BBC Three's blog

7.45pm Sunday 29 August on BBC THREE

Jennie Gow presents live coverage of the 11th round of this year’s MotoGP, from Indianapolis

8.00pm Saturday 28 August on BBC THREE

Dizzee Rascal, The Libertines, The Klaxons, Blink 182, Arcade Fire and Pendulum are among the acts performing at the Reading And Leeds Festival 2010, with BBC Three coverage presented by Edith Bowman and Reggie Yates

9:00pmFriday 27 August on BBC THREE

BBC Three brings coverage from the final Diamond League meeting of the year, with Jamaican sprint sensation Usain Bolt taking on Asafa Powell and Tyson Gay in the 100m

8:30pm Tuesday 24 August on BBC THREE

The boys take centre stage this week as eight-year-old Matthew explains why he wants to break into the competitive world of child modelling, as BBC Three’s Adult Season continues

BBC Three’s recent Adult Season has proved a huge hit with 16–34 year olds with more watching the season and the channel than ever before.

BBC Three continues to be the most watched digital channel for 16-34 year olds for the hours it broadcasts – and has grown its share of young audiences by 58% since Danny Cohen began as Controller just over three years ago.

The Adult Season has just ended and ran over four weeks with a range of documentaries and entertainment shows looking at what it is like to be a young adult in Britain today. Online, BBC Three hosted a debate where young people shared their personal experiences of what it means to become an “adult”.

Danny Cohen said: “The record-breaking audience response to the Adult Season is testament to the quality of the programmes being made for BBC Three by a wonderful range of producers and directors. Their programmes have really connected with young audiences – as we’ve also been able to see from the fantastic online response to the Season.”

Headlines include:

The Adult Season gave the channel four of its five best weeks ever in terms of share amongst 16-34 year olds, peaking with a 6% share in the week of the 26 July – the channel’s best weekly share ever

The season so far has reached 17million individuals, 39% of all 16-34 year olds

Episode One of Underage And Pregnant, which follows a mix of young mums, and some dads, with varied backgrounds as they come to terms with pregnancy, birth, and their new lives with a baby, was the best performing originated programme ever in a pre-watershed slot on BBC Three, with an audience of 1million (9.6% share in the target audience)

Small Teen, Big World is the most watched documentary ever on BBC Three with an audience of 1.2million for its first transmission. The show followed the lives of Jazz, a teenager with an undiagnosed form of dwarfism and her mum, Bev, who has the same condition. The debate and impact of the film was immediate: on the night of transmission there were over 60 pages of comments about the film on Twitter. During the broadcast, Jazz received 600 friend requests on Facebook and by the next day it had risen to 1400. A viewer she has never met set up a Facebook fan-club about her which now has over 500 members

All Adult Season programmes were strong on the BBC iPlayer – this was led by Glamour Models: Mum And Me with 478,000 requests.

Continuing its commitment to reflect the most significant live music cultural events, the BBC today confirmed its coverage of this year’s Reading and Leeds Festival.

From Friday 27 to Sunday 29 August, the BBC will bring audiences closer to the festival through the best music including headliner sets, artist interviews, exclusive acoustics and special performances across programming on BBC Three, BBC Red Button, BBC Radio 1 and BBC Online.

Andy Parfitt, BBC’s Controller of Popular Music, says: “These twin festivals have established themselves as the highpoint in the younger music fans calendar – this year the line up is very strong and I’m proud that the BBC will be reflecting this on radio, TV and on-line.”

BBC Three’s coverage, based at the Reading site, is presented by Edith Bowman and Reggie Yates from their festival treehouse.

Kicking off on Friday evening at 9pm, the coverage combines live performances from the Main Stage and the Radio 1/NME stage, festival highlights, interviews and special acoustics across the weekend. Friday’s coverage includes Mumford and Sons, Biffy Clyro, LCD Soundsystem, Saturday sees performances from Arcade Fire, Dizzee Rascal, The Libertines, and Pendulum and, on Sunday, audiences can enjoy artists including Blink 182 and The Klaxons.

In addition to the weekend programming, there are also special highlights programmes on Monday 30 August (BBC Three, 7pm) and Friday 3 September (BBC Two, time TBC).

BBC Red Button will be offering up to three streams of music throughout the weekend. Audiences can watch extended sets from more than 30 artists performing on the Main Stage and the NME/Radio 1 Stage.

The BBC Introducing Stage, which returns to the festival for the third year showcasing the best in under-the-radar talent, will also be included in the Red Button coverage. Following the festival, audiences can enjoy further highlights on the Red Button from Monday 30 August (6am).

Radio 1 is set to bring listeners highlights from the festival across the weekend. Greg James comes live from the Reading site on Friday 1-4pm, bringing listeners all the best bits from the first day of the festival – including an exclusive performance from The Young Guns.

