skyone's blog

This January, Sky1 and Sky1 HD makes a long awaited return to the Emmy® and Golden Globe® winning LOST, for its fifth and penultimate season. The jaw dropping finale to Season Four may have finally revealed who was in the coffin, but there are still many questions left to be answered and Season Five promises to set the dramatic groundwork for the final act. Destiny calls for the Oceanic Six but will they answer?
By leaping between different phases of time, the last season of LOST began to put the pieces together for what has been a rollercoaster ride of a series. In the present day it was revealed how the Oceanic Six returned back home and why the others remained on the island – some by choice and some forced by circumstance. Ben was shown turning the frozen wheel and causing himself and the island to vanish to be relocated in a destination yet to be revealed… In the future, the Oceanic Six were revealed to experience far from a welcome return home; Jack (Matthew Fox) is a broken man following the breakdown of his relationship to Kate (Evangeline Lilly), Hurley (Jorge Garcia) is back in a mental institution and Sayid (Naveen Andrews) is working as a hitman for the time-travelling Ben (Michael Emerson). In the final flash forward, Jack and Ben met alongside Locke’s (Terry O’Quinn) coffin and revealed that prior to his death, he had returned from the island to deliver them each the message that their departure caused awful things to happen that cannot be resolved without their return. A depressed, pill-popping Jack was eager to go back to his heroic former life, but can he and Ben convince the fragmented others to return with them? Executive producer Carlton Cuse said: “The people that are off the island… the island seems to be drawing them back, and Ben makes it clear they need to go back. So that’s a lot of what you’ll see…the journey of how those six return.”

Along the way, there will be some new additions to the cast: Reiko Aylesworth (24) will play a member of the Dharma initiative called Amy, Raymond J. Barry (Alias) will play Jack’s grandfather, Patrick Fischler (Mad Men) will assume the role of a corporate security man, and Eric Lange (Bones) is a smart and controlling off-island character named Marty. Their role in the grand scheme will remain a mystery until the new season begins.

Executive producers and writers Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse recently revealed that only 34 episodes remain of the series, split equally between two seasons. Speaking at a convention earlier in the year, they were drawn on how the journey will be mapped out in Season Five, on the way to the series’ ultimate conclusion. Cuse said: “We’re basically putting together the last two seasons of the puzzle. Our ability to negotiate an end date to the show so far in advance was unprecedented in network TV. It has given us a real sense of what the journey is going to be. We’ve had the chance to do something really extraordinary, and the challenge is to make this engaging and exciting, where everybody is really excited about the final season of LOST.” Lindelof added: “The cool thing about Season Five is that it takes a little while for your brain to fully absorb how the story is unfolding, but hopefully once it does, you’ll realise we’re trying something new yet again.”

The island is calling again…. Don’t miss the penultimate season of what Empire magazine calls “one of the most compelling shows on television,” launching the week beginning January 24th on Sky1. LOST can also be enjoyed in glorious high definition on Sky1 HD, capturing each blade of grass and grain of sand in the best picture quality available.

Just before the premiere of LOST’s fifth season, you can catch an exclusive behind-the-scenes special: LOST… ON LOCATION. Presenter and LOST fanatic Iain Lee brings fans access to one of the most closely guarded sets in television, presenting the story of LOST to bring viewers up to speed, as well as examining mythology and key plot points with executive producers Carlton Cuse and Damon Lindelof, who will be guiding the way and providing the insights you cannot find anywhere else.

Sky1 and Sky1 HD are giving viewers a chance to bring themselves up to date in time for the new season by repeating Season Four in its entirety, daily from Tuesday 6 January at 2pm on Sky1 and Sky1 HD, as well as daily at 10am on Sky2. The finale of Season Four will also be available to watch on Anytime TV from Thursday 22 January.

