What Does The BBC Have Planned For Us This Autumn 09?

This season the BBC offers us drama, passion, comedy, soap, well staged Jane Austin as only the BBC can do, plus of course…  highly-paid but yet highly-entertaining Johnathan Ross and Graham Norton.

Criminal Justice

Maxine Peake stars in the return to BBC One of Peter Moffat’s Bafta award-winning drama. This major new five-part thriller takes an uncompromising and insightful look at the criminal justice system through the experience of one woman. Peake leads an impressive cast that boasts some of Britain’s top acting talent, including Matthew Macfadyen, Denis Lawson, Steven Mackintosh, Eddie Marsan and Sophie Okonedo.

Peake plays Juliet Miller, a woman who suffers from depression. She is married to Joe Miller (Macfadyen), a barrister at the height of his professional powers. The couple have one 13-year-old daughter, Ella (Alice Sykes). When Joe is stabbed at home one night, the family’s life is changed forever. As fragile Juliet travels through the criminal justice system under the constant scrutiny of police, prison and social services, questions are raised about psychological and sexual abuse.

BBC Children In Need Live

Every year, BBC Children In Need creates magic moments that raise huge amounts of money for disadvantaged children, but this year’s Appeal Week will kick off with something a little different for BBC One audiences to enjoy.

To launch the 2009 appeal, Children In Need will stage a spectacular concert at the Royal Albert Hall put together by Gary Barlow, featuring Take That and a host of rock and pop’s finest. The full line up of performers and ticket details will be revealed in the autumn and all profits from the tickets and sales of recordings will go to BBC Children In Need.

“It’s fantastic to be able to kick off BBC Children In Need 2009 in such a special way,” says Gary Barlow. “I’ve always wanted to do something like this and I can promise a night to remember, a night that will, I hope, play a small part in changing the lives of disadvantaged children across the UK.”

Doctor Who – The Waters Of Mars

David Tennant returns as The Doctor in The Waters Of Mars, the second of four Doctor Who specials being screened on BBC One this year. He is joined by his cleverest and most strong-minded companion yet, Adelaide, played by acclaimed British actress Lindsay Duncan.

Adelaide is head of the Mars Base and doesn’t take kindly to an uninvited appearance by The Doctor. Peter O’Brien, star of Neighbours, Flying Doctors and Casualty, also guest stars as Ed, Adelaide’s second in command.

The Waters Of Mars is written by Russell T Davies and Phil Ford and is directed by Graeme Harper

EastEnders

EastEnders continues its rich tradition of highlighting social issues as Stacey struggles to come to terms with the idea that she may have bi-polar disorder – the same mental illness that her mother Jean has been living with for many years.

As ever, there’s no such thing as a quiet life in the nation’s most famous fictional Square and the drama is set to continue as the original Mitchell sister, Sam (Danniella Westbrook), returns to Walford.

Last seen bolting off to Brazil, a suspect in the murder of Dirty Den, what is it that makes Sam decide to leave the land of sunshine and samba, knowing that she faces possible arrest back in Blighty? Will the regulars welcome her back to the Queen Vic with open arms or send her scurrying back to Rio?

What will the re-appearance of his ex-wife mean for Ricky who, along with Bianca, already faces a tough emotional challenge in seeing Whitney through the trial of her abusive step-father Tony King?

The Masood household, meanwhile, face their biggest family dilemma yet as Syed struggles with an on-going conflict between his faith and his feelings. And, with affairs of the heart always proving a hotbed for high drama in London E20, what lies in store for Jack and Ronnie? Will Max and Tanya resurrect their rocky relationship, and will Peggy be charmed by Archie when he slithers his way back into the Square?

As Albert Square waves a fond farewell to Dawn and Garry, will they be heading off happily into the sunset together? Finally, as Walford welcomes Heather’s little bundle of joy, the burning question is: “Who’s the Daddy?”

Emma

Emma is a fresh and witty serial adaptation of Jane Austen’s comic masterpiece by award-winning writer Sandy Welch (Jane Eyre, North And South, Our Mutual Friend).

Romola Garai (Atonement, Vanity Fair), plays the “handsome, clever and rich” Emma Woodhouse, a young woman who dominates her small provincial world of Highbury. Misguidedly believing that she is a skilled matchmaker, Emma repeatedly attempts to pair up her friends and acquaintances, often with regrettable consequences.

