Channel 4 Announces Network Autumn 2009 Season Launch

28 August 2009

Channel 4 continues to demonstrate a commitment to distinctive documentary, new voices and entertaining events with a diverse mix of compelling new programmes for autumn 2009.

Highlights of the Channel's new season include The Queen, a ground-breaking drama documentary series examining the social history of Britain through the prism of key events in the reign of Queen Elizabeth II. Five leading British actresses (Emilia Fox, Samantha Bond, Susan Jameson, Barbara Flynn and Diana Quick) play the monarch at pivotal times, and, via a mixture of dramatised scenes, news archive and testimony from royal insiders, each episode focuses on turning points in the reign of Elizabeth II. 

Completing a clutch of state-of-the-nation documentaries broadcast across 2009, BAFTA winning director Patrick Forbes (The National Trust) offers a rare insight into the reality of modern policing in The Force. With unprecedented and unvarnished access to Hampshire Constabulary, this three-part series follows the investigation of three major crimes - a murder, an arson and a rape.

Earlier this summer Ed Wardle, adventurer and cameraman, was dropped into the Yukon wilderness in Canada. Completely cut off from civilisation and with only basic provisions he will tell his story in Alone in the Wild. Survival experts can tell you how to survive in the wild; but Ed will tell viewers what it actually feels like.

Derren Brown brings four highly complex acts of ‘misdirection‘ and showmanship in Derren Brown: The Events. Each event has an underlying theme: to trick, to win, to fool and, of course, to control. Viewers at home will be able to interact and participate.

And in a special week of programming, Channel 4 invites viewers to don their 3D specs and celebrate the golden era of 3D footage. The centrepiece of the week will be previously unseen footage, shot in 3D, of The Queen during her Coronation year. The footage is a unique historical record of Britain in 1953, giving viewers a chance to step into the past and experience this amazing archive film in three dimensions. In Derren Brown's 3D Magic Spectacular Derren plays host to some of the world's greatest, funniest and most shocking magicians performing magic specially shot in stunning 3D. And The Greatest Ever 3D Moments reveals the top ten 3D moments of all time from movies, television and pop videos.

Channel 4 Marketing have partnered with Sainsbury's to make 3D glasses available at all major stores, free of charge, so viewers can pick up a pair ahead of the week of programming.

Autumn also features a mix of established C4 names returning with new programming - Kevin McCloud embarks on an epic journey across Europe to explore the lasting legacy of the Grand Tour on today's Britain in a new four part series Kevin's McCloud's Grand Tour of Europe Jamie Oliver sets off on a culinary journey across America for a new six part series, Jamie's American Road Trip. The programme is more than a cookery and travel show as Jamie delves deep into the social issues and diverse cultures of 21st century America. And Ruth Watson returns to C4 to tackle fledgling and often failing hotels and B&Bs across the UK in a brand new series Ruth Watson's Hotel S.O.S.

Developing new talent is always close to Channel 4's heart, and this season Comedy Showcase returns with six comedy singles featuring some of the best up and coming comedy talent alongside more established names such as Sharon Horgan, Rafe Spall and Andy Nyman. The last series resulted in three being commissioned to full series - Free Agents, Plus One and The Kevin Bishop Show.

Still with new talent, E4's commitment to bold and original home-grown drama continues apace with new comedy drama series Misfits. Featuring a hot young cast of emerging acting talent, the series follows the misadventures of five young outsiders on Community Service who discover they have developed superpowers. Unlike their more conventional superhero counterparts, they've got curfew orders to deal with...

This autumn E4 also premieres a unique sketch show bursting with young comedic actors. Originally piloted in 2008's Comedy Lab new talent strand, School of Comedy is a unique sketch show in which adolescent comedic actors take on the world of adults. Starring Will Poulter (Son of Rambow) and a host of rising stars, the sketches feature a wide range of characters including an extremely rude landlady, a cross-dressing eastern European plumber, white van men and an eccentric estate agent.

