BBC Two's blog

9.00pm Thursday 8 July on BBC TWO

Aisling Loftus and Jack O’Connell star as Lindsey and Robert in Dominic Savage’s uplifting two-part drama about an ambitious diver with the 2012 Olympics in her sights, who has a tough decision to make.

8.00pm Thursday 8 July on BBC TWO

Jimmy Doherty discovers what lies behind the big brown eyes of a cow in the first in a new series revealing the hidden lives of the farmyard animals that people usually take for granted

8.00pm Wednesday 7 July on BBC TWO

As the UK comes out of its worst recession since the Thirties, Sophie Raworth and Justin Rowlatt address key issues affecting the budget that really matters – the domestic one

BBC Scotland has given the go-ahead for a second series of three comedy shows which showcased new and emerging talent when they made made their television debuts.

Burnistoun, Gary – Tank Commander and Limmy’s Show will each be back on BBC Two Scotland for a second six part series.

Ewan Angus, Commissioning Editor, TV, said: “I’m delighted we will be screening new series of these shows which gave our audiences the chance to enjoy a new range of comedy performances.

“The new commissions underline our commitment to develop innovative and distinctive comedy from Scotland.”

The three series will be produced by Glasgow-based The Comedy Unit, part of the RDF Media Group.

Comedy Unit Creative Director, Rab Christie added: “It’s unusual for one series to resonate so quickly with the audience so for all three to be recommissioned is fantastic.

“The new comedies not only have fans in Scotland but, thanks to the internet, all over the world. The Comedy Unit and the writer-performers of each series are thrilled to be given the nod to go again and can’t wait for the public to see these new episodes.”

Burnistoun, written and performed by Robert Florence and Iain Connell, features hilarious sketches based around the residents of a fictional yet strangely familiar Scottish town named Burnistoun.

Scottish internet sensation Limmy stars in Limmy’s Show – a brand of comedy that combines character pieces, visuals and sketches.

Gary – Tank Commander is a sitcom featuring Scottish Bafta-winning writer-performer and stand-up Greg McHugh as Gary McLintoch, a soldier who returns home from the front to the barracks and offers unique insights into both worlds.

Chiwetel Ejiofor (American Gangster, Endgame, Talk To Me), Christopher Eccleston (Lennon Naked, Doctor Who), Sir Antony Sher (The Wolfman, Primo) and Stephen Rea (The Crying Game, Breakfast on Pluto) are to star in The Shadow Line, BBC Two’s landmark noir thriller written, produced and directed by Hugo Blick (Sensitive Skin, Marion And Geoff).

They are joined by Rafe Spall (Desperate Romantics, He Kills Coppers), Kierston Wareing (Fish Tank, Five Daughters), Lesley Sharp (Playing The Field, Clocking Off), Sean Gilder (Shameless), Freddie Fox (Worried About The Boy), Malcolm Storry (The Knock), Richard Lintern (The Bank Job) and David Schofield (The Bill).

The esteemed cast play Jonah Gabriel (Ejiofor), Joseph Bede (Eccleston), Peter Glickman (Sher), Gatehouse (Rea), Jay Wratten (Spall), Lia Honey (Wareing), Julie Bede (Sharp), Robert Beatty (Gilder), Rattalack (Fox), Maurice Crace (Storry), Chief Superintendent Patterson (Lintern) and Sergeant Foley (Schofield) – diverse individuals whose worlds become interwoven after the murder of drug baron Harvey Wratten.

From the cop with a bullet in his brain, whose amnesia leaves him doubtful of his own moral compass; to the drug-lord driven by a profound personal tragedy, risking it all on one last deal; to the brilliantly lethal puppet-master who gradually emerges from the shadows to bring the story to its shocking climax – The Shadow Line explores the morality of these characters as they negotiate the repercussions of Wratten’s death and attempt to navigate the fine line between right and wrong.

As the thread around Wratten’s operation begins to unravel, the web of intrigue becomes more complex – and the question of which side of the line they stand on becomes increasingly blurred.

An intelligent and gripping conspiracy thriller that delves to the heart of human morality, The Shadow Line will have audiences enthralled over six taut and thrilling episodes. Faced with similar dilemmas, on which side of the line would you stand?

Ben Stephenson, Controller, Drama Commissioning, says: “As we continue our drive to build a bold and exciting drama story on BBC Two with commissions like Crimson Petal and The Hour, I am thrilled that we have attracted such world class talent to Hugo Blick’s thrilling scripts. Chiwetel and Chris are two of our finest actors and we couldn’t be more excited to have them, and the rest of the amazing cast, on board for this original and epic six-hour series.”

