Week/Wythnos 51 & 52 December/Rhagfyr 17-30, 2011 Pages/Tudalennau: 2 Coming Home: Charles Dale 3 Christmas Pro 12 Rugby 4 Welsh Arts Review of the Year 5 BBC National Orchestra of Wales 6 Ruth Jones’ Christmas Cracker 7 Merlin 8-9 Radio Cymru Christmas Highlights 10 Cyngerdd Gala’r Eisteddfod 11-13 Pobol y Cwm Places of interest/Llefydd o ddiddordeb: Cardiff 3, 4 Carmarthen 10 Farmers 10 Haverfordwest 5 Llanelli 3 Llanstadwell 2 Penbrokeshire 2 Pontarddulais 11, 12 Port Talbot 4 Rhosllanerchrugog 10 Tenby 2 Follow us on Twitter to keep up with all the latest news from BBC Cymru Wales @BBCWalesPress Pictures are available at www.bbcpictures.com/Lluniau ar gael yn www.bbcpictures.com NOTE TO EDITORS: All details correct at time of going to press, but programmes are liable to change. Please check with BBC Cymru Wales Communications before publishing. NODYN I OLYGYDDION: Mae’r manylion hyn yn gywir wrth fynd i’r wasg, ond mae rhaglenni yn gallu newid. Cyn cyhoeddi gwybodaeth, cysylltwch â’r Adran Gyfathrebu. 2 COMING HOME: CHARLES DALE Wednesday, December 21, BBC One Wales, 8.30pm In the last of the series actor Charles Dale, who plays Big Mac in Casualty and starred in several seasons of BBC Cymru Wales drama Belonging, returns to his Tenby roots to discover the truth about his ancestors, and learn why his grandfather was such a buttoned-up Victorian. Dale travels to Llanstadwell in Penbrokeshire to meet genealogist Michael Churchill Jones and to see the final resting place of some of his ancestors, who he learns, far from being the farmers he expected, included men of some repute. As an actor he says the “dark side” he feels the Dales have is useful to draw on - but with a great- grandfather and great-great grandfather who were what we’d now term “love rats” it’s up to grandfather Eric, whose Home Guard activities attracted the right kind of attention, to rescue the family’s reputation. Ceri Mears CHRISTMAS PRO 12 RUGBY ON BBC CYMRU WALES Friday, December 23, Y Clwb Rygbi: Gleision v Dreigiau, BBC Wales on S4C, 7.15pm Monday, December 26, Scrum V Live: Scarlets v Ospreys, BBC Two Wales, 1.45pm Friday, December 30, Scrum V Live: Dragons v Scarlets, BBC Two Wales, 7pm BBC Cymru Wales Sport offers rugby fans a Christmas treat with three live Pro 12 rugby games over the festive season. All the top regional rugby action kicks off with live coverage of the Blues v Dragons game from the Cardiff City Stadium on Friday, December 23, in Y Clwb Rygbi: Gleision v Dreigiau on BBC Wales on S4C from 7.15pm. Live coverage is introduced by Gareth Roberts with special guests former Cardiff and Wales players Gwyn Jones and Gareth Davies. Commentary is from Huw Llywelyn Davies and Derwyn Jones. 2 3 There’s a Christmas cracker of a game lined-up for Monday, December 26, with live coverage of the Boxing Day local derby between the Scarlets and Ospreys and a chance to find out who’s the best of the west. Live coverage is presented by Ross Harries in Scrum V Live: Scarlets v Ospreys on BBC Two Wales from 1.45pm. Ross is joined in the studio by regular Scrum V pundit Tom Shanklin and commentary is from Jonathan Davies and Gareth Charles. Viewers can press the Red Button while the game is in play for Welsh language commentary and Rick O'Shea's Red Zone. Then on Friday, December 30, there’s the second Welsh derby of the week when the Dragons welcome the Scarlets to Rodney Parade as both teams look to break into the top half of the Pro 12 table in their final game of the calendar year. Ross Harries is joined by Ian Gough in the studio with live coverage in Scrum V Live: Dragons v Scarlets on BBC Two Wales from 7pm. Commentary is from Jonathan Davies, with analysis from Phil Davies and Tom Shanklin on the touchline. Welsh language commentary and Rick O'Shea’s Red Zone is on the red button. Directly following all the top rugby action from Rodney Parade there’s another chance to catch up with the highs and lows of the past Welsh sporting year in the Welsh Sports Review 2011 from 9pm. Nigel Partridge 3 4 WELSH ARTS REVIEW OF THE YEAR Boxing Day, December 26, BBC Two Wales, 9pm 2011 has been an exciting year in the arts in Wales, and Nicola Heywood Thomas and her special guests are all set to remind viewers of some of the finest moments in Welsh Arts Review of the Year. Silver screen star Michael Sheen relives his experience of performing The Passion of Port Talbot, a massive three-day undertaking for National Theatre Wales, DJ Bethan Elfyn gives her verdict on the Welsh music scene in 2011 and Only Men Aloud musical director Tim Rhys-Evans takes a look back