After the phenomenal success of Noel’s Christmas Presents, Noel Edmonds returns for a new five-part series of Noel’s HQ to launch on Saturday 17 January at 7.30pm on Sky1 and Sky1 HD. In the live studio show Noel and his team of helpers aim to inspire, encourage and empower every viewer to make an immediate and enduring contribution to life in Britain.
Noel’s HQ was seen as a response to the growing frustration being felt by millions who see their nation changing for the worse and their communities, and therefore their lives, changing forever. The series will attempt to answer the key questions to which millions of us are desperately seeking the answers:

How can we turn our young people away from violence and anti-social behaviour?

Who are the faceless un-elected busy bodies who are turning us into “Grey Britain”?

Why are we now so over-burdened with so many rules, regulations and new laws?

Sally Dixon, Executive Producer commented: “The original broadcast of Noel’s HQ demonstrated that there is a strong appetite for a series that engages viewers in a fun and entertaining way. The results from the live show were truly remarkable and continue to resonate. With a series we’ll be able to engage our viewers in long term incentives that will truly impact British society. This is a show where every viewer can get involved – but it won’t cost them money – it’s the perfect antidote to the credit crunch and christmas excess.”

One major initiative for the new series is Noel’s Big Band a national campaign supported by a HMV, Europa Worldwide Logistics and the Re-Play Music Project, together with Paul McManus of MIA (Music Industries Associates). The idea is to bring music back to underprivileged schools by encouraging people to donate unused musical instruments – instruments can be turned in at HMV stores across the country. Each week the instruments will be collected and taken to a central location to be screened, cleaned, and stringing carried out before the instruments are delivered to the schools. The campaign will begin with Raynes Park High School where the majority of children can’t afford lessons or instruments, but have a real passion, ability and enthusiasm for music. The school also has a specialist unit for 20 students with autistic spectrum. With our instrument amnesty Noel’s HQ will aim to change that. The feature is fronted by Ben James Ellis (Any Dream Will Do, Hairspray: The School Musical) who will be following the progress of the children each week and there will be a range of musicians who will visit the school to give master-classes and drop off instruments, plus celebrated musical director Gareth Valentine (Acorn Antiques, Aladdin) has taken on the challenge of teaching the children and preparing them for their final performance.

Forty children from Raynes Park High School will be given instruments over the weeks so that they can form a band – once the school has its instruments other deserving schools around the country will share in the spoils. The beauty of this campaign is that it doesn’t cost people any money to take part, and it affords the chance of bringing back to life abandoned instruments.

Noel will examine Bonkers Britain looking at PC regulations gone wrong and Keith Chegwin will be helping Noel to cut through the red tape. In the feature SNoel-Ball – initiatives that will start small but grow big thanks to the help of the British public – Noel will offer campaigns for the whole nation to get involved in. For example, Noel’s Mobiles is a call-to-action for members of the public to donate their unused mobile phones for recycling with the money generated by the donations going towards worthy charities and Do Us A Favour which sees Noel encouraging viewers to give up their time to help out charities. Plus there’s the return of features Random Acts Of Kindness and Wonder Walls, where do-gooders in the audience will get to pick from a wall of surprises.

A host of famous faces will be getting behind our stories to make a real difference including Konnie Huq and Andi Peters, plus stand-up Chris Cohen provides a weekly satirical song on the state of the nation.

One special case that came to the attention of Noel’s HQ is that of 17 year-old Kirsty Ashton from Manchester. Kirsty has a serious illness that leads to tumors on her spine. Despite her illness, Kirsty has been raising money for When You Wish Upon A Star. A self-confessed Hollyoaks addict, Noel arranges for Kirsty to go behind-the-scenes on her favourite show. After a tour by Ricky Whittle who plays Calvin Valentine, Kirsty is then given a ‘money can’t buy’ gift – a small speaking role in the show.

Noel’s HQ will combine doing good with “feel-good” and will attempt to change people’s lives forever. From local projects to nationwide campaigns; from light-hearted stories to heart warming tales of generosity and bravery, Noel’s HQ will attempt to inspire significant social change across Britain.