The Shadow Line is a Company Pictures/Eight Rooks/Baby Cow production in association with CinemaNX. It begins filming in the Isle of Man at the beginning of July, with location shoots also taking place in London.

The series is written, produced and directed by Hugo Blick, with Johann Knobel (Shameless, Inspector George Gently) co-producing. Executive producers are George Faber and Charlie Pattinson for Company Pictures (Shameless, Skins, The Devil’s Whore, Generation X), Henry Normal and Lindsay Hughes for Baby Cow (Sensitive Skin, Marion And Geoff, Gavin And Stacey), Marc Samuelson and Steve Christian for CinemaNX (The Disappearance Of Alice Creed, Me And Orson Welles) and Polly Hill for the BBC.

The Shadow Line was commissioned by Ben Stephenson, Controller, Drama Commissioning, and Janice Hadlow, Controller, BBC Two. The series will be broadcast in 2011.

8.30pm Monday 5 July on BBC TWO

Sandi Toksvig and Eric Knowles begin the search for the Antiques Master 2010, pitting the country’s leading amateur enthusiasts against each other in a series of challenges

12.30pm Sunday 4 July on BBC TWO

The Catalunya circuit in Spain plays host to the fifth round in this year’s MotoGP calendar, with Spaniards Jorge Lorenzo and Dani Pedrosa sure to receive a warm welcome from their home crowd

A special weekend starting on Saturday 17 July will see BBC Two broadcast the UK TV premieres of The Damned United, Eastern Promises and Is Anybody There? This marks the official launch of BBC Two as the new principal home for BBC Films, the award-winning feature filmmaking arm of the BBC.

The Damned United tells the story of Brian Clough’s legendary stint as manager of Leeds United, starring Michael Sheen as the eponymous Clough, Timothy Spall as Peter Taylor, and Colm Meaney as arch-rival, Don Revie.

Is Anybody There? is Michael Caine’s moving portrayal of retired magician Clarence in a bitter-sweet tale of an unusual friendship.

Finally David Cronenburg’s highly acclaimed thriller Eastern Promises is a tale from the dark underworld of London’s Russian mafia, starring Viggo Mortensen and Naomi Watts.

Also accompanying The Damned United is the frank documentary Brian Clough: From Front to Back.

This Autumn, as part of an education moment on BBC Two, BBC Films will showcase Notes On A Scandal starring Judi Dench and Cate Blanchett, and Alan Bennett’s critically acclaimed The History Boys.

Earlier this year, as part of the BBC’s Strategy Review, it was announced that BBC Two would become the principal home for BBC Films. This is part of a drive to bring more quality drama to the channel, with the BBC Strategy Review proposing a £25m investment in BBC Two from 2012 to boost the channel’s distinctiveness.

Janice Hadlow, Controller, BBC Two, said: “BBC Two is committed to showing more quality fiction on the channel, and we’re delighted that BBC Films will be part of this. It’s wonderful that licence fee payers will be able to see these films for free following their theatrical releases.”

Christine Langan, Creative Director, BBC Films, said: “Establishing a permanent home for BBC Films on BBC Two will enable us to create exciting film moments for our audiences throughout the year, reinforcing our commitment to bring original and distinctive British films to the British public.”

BBC Films produces around eight films a year working in partnership with major international and UK distributors.

Today also sees the launch of the BBC Films Showreel on bbc.co.uk/bbcfilms, presenting a selection of highlights from recent and forthcoming films.

The films premiering on BBC Two on July 17/18 are as follows:

The Damned United

Taking over from his hated rival, Don Revie, Clough is determined to destroy the soul of his new club. Revie’s Leeds were peerless, cynical, inspired. No one loathed them more than Clough. The feeling was mutual. Clough is alone, haunted and sleepless throughout his brief and painful stint as manager of Leeds United. The compulsive, flawed and tragic figure he cuts takes on Shakespearian dimensions and presents us with a football manager’s guide to heaven and hell. Starring Michael Sheen, Jim Broadbent, Timothy Spall. Directed by Tom Hooper and the screenplay is by Peter Morgan from the novel The Damned United by David Peace.

Also accompanying the film is Brian Clough: From Front to Back, a frank documentary telling the story of an unforgettable career, including heady days with Derby County, unprecedented European success with Nottingham Forest and his notorious 44-day tenure as Leeds United boss. Martin O’Neill and Sir Michael Parkinson are among those who remember the man they called ‘Cloughie’.