Autumn sees a brace of high quality US dramas hit our screens. Making their terrestrial debuts are True Blood, a vampire series from Six Feet Under creator Alan Ball, and the critically-acclaimed HBO mini series Generation Kill, from the creators of The Wire. Over on More4, HBO's Hung, the story of a former high school sports legend turned 40 something reluctant gigolo, makes its UK debut.

Also making its network premiere is the award-winning debut feature from artist turned director Steve McQueen - Hunger. Set in the confines of the Maze Prison, McQueen's highly impressionistic drama captures the visceral nature of events surrounding the 1981 IRA Hunger Strike.

Autumn delivers a diverse range of documentaries including BAFTA nominated observational documentary The Family. In a major new four-part series, Climate and Civilisation, Tony Robinson looks at how changes in climate have affected humans throughout history - with some civilisations flourishing while others were destroyed - and asks what our society can learn as we face our own climate crisis today.

Generation XXL examines the obesity epidemic over-taking Britain's children. With nearly a quarter of British children obese or overweight by the time they start primary school, this observational documentary series plans to follow seven obese children over several years, revisiting them regularly to discover what it's like to grow up as an obese child in Britain today.

On More 4, When Boris Met Dave (w/t) is a 90 minute docu drama looking at the early lives of the two men who would go on to be the most powerful Conservative politicians in the country: Boris Johnson and David Cameron. But how has their shared past at Eton and Oxford, where they were both members of elite drinking society the Bullingdon Club, prepared them for high office in 21st century Britain?

The Big Food Fight (w/t) is a brand new food quiz with a generous seasoning of both the culinary and the comedic, hosted by comedienne Sue Perkins, and with resident captain Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall.

10 Years Younger, How to Look Good Naked, Embarrassing Bodies and The Home Show all focus on the over 60s generation in a week of special programming to celebrate ageing and challenge some of the preconceptions and stereotypes surrounding the lives of older people.

In Daredevils, five visually stunning films follow the world's most extreme individuals - people who are driven to risk their lives pushing themselves to the physical and mental limits of human capability.

Channel 4's flagship documentary strand, Cutting Edge, returns along with peak time current affairs strand, Dispatches. More 4's award winning documentary strand True Stories also continues with new feature length documentaries from around the world including Michael Winterbottom's The Shock Doctrine.

Returning series include Alan Carr: Chatty Man, the multi award winning Peep Show and The F Word.

The Paul O'Grady Show, Come Dine with Me, Deal or No Deal and Countdown all return to the daytime schedule.

Details are available at:  http://www.channel4.com/pressandpublicity-autumn/

Channel 4 continues to demonstrate a commitment to distinctive documentary, new voices and entertaining events with a diverse mix of compelling new programmes for autumn 2009.

Highlights of the Channel's new season include The Queen, a ground-breaking drama documentary series examining the social history of Britain through the prism of key events in the reign of Queen Elizabeth II. Five leading British actresses (Emilia Fox, Samantha Bond, Susan Jameson, Barbara Flynn and Diana Quick) play the monarch at pivotal times, and, via a mixture of dramatised scenes, news archive and testimony from royal insiders, each episode focuses on turning points in the reign of Elizabeth II. 

Completing a clutch of state-of-the-nation documentaries broadcast across 2009, BAFTA winning director Patrick Forbes (The National Trust) offers a rare insight into the reality of modern policing in The Force. With unprecedented and unvarnished access to Hampshire Constabulary, this three-part series follows the investigation of three major crimes - a murder, an arson and a rape.

Earlier this summer Ed Wardle, adventurer and cameraman, was dropped into the Yukon wilderness in Canada. Completely cut off from civilisation and with only basic provisions he will tell his story in Alone in the Wild. Survival experts can tell you how to survive in the wild; but Ed will tell viewers what it actually feels like.

