Factual
computer technology and archaeology, Arthur FACTUAL recreates the real Dark Age counterpart to legendary Camelot, and brings to life the battlefield where Arthur won his greatest victories. Arthur – King Of The Britons Director Jean Claude Bragard says: “Travel with us as we journey through this ancient land of myths and legends. Exploring the length and breadth of the British isles, we visit the sites and sounds of Arthurian tradition – from Arthur’s historic birthplace at Tintagel to the mystical isle of Avalon where he is said to be buried. Together we’ll discover the truth behind the story and reveal the man behind the myth.”
A BBC production for BBC ONE.
Human Instinct
King Arthur is one of the most famous figures in British mythology – but was there a “real” Arthur? Arthur – King Of The Britons goes on a quest to discover the true story behind the legend.
Richard Harris – who famously portrayed Arthur in the film Camelot – unravels Arthur’s story and finds evidence for a real flesh and blood hero, deep in the mists of British history.
The legend of King Arthur first appears in a 12th-century book written by Geoffrey of Professor Robert Winston provides a unique Monmouth in the Middle Ages, but the myth of glimpse into what it is that makes people tick in Arthur continues to enthral people throughout his latest series for BBC ONE. In Human the world. Much of the story may seem fanciful, Instinct, he reveals why certain people find one but there is evidence to suggest that the legend another attractive, why some drivers fly off the was inspired by real events that took place in handle in road rage and what it is that makes 5th century Britannia. some of us scared of harmless spiders.
This magical tale is brought to life by the award- Our instincts are honed for a primitive world winning team behind BBC ONE’s Son Of God. that was far riskier than our own. They live on, Using the same mix of live action, state-of-the-art even in our own, safer world and science is only
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just beginning to understand the amazing story Charlotte first hit the screens in Cousins, in of instincts and how they work. which she introduced her extended primate family to the world. She’s uniquely qualified to The series includes epic location filming from take viewers on this new journey to discover around the world, including the East African what animals are saying to each other and even savannah, where many scientists think people’s to us. Charlotte has always been fascinated by earliest instincts were formed, plus experiments animal communication, and studied chimp calls in human behaviour, secret filming, computer for five years in Gombe, Africa, with renowned graphics and accounts of people recalling expert Jane Goodall. powerful moments of instinct. “Eavesdropping is always fascinating,” says In Exploring Survival, Sex, Competition and Charlotte. “But finding out what another species is Self Sacrifice, Professor Winston takes saying is even better. Some of them are even talking viewers on a journey of discovery into about us.” Charlotte wanders over the freezing human behaviour, to look at themselves in plains of Alaska to discover how polar bears find an entirely new way. each other from hundreds of miles away. She swims with dolphins and realises they are calling to A BBC production for BBC ONE. each other by name, uses a robotic bowerbird in Australia to seduce a male, and enters a virtual world to discover how animals fly in flocks. Talking With Animals Using the latest research and filming techniques, she reveals a hidden world of communication, more complex and sophisticated than ever imagined before. Humans share with animals the need to communicate in order to survive and reproduce. Animals have developed many ways to do this in difficult surroundings such as deserts, dense forest, crowded colonies and underwater. They sing in frequencies humans can’t hear, detect colours that our eyes can’t see, and send messages in worlds of scent, electricity and polarised light that are impossible to imagine.
A BBC production for BBC ONE.
Teen Species
The journey from child to adult is one of life’s most dramatic experiences. Everybody goes through it, yet teenagers rarely receive any sympathy. However, research is beginning to show that there may be scientific reasons for the Charlotte Uhlenbroek says: “I’ve ended up moody behaviour, clumsiness and arguments swimming with alien-looking cuttlefish, having a associated with adolescence. Teen Species close encounter with a bull elephant and being follows youngsters from different backgrounds stung all over by fire ants – all in a serious and studies new scientific research, offering an attempt to find out how animals communicate important insight into the minds and bodies of and what they are actually saying.” that extraordinary species: the teenager.