Is Anybody There?

Edward hates living in the old people’s home run by his parents. His only interest is a morbid obsession with ghosts, death and the afterlife. Until, that is, the arrival of reluctant new resident, Clarence – a retired magician with a liberating streak of anarchy. Together this delightful odd couple overcome their personal drawbacks, and learn that you are never too old, or too young, to grow up. Starring Michael Caine, Anne-Marie Duff, David Morrissey, Bill Milner, Leslie Phillips, Elisabeth Spriggs. Director John Crowley and screenplay by Peter Harness.

Eastern Promises

A midwife sets out to discover the truth behind the murder of a young prostitute and finds herself snared in the deadly world of the Russian mafia. Starring Viggo Mortensen, Naomi Watts, Vincent Cassel and Armin Mueller-Stahl Directed by David Cronenberg and the screen play is by Steve Knight.

To mark National Poetry Day on 7 October, Alan Rickman and Emma Thompson star in a powerful and visually arresting film, The Song Of Lunch, made by BBC Drama Production for BBC Two.

The film, a dramatisation of Christopher Reid’s narrative poem, tells the story of an unnamed book editor (Alan Rickman) who, 15 years after their break-up, is meeting his former love (Emma Thompson) for a nostalgic lunch at Zanzotti’s, the Soho restaurant they used to frequent.

Janice Hadlow, Controller, BBC Two, says: “To mark National Poetry Day, BBC Two will be bringing this art form to life with a truly ambitious project and a stellar cast. We hope that audiences will enjoy this dramatisation of Christopher Reid’s touching and witty poem and maybe feel inspired to indulge in a little more poetry themselves.”

The woman is now living a glamorous life in Paris, married to a world-renowned writer, whilst the unnamed editor has failed in his writing career, detests his mundane publishing job and regrets the end of their love affair. When he arrives at Zanzotti’s he finds it under new management and much changed, and this seems to fuel his resentment about growing older and being left behind.

The stage is set for an emotional and bittersweet reunion. As the wine flows, and the couple rake over their failed relationship, nostalgia turns to recrimination.

The single film sees Alan Rickman and Emma Thompson working together once again. They both starred in Sense And Sensibility and Alan directed Emma in A Winter Guest.

Poet Christopher Reid won the Costa Book Of The Year for A Scattering, in early 2010. The Song Of Lunch has been described as displaying “the full range of Christopher Reid’s wit, craft and human sympathy” (John Bayley, Poetry Review).

The Song Of Lunch will be directed by Niall MacCormick (Wallander, The Long Walk To Finchley) with producer Pier Wilkie (Criminal Justice) and executive producers Greg Wise and Sarah Brown for the BBC. It was commissioned by Janice Hadlow, Controller, BBC Two, and Ben Stephenson, Controller BBC Drama Commissioning.

Dominic Savage beautifully captures the essence of teenage life in the 21st Century with his observation of a young couple finding love for the first time, while coping with the highs and lows of growing up in the UK.

Over two consecutive nights the stories of Lindsey played by Aisling Loftus (Five Daughters) and Robert played by Jack O’Connell (Skins) unfold, forming a contemporary portrait of modern life and love in a British town.

In the first episode, Lindsey’s passion and dedication for diving is rewarded when she is selected to represent Team GB at the 2012 Olympics. But her budding romance with Robert is put to the test when she discovers she is pregnant with his baby.

The concluding episode focuses on the repercussions that Lindsey’s pregnancy has for Robert, who must decide whether to take on the responsibilities of teenage fatherhood or retain the popular status he enjoys with his friends. The return of his beloved brother from Iraq brings home the importance of the choices he must make about growing up.

Dive was written by Dominic Savage and Simon Stephens. This is an ITV Studios Production for BBC Two directed by Dominic Savage. The Executive Producer for ITV Studios is Kate Bartlett, Producer for ITV Studios is Juliette Howell, BBC Executive Producer is Lucy Richer and Director of Photography is Danny Cohen (The Boat That Rocked, Born Equal).

Key cast includes:

Aisling Loftus as Lindsey

Jack O’Connell as Robert

Kate Dickie as Alison

Eddie Marsan as Will

Ewan Bremner as Stewart

Gina McKee as Jacqueline

Joseph Mawle as Gary

Michael Socha as Alex

Rielly Newbold as Matty

Chanel Cresswell as Hailey