Derren Brown brings four highly complex acts of ‘misdirection‘ and showmanship in Derren Brown: The Events. Each event has an underlying theme: to trick, to win, to fool and, of course, to control. Viewers at home will be able to interact and participate.

And in a special week of programming, Channel 4 invites viewers to don their 3D specs and celebrate the golden era of 3D footage. The centrepiece of the week will be previously unseen footage, shot in 3D, of The Queen during her Coronation year. The footage is a unique historical record of Britain in 1953, giving viewers a chance to step into the past and experience this amazing archive film in three dimensions. In Derren Brown's 3D Magic Spectacular Derren plays host to some of the world's greatest, funniest and most shocking magicians performing magic specially shot in stunning 3D. And The Greatest Ever 3D Moments reveals the top ten 3D moments of all time from movies, television and pop videos.

Channel 4 Marketing have partnered with Sainsbury's to make 3D glasses available at all major stores, free of charge, so viewers can pick up a pair ahead of the week of programming.

Autumn also features a mix of established C4 names returning with new programming - Kevin McCloud embarks on an epic journey across Europe to explore the lasting legacy of the Grand Tour on today's Britain in a new four part series Kevin's McCloud's Grand Tour of Europe Jamie Oliver sets off on a culinary journey across America for a new six part series, Jamie's American Road Trip. The programme is more than a cookery and travel show as Jamie delves deep into the social issues and diverse cultures of 21st century America. And Ruth Watson returns to C4 to tackle fledgling and often failing hotels and B&Bs across the UK in a brand new series Ruth Watson's Hotel S.O.S.

Developing new talent is always close to Channel 4's heart, and this season Comedy Showcase returns with six comedy singles featuring some of the best up and coming comedy talent alongside more established names such as Sharon Horgan, Rafe Spall and Andy Nyman. The last series resulted in three being commissioned to full series - Free Agents, Plus One and The Kevin Bishop Show.

Still with new talent, E4's commitment to bold and original home-grown drama continues apace with new comedy drama series Misfits. Featuring a hot young cast of emerging acting talent, the series follows the misadventures of five young outsiders on Community Service who discover they have developed superpowers. Unlike their more conventional superhero counterparts, they've got curfew orders to deal with...

This autumn E4 also premieres a unique sketch show bursting with young comedic actors. Originally piloted in 2008's Comedy Lab new talent strand, School of Comedy is a unique sketch show in which adolescent comedic actors take on the world of adults. Starring Will Poulter (Son of Rambow) and a host of rising stars, the sketches feature a wide range of characters including an extremely rude landlady, a cross-dressing eastern European plumber, white van men and an eccentric estate agent.

Autumn sees a brace of high quality US dramas hit our screens. Making their terrestrial debuts are True Blood, a vampire series from Six Feet Under creator Alan Ball, and the critically-acclaimed HBO mini series Generation Kill, from the creators of The Wire. Over on More4, HBO's Hung, the story of a former high school sports legend turned 40 something reluctant gigolo, makes its UK debut.

Also making its network premiere is the award-winning debut feature from artist turned director Steve McQueen - Hunger. Set in the confines of the Maze Prison, McQueen's highly impressionistic drama captures the visceral nature of events surrounding the 1981 IRA Hunger Strike.

Autumn delivers a diverse range of documentaries including BAFTA nominated observational documentary The Family. In a major new four-part series, Climate and Civilisation, Tony Robinson looks at how changes in climate have affected humans throughout history - with some civilisations flourishing while others were destroyed - and asks what our society can learn as we face our own climate crisis today.

Generation XXL examines the obesity epidemic over-taking Britain's children. With nearly a quarter of British children obese or overweight by the time they start primary school, this observational documentary series plans to follow seven obese children over several years, revisiting them regularly to discover what it's like to grow up as an obese child in Britain today.

