8 x 30 Channel 5, Food Network, Mission Foods, ITV Global
Chef Thomasina Miers sets off to Mexico to unearth some fresh, fiery and totally fabulous recipes. Clever twists on traditional dishes are not only simple and quick to make, they are also amazingly delicious. Back at home in her kitchen she takes us step by step through gorgeous Mexican recipes from a guacamole to fire up the taste buds, and a Mexican chile with some surprising ingredients and the special churos and chocolate sauce.
4 x 60 BBC 2, All3Media, 2Entertain
Monty Don celebrates Italy’s world famous gardens. Over four luscious hours, Monty conducts his very personal ‘grand tour’ exploring sublime horticultural hideaways of the romantic South to unravelling the riddles behind the austere formality and theatre behind the ostentatious papal gardens of Rome.
6 x 60 History Channel, BBC WW and CICC
We follow those who keep the world’s greatest monuments looking and working at their best. We visit London’s Big Ben, Paris’ Eiffel Tower, Spain’s Santiago de Compostela Cathedral, China’s The Bund, India’s Taj Mahal and Australia’s Sydney Opera House.
1 x 60 Channel 5, PBS/ WNET, Nat Geo, ZDF and BBC WW
The true story of the superpower race to build a super bomb is an epic of science and engineering where the United States led the way - but then left the field clear for the Soviet Union to set off the world’s biggest ever explosion, on October 30 1961. By drawing on remarkable first-hand testimony and by carrying out a scientific forensic investigation, this documentary reveals for the first time the real reasons why the United States misjudged the potential power behind their early hydrogen bomb tests resulting in severe radioactive contamination spreading over nearby inhabited islands. And it also reveals what happened when the Tscar Bomb – the world’ biggest ever bomb – detonated, and the true extent of its fallout.
6 x 30 Channel 5, Panasonic and ITV Global
Hosted by Suzi Perry, each week world renowned photographers show two members of the public how to improve their camera skills and get that stunning snap.
1 x 90 More4
The film takes us from David and Ed’s childhood immersed in the left-wing politics of the 70s and 80s, through their geeky and politics-obsessed student days, to their meteoric rise through the Labour party and to the election for the party leadership.
5 x 60 Smithsonian Network, Channel 5, History Channel (UK), Discovery Canada, and BBC WW
Five more amazing true stories that inspired well-known movies: Jurassic Park, Titanic, Pirates of the Caribbean, Gladiator and Jaws. Who was really responsible for the sinking of the Titanic? Who was the real inspiration for Pirates of the Caribbean? The truth behind the science that spawned Jurassic Park; the surprising identity of the real Jaws; and the amazing real life characters and events that inspired Gladiator.
1 x 60 Smithsonian Network, Channel 4 and Nat Geo UK
The Hope Diamond is the stuff of legend, a cursed gemstone blamed for the deaths of Marie Antoinette, King George IV and a slew of millionaires. But even weirder, this gem glows blood red. Once thought to be the evidence of the supernatural at work, we literally drill into the diamond to reveal the amazing science behind this freak of nature.
1 x 60 PBS/ WNET, Channel 5, Nat Geo UK and ITV Global
This documentary explores the fascinating story of forgotten pharaohs from Egypt’s Dark Ages. The opulent tomb of Psusennes I was found intact by Pierre Montet in 1940. The Pharaoh’s mummy was encased in an extraordinary silver casket, unique in the history of Ancient Egypt. But why was such a lavish burial given to a Pharaoh who lived at a time when Egypt was divided and poor? Forensic history provides the answers.
1 x 90 More4 and Channel 4
The infamous photo of the 1987 Bullingdon Club contains two men who would go on to be the most powerful Conservative politicians in the country: Boris Johnson and David Cameron - the Mayor of London and the Prime Minister. Directed by John Dower (BAFTA-nominated for Thriller in Manila) and narrated by Anthony Head, this drama-documentary stars Christian Brassington as Boris (St Trinian’s, Land Girls, Tony Blair: Rock Star) and Jonny Sweet as Dave (Best Newcomer, Edinburgh Comedy Awards 2009).
1 x 90 Channel 4
In the Autumn of 2009, 16-year-old Michael Perham set off alone in a bid to become the youngest person to solo sail around the world. This film follows his primeval struggle with nature, crossed with a poignant family saga of intense parental ambition, terrifying frustration, and determination to succeed against wild odds.
1 x 60 TLC (Discovery USA)
Directed by Suemay Oram, 6 Going On 60 follows the story of two vibrant young girls who suffer with a rapid aging disease called Progeria. A fatal, genetic condition that only affects 54 children in the world and means that Kaylee Halko (6) and Lindsay Ratcliffe (5) age 8 to 10 times faster than normal.
This moving film shows how two American families raise their daughters in the face of such a rare, incurable condition by focusing on the more important, joyful moments of each girl’s life. It is a story that illustrates how these two young girls bring families and communities together to fight towards a cure.
