With so many of the UK’s big events cancelled, the BBC will connect people virtually and give them something to look forward to from the comfort of their own homes. For fans across the country lamenting the loss of Eurovision and Glastonbury, we will bring the nation together to experience both. And in the absence of live sport and the Euros, Peter Crouch promises to Save Our Summer.
The Corporation will keep the finger on the pulse as the crisis unfolds with weekly shows from favourites including The Graham Norton Show, Have I Got News For You and The Mash Report. All will be recorded as live during the week of transmission.
Programming to lift the spirits from the nation’s favourite choirmaster Gareth Malone; the captivating world of apes, monkeys and lemurs in new natural history series Primates; Rylan Clarke’s You Are What You Wear and Spandau Ballet’s The Kemps – alongside new series of Sewing Bee, The Real Marigold Hotel, Your Home Made Perfect and I’ll Get This.
On Saturday nights, BBC One will provide the laughs and host a comedy takeover with some of the very best British comedy series, kicking off with Gavin and Stacey and Outnumbered from Saturday 4 April, and more classic titles will be announced soon. While on BBC Two new comedy series starting soon include There She Goes, The Other One, First Team and Alma’s Not Normal. And we will show the multi-award winning Peter Kay’s Car Share on Friday nights across the summer.
New drama series to feast on include Killing Eve, Normal People, Devs, The Luminaries, Twin, Miss America, and Us. The Cops, Party Animals, Cardiac Arrest and Between The Lines will return to the BBC for another outing. And we will be bringing audiences a selection of some of our finest classic drama adaptations on the current exam syllabus including King Lear starring Anthony Hopkins and Emma Thomspon directed by Sir Richard Eyre; Russell T Davies’ adaptation of A Midsummer Night’s Dream; Tess Of The D’Urbevilles starring Gemma Arterton; Pride And Prejudice; Great Expectations starring Gillian Anderson and Ray Winstone; Jane Austen’s Emma and JB Priestley’s An Inspector Calls.
The One Show will continue to be at the heart of daily life: we will be stargazing with Dara Ó Briain in his back garden and Chris Packham will be finding out what is happening to our wildlife and how animals will continued to be looked after. Tim Peake will be chatting about how to keep your mind active in period of self-isolation – and he is a man who knows. And Saturday Kitchen Live continues at the weekend.
BBC Three continues to entertain young audiences with new series from the UK’s first Drag Superstar, The Vivienne Takes On Hollywood, which follows her on her adventure to Hollywood; and new series Models: From Street To Catwalk throws open the doors to one of the UK’s biggest modelling agencies to reveal the stories behind the billboards and photoshoots. Recent additions to the BBC Three rail in BBC iPlayer include series two of Hot Property featuring Yung Filly, new comedy In My Skin has and comedy drama My Left Nut.
Director-General Tony Hall says: “The BBC is determined to do all it can to raise a smile and keep the country entertained during these testing times. We have lots of great shows already recorded, but we have also found ways to keep many other shows going so that the familiar faces people love will still be in their living rooms in the weeks and months ahead. I think that is incredibly important.
“The BBC will also deliver a range of virtual events to replace some of those that have now had to be cancelled. We can all still have a Eurovision moment, even if it is different from the past. Our pledge is offer the best escapism, fun and distraction we can, alongside the news and information everyone needs.”