On More 4, When Boris Met Dave (w/t) is a 90 minute docu drama looking at the early lives of the two men who would go on to be the most powerful Conservative politicians in the country: Boris Johnson and David Cameron. But how has their shared past at Eton and Oxford, where they were both members of elite drinking society the Bullingdon Club, prepared them for high office in 21st century Britain?

The Big Food Fight (w/t) is a brand new food quiz with a generous seasoning of both the culinary and the comedic, hosted by comedienne Sue Perkins, and with resident captain Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall.

10 Years Younger, How to Look Good Naked, Embarrassing Bodies and The Home Show all focus on the over 60s generation in a week of special programming to celebrate ageing and challenge some of the preconceptions and stereotypes surrounding the lives of older people.

In Daredevils, five visually stunning films follow the world's most extreme individuals - people who are driven to risk their lives pushing themselves to the physical and mental limits of human capability.

Channel 4's flagship documentary strand, Cutting Edge, returns along with peak time current affairs strand, Dispatches. More 4's award winning documentary strand True Stories also continues with new feature length documentaries from around the world including Michael Winterbottom's The Shock Doctrine.

Returning series include Alan Carr: Chatty Man, the multi award winning Peep Show and The F Word.

The Paul O'Grady Show, Come Dine with Me, Deal or No Deal and Countdown all return to the daytime schedule.

Details are available at:  http://www.channel4.com/pressandpublicity-autumn/

Channel 4 continues to demonstrate a commitment to distinctive documentary, new voices and entertaining events with a diverse mix of compelling new programmes for autumn 2009.

Highlights of the Channel's new season include The Queen, a ground-breaking drama documentary series examining the social history of Britain through the prism of key events in the reign of Queen Elizabeth II. Five leading British actresses (Emilia Fox, Samantha Bond, Susan Jameson, Barbara Flynn and Diana Quick) play the monarch at pivotal times, and, via a mixture of dramatised scenes, news archive and testimony from royal insiders, each episode focuses on turning points in the reign of Elizabeth II. 

Completing a clutch of state-of-the-nation documentaries broadcast across 2009, BAFTA winning director Patrick Forbes (The National Trust) offers a rare insight into the reality of modern policing in The Force. With unprecedented and unvarnished access to Hampshire Constabulary, this three-part series follows the investigation of three major crimes - a murder, an arson and a rape.

Earlier this summer Ed Wardle, adventurer and cameraman, was dropped into the Yukon wilderness in Canada. Completely cut off from civilisation and with only basic provisions he will tell his story in Alone in the Wild. Survival experts can tell you how to survive in the wild; but Ed will tell viewers what it actually feels like.

Derren Brown brings four highly complex acts of ‘misdirection‘ and showmanship in Derren Brown: The Events. Each event has an underlying theme: to trick, to win, to fool and, of course, to control. Viewers at home will be able to interact and participate.

And in a special week of programming, Channel 4 invites viewers to don their 3D specs and celebrate the golden era of 3D footage. The centrepiece of the week will be previously unseen footage, shot in 3D, of The Queen during her Coronation year. The footage is a unique historical record of Britain in 1953, giving viewers a chance to step into the past and experience this amazing archive film in three dimensions. In Derren Brown's 3D Magic Spectacular Derren plays host to some of the world's greatest, funniest and most shocking magicians performing magic specially shot in stunning 3D. And The Greatest Ever 3D Moments reveals the top ten 3D moments of all time from movies, television and pop videos.

Channel 4 Marketing have partnered with Sainsbury's to make 3D glasses available at all major stores, free of charge, so viewers can pick up a pair ahead of the week of programming.

Autumn also features a mix of established C4 names returning with new programming - Kevin McCloud embarks on an epic journey across Europe to explore the lasting legacy of the Grand Tour on today's Britain in a new four part series Kevin's McCloud's Grand Tour of Europe Jamie Oliver sets off on a culinary journey across America for a new six part series, Jamie's American Road Trip. The programme is more than a cookery and travel show as Jamie delves deep into the social issues and diverse cultures of 21st century America. And Ruth Watson returns to C4 to tackle fledgling and often failing hotels and B&Bs across the UK in a brand new series Ruth Watson's Hotel S.O.S.

