This preview picks out some of the highlights for the coming months on BBC ONE NI, BBC TWO NI and BBC Radio Ulster/Foyle. It shows a real range of programmes for audiences in Northern Ireland and significant contributions from here for the network channels such as Battlefield Britain, the Natural History of the British Isles, The Culture Show and Messiah III. It also gives a full line-up of our new Saturday schedule on BBC Radio Ulster with The Saturday Magazine and The John Daly Radio Show joining regular favourites Your Place and Mine, Gardeners' Corner and On Your Behalf. In the last year, BBC NI has won five out of the six RTS regional categories, worldwide acclaim for the drama Holy Cross and Radio Foyle was named as Sony Station of the Year. BBC Radio Ulster/ Foyle reached record levels of listening for the first part of this year, coinciding with our most ambitious project ever in Northern Ireland, BBC Music Live. I would like to thank all our programme makers, presenters and, most importantly, the viewers and listeners in Northern Ireland. I hope you enjoy our new programmes for the autumn and winter.

Peter Johnston, Head Of Broadcasting for BBC Northern Ireland

The Saturday Magazine When Saturday morning comes, The John Daly Radio Show many of us look forward to pouring a big cup of coffee and Saturday favourites There’s no business like showbusiness and when it Your Place and Mine scans the comes to the world of glitz and glamour, there’s no snuggling up on the sofa with the country to bring listeners an better man to keep you informed than John Daly. Saturday supplements hoping to find a good feature to read. intriguing mix of people, places Joining the Saturday line-up on BBC Radio Ulster and fascinating stories. In BBC Radio Ulster’s new The with a new weekly show, John Daly will be Gardeners’ Corner, Cherrie Saturday Magazine quenching the nation’s insatiable thirst for all things McIlwaine and guests visit gardens programme is set to add more entertainment with his new lunch-time show. in Northern Ireland, getting choice into the mix. Lively, John is no stranger to getting up close and topical advice for those green- entertaining and informative, this personal with the stars and for his BBC Radio fingered listeners. Linda McAuley Ulster Show - produced by John’s own radio hour-and-a-half long programme - and her panel of experts give production company OJO-John will not only the only one of its kind in Northern Ireland’s consumers a continue his tradition of chatting to the big Northern Ireland - will bring voice in On Your Behalf. names in entertainment, he will be playing high-quality content with a Listeners can get the Best Of some top music and analysing and weekend touch to the airwaves. Talkback, as David Dunseith dissecting the week’s juiciest Presented by John Toal, The rewinds the spools to find the celebrity gossip to find out Saturday Magazine will be week’s best debates and what’s fact and what’s fiction. giving listeners the best in discussions and Mark Devenport As if all this wasn’t enough, lifestyle and leisure, including will look at the most pressing John will also be predicting features on health, travel, education, political issues in Inside Politics. what’s going to be hit and fashion, cooking, entertainment Adam Coates brings all the latest miss in the worlds of music and shopping. John Toal and our on the weekend matches and and movies before taking contributors will be out and about games in Sportsound, before a look at meeting people in the gym, in the BBC Radio Ulster makes way for the week’s café, and on the road while a an eclectic evening of music with sporting team of columnists will give their Brian Mullen’s Cashclar, Ralph events. take on issues that excite them. McLean’s McLean’s Country Listeners can also get involved in and Colum Sand’s Folk Club. The Saturday Magazine by BBC Radio Ulster will present an phoning, texting or e-mailing their exciting series of half-hour ‘letters’ to the show, to give their programmes each Saturday, the thoughts on the items featured first of which is the new or to share what they do at the landmark eight-part series weekend. The Saturday Eighty Listening Years, presented by John Bennett. BBC Magazine can be enjoyed on the Radio Ulster, 92.4-95.4FM. sofa, while you’re doing the gardening or housework and even on the road.

CENTURY FARM Imagine life without supermarkets, television, radio, cars, e-mail, mobile phones and all modern comforts, turning your back on it all to step back in time. That’s exactly what one Northern Ireland family has done, rising to the challenge, in a major new six-part documentary series Century Farm, made for BBC ONE Northern Ireland by Hot Shot Films. The McGraths from Glengormley quite literally left 2004 behind, swapping all their home comforts for six weeks of rural life over the summer. Changing their modern clothes for turn-of-the-20th century clothing, six members of the closely knit family went back in time living the life of a family in rural Ireland of 1904. They lived this truly 1904 lifestyle in Coshkib, a Poker player period farmhouse originally built deep in the How would you feel if your heart of the Glens of Antrim, now one of the livelihood depended on the turn working exhibits at the Ulster Folk and of a card? Would you be prepared Transport Museum at Cultra, outside Holywood, to gamble everything for a chance County Down. Coshkib was closed to the public of winning the jackpot? A new during filming. BBC ONE Northern Ireland The McGrath family is made up of father John, documentary follows a Belfast man mother Marie, daughter Fionnola (12), sons Paul who does just that - professional (18), Conor (17) and Neal (13). poker player Mike Magee. Twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week the The documentary follows Mike, McGraths totally immersed themselves in 1904 who now lives in London, as he rural farm life, experiencing life struggling to has one final attempt at winning make ends meet, learning how to care for farm the big one - the World Poker animals, gathering in the hay, making all their own Championships in Las Vegas - the food (without a supermarket in sight) and even Poker Olympics. using bicarbonate of soda on their fingers to clean their teeth. Over the course of six weeks, viewers can follow their ups and downs as they come to terms with this dramatic life change, while learning more The McGrath family is made up of father about what life was really like 100 years ago. John, mother Marie, daughter Fionnola (12), sons Paul (18), Conor (17) and Neal (13).

