The Proms see this glorious HD summer out in musical style - then it’s time to rock with first showings and highlights from the season’s biggest musical events: Glastonbury, the Concert for Diana and T in the Park.
Football action returns to BBC HD with live Match of the Day coverage of a couple European Qualifiers.
There’s plenty of comedy – especially of the Steve Coogan sort—with the BBC HD premiere of critically-acclaimed A Cock and Bull Story and the second series and first HD showing of the hilarious Saxondale.
Other comedy titles include the second series of successful After You’ve Gone starring Nicholas Lyndhurst, the new Jennifer Saunders comedy drama about a talk show host, The Life and Times of Vivian Vyle, and another chance to see the first season of BBC THREE’s comedy hit Gavin and Stacey. The current season of Last of the Summer Wine comes to a close.
Alongside the laughter there’s the drama of highly-anticipated The Tudors and the first series in HD of Silent Witness. Eagerly anticipated sci-fi series Heroes carries on—it’s showing not only in HD but also in its original widescreen format—while The Chase also continues its run.
Renowned geographer Nick Crane takes you on Great British Journeys, Griff Rhys-Jones completes his skywards journey in the continuation of Mountain, and the HD premiere of Wainwright Walks follows these famous paths through the stunning Lake District. You can also join consummate traveller and beloved host Michael Palin in his most recent explorations in New Europe with Michael Palin.
Travel even further with programmes first shown during BBC TWO’s India and Pakistan season - India with Sanjeev Bhaskar, The Story of India and Ganges. Then keep cooking with Chef Anjum Anand’s Indian Food Made Easy.
Full series of the highly popular Antiques Roadshow and Who Do You Think You Are? will be in HD for the first time, while documentary Nureyev: From Russia with Love paints an intimate portrait of the iconic dancer.
August showings on BBC HD
Proms
The Proms continue throughout August and into early September. This year’s event marks the 80th anniversary of the partnership between the Proms and the BBC. While celebrating the past, it looks to creating the music and performers of the future through concerts and broadcasting. There are many new works (including 12 BBC commissions), unparalleled opportunities for talented young performers as well as more ways than ever for a new generation to get involved. BBC HD will simulcast all of the BBC ONE and BBC TWO Proms, spanning eight centuries of music, during the two month season. The music is performed by leading artists from across the globe. (Simulcast with BBC ONE and BBC TWO)
Heroes
This highly anticipated series will be showing in glorious widescreen HD. An epic drama chronicling the lives of ordinary people who discover they possess extraordinary powers, it is one of the highest-rated programmes on US network television. A genetics professor in India is led by his father's disappearance to uncover a secret theory – that there are people with super powers living among us. A young dreamer tries to convince his politician brother that he can fly. A high school cheerleader learns that she is totally indestructible. A Las Vegas stripper struggling to make ends meet to support her young son discovers that her mirror image has a secret. A gifted artist whose drug addiction is destroying his life and relationship with his girlfriend, can paint the future. A down-on-his luck beat cop can hear people's thoughts including the secrets of a captured terrorist. And in Japan, a young man develops a way to stop time through sheer will power. Their ultimate destiny is nothing less than saving the world. (Simulcast with BBC TWO)
Great British Journeys
Renowned geographer and writer Nick Crane takes on eight extraordinary adventures across Great Britain. Travelling by foot, horse and bicycle, through Britain’s wildest landscapes, he will follow in the footsteps of eight of our greatest indigenous explorers. Great British Journeys will explore both the physical terrain and human stories, unravelling the defining periods of social and industrial change throughout the centuries. At the core of each programme is a pioneering traveller, and their journey into uncharted territory. This series will uncover the geographical heart of the largest island in Europe, exploring the landscape, uncovering hidden and forgotten paths and investigating the relationship between the terrain and the culture of those who live there. Each episode will draw upon a detailed record of the journey as Nick will follow in the footsteps of these strong historical figures. (From BBC TWO)
Mountain
Griff Rhys-Jones is travelling the length of the UK on the country’s highest mountain peaks. It’s a journey that takes him to Wales, The Lake District, The Pennines, Central Scotland and the North West Highlands of Scotland. As he climbs, Griff tackles the most arduous and roughest mountain landscapes in the country. Viewers see sublime scenery; hidden wildlife, foliage and wild flowers; dramatic seasonal shifts; undiscovered mountain communities and all the adventure the UK has to offer. Griff also meets the real experts who live and work at altitude, and discovers the big moments in the history of the UK’s mountains. (From BBC ONE)
A Cock and Bull Story
This take on Laurence Sterne’s comic novel Tristram Shandy is reputed, due to its complex narrative structure, to be ‘unfilmable’. In spite of this minor obstacle, Michael Michael Winterbottom directs Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon in an energetic, laugh-out-loud adaptation of this unique British classic. (Simulcast with BBC TWO)
Festival Highlights: The Best of Glastonbury and T in the Park Highlights
A chance to catch highlights from two of this summer’s festival performances in HD.