The cast includes Jonny Lee Miller (Endgame, Melinda And Melinda), Michael Gambon (Harry Potter, Cranford), Tamsin Greig (The Diary Of Anne Frank, Green Wing), Robert Bathurst (Cold Feet) and Jodhi May (Einstein And Eddington, The Amazing Mrs Pritchard).

A Bafta-winning writer, Sandy Welch unfolds Austen’s compassionate and humorous story of self-deceit and self-discovery in four hour-long episodes, providing a rich insight into one of the author’s most complex characters.

Material Girl

A young fashion designer battles her evil ex-boss, a sexy but devilish business partner and snobby fashionistas as she strives to get her big break in work and love in this new six-part romantic comedy.

Set in the bustling, creative hotbed of London’s Brick Lane, Lenora Crichlow (Being Human, Sugar Rush) plays Ali Redcliffe, who sets out to make a name for herself as a designer through sheer hard work and talent.

But scheming Davina Bailey, played by Dervla Kirwan (Doctor Who), is the designer of the moment – the woman that every hot star wants to be dressed by – and she isn’t about to give up her crown as queen of fashion.

Ali’s trump card might just be Marco, played by Michael Landes (Love Soup), a mercurial and brilliant business partner, who wants to make Ali a star.

Extraordinarily talented in her professional life, Ali is impetuous, feisty and neurotic. Her personal life is a mess, but this mid-twenties single girl is fiercely loyal to her tightly knit group of friends, Alex, Mimi and Lydia. The ups and downs of her friendships, the solidarity, extraordinary chemistry and their entwined destinies make up the fabric of Material Girl.

Paradox

If you could see the future, would you change it? That’s the dilemma facing Detective Inspector Rebecca Flint (Tamzin Outhwaite) and astrophysicist Dr Christian King (Emun Elliott) when a series of rogue images transmitted into his laboratory from space, throw them together.

The fragmented images appear to be of a major incident, but shockingly they suggest it has yet to happen; it’s in the future. Christian, Rebecca and her team, DS Ben Holt (Mark Bonnar) and DC Callum Gada (Chiké Okonkwo), have just 18 hours to work out the clues and prevent a tragedy.

A series of five episodes by Lizzie Mickery, Paradox is an intriguing, high-concept, high-octane, investigative drama, in which the team must not only prevent complex crimes and incidents, but wrestle with the moral and emotional implications of changing the future.

The Graham Norton Show

Graham Norton’s acclaimed talk show moves to BBC One this autumn. The biggest and funniest names in show business join Graham for his unique blend of comically meaningful conversation, the best music and extraordinary interaction, as he explores all aspects of the popular cultural universe.

Starting every show with his trademark monologue, Graham draws on years of experience as a polished stand-up, packing his routine with shiny jokes, many of them brand new. The pick of the UK’s glitterati and Hollywood’s finest should expect the unexpected as they take their place on his designer sofa. Meanwhile members of the studio audience expectantly await their chance to catch Graham’s eye and perhaps achieve a certain kind of fame.

Friday Night With Jonathon Ross

With its hallmark irreverent style and string of accolades, including four Bafta prizes, Jonathan serves up the very best in Friday night chat and performance each week as he welcomes a dazzling, eclectic line-up of global guests from the worlds of music and entertainment. Recent guests have included: Tom Cruise, Eric Cantona, Stevie Wonder, Martin Sheen, Eminem, The Killers and Morrissey.

Consistently the most-watched BBC One Friday night show, Friday Night With Jonathan Ross is now a global success, enjoyed by audiences from America to Australia.

Strictly Come Dancing – Series Seven

BBC One puts the sparkle back into the weekend as Strictly Come Dancing returns for its seventh fabulous series this autumn. And this year the UK’s biggest, brightest dance extravaganza has had a makeover. There will be a new face on the judging panel as Alesha Dixon joins the line up. As a star performer and past champion of the show, Alesha knows exactly what the dancers are going through.

Towards the end of Strictly’s run, Darcey Bussell will appear as a guest judge, adding her unique world-class dancing take on the performances. Darcey will also appear on It Takes Two, for which further details will be announced at a later date.

Images © BBC

One Response to “What Does The BBC Have Planned For Us This Autumn 09?”

1. James Davidson says:

   July 15, 2009 at 8:49 am

   Lets hope David Tennant returning as The Doctor in The Waters Of Mars is better than the ending of Torchwood hey?

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