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Finally, the programme looks at the risks and dangers of teenage pregnancy with 16-year-old Sanet as she prepares for the birth of her baby. Popular wisdom has it that young pregnancies are good for both mother and baby, but research has shown that, while it is all right for the mother, it often leads to low birth weights for the baby.
A BBC production for BBC ONE.
Armed And Dangerous
After the recent wave of shootings and knife- attacks across Britain, the Shops, Robbers And Claudia is 12 and a dancer, in the middle of her Videotape team go behind the scenes to see how growth spurt. All teenagers lose balance while the police tackle the menace of armed crime. going through puberty. They wake every This special follows two elite armed police morning with a different centre of gravity and officers as they race to confront some of the the brain takes some time to catch up. most dangerous criminals on the streets. Clumsiness affects all teenagers, so how will it affect Claudia in her chosen career? Their task is as difficult as it is dangerous. Split- second decisions can mean life or death and not Observing twin sisters Rebecca and Jessica, everyone’s up to the job. Teen Species also looks at what makes the difference when the genes are the same, but Faced with graphic evidence that more and more development is not. The answer may lie in the fat criminals are ready to use extreme violence to stores under the skin. achieve their ends, the programme asks whether now is the time for an armed police force. Popular opinion has it that boys start to develop Armed And Dangerous takes a long, hard look much later than girls but, in fact, there is at gun law, UK-style. generally less than six months in it. The myth has grown up because the earliest changes in A Folio production for BBC ONE. boys go on out of sight and their growth spurt comes late in puberty. When it starts, boys grow in a particular way. Their hands and feet are Cashing In – The BBC Money Roadshow first, their spines last. This programme talks (working title) testosterone, fighting and under-age drinking with five boys and explains why bad behaviour is inevitable. Cashing In is a new money roadshow which Teen Species explains why older teenagers, reveals the secrets of personal financial success. although mostly fully grown and sexually mature, are not quite adults. Advanced brain imaging The BBC Money Bus travels the length and suggests that areas in the brain responsible for breadth of Britain this summer with a panel of social judgement and self control may not finish special advisers on board to provide free advice forming until the end of adolescence. Teen Species on better financial housekeeping. Over the meets Osian, a talented 16-year-old who has weeks, the team gives the nation the knowledge joined a football academy, as he learns to look they need to question the experts and provide after himself practically and emotionally. tips guaranteed to save money for every viewer.
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Changing Rooms Aiming to rejuvenate an area once designated for use as a car park and caravan site, the Duchess has plans to make a modern garden as spectacular as those in the heyday of extravagant Under the watchful eye of Carol Smillie, and horticulture. It is one of the most ambitious new assisted by the ever-productive “Handy” Andy garden designs in modern Britain, with over 11 Kane, the creative team of Changing Rooms acres of land encompassing 65,000 plants, 3,000 designers is reunited for another set of roses and 25 pools and waterfalls. decorating and diplomacy challenges. Charlie meets the Duchess and her team, Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen and Oliver Heath including Belgian father-and-son designers team up for the first time and head for the Jacques and Peter Wirtz. For the next 18 Thames to decorate two Dutch barges. In a months, Charlie keeps track of the garden’s reversal of roles, it is Laurence who keeps his execution – from planting the first tree, to giving head above water with a cool and contemporary out the Christmas presents at the estate workers’ design, while Oliver goes just slightly overboard. children’s party. She also creates her biggest water feature yet – a computer-controlled water In Cheltenham, Laura McCree decides to paint system called the Grand Cascade – the largest in an entire room red – including the ceiling. But, the UK after Chatsworth. halfway through, she discovers that this is the one colour that the neighbours hate. Like the The whole project is on a daunting scale with Queen of Hearts in Alice In Wonderland, is it deadlines to meet and budgets to stick to. possible to make red into white in such a short The Duchess has technical design meetings period of time? to chair, plants to choose, potential conflicts with the horticultural establishment and worries Let loose on a British Army base in Germany, about both money and what the locals think Linda Barker and Anna Ryder Richardson are in of the whole project. Charlie offers any help their element. But while they carry out their she can, and keeps a watchful eye on the tasks with military precision, Carol is caught up whole proceedings. in camouflage netting and “Handy” Andy finally meets his match. A Bazal production for BBC ONE.
