BBC ONE Autumn 2006
Drama
Jane Eyre
Ruth Wilson, as Jane Eyre, and Toby
Stephens, as
Edward Rochester, lead a stellar cast in a
compelling new adaptation of Charlotte Brontë's
much-loved novel Jane Eyre.
Orphaned at a young age, Jane is placed in the
care of her wealthy aunt Mrs Reed, who neglects
her in favour of her own three spoiled children. Jane
is branded a liar, and Mrs Reed sends her to the
grim and joyless Lowood School where she stays
until she is 19.
Determined to make the best of her
life, Jane takes a position as a governess at
Thornfield Hall, the home of the alluring and
unpredictable Edward Rochester. It is here
that Jane's journey into the world, and as a
woman, begins.
Writer Sandy Welch (North And South, Magnificent
Seven), producer Diederick Santer (Shakespeare
Retold – Much Ado About Nothing) and director
Susanna White (Bleak House) join forces to bring
this ever-popular tale of passion, colour, madness
and gothic horror to BBC ONE.
Producer Diederick
Santer says: "Sandy's brand-new adaptation brings
to life Jane's inner world with beauty, humour and,
at times, great sadness. We hope that her original
take on the story will be enjoyed as much by long-term
fans of the book as by those who have never
read it."
The serial also stars Francesca Annis as Lady
Ingram, Christina Cole as Blanche Ingram, Lorraine
Ashbourne as Mrs Fairfax, Pam Ferris as Grace
Poole and Tara Fitzgerald as Mrs Reed. Georgie
Henley, who starred in the Christmas blockbuster
The Chronicles Of Narnia, plays young Jane.
UM
The State Within
Lizzie Mickery and Daniel Percival's (Dirty
War) new, tightly plotted conspiracy thriller is
set in the diplomatic worlds of Britain and the
US. The new series traces 17 days in the life of
the British Ambassador to the United States.
Ambassador to Washington is the pinnacle of
success in the Foreign Office and the position is
offered to only the brightest and the best.
But
Ambassador Mark Brydon finds his skills tested
to the limits when, following a major diplomatic
incident, he is thrust into a web of tangled
relationships and conflicting interests.
In a world
of high stakes, where manipulation of
information means ultimate power, the question
is: who can he trust?
Jason Isaacs plays British Ambassador Mark
Brydon; Ben Daniels plays Nicholas Brocklehurst; Sharon Gless plays Lynne Warner, US
Secretary of Defense; Lennie James plays Luke
Gardner, a British paratrooper awaiting execution
on Death Row in Florida; and Eva Birthistle plays
Jane Lavery, the human rights lawyer assigned
to him.
The cast also features Neil
Pearson, Alex Jennings, Rahnuma Panthaky,
Genevieve O'Reilly and Noam Jenkins.
AF
Robin Hood
Fun, modern and intelligent,
Robin Hood sets out to
entertain a whole new
generation and stars newcomer
Jonas Armstrong in the
lead role.
A unique blend of exhilarating action adventure,
wit and romance, Robin Hood's striking new
look, coupled with Dominic Minghella's sharp
scripts, updates the popular legend for all
the family.
Full of action, humour and romance, Robin Hood
outwits and delights viewers as he fights the
authority of the evil Sheriff of Nottingham
with outrageous scams, disguises, tricks
and ingenuity, breathtaking archery and
incredible swordplay.
This new hero stars alongside Keith Allen, who
brings his own brand of menace and
malevolence as the Sheriff of Nottingham; Lucy
Griffiths, as the strikingly beautiful Marian; and
Richard Armitage as Guy of Gisborne, the
Sheriff's sadistic lieutenant.
Robin's gang includes Gordon Kennedy as Little
John; Sam Troughton as Robin's loyal
manservant, Much; Harry Lloyd as Will Scarlett;
Joe Armstrong as Allan-a-Dale; and William Beck
as Roy.
MO
The Amazing Mrs Pritchard
Jane Horrocks is the eponymous heroine of The Amazing
Mrs Pritchard, a drama by Sally Wainwright co-starring
Steven Mackintosh, Jodhi May, Janet McTeer, Geraldine
James, Meera Syal and Sally Phillips.
So angry is she at the state of politics and so
distrustful of the politicians on offer that local
supermarket manager Mrs Pritchard stands on an
Independent ticket at the General Election,
determined to make a point.
And what starts as a
bit of a joke gathers momentum with even a couple
of heavyweight politicians defecting to Mrs
Pritchard's side.
She's a breath of fresh air; she
speaks the language people have wanted to hear
for so very long. The country, previously apathetic
at the paltry options available, turn out in their
millions and elect Mrs Pritchard's Purple Alliance
in on a landslide, which is where her problems
really begin...
Jane Horrocks says: "Mrs Pritchard is a people
person who runs her life and her shop with the
kind of friendly efficiency that makes her loved
by everyone she meets. She's the voice of
reason with the ability to cut through the flimflam
of politics."
Sally Wainwright, writer and creator of the series,
adds: "During the last election I found that I
didn't really want to vote for anybody because
they all seemed as bad as each other. I thought
it would be great fun to write an epic story with a
central character who was prepared to stand
up and point this out.
"Mrs Pritchard is bold
enough – or some may say daft enough – to
stand for Parliament on the assumption that she
can do just as badly as any of them but at least
she will be honest."