Developing new talent is always close to Channel 4's heart, and this season Comedy Showcase returns with six comedy singles featuring some of the best up and coming comedy talent alongside more established names such as Sharon Horgan, Rafe Spall and Andy Nyman. The last series resulted in three being commissioned to full series - Free Agents, Plus One and The Kevin Bishop Show.

Still with new talent, E4's commitment to bold and original home-grown drama continues apace with new comedy drama series Misfits. Featuring a hot young cast of emerging acting talent, the series follows the misadventures of five young outsiders on Community Service who discover they have developed superpowers. Unlike their more conventional superhero counterparts, they've got curfew orders to deal with...

This autumn E4 also premieres a unique sketch show bursting with young comedic actors. Originally piloted in 2008's Comedy Lab new talent strand, School of Comedy is a unique sketch show in which adolescent comedic actors take on the world of adults. Starring Will Poulter (Son of Rambow) and a host of rising stars, the sketches feature a wide range of characters including an extremely rude landlady, a cross-dressing eastern European plumber, white van men and an eccentric estate agent.

Autumn sees a brace of high quality US dramas hit our screens. Making their terrestrial debuts are True Blood, a vampire series from Six Feet Under creator Alan Ball, and the critically-acclaimed HBO mini series Generation Kill, from the creators of The Wire. Over on More4, HBO's Hung, the story of a former high school sports legend turned 40 something reluctant gigolo, makes its UK debut.

Also making its network premiere is the award-winning debut feature from artist turned director Steve McQueen - Hunger. Set in the confines of the Maze Prison, McQueen's highly impressionistic drama captures the visceral nature of events surrounding the 1981 IRA Hunger Strike.

Autumn delivers a diverse range of documentaries including BAFTA nominated observational documentary The Family. In a major new four-part series, Climate and Civilisation, Tony Robinson looks at how changes in climate have affected humans throughout history - with some civilisations flourishing while others were destroyed - and asks what our society can learn as we face our own climate crisis today.

Generation XXL examines the obesity epidemic over-taking Britain's children. With nearly a quarter of British children obese or overweight by the time they start primary school, this observational documentary series plans to follow seven obese children over several years, revisiting them regularly to discover what it's like to grow up as an obese child in Britain today.

On More 4, When Boris Met Dave (w/t) is a 90 minute docu drama looking at the early lives of the two men who would go on to be the most powerful Conservative politicians in the country: Boris Johnson and David Cameron. But how has their shared past at Eton and Oxford, where they were both members of elite drinking society the Bullingdon Club, prepared them for high office in 21st century Britain?

The Big Food Fight (w/t) is a brand new food quiz with a generous seasoning of both the culinary and the comedic, hosted by comedienne Sue Perkins, and with resident captain Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall.

10 Years Younger, How to Look Good Naked, Embarrassing Bodies and The Home Show all focus on the over 60s generation in a week of special programming to celebrate ageing and challenge some of the preconceptions and stereotypes surrounding the lives of older people.

In Daredevils, five visually stunning films follow the world's most extreme individuals - people who are driven to risk their lives pushing themselves to the physical and mental limits of human capability.

Channel 4's flagship documentary strand, Cutting Edge, returns along with peak time current affairs strand, Dispatches. More 4's award winning documentary strand True Stories also continues with new feature length documentaries from around the world including Michael Winterbottom's The Shock Doctrine.

Returning series include Alan Carr: Chatty Man, the multi award winning Peep Show and The F Word.

The Paul O'Grady Show, Come Dine with Me, Deal or No Deal and Countdown all return to the daytime schedule.

Details are available at:  http://www.channel4.com/pressandpublicity-autumn/