A Bazal production for BBC ONE. Child Of Our Time
Charlie And The Duchess
Child Of Our Time continues its epic journey through the first 20 years of life with a series on Charlie Dimmock joins forces with the Duchess the “terrible twos”. of Northumberland in a garden project on a scale not seen since the start of the Second Professor Robert Winston finds out if sporting World War. heroes are born or influenced by their parents. The programmes explore the notion that brains Alnwick Castle, the ancestral home of the Duke are the result of genes and asks if there is and Duchess of Northumberland, is vast. Its anything people can do to improve their grounds have provided the location for films intelligence. And, is being good actually bad for including Elizabeth, Harry Potter And The your baby in the long run? Philosopher’s Stone and Robin Hood Prince Of Thieves. It’s also the home of Ralph and Jane Child Of Our Time continues to amass an Northumberland and their young family. extraordinary record of 24 babies and their
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families in this third series. They are now two music enthusiast whose attempt to convert his and the scientific spotlight is on them again. cellar to a studio nearly brought the house down, Nick Knowles lifts the lid on the A BBC production for BBC ONE. terrifying stories behind the statistics.
Peter Purves tells of how a simple gutter-clearing Cot Death task landed him with an injury which took a year to mend and Cheryl Baker explains how she ended up with a house full of water when her husband decided to hang a picture. And it’s “One death is tragic; two is a mystery; three not just the amateurs who botch jobs; Tommy must be murder,” said Professor Meadow, key Walsh, Linda Barker and “Handy” Andy Kane witness for the prosecution in the case of Angela all admit to their own mistakes. Cannings who is accused of the murder of her three babies. Angela claims that her children “If you wake up on a Saturday morning with a were victims of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome. sudden impulse to do up the kitchen, don’t! With exclusive access to the family, Cot Death Instead, stay in bed,” says Tommy Walsh. A visit follows Angela’s story and asks whether she is to Britain’s worst DIY house proves Tommy an innocent victim or a cold-blooded murderer. right. It seems that rolling up your sleeves can seriously reduce the value of your house. All three children died between 7 and 18 weeks. Death certificates for Gemma and Jason A BBC production for BBC ONE. recorded cot death and the health authority did not suspect foul play. But, following Matthew’s death, the police were called in and Angela was The Elvis Mob (working title) questioned and charged. Angela’s defence team maintains that the case for the prosecution is shakily based on Professor Meadow’s maxim and circumstantial evidence. On the 25th anniversary of his death, BBC ONE explores the private life of Elvis Presley as told Behind the headlines, Angela and her husband, by his physician, bodyguards, drivers, fixers, Terry, who has suffered a nervous breakdown gofers and confidants. These men pledged 24- since Angela was charged, fight for her freedom hour allegiance to Presley, protecting their ever- and their marriage and prepare for the more-eccentric charge from the rest of the world possibility that Angela will be convicted of and himself, while sharing in the legendary killing their children. excesses of the King’s extravagant lifestyle.
A BBC production for BBC ONE. Elvis never gave an in-depth interview and the testimonies of these characters reveal a darker side of his character which was a world away Death By DIY (working title) from the swagger of his stage persona. One biographer described the mob as the “most intensive partying group of bachelors in the history of showbiz”. They saw themselves DIY is dangerous – it’s official! If the past is simply as the disciples of Elvis and their anything to go by, this year 55,000 people will devotion knew no bounds. cut themselves badly enough to go to hospital, another 40,000 will suffer a serious fall and 70 From Presley’s meteoric rise to stardom to his people will die from DIY-related accidents. gradual decline into drug-dependency and paranoia and his untimely and ignominious From the man who lost his arm when his death, The Elvis Mob offers a rare insight into sweater became caught in a bench-saw, to the pop culture’s most influential and iconic
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performer and discovers how his right-hand men The Golden Hour coped once the party ended.
