.
For some patients the National is the last
chance: their future depends on the skill of the
doctors who push the boundaries of medical
science to treat the brain – the most complex
organ in the universe.
With hospital life as a back-drop, the story is
told through a cast of strong characters and
powerful human stories.
The neurosurgeons face terrible odds; a slip of
their scalpel could change their patient's life –
even their personality.
Away from the drama of
the operating theatre the series explores the
tensions of working within a close-knit
community and reveals how the doctors cope
with the intense pressure of making life-and-death
decisions every day.
CD2
What Not to Wear
There's only one series that features a 360
degree mirror and a strong dose of style advice.
What Not To Wear is back – and this time with
two new faces.
Supermodel Lisa Butcher and soul singer Mica
Paris are close friends. They've had lots of
experience handling their own public images and
combining their careers with being mums. The
new presenters believe that anyone can feel
as good on the inside as they look on the
outside once they've been on the What Not To
Wear journey.
EDA
BBC Sports Personality of the Year
In a year that has featured the Winter Olympics,
the Commonwealth Games and, of course, the
World Cup, there will be some remarkable
sporting moments to look back on in BBC
Sports Personality Of The Year.
The evening will climax with the presentation of
the most prestigious award in British sport when
the Sports Personality of the Year is crowned –
an award chosen by viewers on the night – and
the Lifetime Achievement honours one of
the very greatest all-time legends of the
sporting world.
Further awards made on the night include: Team
of the Year; Coach of the Year; Young Sports
Personality of the Year; Unsung Hero; and the
Helen Rollason Award for courage and
achievement in the face of adversity.
LF
The Tragedy of Rudyard Kipling
Griff Rhys Jones presents this fascinating profile
of Rudyard Kipling, one of Britain's greatest
chroniclers of the British Empire. Through works
such as The Jungle Book and the Just So
Stories, Kipling brought India to life for
Edwardian Britain.
But in a cruel twist of fate,
the Empire for which he had been such a
staunch advocate would also prove the source of
great personal loss. Kipling's son was killed in
the First World War – a war he had publicly
favoured to protect Britain's colonies.
Griff travels to Kipling's childhood homes in
India and Pakistan, and to the homes in Britain
where he spent his later years, particularly
Bateman's in Sussex. On his journey, Griff
explores Kipling's life and his work, his success
as a writer and his personal tragedy.
KG
Ancient Rome - The Rise and Fall of an Empire
Based on rigorous and
extensive historical research,
this epic drama-documentary
series features an all-star cast
including Sean Pertwee,
Catherine McCormack, Michael
Sheen and David Threlfall.
The rise and fall of the Roman Empire was
shaped by dramatic stories of sex, violence and
intrigue.
Ancient Rome – The Rise And Fall Of An
Empire charts a period of 600 years - from the
rise of the emperors to the sacking of Rome -
and allows viewers to witness great battles,
rivalries, rebellions and momentous
achievements as they happened many
centuries ago.
With stunning locations and state-of-the-art
visual effects, Rome is revealed as it really was:
gritty, magnificent and sometimes sordid.
EF
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