BBC WEEK 4, 21 – 27 January 2012 Programme Information, Television & Radio BBC Scotland Press Office bbc.co.uk/mediacentre bbc.co.uk/iplayer THIS WEEK’S HIGHLIGHTS TELEVISION & RADIO / BBC WEEK 14 _____________________________________________________________________________________________________ MONDAY 23 JANUARY Trusadh - The Toxic Tiredness NEW BBC ALBA WEDNESDAY 25 JANUARY What Burns Did For Me NEW BBC Two Scotland Rabbie agus Caileagan Nashville - Burns and the Nashville Lassies NEW BBC ALBA In Search of Highland Mary NEW BBC Radio Scotland EDITORIAL 2012 / BBC WEEK 4 _____________________________________________________________________________________________________ The Bard on BBC Scotland Tam Cowan taking a personal journey of Burns rediscovery and Lorraine McIntosh unravelling the mystery behind Rabbie's doomed lover „Highland Mary‟ are just two of BBC Scotland‟s many takes on Burns Day this year. In What Burns Did for Me, Wednesday 25 January at 10.00pm on BBC Two Scotland, Tam visits his old primary school in Motherwell, attempting to re-create the Burns performances of his youth for today‟s pupils. Tam said: “It was an eye opening adventure in which I discover, thanks to Burns, that I‟m actually bi-lingual.” Despite being a former triple winner of the Burns Federation certificate, his efforts have disastrous results, prompting him to try to redeem himself by seeking advice from Burns enthusiasts and specialists before his grand finale in the heart of Burns Country. In Search of Highland Mary follows singer and actress Lorraine McIntosh as she explores the mystery surrounding Mary Campbell, the young girl who allegedly agreed to emigrate with Burns to a new life in the West Indies but who died shortly before their departure. Songs such as Will You Go to the Indies My Mary and Highland Lassie O all suggest Burns cared deeply for Mary Campbell, but her existence and what she meant to the Bard has been subject to mystery, intrigue and even threat over the years. Lorraine unravels the fascinating story of Mary Campbell as well as performing a soundtrack of songs alongside songs about Highland Mary from the BBC‟s comprehensive Robert Burns archive. In Search of Highland Mary is on BBC Radio Scotland at 2pm on Wednesday 25 January. BBC Radio Scotland‟s celebration of Burns Day begins the day before with a special Burns edition of The Culture Cafe at 1.15pm on Tuesday 24 January. Clare English talks to Graham Mains, Director of The Big Burns Supper about the Red, Red Rose performance project where over 300 young people and eight community groups have transformed 18 empty shops in Dumfries Town Centre using the poetry of Burns. The Kitchen Cafe will be cooking up a Burns supper at lunchtime on Burns Day on BBC Radio Scotland. At 1.15pm the team will be finding out how to make haggis, exactly how to get the most out of their neeps and then work out how to help even the most hardened whisky hater learn to love the grain again. Meanwhile, online, Donny O‟Rourke - poet, journalist and Burns enthusiast - invites us to spend a year with Burns by choosing at least one poem by the Bard for each day in 2012 to feature on BBC Scotland‟s extensive Burns website. Some selections will be evident based on dates or events, others may seem less obviously connected though the reason will be revealed on further reading. This daily appointment with the Bard is made possible by the BBC‟s extensive archive of every Burns poem or song, either gathered in print or performed by some of the country‟s leading actors. The archive is available at bbc.co.uk/robertburns. BBC ALBA will also be marking the occasion with a Robert Burns tribute from Nashville hosted by Mary Ann Kennedy and featuring Gaelic singer Cathy Ann MacPhee and country artists including Beth Neilsen Chapman. Rabbie agus Caileagan Nashville (Burns and the Nashville Lassies) is on Burns Night at 9.00pm on BBC ALBA. Finally, BBC Radio 4 marks the Bard‟s birthday with a warm-hearted and poignant short story dramatised for radio by Scotland‟s Makar Liz Lochhead and starring Sophie Thomson, Greg Wise, John Sessions and Peter Forbes. Burns and the Bankers broadcasts at 2.15pm on Wednesday 25 January and follows the tale of Nicola Beaumont, a guest at a corporate Burns supper who is surprised to find herself moved as the traditional rituals of Burns Night unfold. What she learns about the Bard gives her a new level of self-knowledge which helps her through the night‟s violent emotions and climactic events. In Search of Highland Mary, Prog 1/1 NEW Wednesday, 25 January BBC Radio Scotland, 2.00pm – 2.30pm In Search of Highland Mary follows singer and actress Lorraine McIntosh as she explores the mystery surrounding Mary Campbell, the young girl who allegedly agreed to emigrate with Burns to a new life in the West Indies but who died shortly before their departure. Songs such as Will You Go to the Indies