A Leopard Films production for BBC ONE. Paramedics call the 60 minutes immediately after a potentially fatal accident “The Golden Hour”. Fergie – Football King What happens to the casualty during that time is vital to their chances of survival.
The Golden Hour is a 999 special, focusing on Michael Crick charts the life and career of one dramatic, true-life accident, backed up by a Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson reconstruction, and the latest 3D computer to discover the secret of his success. technology. In order for casualties to have the best chance of survival, they need expert care Alex Ferguson is no mere football manager. He within the first hour. The programme follows is a powerful and influential figure in society, one set of medics as they embark on a race listened to in senior business, feted by politicians against time to save a life. and courted by celebrities. He has clashed with Victoria Beckham and consulted with Tony The action footage is accompanied by interviews Blair. His potent leadership skills make him with real-life casualties and members of the deeply respected but often reviled. emergency services to show how the different disciplines come together to save a life. Crick goes in search of the man behind the agitated, gum-chewing, watch-checking, referee- Minute by minute, the programme counts down castigating, finger-pointing “Mr Angry”, and the first and most vital hour in the human hears from key figures in Ferguson’s colourful body’s bid for survival after a major accident. and controversial career. With the aid of computer graphics, viewers can even observe the physical changes happening A BBC production for BBC ONE. inside the casualty’s body.
A BBC production for BBC ONE. Force 10 Rescue (working title)
Ground Force Goes South Atlantic
The North West coast of Britain experiences the bitterest gales to batter this island, which regularly reach hurricane level. Yet it is also an Under strict security, Charlie and Tommy meet economically vital area which is “home” to a Alan at RAF Brize Norton in mid-winter. All he large fishing fleet and one of the UK’s main has told them is that they are off to do a special shipping lanes. programme, that they should bring warm, waterproof clothing, and that they are headed for Force 10 Rescue follows the men of the a group of small islands with more sheep than Coastguard’s Air and Sea Rescue Services, people. Secrecy, he stresses, is paramount because working out of Sumburgh and Stornoway, as the community they are heading for is so small. they battle to save people at the sharp end of nature’s might. Tommy guesses that their destination is the Outer Hebrides, but he’s wrong! The Ground An Ideal World/BBC Scotland production. Force team is off to the Falkland Islands on an
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RAF plane, 20 years on from events that turned marriages, she was still able to deliver feel-good the quiet group of islands into a war zone. classics such as Calamity Jane and Pillow Talk.
Ground Force is seen on the Falklands courtesy Burt Lancaster was the circus performer who of British Forces Broadcasting and keeping their became a star overnight. Charismatic and arrival and presence quiet in Port Stanley is a contradictory, liberal and sexually voracious, “Mr major task as the population is a mere 1,750. Teeth and Muscles” was a one-man whirlwind Luckily, the woman they are surprising lives in who pursued “The Sweet Smell Of Success”. Fox Bay on West Falkland. But loose lips could blow the secret if the team aren’t very careful. Tony Curtis – the “pop idol” pin-up of his day – was a kid from the Bronx who took The team plans to surprise the Falkland Islands Hollywood and its women by storm and also Councillor – who has been instrumental in found time to film a clutch of classics, from building the new medical facility in Stanley – Spartacus to Some Like It Hot. with a garden. A BBC production for BBC ONE. This new building, a combined hospital and sheltered-housing complex, has a quadrangle that the team transform over three days, with Hostage their usual skill and good humour, and a little assistance from some of the islanders in on the secret and a few members of the British Forces Imagine the absolute terror of being abducted – who gallantly volunteer to help this rival the threats, the fear, the uncertainty. Using “ground force”. personal testimony, archive footage and dramatic reconstruction, Hostage tells the stories A Bazal Production for BBC ONE. of Britons who have been through this and lived to tell the tale.