Concert for Diana Highlights
The first bundle of highlights from one of this summer’s most watched events. Catch memorable moments and performances from this all-day concert held by Prince William and Prince Harry to commemorate the 10th anniversary of their mother’s death. (From BBC ONE)
Indian Food Made Easy
The delicious series in HD and surround sound continues. Food writer and Chef Anjum Anand is on a mission to show exactly how simple it is to cook delicious, healthy Indian food. Anjum Anand travels the country taking her message to a health spa, country fair, fire-station and even a small Cornish village to show those who love Indian food but have never cooked it before, everything they need to know: “This series is about demystifying Indian cuisine and its explosive flavours. It will change people's perceptions so that anyone can contemplate eating or cooking this way at any time of the day and on any occasion.” (From BBC TWO)
The Chase
The extended second series of Kay Mellor's impassioned drama continues in August with more stories from the Yorkshire-based veterinary practice. Joining The Chase are four new members of the cast. Rebekah Manning (Rocketman) and Christian Louis Cooke (Where The Heart Is) are Claudie's
(Michelle Holmes) siblings, Paula and Liam. Philip Jackson (Little Voice, Poirot) is Fiona's estranged father, Frank, who brings a myriad of buried family secrets. And Adam Croasdell (The Project) sets pulses racing as sexy Sebastian Montgomery, brother of farmer William (Guy Henry) and close friend of Adrian Huby. (Simulcast with BBC ONE)
Last of the Summer Wine
This perennial favourite is back for another season of antics from the oddly philosophising, whimsical old duffers in the Yorkshire Pennines, enjoying a carefree second childhood. Complementing the central characters and superb location are a bevy of minor characters drawn from Yorkshire folklore and Clarke's distorted comedic imagination: formidable wives, henpecked husbands, sexually-charged mistresses, inventors, pigeon fanciers, balding Lotharios and more. (From BBC ONE)
September first showings on BBC HD
8 September
MOTD: England v Israel (Simulcast with BBC ONE)
19 September
MOTD: England v Russia (Simulcast with BBC ONE)
India With Sanjeev Bhaskar
This four-part series offers a personal portrait of today's India. Sanjeev's travels around India are revelatory and entertaining, but also personal and moving. In this series, he explores many aspects of today's India and makes an emotional journey to his father's former home, now in Pakistan. (From BBC TWO)
The Story Of India
Presented by Michael Wood, this mix of history, adventure and travel – uncovering the subcontinent's achievements and its lasting legacy is too good to be missed. It is a colourful series that tells India's dramatic story, featuring some of the greatest characters in history including: Buddha, Alexander the Great, Ghandi, and Nehru. Wood shows how India's impact spreads far beyond its own borders. (From BBC TWO)
Ganges
Ganges is a landmark series exploring how this mighty river has shaped the wildlife, culture and beliefs of the subcontinent. Flowing some 1,500 miles from the Himalayas to the Bay of Bengal, the Ganges sustains iconic animals such as elephants, tigers and rhino, as well as more unusual creatures including blind river dolphins and tree-climbing deer. The series also shows the influence the river has on people's everyday lives. (From BBC TWO)
Wainwright Walks – Series Two
Julia Bradbury returns with another series of classic walks and climbs in the Lake District. Armed with Wainwright’s famous Pictorial Guides, Julia will be setting out on some of the biggest and most popular fell-walks in the country. Through sunshine and rain, she explores the stunning landscape that inspired the late Alfred Wainwright to produce his beautifully crafted guide books. (From BBC FOUR)
Gavin and Stacey
Stacey is from Barry, in Cardiff, and Gavin is from Essex. But the difference in backgrounds and culture doesn't hinder their romance, which flourishes when they finally meet for the first time after hitting it off during numerous flirtatious work calls. Stacey's guardian-uncle, Bryn, has pledged to look out for his niece – when not obsessing over his faulty satellite navigation system – whilst Gavin is doted on by his sometimes emotionally volatile mother, Pam, who only wants the best for her "little prince". On the occasionally rocky route to Gavin and Stacey's wedding, the two very different sets of families and friends must learn to get along together. The couple's best friends, the forthright Nessa and best man Smithy, get along very, very well but, unfortunately, only when they're plastered. Gavin is played by Mathew Horne (Catherine Tate, Teachers), Stacey by Joanna Page (Gideon's Daughter, Love Actually), Bryn by Rob Brydon, Pam by Alison Steadman, Nessa by Ruth Jones and Smithy by James Corden. (From BBC THREE)
Antiques Roadshow
Michael Aspel’s final season as host of this long running favourite, before Fiona Bruce takes over the role in 2008. Antiques Roadshow one of the most popular factual programmes on British television, with an average audience of just under 6 million. Over 500 shows have been broadcast since its inception and it has been recorded in 420 venues across the country. It often has many thousands of people turning out to meet the experts, sometimes queuing for up to five hours. (Simulcast with BBC ONE)
Nureyev: From Russia with Love