Noel’s HQ will launch on Saturday 17 January, 2009 at 19.30pm on Sky1 and Sky1 HD.

Airports aren’t just about exhausting queues, enraging delays and the perils of lost luggage. They are the 24-hour backdrop to emotional reunions, and tear-tinged goodbyes, with the hustle and bustle of people on the move hiding a host of human stories. HELLO GOODBYE sees Kate Thornton meeting the everyday people whose heartache and joy is played out at the check-in desks and departure gates of the UK’s busiest airport.
HELLO GOODBYE puts a human face to a traditionally anonymous environment, briefly sharing the uplifting or turbulent personal dramas of the people who pass through the airport system. From the lovers being parted by thousands of miles, to the families desperate to be reunited, Kate meets a range of people as they experience some of the saddest, and happiest, moments of their lives.

Kate Thornton commented: “I’m thrilled to be a part of HELLO GOODBYE. It’s been a real privilege to be a part of some incredible human interest stories that never cease to amaze, impress and move me. It’s a show that shines a light on real people in some of their most telling, vulnerable, ecstatic and emotional moments that will hopefully have you crying into your hankies one moment and grinning like a fool the next.”

In this touching series Kate makes contact with people from all cultures and walks of life, teasing out the stories that are constantly unfolding at the airport. From the tear-jerking farewells to the ecstatic reunions and joyous homecomings, each story reveals a personal journey. Take Mike, who is making a heart wrenching trip to Australia. Having recently lost his wife, he is going to spend some time with his sister in an effort to start healing from his pain.

Sometimes it is just the simple pleasures that can’t help to melt your heart. From the best friends who haven’t seen each other in years, to the young woman excitedly waiting to greet her mum who has flown in from Turkey. In her own words, even now she is happily married and living in England, sometimes you just need a hug from your mum! A devastated young girl proves that the first goodbye is the hardest as she is about to be parted from her boyfriend for the first time.

Don’t miss HELLO GOODBYE, February 2009 on Sky1 and Sky1 HD.

The murder of an 11-year-old boy in a Liverpool suburb last year alerted the country to the city’s escalating gang culture. Rhys Jones was an innocent bystander caught in the crossfire of gang war. Ross goes in search of the youth gangs said to be causing mayhem on Liverpool’s streets and asks whether this year’s capital of culture deserves its reputation as a hub of gun and gang crime.
Ross comments: “Liverpool is a fantastic city and I fell in love with it. The story there relates to many inner-city areas in the UK. Because it’s in the UK, Liverpool is never going to have the extremes you find in other countries, and we’re very fortunate for that. But it’s an eye-opening film, the gang wars in Norris Green and Croxteth aren’t really based on anything, it’s just tit-for-tat violence and that’s sad. And it’s not just Liverpool that has these issues; it’s a growing problem in nearly every city across the UK”.

In August last year, news of the senseless killing of 11-year-old Rhys Jones sent shock waves throughout the country. Prime Minister Gordon Brown described it as a “heinous crime that shocked the whole of the country”.

The root of the murder lies in the turf wars between two gangs who share the same postcode – Liverpool 11. The feuding between gangs from Norris Green (Nogga Dogz) and Croxteth (Croccy Crew), two suburbs in the north of the city extends back several years. Most of the youngsters involved went to the same senior schools as each other in the area. In the documentary one gang member clams that they can have a gun made available to them in less than 5 minutes.

Ross comments: “In Liverpool the lads were saying that they wouldn’t be in gangs if there was more for them to do when they were growing up. There were football pitches and slides and swings there, but they couldn’t cross the road to get to them because of the hatred from the gang on the other side of the road. That’s sad and that gets me angry. Because of the tit-for-tat violence, they’re actually excluding themselves”.