Hollywood Greats Grudges, persecution and, most of all, financial gain have made abduction a growth area in organised crime both in this country and abroad. The statistics are chilling. In 1997, the A new series of Hollywood Greats turns the Metropolitan Police Service dealt with just four spotlight on silver screen idols Steve McQueen, cases of kidnapping in London. Last year, that Doris Day, Burt Lancaster and Tony Curtis. figure rose to 76. Jonathan Ross presents the revelatory series, which talks to friends, colleagues and family to Columbia has become the kidnap capital of the paint an in-depth portrait of these icons, world and foreign companies operating there celebrating their work and showcasing their must now take out insurance to cover the costs amazing life stories. of huge ransom demands and to protect the lives of their employees from guerrilla groups Cool, macho and driven, Steve McQueen was targeting Western workers. Professionals – often the reform school boy who grew up to be the ex-British Army personnel – are brought in to highest-paid star of the Sixties. With films such negotiate the safe release of the hostages. as Bullitt and The Great Escape to his credit, Steve McQueen is still regarded as one of the Behind-the-scenes details and footage of actual ultimate icons of cool. negotiations reveal the survival strategies that the victims, their rescuers and their families On screen, Doris Day was the personification of employ to make it through the ordeal. American apple pie but, backstage, things were often less than rosy. Yet, despite four disastrous A BBC production for BBC ONE.
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The Life And Death Of Diana Steve Hodgkinson and Byron Hunt are Salford’s pest controllers who keep their own menagerie of rescued fish, spiders and lovebirds. And Garry and Barry can recall countless hilarious tales of The untimely death of Diana, Princess of Wales, life in the busy crematorium. led to an outburst of grief and national mourning. As thousands wept openly and heaps of flowers A BBC Bristol production for BBC ONE. were placed by mourners at shrines outside her home at Kensington Palace, the monarchy itself was shaken. Popular sentiment forced the Queen MacIntyre Investigates to cut short her holiday in Scotland and fly to London, and the reverberations of Diana’s death are still felt to this day. Some even believe that her death brought about a more questioning attitude Britain’s most intrepid investigative journalist, towards the Royal Family. Donal MacIntyre, returns to BBC ONE to expose wrongdoing and corruption in the UK This film, which marks the fifth anniversary of and abroad. Diana’s death in 1997, focuses on the extraordinary funeral, with its mixture of state MacIntyre Undercover featured some of the most pomp and popular culture, and tells the story of compelling television in recent years. Viewers the day when millions watched the Princess’s were gripped as Donal immersed himself in the coffin make its journey from Kensington Palace criminal underworld, risking his life in pursuit of to Westminster Abbey and on to its final resting its violent and ruthless perpetrators. place at Althorp. With organised crime, prostitution, drugs and The Life And Death Of Diana uses the narrative street crime on the agenda, MacIntyre of the funeral as the basis for a series of Investigates promises more of the same. Donal reflections from participants on their feelings and his team are back undercover. Nerves of about Diana, and the amazing events that steel combine with state-of-the-art surveillance surrounded her death. There are interviews with equipment. Suspects are caught on camera as members of the public, officials and those who MacIntyre exposes hidden worlds which organised the occasion, together with archive ordinary journalism rarely penetrate. footage from Diana’s life and the funeral itself. Donal’s passion remains the driving force behind A Blakeway production for BBC ONE. the show: “MacIntyre Investigates provides an insight into the unknown. We set out to join the A Life Of Grime lives of our targets, follow their journey and, where necessary, expose them. These things have never been seen by the public before. We have a determination to reveal the truth.” From drain clearers and pest controllers to the “comedy” duo who run the crematorium, A Life A BBC production for BBC ONE. Of Grime moves to Salford in the North West to uncover more grimy tales. My Worst Week The grim job of fighting filth is the top priority for the environmental teams but there’s also a fair portion of dark humour which helps the teams cope with their work. The duo with the Headline-blasting stories of recent times are strongest stomachs is Mike Thomas and Roy examined in a brand-new series. In an exposé of Chadwick – “the jetters” – who use high- the exposés, My Worst Week focuses on the pressure jets to unblock the city’s drains. experience of famous folk – from actors to
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politicians – who have suddenly found One On One themselves squirming under the full glare of the publicity spotlight.