IJ
The Innocence Project
The Innocence Project, a vibrant and
original pre-watershed series, follows a group
of bright and ambitious law students.
It's about the law – but not about lawyers and the
police; it's about failures in the process and cracks in
the system. It's about young people with fire in their
bellies and a healthy disregard for authority.
Champion of the underdog and a brilliant teacher,
Professor Jon Ford (Lloyd Owen, Monarch Of The
Glen) sets up The Innocence Project, peopled entirely
by a hand-picked group of law students. His passion
for his subject ignites something new and exciting in
his students. They take on cases pro bono that
nobody else wants to know about.
Smart and with an infectious enthusiasm, Ford's
team is made up of fresh-faced 19-year-old university
students who choose to make a difference while still
going through the serious business of growing up.
Their job is part investigator, part lawyer – and all
before they’re out of full-time education.
The cast of exciting, new young talent includes Christine Bottomley, Ruth Bradley, Stephen Graham, Oliver James and Luke Treadaway.
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London
Bafta award-winning writer and director Dominic Savage
brings together an all-star cast for his latest project. Colin Firth,
Anne-Marie Duff, David Oyelowo and Robert Carlyle star in
this major one-off film drama.
Savage's gripping dramas Love And Hate, Out Of Control and Nice Girl are dedicated to tackling
contemporary social issues. In this film he addresses social inequality in Britain today through
the lives of several characters whose paths collide at a B&B temporarily housing the homeless
and dispossessed.
Mark (Colin Firth) is a wealthy city worker whose conscience and guilt about his luxurious lifestyle
prompt him to try to help those less fortunate, but it results in turmoil for both himself and others.
Staying at the B&B are Michelle (Anne-Marie Duff), a pregnant
mother with a young child who escapes an abusive husband; Nigerian Yemi
(David Oyelowo) and his family; and Robert (Robert Carlyle), newly released
from prison.
Dominic Savage says: "This is a film about social inequalities, people in desperate circumstances
and their intertwining different lives. It's ultimately about people's relationships and the difficulties,
dilemmas and moral issues they face."
The stellar cast also includes Emilia Fox, Julia Davis, Megan Dodds, Nikki Amuka-Bird, Nichola Burley,
Emily Woof and Pearce Quigley.
KA
Casualty - 20th Anniversary
Casualty, Britain's longest-running medical
drama, celebrates its 20th anniversary when
it returns in the autumn.
Casualty was first broadcast on BBC One in
September 1986 and has since screened
more than 500 episodes. Many famous faces
have appeared in the hospital drama,
including Kate Winslet, Orlando Bloom, Patsy
Kensit, Johnny Lee Miller and Minnie Driver.
Over the years, many dramatic stunts have
been central to Casualty's plot, including a
train crash, an aeroplane crash and an oil
tanker smashing into Holby General.
Two special episodes will mark this
memorable occasion, with one being filmed in
Cambodia. Charlie is reunited with Duffy once
again when his dear friend makes a call
asking for assistance in setting up a new
clinic in Cambodia.
Abs, Guppy and Comfort
all respond but encounter challenging medical
situations which force them to re-think their
lives back home. Will Charlie actually return
to Holby?
In the second episode, staff at Holby City
A&E have to cope when a double-decker bus
topples over.
Charlie is played by Derek Thompson, Duffy
by Cathy Shipton, Abs by James Redmond,
Guppy by Elyes Gabel and Comfort by
Martina Laird.
JA2
Spooks
Fast paced and razor sharp, the new series of
Spooks kicks off with an explosive two-parter
that sees the country on the verge of anarchy.
The gripping spy drama remains as original and
contemporary as ever, with storylines that see a
home-grown Al Qaeda cell planning an attack on
London; the British Government selling nuclear
technology to Gulf states; environmental
terrorists targeting the capital to demonstrate
the dangers of global warming; and the US
government selling arms to African dictators.
Rupert Penry-Jones and Peter Firth return to The
Grid to manage the MI5 team, played by Raza
Jaffrey, Nicola Walker and Miranda Raison. They
are joined by MI6 officer Ros Myers, played by
Hermione Norris, and Lennie James, Robert
Glenister, Lindsay Duncan and Simon Woods
make guest appearances during the series.
PPR
Recovery
Alan and Tricia Hamilton (David Tennant and
Sarah Parish) are very happy. He's the head of a
building firm and on top of his game. She's a
part-time beautician and mother to their two sons.
One day their perfect, if unremarkable, life is
torn apart when a last-minute decision to pop
out for a quick drink with a colleague sees Alan
step out in front of a passing car.
The resulting accident leaves him in a deep
coma but with remarkably few physical injuries.
Desperately worried about him, Tricia is
delighted when he comes round – only to
discover that the man she loved has
disappeared.
His behaviour's changed, he's lost
all of his inhibitions and he veers from angry and
frustrated to vulnerable and childlike.
Simple
tasks like making toast and getting dressed are
beyond him, he's unable to hold down the job he
loves and he plays and laughs with his sons as
if he's a child.
Alan's behaviour puts his relationship with Tricia
under intolerable pressure. She longs to find the
husband she loves in there somewhere – but
fears she may have lost him forever.
Recovery is written by Tony Marchant (Kid In The
Corner, Holding On) and partly inspired by
research he undertook with the charity
Headway, Essex.
IJ
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