SRL BBC Northern Ireland’s Irish Language television series, SRL, returns for a ten-week run this autumn. Presenters Céara Ní Choinn and MotorMouth Michelle Nic Grianna are MotorMouth takes up the together again and as the close Bits of Belfast challenge of helping Northern friends open the series by Former Northern Ireland Store Wars Irish drivers hook up with their jumping out of an aircraft, they International footballer Gerry Built in 1907, Austins department perfect cars. are glad to be side by side. Armstrong returns to his native store has been serving shoppers Presenters Conor Grimes and Fish out of Water Music features strongly in SRL, district in Belfast, the Falls Road. in the north west for almost Alan McKee represent the two This season sees the return of the with acts such as Cara Dillon, Gerry left the Falls area of West a century. sides of every car buyer - the popular series Fish out of John Spillane, Donal Lunny as Belfast when he was only 21 Ireland’s first department store is style-loving devil and the Water to BBC Northern Ireland. well as up-and-coming performers like ‘Mill a h-Uile years old, for the bright lights of now facing intense competition as practical, value for money angel. This year’s ‘fish’ include a BBC NI Rud’, a Scottish Gaelic Punk bank top flight football. UK multinational, Debenhams, Conor has a subscription to Weather presenter swapping with from Seattle. In the programme, he traces his opens a new multi-million pound auto-trader and carries pictures a dog warden, a drag queen with a childhood and teenage roots, un- store within walking distance of of his favourite machines around demolition expert and a top fashion SRL has a video diary for covering the rich cultural, The Diamond. in his wallet, while Alan is a model with a pest control officer. young people and ‘postcards’ political and sporting traditions Store Wars is a new four-part country man with a love for With often hilarious results, find from the USA, where natives of that flow through the veins of BBC ONE Northern Ireland a bargain. out how they survive in their new cities such as New York, San Francisco, Chicago and Boston this historic area. 30 years of series following the staff and the Each week, they review three environments on BBC ONE NI. show the places tourists don’t troubles have been captured on business during a decisive year in cars each before recommending usually see. None of the guides the famous wall murals, and Bits the life of one of the city’s best- their favoured choice, given the were born in Ireland, yet all can of Belfast uncovers the man known landmarks as it battles to punter’s tastes and needs. speak fluent Irish. who has painted most of them. exist against the odds. From housewives to barristers, Gerry also goes underground, to Staying in the NW, a new six-part from boy racers to company a place where both Catholic and series looks at the role of the executives, MotorMouth will Protestant people sheltered PSNI in the Foyle District help make that driving decision together during the Blitz, as well Command area. Derry City that little bit easier. as discovering the story of the Beat is an observational Orangeman now described as an documentary series on BBC ONE Irish Patriot. Finally, Gerry has a Northern Ireland following kick-about with some of his old officers from the local police mates, not only from the1982 stations as they deal with a range World Cup Squad, but the Gaelic of issues. Football players from his former SRL Presenters Céara Ní Choinn and club, St Johns. Michelle Nic Grianna

British Isles: Battlefield Britain - The Battle of the Boyne A NATURAL HISTORY BBC NEWSLINE Nolan Live “Over 300 years ago, this river, BBC Northern Ireland’s flagship Stephen Nolan returns to BBC which cuts through the heart of news service, BBC Newsline ONE NI with his no-holds- Ireland, ran red with blood. It continues to bring in-depth barred discussion programme was the scene of a notorious coverage of news, sport and Nolan Live. Natural history enthusiast Alan Titchmarsh turns landscape detective weather from around Northern battle which has deeper and Now extended to one hour, this to unravel the epic story of the evolution of the British Isles in this Ireland. The new season will see more violent echoes than any weekly live topical programme new, eight-part series and reveals secrets hidden in the landscape since more BBC Newsline Special other battle in the history of will once again give viewers the ancient times. In a first for the BBC, each one-hour programme Reports - a detailed investigation the British Isles. Together with chance to air their views on the features unique 10-minute regional opt-out films. In Northern Ireland, of everyday issues affecting local most up-to-date debates by my son Dan, I’ve come to Darryl Grimason explores the story of this island’s past and looks people - which in the past have phoning, texting or e-mailing the Ireland to piece together the towards its future, from high on the cliffs of the North Antrim coast included the morning-after pill programme. chain of events that are to deep within the limestone caves of Fermanagh. As he climbs the