On Saturday and Sunday, Huw Stephens steps into Jo Whiley’s slot and comes live from Reading for the remainder of the festival, featuring a chat with Arcade Fire and performances from Everything Everything and The Drums.

BBC Online is set to offer a comprehensive Reading and Leeds website, bringing audiences closer to the action with extended video highlights from over 50 of the most exciting artists and incredible stage photography. This will be complemented by a highly useable and attractive mobile site, providing unique coverage of two of the worlds greatest rock festivals.

In addition, there’ll be a host of exciting social media activity around Reading Festival. Throughout the weekend, a number of Radio 1 DJs have to perform challenges set by the audience at home, with all the best bits captured on camera – showing their Reading experience in a way they have never had to before.

Audiences are encouraged to join in on the activity and express their views using the dedicated BBC Reading and Leeds Festival Twitter hash-tag #R1RL.

Full broadcast details are as follows (all TV timings are subject to change):

Friday 27 August

BBC Three: 9-10pm/10.30pm-12midnight

BBC Red Button: 7pm-2am (Sky/Virgin Media – 2 Streams/Freeview – 1 Stream)

Radio 1: Greg James, 1-4pm

Saturday 28 August

BBC Three: 8pm-12midnight

BBC Red Button: 7pm-2am (Sky/Virgin Media – 3 Streams/Freeview – 1 Stream)

Radio 1: Huw Stephens, 1-4pm

Sunday 29 August

BBC Three: 10.45pm-12midnight

BBC Red Button: 7pm-2am (Sky/Virgin Media – 3 Streams/Freeview – 1 Stream)

Radio 1: Huw Stephens, 1-4pm

Monday 30 August

BBC Three: 7-8pm

BBC Red Button: 6–4am, Saturday 4 September (Sky/Virgin Media/Freeview)

Friday 3 September

BBC Two: time TBC

9.00pm Tuesday 3 August on BBC THREE

Fourteen-year-old Georgia, daughter of tabloid favourite and glamour model Alicia Douvall, discusses her relationship with her mum, as BBC Three’s Adult Season continues

Adult Season

Following the success of last year’s season, the Adult Season returns to explore the pressures on young people to grow up quickly, and what it means to be an adult. The season brought the channel two of its strongest weeks ever.

Danny Cohen, Controller BBC Three, says: “Every programme in this Season takes a different perspective on what it means to become an adult. It’s a mix of documentaries, current affairs and entertainment that young audiences simply would not find elsewhere across the British television landscape – and asserts once again the unique public service role BBC Three is playing for younger viewers.”

Tulisa – My Mum And Me

If your parent is physically unwell, school friends’ sympathy and a shoulder to cry on are often at hand. But for a young person with a parent suffering from mental health problems, the stigma can be overwhelming and domestic upheaval can be an unspoken secret.

In this intimate and deeply personal authored documentary, Tulisa from chart-smashing N-Dubz recounts growing up with a mother who suffered from a schizo-affective disorder, and the pressure it placed upon her. Tulisa also travels the country to meet other young Britons caring for a mentally ill mum or dad.

Glamour Models, Mum And Me

Georgia is a hard-working, studious and academic 14-year-old whose unusual life is reaching a crossroads. Her mother is tabloid favourite Alicia Douvall, who instinctively sees a career path similar to her own in the modelling industry as best for her daughter. But Georgia has other plans and would like to consider becoming an actress or an architect.

This is a film about the extraordinary relationship between a daughter and her mother who has come to symbolise the values of our looks- and fame-obsessed times. The pair share a warm and unique bond and Georgia explains what life is like growing up with a mum under the intense scrutiny of celebrity culture, and how this influences the decisions she makes as she continues her journey to adulthood.

Small Teen, Big World

Jasmine, or Jazz to her friends, like any typical teenager loves shopping, clothes, and gossiping with her mates. She lives in North Wales with her mum Bev and Chihuahua Pebbles. But, unlike most teenagers, Jazz and her mother are living with a rare and undiagnosed form of dwarfism. Jazz has also been registered carer for her mum since the age of 11.

The programme follows Jazz in the run-up to her 16th birthday. It’s a pivotal time in any teen’s life, but Jazz is preparing not only to attend the Little People of America convention in New York, but also to leave North Wales with her mum for a new life of independence in England. She also takes steps to meet her real father for the first time.

Baby Beauty Queens

From sashes and tiaras to diamante eyelashes and spray tans, BBC Three dives extensions first into the burgeoning world of the UK beauty pageant industry in a new, six-part series, Baby Beauty Queens.

