Tuesday, October 12, 2010

BBC Worldwide's summer schedule upfront: ''We are very ambitious. We want a rich and diverse portfolio able to reach different groups.''


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''In terms of our plans going forward we are very ambitious,'' says Jon Farrar, vice president of programming for the Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) region for BBC Worldwide, speaking at the BBC's Summer schedule upfront for BBC Worldwide's portfolio of BBC channels in South Africa.

''We want to have the absolute biggest brands on our channels. We want a rich and diverse portfolio able to reach different audience groups. This is what we're doing channel by channel, taking us from November 2011 to February 2011. . .

For a run-down of the various tentpole programming on the various BBC channels' line-up between November 2010 and February 2011, click on READ MORE below.

BBC Entertainment (DStv 120)









''We've got a show that is probably the most talked about drama in the United Kingdom. Sherlock,'' says Jon Farrar. ''It's a modern contemporary retelling of Sherlock Holmes. The big twists is that its set in 2010 and not Victorian England. Sherlock is still Sherlock but its many miles away from any Sherlock Holmes you've seen before and its already been commissioned for a second season.''



''We've also got Luther. He's a detective. He's complex, he's violent as well as being vulnerable. He's a force for good but he's sort of hell-bent on self-destructive. And the woman who's his confidant turns out to be his arch-enemy. Huge buzz around this in the United Kingdom at the moment.''



''Undercover Princesses are jaw-dropping television. Its about real pricesses looking for real love who go to Essex in the UK where they could maybe find true love with a UK commoner.''



''The final show is The Inbetweeners that's already gone three seasons. Its about teenagers and how akward it is to be an adolesscent. The target audience for this is basically anyone who's really been a teenager.''


BBC Knowledge (DStv 251)






''In December we're going to do a huge retrospective on John Lennon and the centrepiece of that is a drama called Lennon: Naked with John Lennon played by Christopher Eccleston who many of you know from Doctor Who,'' says Jon Farrar. ''It's a critically acclaimed, stunning biographical drama.''



''We also have Love of Money and Undercover Boss. Love of Money is a landmark series and for the first time tells the story of how close we came to total meltdown in the West. Its utterly fascinating and all the key players are interviewed in this landmark documentary. Undercover Boss is the UK version where bosses go back to the workfloor and nobody knows and its an incredibly revealing documentary and full of really akward moments. Something different is Trawlermen. Viscious seas. It really is quite breathtaking situations these men put themselves in.''

BBC Lifestyle (DStv 180)






''New seasons of our biggest brands are coming up over the next three months, Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares, Masterchef and 10 Years Younger, are back,'' says Jon Farrar.



''We also have major new series. One I'm really excited about is Design Star, produced by America's Mark Burnett. In this reality show from America it sets out to find the biggest designing star and as every week go by one person drops out. It will leave viewers inspired and give great ideas and concepts. Secondly, its provocative, surprising and totally, totally addictive.''



''There's also two cooking shows, Jamie at Home – and its utterly compelling. And then Rick Stein's Far Eastern Odyssey.''