scandal, teenage suicide and celebrated by some with sheer cliffs of Murlough Bay, he discovers all the ages of this island, from underage drinking. The BBC The new series of Nolan Live desert sands and jungles to tropical seas lost beneath massive lava flows. Newsline team will continue to will be looking at the biggest enormous fervour every year.” During the series, Darryl uncovers a landscape shaped by fire and ice, bring live, on-the-spot reports and most contentious issues of (Peter Snow) the day, sourcing the best axe and plough. He finds the dolachan, the surviving ancestor of from across Northern Ireland and The UK is a country that’s been human interest features and see Ireland’s unique Ice Age fish; clambers through ancient oak forests; across the globe focusing on the forged by centuries of warfare. straight-talking Nolan getting unearths the remains of prehistoric farms; and discovers the rich issues that matter to people here. Using ground-breaking graphics to habitats left by the industrial age. the truth from his guests in a series of in depth interviews. re-create the epic scale of war, This series, made by the BBC’s Natural History Unit in Bristol, father and son team Peter and presents the first complete picture of the extraordinary geographical, If it’s important and needs to be Dan Snow tell the story of eight natural and human history of the British Isles. Alan Titchmarsh talked about, you’ll see it on encourages viewers to get outdoors to explore the countryside and Nolan Live. battles that have shaped the learn about the natural wonders on their doorstep. Stephen Nolan can also be country we live in including the Exciting extra elements to complement the television programmes heard from 9am-10.30am on Battle of the Boyne. include the innovative website Walks Through Time - guided walks in weekday mornings BBC Radio each region allowing viewers to explore the marvels of their own Ulster in The Stephen area, accessed through bbc.co.uk/nature. A huge range of public Nolan Show. spin-off events will also be staged country-wide by museums and wildlife organisations. Dirty Work In Dirty Work, Eamonn Holmes lifts the dustbin lid on the jobs you’d rather not do. It’s a smelly old job, it’ll turn your stomach but someone’s got to do it! He dons his overalls and rubber gloves and joins Belfast’s binmen on their weekly rounds. Dirty Work also lets you meet the house clearance teams and the sewer squads. Shot over eight months, Dirty Work looks at the people who, day and daily, have to deal with dirt and grime across Northern Ireland. MESSIAH III comes to BBC ONE Be scared, very scared… Ken Stott returns as the cerebral DCI Red Metcalfe in the third Messiah two-part film, The Promise. In The Promise, Red fights his own The John Daly Show conscience as he tries to stop a John Daly takes to the roads of Northern killer turn a London hospital into Ireland this autumn in the new series of a graveyard of pain. As he and his The John Daly Show. team battle to protect the The king of chat returns to our screens, innocent, a grotesque twist of fate celebrating the best in local talent as well threatens to tear them apart. as bringing stars from the international world of showbiz to towns across Neil Dudgeon returns as DI Duncan Northern Ireland. Warren and Frances Grey reprises Plenty of music, craic and celebrity chat her role as DS Kate Beauchamp. is guaranteed. American actress, Michelle Forbes, also returns to play Red’s wife, Susan Metcalfe, in a poignant story of love and loss. The cast also features: Liam Cunningham, Michael Maloney, Catherine Russell, Sam Troughton and Clare Holman. BBC Proms In The Park A feast of fabulous music is guaranteed with the return, for the third year, of the hugely popular Proms In The Park. Headlining this year’s outdoor event are the Belfast-born flautist James Galway, Jeanne Galway, Bangor- born baritone Bruno Caproni and violinist Cora Venus Lunny from Dublin with the Ulster Orchestra and the Ulster Youth Choir. Presented by Noel Thompson and recorded by Landseer Productions for BBC Northern Ireland, on Saturday, September 11, to be screened later this year. Give My Head Peace Northern Ireland’s most famous The Fair Days of Summer dysfunctional family are back on Gerry Anderson and Christine local screens this Autumn. Now in Jason Byrne Hates Bleakley introduce us to the its 10th series, viewers of Give Perrier-nominated Irish funny man wonderful world of the community My Head Peace have been Jason Byrne unleashes his festival. This series aims to tell the following the fortunes of Ma, Da, explosive sense of humour for the story of four summer festivals - Cal, Uncle Andy and the rest of new BBC Northern Ireland Fiddler’s Green at Rostrevor, The the gang since 1998. This new 10- production, Jason Byrne Hates. Mary of Dungloe Festival in Donegal, part series uncovers yet more The Lady of the Lake Festival in hidden secrets about the madcap Turbo-charged Byrne is sure to Irvinestown, County Fermanagh crank up the chuckle metre as he gang, including Ma’s (Olivia Nash) On Eagle’s Wing: The Documentary and Portaferry Gala Week. former dalliance into the world of pokes fun at some