at BBC Cardiff Singer of the World 2011. The Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama and Cardiff’s Sherman Theatre open their doors to reflect on significant architectural redevelopment in 2011 and the programme takes another look at this year’s film releases shot in Wales, and joins the Dylan Thomas Award ceremony with judge Rachel Trezise sharing her memories of scooping the top spot at the inaugural prize in 2006. Jenny Walford 4 5 BBC NATIONAL ORCHESTRA OF WALES Saturday, December 17, Sir Thomas Picton School, Haverfordwest, 3pm and 7pm bbc.co.uk/now BBC National Orchestra and Chorus of Wales celebrate Christmas in style, as they present a concert packed full of seasonal favourites for all the family. Join in the festive spirit with a selection of Christmas music, including the magic of Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake, the excitement of Leroy Anderson’s Sleigh Ride and beautiful Christmas music from John Rutter. There’s also a chance for the whole family to join in with a medley of Christmas songs, conducted by Grant Llewellyn. Following concerts in Cardiff and Swansea, the last stop of the Orchestra’s three-night tour will be at Sir Thomas Picton School, in Haverfordwest, where the Orchestra will be joined by members of the Pembrokeshire Youth Choir. Family tickets start from just £11, and are available from the Orchestra’s Audience Line on 0800 052 1812. For more information about the Orchestra, visit bbc.co.uk/now Highlights from the concert in Cardiff will be broadcast on BBC Radio Wales on Friday, December 23 at 6.30pm, and Saturday, December 24 at 2pm. David Hopkins RUTH JONES’ CHRISTMAS CRACKER Thursday, December 22, BBC One Wales, 10.35pm Ruth Jones presents the last of her seasonal specials as she welcomes guests including fellow Gavin and Stacey star James Cordon and one of this year’s Strictly Come Dancing stars Lulu to her sofa. Music is from the Manic Street Preachers. Jenny Walford 5 6 MERLIN Saturday, December 17, BBC One Wales, 8.10pm With Morgana at the head of a vast Southron army, a deadly net is closing in around Camelot, as the drama continues. When the sorceress strikes, the ferocity of her attack forces everyone to run for their lives - even Arthur. But Morgana won’t let him escape that easily. And so begins a chilling hunt. Can Merlin save the King from Morgana’s clutches? Or has Arthur’s luck finally run out? Saturday, December 24, BBC One Wales, 8pm Morgana and Helios have successfully captured Camelot, and Merlin and Arthur are outlaws on the run, in the last episode of this series of Merlin. Trapped in Ealdor with a ruthless army closing in, their situation becomes desperate. Arthur must take control before Camelot is lost forever... But faced with Agravaine’s betrayal and the strength of Morgana’s force, the young King has lost his conviction - only Merlin can restore his faith, and only an extraordinary act can prove to the King that he was born to rule. Colin Morgan plays Merlin with Bradley James as Arthur, Katie McGrath as Morgana, Nathaniel Parker as Agravaine, Richard Wilson as Gaius, Angel Coulby as Gwen, Tom Hopper as Sir Percival, Eoin Macken as Sir Gwaine, Adetomiwa Edun as Sir Elyan and Rupert Young as Sir Leon. Jenny Walford 6 7 NADOLIG BBC RADIO CYMRU bbc.co.uk/radiocymru Mae’r Dolig yn disgleirio ar BBC Radio Cymru wrth i’r arlwy Nadoligaidd gynnwys storïau difyr, cerddoriaeth wych a digonedd o hwyl yr ŵyl gyda rhai o leisiau mwyaf cyfarwydd Cymru. Mae Dolig disglair Radio Cymru yn addo bod yn un cerddorol hefyd gyda Lisa Gwilym (Iau, Rhagfyr 22) yn dod a sesiwn fyw arbennig gan y Creision Hud. Ar Noswyl Nadolig mae gwledd o gerddoriaeth gyda Noson y Sêr (8pm), sef cyngerdd yn dathlu byd y sioe gerdd o Neuadd Pontyberem gyda Daf a Caryl yn cyflwyno Shân Cothi, John Owen Jones, Aled Pedrick, Cath Ayres a Chôr y Drindod. Yn dilyn bydd Dolig Huw Stephens (9.30pm) yn cynnig sesiynau arbennig gan Gruff Rhys, Jen Jeniro ac Al Lewis a sgwrs gydag ambell enw cyfarwydd sydd wedi cael 2011 i’w chofio, gan gynnwys Rhys Iorwerth, Dafydd James a Miss Cymru – Sara Manchip. Bydd Radio Cymru yn cyd-ddathlu gydag aelwydydd ledled Cymru ar ddydd Nadolig, gyda Nadolig Nia, (6am) fydd yn cynnwys tips ar sut i ddatrys trychinebau coginio munud olaf gyda Rhodri Edwards a Bryn Williams. Yna’n dilyn Nia bydd gan Dafydd a Caryl (8am) raglen fywiog gyda chyfarchion Nadoligaidd o bob cwr o’r byd. Mi fydd hi yn Nadolig Gwyn, beth bynnag fo’r tywydd am ddeg y bore wrth i Gwyn Hughes Jones groesawu Julian Lewis Jones, Angharad Mair a Robin McBryde i ymuno ag o am sgwrs.