In this programme Ross Kemp meets some of the main players involved in the gang warfare and tries to understand what motivates their murderous hatred for one another. He meets an ex-gangster turned anti-gun campaigner and speaks to the police trying to combat the problem on the streets; a young man trying to leave the gang life behind; the mother of a teenager shot dead in an argument over a £200 debt and the person charged with sorting the whole problem out, Home Secretary, Jacqui Smith.

Ross Kemp on Gangs: Liverpool: asks whether the city deserves its reputation for gang and gun violence and, seeks to discover what lies behind the code of silence that makes police work so difficult in the city, a code so strong that it is actually influencing the way police and the law operates in gang-related cases.

CREDIT:

Ross Kemp on Gangs: Liverpool. Tue 6 Jan, 10pm, Sky1 and Sky1 HD. www.sky.com/rosskemp

The most highly anticipated series of the Emmy® and Peabody Award-winning series returns for the second part of the forth and final season. BATTLESTAR GALACTICA, Tuesdays from 20th January at 9pm exclusively on Sky1 and Sky1 HD.
An enthralling mid-season finale saw the race to find Earth reach a shattering climax when the humans and Cylons simultaneously jumped into the planet’s atmosphere in search of a brave new world, only to discover a post-apocalyptic wilderness. Writers Bradley Thompson and David Weddle were hailed heroes by fans who were left reeling by this leftfield turn of events. Now, after an excruciating six-month hiatus, BATTLESTAR fans are preparing for the final slice of superior sci-fi drama, and with chaos reigning among the Colonial Fleet and the Cylons.

Devotees of the critically acclaimed drama have been eagerly awaiting answers to some of the series’ longest-running and biggest questions: the identity of the fifth Cylon, how will the prophecy about Starbuck unfold and what are Six (Tricia Helfer) and Dr Baltar (James Callis) really up to? The US rumour mill has speculated that Lee Adama (Jamie Bamber) will play a central role in the future of the colony, while Admiral Adama (Edward James Almos) and President Roslin’s (Mary McDonnell) relationship develops. BATTLESTAR’s producers have hinted at a feature-length finale and possible spin-off TV movie but for now, it’s a case of waiting and watching.

Jamie Bamber said: ‘I hope that Battlestar lives on as a really good old-fashioned story that TV had the balls to tell over 70 episodes and it’ll be enjoyed by future generations because it is complete, done and finished.’

The final series of BATTLESTAR GALACTICA, exclusively on Sky1 and Sky1 HDTuesdays from 20th January at 9pm.

Sky1 sings in the New Year with the return of the popular entertainment series DON’T FORGET THE LYRICS. Back for a second series, the high octane show puts lyrical knowledge to the test to separate those who can, from the great pretenders. Host Shane Richie plays the perfect devils advocate and welcomes each contestant on to the stage to face a fantastic play list that each lyric-smith will need to get their vocal chords around.
Each ‘singer’ must choose one song from a different genre, from Soul Sister to Country, decades and artists before taking the mic’ to sing alongside the multi-talented …Lyrics house-band. The choice is made, the lyrics appear on screen and then the singing starts. Suddenly, the music will stop and the words will disappear, then it’s left to them to fill in the blanks.

The contestants climb a cash prize ladder after each correct answer. Along the way, three back-ups – including back up singers – can help them out. They must sing nine popular tracks correctly before facing one final song with up to 15 missing words – that’s all that stands in the way of the life changing £250,000 jackpot.

Does Celine Dion ‘Believe that the hotdogs go on,’ is the lyric in the classic ballad How Deep is Your Love, ‘You come to me on a submarine…’ and does Jacko claim that ‘The chair is not my son’ in his worldwide hit Billie Jean?

When there’s £250,000 at stake, will the contestants sing the right words when the music stops? Or will they be at a loss for words? All will be revealed as they ‘Lock in those lyrics.’