Each of the six programmes looks at a Imagine a “one to one” with some of television’s particularly difficult period in one individual’s most enduring performers. Celebrities whose life, getting the inside track on each story from careers have spanned decades give their most top Fleet Street editors, television executives and intimate and candid interviews ever. Terry Wogan, paparazzi contacts. Ronnie Corbett, David Frost, Michael Aspel and Roy Hudd – all distinct, all survivors, all Reflecting the fast pace of the story and Press consummate entertainers – feature in the series. deadlines, My Worst Week cuts sharply from interviews to archive and news footage and In each of the six profiles, the subject talks the includes previously undisclosed revelations. viewer through their own career. They divulge fascinating nuggets about their professional technique, gossip, secrets and stories behind the A Brighter Pictures production for BBC ONE. headlines. Wogan shares his regret at his handling of the notorious David Icke interview.
Obsessions They talk through clips of their own work, explaining, analysing and often simply laughing. “Oh, God… Oh, God… Oh, God,” says Ronnie Corbett, as he looks again at the footage of his This new series for BBC ONE takes a closer first outing into movies. look at the fascinating world of obsession. Many people can be captivated by a certain something, Simple, revealing, funny and often painfully but millions of others worldwide are literally honest, One On One reveals the great television overpowered by their obsessions. The entertainers as they’ve never been seen before. programmes look into the all-powerful and sometimes dark side of obsession. A BBC production for BBC ONE.
While some obsessions can bring pleasure and Poison Pen happiness, others can cause nothing but heartache. The series reveals what drives some people to take the human pursuits of happiness to extremes, and why others are disabled by Manfield in North Yorkshire may look like a persistent fears and endless rituals. picture-postcard rural idyll but, as the villagers would be the first to confess, all is not quite as it One million people in Britain and six million seems. For nearly two miserable decades, the people in America suffer from Obsessive residents there were bombarded by the sick Compulsive Disorder (OCD), the second most outpourings of a prolific poison pen letter-writer. common mental illness after depression. But who was behind this twisted reign of terror?
To cope with the intrusive frightening thoughts The judge in the case sums up Manfield’s years of and images which plague sufferers, they develop terror: “Beneath the peaceful surface ran dark and anxiety-reducing rituals which they feel sinister currents – a river of hate, threats and abuse. compelled to carry out, convinced these will A miasma of suspicion must have spread through ward off disaster. Often, those rituals become so the lanes of Manfield, so neighbour suspected consuming that they control people’s lives, neighbour and friend began to doubt friend. One affecting work, families and relationships. might have thought that as the witnesses came into the witness box, the next would turn out to be A BBC production for BBC ONE. Agatha Christie’s Miss Marple.”
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In this real-life whodunit, the villagers talk the events that led up to the Argentine surrender candidly about a time of fear and suspicion, as on 14 June. These are not the stories of BBC cameras follow the drama through to its politicians or the generals, but the ordinary men surprising conclusion. who risked their lives, 8,000 miles away from home: the medic who treated the injured from A Siguy Films production for BBC ONE. both sides; the paras who fought in the crucial opening battle at Goose Green; the marines who took the vital strategic points of Mount Kent Shops, Robbers And Videotape and Mount Harriet; and the helicopter pilot who risked his own life to save the lives of others.
It’s the first time back for most of the veterans BBC ONE’s popular crime documentary series is and, for all, it is a difficult and emotional journey. back with an examination of retail crime in Manchester, Leeds, Glasgow and Edinburgh. A Touch production for BBC ONE. Previous programmes about credit-card crime and pickpockets in London’s Oxford Street Tomorrow’s World achieved big audiences on BBC ONE and helped spread awareness of criminal behaviour impacting on everyday life. Adam Hart-Davis, Roger Black and Kate Produced and directed by Matt Holden, the Humble join BBC ONE’s flagship science executive producers are Jane Rogerson and magazine programme this spring. Charles Thompson. A BBC Scotland/Folio Scotland production for BBC ONE. Returning to the studio in Science Week, Tomorrow’s World continues to bring viewers the latest in the cutting-edge technological Simon’s Heroes innovations and ground-breaking stories which are shaping the future.