8 x 60 History Channel US, History Channel International, History TV (CanWest) and ITV Global
Just how bad were Caligula, Nero, Attila the Hun, Genghis Khan and other ancients? Were some of them psychopaths or merely the victims of smear campaigns? Using a range of forensic tests we cut through the myth to establish who they really were, and what they really did. We establish whether Nero killed his own mother, how an unattractive Cleopatra seduced Julius Caesar, how Hannibal let half his army die, how Attila intimidated his enemies into surrender, the extent to which a sex-obsessed Genghis Khan fathered a nation….And a leading psychiatrist provides a clinical assessment of all eight ancients to establish whether they were mad or just plain bad.
5 x 60 Smithsonian Network, Channel 5, History Channel (UK), Discovery Canada, and BBC World Wide
Five more amazing true stories that inspired well-known movies: How the Bourne Identity was based on real life CIA espionage and mind control techniques; How the Hunt For Red October was inspired by a Russian mutiny in a bid to topple the government; The story of the supposedly possessed boy behind the novel and movie of The Exorcist; The truth behind the FBI’s attempt to bring the Las Vegas Mafia to justice in the movie Casino; And how the key characters in the Silence of the Lambs were all inspired by real life psychopaths and FBI investigators.
13 x 30 Channel 5, Sharwoods and ITV Global
Glamorous young chef and bestselling author He Ching sets up her mobile kitchen in China Town and takes us on a culinary journey of mouth-watering recipes. In each episode, she shows two novices the ropes. Will they prove to be Szechuan supremos or dumpling dunces?
It opened to 1 million viewers, double the usual slot average.
WHO KILLED
THE HONEY BEE?
1 x 60 BBC4
Bees worldwide are vanishing from their hives. A mystery affliction that has blighted bee colonies in every part of the world since at least 2006, arrived in the UK in 2007 and is devastating our hives. The threat to keepers, farmers and our food supply is acute and growing, but the root cause of so-called ‘Colony Collapse Disorder’ that forces bees to flee their hives remains a mystery… This film tells the story of this enigma and the worldwide effort to crack it.
1 x 60 BBC4
Bees worldwide are vanishing from their hives. A mystery affliction that has blighted bee colonies in every part of the world since at least 2006, arrived in the UK in 2007 and is devastating our hives. The threat to keepers, farmers and our food supply is acute and growing, but the root cause of so-called ‘Colony Collapse Disorder’ that forces bees to flee their hives remains a mystery… This film tells the story of this enigma and the worldwide effort to crack it.
THE GREAT
SPERM RACE
1 x 90 Channel 4, Discovery Canada and The Wellcome Trust.
Directed by Julian Jones, this science special explores the epic journey that sperm undertake to reach the egg, by scaling the whole thing up to human size. Working with the world’s leading reproductive scientists we find out what happens to the 250 million sperm as they battle their way through the female body in the ultimate race for survival. There’s no going back, no surrender and only one winner…
RTS nomination 2010.
1 x 90 Channel 4, Discovery Canada and The Wellcome Trust.
Directed by Julian Jones, this science special explores the epic journey that sperm undertake to reach the egg, by scaling the whole thing up to human size. Working with the world’s leading reproductive scientists we find out what happens to the 250 million sperm as they battle their way through the female body in the ultimate race for survival. There’s no going back, no surrender and only one winner…
RTS nomination 2010.
THE LION CUB
FROM HARRODS
1 x 60 Channel 5 and Animal Planet
The extraordinary story of Christian the Lion who was bought as a cub by John Rendall and Ace Bourke from the Harrods ‘Exotic Animals Department’ in 1969. Telling the story behind the 50 million hit Youtube clip of their reunion after Christian’s return to the wild and featuring never-before-seen footage of a later, extremely poignant final reunion between John, Ace and Christian. This heart-warming film was so popular with the audience it has been made available on DVD and can be bought at Amazon online.
1 x 60 Channel 5 and Animal Planet
The extraordinary story of Christian the Lion who was bought as a cub by John Rendall and Ace Bourke from the Harrods ‘Exotic Animals Department’ in 1969. Telling the story behind the 50 million hit Youtube clip of their reunion after Christian’s return to the wild and featuring never-before-seen footage of a later, extremely poignant final reunion between John, Ace and Christian. This heart-warming film was so popular with the audience it has been made available on DVD and can be bought at Amazon online.
BRANSONS:
HELL OR HIGH WATER
1 x 60 Virgin1
This film offers unprecedented access to Britain’s most compelling and intriguing tycoon – Richard Branson and his rarely seen children, Sam and Holly, as he prepares himself, and his kids, for the most audacious record attempt of his life… The “Transat Speed Record”, or fastest sail across the Atlantic. A must-see snapshot of one of Britain’s most flamboyant and edgy entrepreneurs taking on his most risky record attempt to date, and this time the stakes could not be higher because he’s putting his kids in the eye of the storm as well.