It’s that simple: 10 songs, 10 missing lyrics and £250,000 providing you DON’T FORGET THE LYRICS. No-one was lucky enough to walk away with the big-money-jack-pot in the first series but this time around, it could all be different.

DON’T FORGET THE LYRICS, Sky1 & Sky1 HD Saturday 17th January at 6.30pm.

This February, Sky1 and Sky1 HD return to the smartest town in America for a brand new season of A TOWN CALLED EUREKA, where innovation and chaos live hand in hand. The quaint, unmapped village hides a big secret: it houses the best minds in the USA, who are tucked away building futuristic inventions for the government’s benefit. With so many high IQs in one place, life is far from simple in Eureka and there to try and save the world from disaster is Sherrif Jack Carter (Colin Ferguson), an average man in a town full of geniuses.
Due to the 2007 writer’s strike, it’s been over a year since the last visit to Eureka, and fans have been eager to discover the aftermath of Henry’s (Joe Morton) serious breach of security that saved Kevin (Meshach Peters) from certain death. Also this season, life for the town’s scientists is made even trickier by the arrival of Eva Thorne (Frances Fisher, Titanic), a ruthless corporate fixer sent by the Department of Defence to conduct a performance review of Global Dynamics. As she makes her presence felt in Eureka, it doesn’t take long for Eva to build a list of enemies.

The third season will also see Nathan (Ed Quinn) propose to Allison (Salli Richardson), but their wedding day will run far from smoothly, plus Jack’s sister, Lexi (Ever Carradine, Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back), unexpectedly arrives in town along with her two cats, adding to the sheriff’s already complicated life.

A TOWN CALLED EUREKA Season 3, begins on Tuesday 3 February at 8pm, exclusive to Sky1 and Sky1 HD.

Sky Movies announces today that it will be the exclusive UK broadcaster of THE 66TH ANNUAL GOLDEN GLOBE® AWARDS. Following last year’s cancellation due to the writer’s strike, and with the nominations set to be announced today, the ceremony is more anticipated than ever and will make unmissable television.
Sunday 11th January 2009 will see the GOLDEN GLOBE® AWARDS broadcast live on Sky Movies Premiere and will be available in HD for the first time ever. Prior to the ceremony, over on Sky1 and Sky1 HD hosts Fearne Cotton and Andi Peters will present live red carpet coverage.

Fearne commented: “I’m so excited to be doing the red carpet for the Golden Globes®. It’s such a glamorous event – the clothes, the jewellery and the biggest entertainment event of the year. I’ll be bringing you all the gossip first hand and will be flying the flag for all of our hopefuls.”

Andi added: “Alongside The Oscars®, The Globes® really is THE showbiz event. With the buzz for Slumdog Millionaire, I’m hopeful that this is the year of the Brit invasion. This is such a huge and prestigious event, I’m just really honoured to be a part of it.”

For those viewers unable to watch the live ceremony, Sky1 and Sky1 HD will broadcast a one-hour package, the GOLDEN GLOBE® HIGHLIGHTS SHOW, which will include pre-awards chat with the stars as they arrive on the red carpet plus a few words with the winners, losers and party goers as they continue celebrating and commiserating into the early hours.

Claudia Winkleman will be hosting coverage of the Golden Globes® from Sky Movies’ London studios. She’ll be joined throughout the programme by experts to pass judgement on the winners, the losers and the big surprises.

Claudia Winkleman commented: “This year I am so excited to be hosting the Golden Globes® and HD will add so much to the viewing experience. I can’t wait for the night to find out who wears what, who arrives with whom and, most importantly, who wins what!”

THE 66TH ANNUAL GOLDEN GLOBE® AWARDS, Live on Sunday 11th January from 12.30am on Sky Movies Premiere/HD

GOLDEN GLOBE® RED CARPET: LIVE, Sunday 11th January from 11:10pm on Sky1/HD

GOLDEN GLOBE® HIGHLIGHTS SHOW, Monday 12th January, 8pm, Sky1/HD