A BBC production for BBC ONE. The British land campaign in the Falklands War lasted for 25 days but it changed the lives of the men who served there forever. Simon Weston, The Toughest Job In Britain the Welsh Guard who suffered horrific burns to 46 per cent of his body, returns to the Falklands with six other veterans to mark the 20th anniversary of the war. Never one to shirk his working responsibilities, Jeremy Spake is back with a new series of The For many, Simon has come to represent the Toughest Job In Britain and he is on a serious Falklands War. He epitomises the bravery of the mission to track down the nation’s most British personnel, and his injuries serve as a unforgiving occupation. timely reminder of the terrible price of victory. After 20 years and nearly 40 operations, Simon “No job’s too dirty, no odour’s too gross, no lays the ghosts of his past to rest. He goes stress is too great! I’m ready for anything in the aboard the new Sir Galahad to talk frankly search for the person who has the ultimate worst about his experiences on that fateful day when job,” Jeremy enthuses. And it’s clear that Argentine Skyhawk jets attacked the landing competition is going to be stiff. Jeremy has ship, killing 47 men and injuring 150. already met some of the country’s hardest- working employees when he travelled all over Simon leads a small group of veterans back to the UK in the first series, trying out a variety of the Falklands to share their personal accounts of jobs to find the one most worthy of accolade.
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This time round, he ventures with trepidation to Killer Whale, narrated by David Attenborough, the top of Blackpool Tower with a man whose dives deep into their world as they hunt herring job it is to change the light bulbs, as well as shoals in Norway, catch sting-rays in New taking a turn in the Big Top to experience the Zealand, steal tuna from Mediterranean fishing skill, stress and terror involved in being assistant boats and stalk penguins in Antarctica. This to a knife thrower. Then, with an amateur BBC ONE special also uncovers how killer boxer, Jeremy finds that being pummelled to a whales teach their young to talk their own tribal pulp is also not the easiest of occupations. language and how pack members organise hunting expeditions and develop new strategies. A BBC production for BBC ONE. Being a killer whale is not an instinctive gift, but learned behaviour transmitted from one generation to the next. Different killer whale UK’s Worst societies have developed very different cultures, and relate to each other in ways that humans from different cultures do.
From dodgy hotels to terrible trains, no service A BBC production for BBC ONE. is safe from the team who set out to expose the UK’s Worst. Wildlife Special – Serpent Nick Knowles and Rianna Scipio front this hard- hitting new series which sets out expose the very worst in bad service all over the United Kingdom. Using the very latest in secret filming and Viewers have a chance to look at the world from surveillance, a team of journalists go undercover a snake’s point of view. With minute on-board in seaside hotels to find the real Fawlty Towers, cameras, Serpent gets under the skin of the exposing the filthiest restaurants and uncovering world’s most feared and most successful predator. unscrupulous landlords. Public services won’t be let off either, as the team reveal the UK’s least There are over 2,700 different kinds of snakes reliable train service and the Accident and around the world, from the psychedelic Emergency department where many patients wait rhinoceros adder in Africa, to the black and the best part of a day before being treated. white bandy-bandy in the Australian outback. Yellow-bellied seasnakes are at home in open The company found providing the worst service ocean and, in Malaysia, flying snakes glide is presented with a UK’s Worst special award. between trees. Black mambas slither as fast as a But whether they choose to accept it gracefully is man can run and brown treesnakes hop between another matter. Pacific islands on cargo ships and airplane undercarriages. The Australian inland taipan’s A BBC production for BBC ONE. venom is so powerful that a single bite would kill 200,000 mice, and an anaconda is so big that it can eat humans. Wildlife Special – Killer Whale The narrator is David Attenborough.
A BBC production for BBC ONE. Killer whales have a “Jekyll and Hyde” personality. In captivity, they are gentle, playful and intelligent animals that seem to enjoy social interaction with human trainers. In the wild, they form ferocious hunting packs capable of attacking and killing a blue whale. So which is the real killer whale?
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