This feature-length performance documentary breaks new ground in exploring the formative years of Rudolf Nureyev, who brought classical ballet to centre stage in the 20th century. This intimate psychological portrait uses previously unseen footage of Nureyev's performances at the Kirov Theatre in Leningrad to reveal him as a breathtaking star in Russia long before he became famous in the West. With the help of his friends and colleagues at the time, this moving and often funny film by John Bridcut (who directed the acclaimed Britten's Children for BBC Two in 2004) shows how Nureyev's rebellious temperament and fanatical devotion to his art made his defection from the Soviet Union in 1961 inevitable. (Simulcast with BBC TWO)
Autumn unplaced on BBC HD
The Tudors
Written by Michael Hirst (Elizabeth), The Tudors was shot on location in Ireland, the cast includes Jonathan Rhys Meyers (Mission Impossible 3) as Henry VIII and Jeremy Northam (Gosford Park) as Sir Thomas More. The Tudors focuses on Henry's rampant life during his late twenties/early thirties whilst he was still married to his first queen Katherine of Aragon (Maria Doyle Kennedy) whilst pursuing Anne Boleyn (Natalie Dormer, Casanova) and every other pretty face that caught his wandering eye. The stellar cast also includes Sam Neill (Jurassic Park) as Cardinal Wolesey, Gabrielle Anwar (Scent Of A Woman) as Princess Margaret, Henry Czerny (The Pink Panther) and Peter O'Toole's daughter Kate O'Toole as Lady Salisbury. The Tudors successfully premiered on US premium pay network Showtime in early April, where it delivered the network's best series debut in three years. (Simulcast with BBC TWO)
Silent Witness
The award-winning Silent Witness returns with more diverse and challenging mysteries for Dr Nikki Alexander (Emilia Fox), Dr Harry Cunningham (Tom Ward) and Professor Leo Dalton (William Gaminara) to unravel. To a forensic pathologist, every body tells a story – who they were, how they lived and, most importantly, how they died. From blood spatter patterns to stomach contents, maggots to facial reconstruction, anything on a body or at a crime scene could be the key to unlocking the story that lies behind it. With a guest cast that includes Julian Glover, Natasha Little and Hugo Speer, this riveting series gets off to an explosive start as an RAF helicopter crashes, impacting on the MoD which is already struggling with the demands of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. (Simulcast with BBC ONE)
Who Do You Think You Are?
The fifth series follows eight personalities as they embark on personal journeys of discovery and revelation. The celebrities unravelling secrets and surprises about their roots include presenter Graham Norton, actor John Hurt, MP Boris Johnson and newsreader Natasha Kaplinsky. Impersonator Alistair McGowan, comedian Griff Rhys Jones, Olympian Matthew Pinsent and Carol Vorderman also delve into their families’ pasts. (Simulcast with BBC ONE)
New Europe with Michael Palin
An extraordinary new series from one of the world’s best-loved presenters. Having already explored to the four corners of the Earth in Full Circle, Sahara and Himalaya, and navigated his way from Pole to Pole and Around the World in 80 Days, intrepid adventurer Michael Palin explores 20 countries across Central and Eastern Europe. Although much closer to home, many of these places are as engaging and mysterious as anywhere Palin has been on his journeys further a field. (Simulcast with BBC ONE)
Saxondale
Steve Coogan returns for a new series as Tommy Saxondale, the world-travelled ex-roadie with anger-management issues and his own pest control business in Stevenage. Still living with his girlfriend Magz (Ruth Jones), proprietress of an anarchic T-shirt shop, and still with his naïve assistant Raymond (Rasmus Hardiker), Tommy continues to wage war on pests large and small. But, more importantly, Tommy is more determined than ever to carry on his one-man mission to smash the "system", confront "The Man" and bring him to his knees. Throughout the series, Tommy continues to be antagonised by Vicky (Morwenna Banks); defends the rights of squatters on his housing estate; takes care of a suicidal man; represents himself in court over an unpaid fine; and gets his bottom stuck to a chair in a private school. (Simulcast with BBC TWO)
The Life and times of Vivian Vyle
Jennifer Saunders stars in this new comedy drama. Written by Jennifer and clinical psychologist Dr.Tanya Byron, the series is a dark, comedic look at the daytime talk show format with the host, the straight talking protagonist, played by Jennifer Saunders: she's Sally Jesse Raphael, Ricki Lake, Jeremy Kyle and Dr Phil all rolled into one; but her ambition knows no bounds - she wants to be Oprah. As well as charting Vivienne's seemingly glamorous life as a TV presenter the series also delves deep into the life and times of Vivienne Vyle mixing between her transmitted show, the backstage, the planning, the guests and the aftermath. But also her private life, at home and at parties, award ceremonies, in therapy and at sperm banks. (From BBC TWO)
After You’ve Gone
The second series of After You've Gone will see sparks fly once more between Nicholas Lyndhurst (playing Jimmy Venables) and Celia Imrie (playing his mother-in-law, Diana) as they unite in a bid to share not only parental duties but also the family home while Jimmy's ex-wife is overseas. Dani Harmer, star of Tracy Beaker, will also return to screen as Jimmy's smart-talking daughter, Molly, alongside Ryan Sampson as Jimmy's brilliantly, eccentric son, Alex. (From BBC ONE)