Last year, BBC Three broadcast a single film, Baby Beauty Queens, described as “poignant, hilarious and unsettling” by The Sunday Times. This new series explores the pressures on young people to grow up too quickly by shining a spotlight on life for aspiring pageant queens and child models in an image-obsessed Britain.

Five years ago there were no children’s beauty pageants in the UK. There are now over 20, with thousands of girls – and some boys – taking part. Baby Beauty Queens follows several children eager to shine, looking at the preparation, self-confidence, bravery and talent needed to succeed on the pageant scene and in the modelling industry, and at the costs and benefits to children and their parents – both emotionally and financially.

Young, Dumb And Living Off Mum

Young, Dumb And Living Off Mum returns with eight inept and spoilt young adults used to being waited on hand and foot by their parents. It’s time for Adam, Danielle, Marc, Chloe, Coran, Harri, Iman and Levi, all aged 17-23, to sever those apron strings and stand on their own two feet.

In a bid to show they can fend for themselves they move into a house together, where they will quickly need to learn the basics such as making their own beds, cooking, cleaning and budgeting. This will be the first time in their lives that they have had to shoulder any responsibility.

Each week they’ll be sent out to work in the real world by their parents, who will set them a challenge. To avoid being sent packing at the end of each challenge they will have to put in some hard work – from shifts at one of Britain’s largest zoos to a stint at a retirement village.

To secure a chance of winning a round-the-world trip they will have to show beyond doubt that they have changed for the better, that they are ready to become adults and – most importantly – gain the respect of their parents.

The Blind Me

Growing up is hard enough for most young people, but how different would it be if you couldn’t view the world for yourself because you were blind?

This thought-provoking film follows four young blind people on the rollercoaster ride to adulthood as they try to work out what they want from their lives. Eighteen-year-old Dwight is looking for love and independence; Karen dreams of a career designing jewellery; and blind couple Katy and Scott are facing dilemmas about their future together.

Underage And Pregnant

Following the success of its first series, Underage And Pregnant returns for a second eight-part run. Once again the candid half-hour programmes follow a mix of schoolgirl mums – and some dads – with varied backgrounds as they come to terms with pregnancy, birth and their new lives as parents.

Contributors include 14-year-old Courtnay, from Inverness, who had only just discovered she was in the early stages of her pregnancy when her boyfriend was killed in a car crash. After recovering from the horror of losing him, Courtnay, fully supported by both her family and his, comes to realise that her pregnancy has helped to ease her grief.

Throughout the series teenage mums and dads share their hopes and fears for their children and their new lives, giving a unique insight into the experiences of teenage parents; from the decisions they must make and the challenges that face them to how every aspect of their lives is affected.

Alice and Her Six Dads

This warm-hearted and emotional film follows 22-year-old Alice as she searches for her biological dad.

During Alice’s life there have been six different men who at some point have played the role of dad to her. Some have meant more to her than others, but there’s one of these men Alice has no memory of – the man she believes is her real dad. In this film Alice sets off on a journey to meet these different men from her childhood, in the hope of discovering what it really means to be a dad.

In one final challenge Alice, who has recently become engaged, has to make the difficult decision of which dad will walk her down the aisle.

Reading/Leeds Festival

BBC Three continues its summer of live music with coverage from one of the UK’s leading summer festivals – Reading and Leeds 2010.

Presented by Edith Bowman and Reggie Yates, based at the Reading site, television coverage includes highlights and performances from the Main Stage and the BBC Radio 1/NME Stage.

Artists appearing this year include Guns N’ Roses, Arcade Fire, Blink 182, Pendulum, Mumford And Sons and The Libertines. As well as the festival’s best music, coverage also includes artist interviews and festival gossip from across the weekend.

There will be further programming on the BBC Red Button and both BBC Radio 1 and BBC Online will reflect the Leeds site as well in their coverage.

Young Talent Of The Year 2010

The show that celebrates the unsung heroes of Britain is back. Young Talent Of The Year 2010 puts the spotlight on the dedicated young professionals of Britain who have devoted years to perfecting their craft.

Once again the series is looking to see who can cut it as the country’s Young Hairdresser of the Year and who can slaughter the competition to take the title of Young Butcher. And three new categories seek the brightest young talents from the worlds of beauticians, plumbers and fishmongers.

George Lamb returns to preside over the action, as each of the five episodes tackles an individual profession. Joining George each time are two respected judges from each profession to offer their expert opinion.

In each episode the four finalists, selected from auditions across the UK, face a series of tough challenges designed to push their professional skills to the limit. As the successive tasks grow in difficulty and the pressure increases, the contestants’ every move is scrutinised by the expert judges as they look to decide who has the skill and individuality to beat off the competition. At the end of each episode the judges must decide who is worthy of the title of BBC Three’s Young … Of The Year 2010.