My Mary and Highland Lassie O all suggest Burns cared deeply for Mary Campbell, but her existence and what she meant to the Bard has been subject to mystery, intrigue, controversy and even threat over the years. In the early 19th century Burns biographer Cromek revealed details of Mary Campbell and a note written by Burns accompanying the song 'Highland Lassie O'. For many years the note lay in an unknown location and many believed Cromek had fabricated its existence, and saw Mary Campbell's connection with Burns as a stain on his reputation. Yet during the Victorian consumerist era 'Highland Mary' was to become increasingly famous, and the romantic tale of the lovers betrothal on the Banks of the Ayr, accompanied by an exchange of Bibles, led to memorabilia produced in her name. But by the early 20th century the mystery of 'Highland Mary' was to take a dramatic turn. When biographer Catherine Carswell suggested that Mary may have been pregnant with Burn's child when she died, Catherine was to receive a silver bullet in the post as a warning not to meddle in such matters. It would seem certain people were keen to protect the image of 'Highland Mary'. When Mary's grave was exhumed in 1920, to make way for an expanding Greenock shipyard, the discovery of the board from a baby‟s coffin led to more controversy. Lorraine unravels the fascinating story of Mary Campbell, bringing a singer‟s insight to Burns‟ portrayal of Mary in poems and songs, alongside poetry readings from the BBC‟s comprehensive Robert Burns archive. Further information: Susie Miller BBC Scotland Press Office SATURDAY 21 JANUARY TELEVISION & RADIO HIGHLIGHTS / BBC WEEK 4 _____________________________________________________________________________________________________ Scottish Premier League - Hibernian v St Johnstone Saturday 21 January BBC ALBA, 5.30 – 7.30pm The latest full-match coverage from the SPL as Hibernian host St Johnstone at Easter Road, Edinburgh. Lorna Gardner MONDAY 23 JANUARY TELEVISION & RADIO HIGHLIGHTS / BBC WEEK 4 _____________________________________________________________________________________________________ Trusadh - The Toxic Tiredness, Prog 1/2 NEW Monday 23 January BBC ALBA, 9.00 – 10.00pm What would you do if you had an illness which no-one could name? What if it made you so tired you couldn't put one foot in front of the other, or even drink a glass of water? Welcome to the world of ME... More than 250,000 people in the UK are estimated to suffer from ME (Myalgic Encephalomyelitis), also known as Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and by many other names. Scientific opinion is sharply divided over the cause of the disease, the symptoms by which it should be diagnosed, the treatment methods which should be used, and even - most disturbingly for sufferers - whether it is a 'real' physical affliction, or a psychological 'false illness belief'. One thing is certain: it wrecks lives, and in the absence of definitive research sufferers must live their lives in a frustrating limbo. In the first of a two-part Trusadh special on the illness, we hear the stories of five ME sufferers, their descent into illness and their quest for treatment: Allison MacColl, a nurse and mother from Lewis; Sean Ankers, a divinity student from Inverness; Neil MacLean, a policeman from Easter Ross; Kim Ayres, a photographer and entrepreneur from Dumfries; and Nasim Marie Jafry, author of the acclaimed novel 'The State of ME'. Lorna Gardner Late ‘n’ Live Guide to Comedy, Prog 1/4 NEW SERIES Monday 23 January BBC One Scotland, 11.05pm – 11.35pm Late ‘n’ Live Guide to Comedy is a new four-part series revealing what has made the „Late „n‟ Live‟ one of the world‟s most notorious comedy clubs. This first programme of the series features Russell Brand, Johnny Vegas and Dara O‟Briain in archive clips and interviews where they reveal the realities behind playing to a late night noisy audience. Narrated by Lynn Ferguson, the series features interviews and previously unseen archive with a star lineup of some of the biggest names in stand up before they were famous. Future episodes feature Jason Byrne, Shappi Khorsandi, Andrew Maxwell, Ed Byrne and Ross Noble amongst other names. Suzanne Vickers TUESDAY 24 JANUARY TELEVISION & RADIO HIGHLIGHTS / BBC WEEK 4 _____________________________________________________________________________________________________ River City Tuesday 24 January BBC One Scotland, 8.00 – 9.00pm bbc.co.uk/rivercity This week in Shieldinch…Leyla is torn; Stevie‟s romantic gesture lands him in trouble; and Dan tries to turn his life around. Leyla can‟t stop thinking about Gabriel. When he asks her to come to his place at lunchtime, Leyla immediately cancels a working lunch with Michael and heads round. Passions are running high but Leyla is nervous of being caught and tells Gabriel they need to finish their affair now before anyone gets hurt.