1 x 60 Virgin1
This film offers unprecedented access to Britain’s most compelling and intriguing tycoon – Richard Branson and his rarely seen children, Sam and Holly, as he prepares himself, and his kids, for the most audacious record attempt of his life… The “Transat Speed Record”, or fastest sail across the Atlantic. A must-see snapshot of one of Britain’s most flamboyant and edgy entrepreneurs taking on his most risky record attempt to date, and this time the stakes could not be higher because he’s putting his kids in the eye of the storm as well.
THE TRUE STORIES
SERIES 1
5 x 60 Smithsonian Network, Channel 5, History Channel (UK), Discovery Canada, and BBC World Wide.
The true stories behind five well known movies and movie characters: Was James Bond really Ian Fleming? Was Indiana Jones inspired by an American adventurer or a German Grail Hunter? Did the three prisoners in the movie Escape from Alcatraz successfully break free or were they washed out to sea? What really happened in the Amityville Horror House? And was it the Untouchables, and their leader Eliot Ness, who successfully put Al Capone behind bars - as depicted in the movie - or someone else entirely?
5 x 60 Smithsonian Network, Channel 5, History Channel (UK), Discovery Canada, and BBC World Wide.
The true stories behind five well known movies and movie characters: Was James Bond really Ian Fleming? Was Indiana Jones inspired by an American adventurer or a German Grail Hunter? Did the three prisoners in the movie Escape from Alcatraz successfully break free or were they washed out to sea? What really happened in the Amityville Horror House? And was it the Untouchables, and their leader Eliot Ness, who successfully put Al Capone behind bars - as depicted in the movie - or someone else entirely?
MARRIED TO
THE EIFFEL TOWER
1 x 60 Channel 5
An extraordinary portrait of 3 'objectum sexuals' - women who have loving
relationships with objects. Directed by Agnieszka Piotrowska, this sensitive film explores the challenges of having love affairs with large public structures including The Eiffel Tower, The Berlin Wall and a fairground ride and explores the
deep psychological bonds that tie the women to their inanimate lovers.
1 x 60 Channel 5
An extraordinary portrait of 3 'objectum sexuals' - women who have loving
relationships with objects. Directed by Agnieszka Piotrowska, this sensitive film explores the challenges of having love affairs with large public structures including The Eiffel Tower, The Berlin Wall and a fairground ride and explores the
deep psychological bonds that tie the women to their inanimate lovers.
EXTRAORDINARY
ANIMALS
7 x 30 Channel 5 and BBC World Wide.
A look at the world’s most remarkable animals: Hong, a Thai Elephant demonstrates her impressive painting skills; Ayumu, a Japanese chimp takes on Britain’s leading memory champion – and wins; Griffin, an African grey parrot outperforms children at a local nursery in language skills. The series also includes an amazing dog that predicts who will die next in an old people’s home, a dolphin that communicates with people, a Sea Lion that demonstrates impressive logical reasoning, and a genius orang-utan that uses complicated signs to have his every wish fulfilled.
7 x 30 Channel 5 and BBC World Wide.
A look at the world’s most remarkable animals: Hong, a Thai Elephant demonstrates her impressive painting skills; Ayumu, a Japanese chimp takes on Britain’s leading memory champion – and wins; Griffin, an African grey parrot outperforms children at a local nursery in language skills. The series also includes an amazing dog that predicts who will die next in an old people’s home, a dolphin that communicates with people, a Sea Lion that demonstrates impressive logical reasoning, and a genius orang-utan that uses complicated signs to have his every wish fulfilled.
EXTRAORDINARY
ANIMALS II
10 x 30 Channel 5, Animal Planet and BBC World Wide
In this second run of the popular series we meet ten more extraordinary creatures including a dog who can solve maths equations, a dolphin who can ‘see’ in the dark, a piano-playing cat, a bi-lingual chimpanzee and a performing pig.
10 x 30 Channel 5, Animal Planet and BBC World Wide
In this second run of the popular series we meet ten more extraordinary creatures including a dog who can solve maths equations, a dolphin who can ‘see’ in the dark, a piano-playing cat, a bi-lingual chimpanzee and a performing pig.
SERIOUSLY
DIRTY DANCING
1 x 60 Channel 5
A celebration of 20 years of the movie Dirty Dancing in which Dawn Porter embarks on a light-hearted pilgrimage to the original filming locations, re-enacts some of the best scenes from this cult movie, meets the writer, some of the cast and backstage crew, and even learns The Final Dance with her own self-styled ‘Patrick Swayze’. It aired in October 2007 receiving the highest 10pm audience share of any documentary on Five for over two years.
1 x 60 Channel 5
A celebration of 20 years of the movie Dirty Dancing in which Dawn Porter embarks on a light-hearted pilgrimage to the original filming locations, re-enacts some of the best scenes from this cult movie, meets the writer, some of the cast and backstage crew, and even learns The Final Dance with her own self-styled ‘Patrick Swayze’. It aired in October 2007 receiving the highest 10pm audience share of any documentary on Five for over two years.