of his dislikes, BBC Northern Ireland presents an innovative documentary film, On The Fairs Days of Summer is music as a member of a 60’s such as sports, fruit and vegetables, Eagle’s Wing, telling the story of the Scots-Irish, the 18th century a complete, structured and Motown band and Uncle Andy’s animals, men, women and magic. Presbyterian immigrants from Ulster to whom many millions of entertaining narrative of a unique (Marty Reid) job as a children’s This rib-tickling new series is Americans can trace their roots. community ‘happening’. Each televison presenter. directed by BAFTA-winner Pati The 50-minute programme fuses traditional documentary elements, half-hour factual entertainment Marr who, in the past, has leant such as expert historical opinion, with music and dance from the stage documentary will tell the story of her talents to such hit programmes show recorded at the Odyssey Arena in Belfast. The film tells the how a local community makes a as Dead Ringers, The Royle Family story of the Scots-Irish, examining their experiences in the 1700s as festival happen. Meet the and The Dave Gorman Collection, settlers, frontiersmen and revolutionaries fighting for American personalities and the performers and is produced by RTS winner independence from an English king and their lasting contribution to who drive each festival, finding out Jackie Hamilton, who has important aspects of life in today’s United States. how they deal with the trials and previously worked on Give My Director Moore Sinnerton and his crew filmed in Scotland, Ireland and triumphs that go with the territory. The Folks on the Hill Head Peace and PK Tonight. Also from BBC NI’s Comedy Unit the United States. Starting on the banks of the Delaware, they Along the way Gerry and Christine The Folks on the Hill are back this Winter will be Ad Fads, followed in the footsteps of the Scots-Irish along the Great Wagon will use their own unique style of on TV with a new series, bringing presented by Northern Ireland road across Pennsylvania, south through the Shenandoah Valley, and presentation to help us tell the some of our best known political comic Colin Murphy. Colin takes a down the Appalachian Mountains deep into the Carolinas, Kentucky story in each programme. figures back to a computer- look at Northern Ireland TV and Tennessee. Gerry is also back with a new generated existence. On Eagle’s Wing - a Straight Forward production - will be series of the RTS award-winning commercials through the decades, The fifteen-minute satirical sketch broadcast on BBC ONE Northern Ireland and on PBS in the United Anderson In…, taking another cheekily poking fun at the unique shows combine the latest computer States. As well as the documentary BBC Northern Ireland will also look at the fascinating careers, Norn’ Irish way of selling. graphics with the writing and broadcast John Anderson’s stage sensation On Eagle’s Wing, pastimes and hobbies of Northern performing talents of local recorded at the Odyssey Arena. Ireland people. impressionist Sean Crummey. The Culture Show BBC Two presents a brand-new programme dedicated to UK arts and culture. Sophisticated, intelligent and surprising, The Culture Show Hard Spell takes word play to another delves deep into the big cultural level when it invites kids aged between issues and events of the day, with 11-14 to become Britain’s a mix of investigative journalism best young and reviews. speller and show Celebrating and critiquing the off their spelling skills range and diversity of arts on television in front of the whole throughout the UK, The First Stop country. Spelling will never have been so Culture Show uses some of the Northern Ireland’s number one compelling in this nail biting event where nation’s most passionate and gig-guide and entertainment addictive spelling tests will become just as opinionated voices to reach into programme returns to local much fun to watch as they are to play along the heart of UK cultural life. screens on BBC ONE Northern with at home. Ireland this autumn. Presenter Eamonn Holmes says “These Season Ticket First Stop, the fast-paced kids are like spelling athletes and I’m there All the best in local sporting ‘what’s on?’ show will return for to congratulate them when they cross the action will be rounded-up in a its fourth series, providing the finish line or give them a pat on the back if new magazine style programme. essential guide to going-out in they don’t.” Each week, Season Ticket will Northern Ireland, with presenters Viewers can watch the hopes, nerves and feature all the action from a range Christine Bleakley and Ralph excitement of children across the UK as of sports. McLean keeping their fingers on they spell their way to the top of the class. The new series will also keep the pulse. Each school’s best young speller will go sports fans up-to-date on all the through to a regional heat in October latest news and hear from those and hopefully onto the final in London. making the sports headlines in The TV cameras will be there to Northern Ireland. follow the stories of them and their families as they journey from the carefree classroom to a nerve-wracking grand finale.