±«Óătv

The Crimson Petal And The White

A young prostitute and a prominent businessman embark on a dangerous relationship with epic consequences in this four-part adaptation of Michel Faber's international best-selling novel, which reveals the true underbelly of Victorian underground life in a way never seen before on screen.

Evocative and sexually charged, the story plunges the viewer into a hidden world. In the words of the heroine, Sugar: "If you dare enter this world, you had better tread carefully."

A bold and original serial for ±«Óătv Two, The Crimson Petal And The White is adapted by acclaimed playwright and screenwriter Lucinda Coxon, directed by Marc Munden (The Devil's Whore, The Mark Of Cain) and executive produced by David Thompson.

An intimate psychological thriller lifting the lid on the dark side of Victorian London, this is a provocative and rivetingly emotional tale of love, lust, desire and revenge in a world seething with vitality, sexuality, ambition and emotion.

±«Óătv Drama Publicity

An Origin Pictures production

When Harvey Met Bob

In October 1984, Bob Geldof arrived home to find his wife, Paula Yates, watching the legendary ±«Óătv broadcast by Michael Buerk from the feeding camps in Eritrea province. Bob takes his eyes from the screen only once to see Paula holding their baby and weeping.

Deeply affected, Bob moves into action, persuading a host of rock stars to give their name and talent for free to the Band Aid record, Do They Know It's Christmas?, which sells millions of copies.

But when Bob then goes to Ethiopia to ensure the proceeds from the record will reach the starving people, he realises that so much more needs to be done.

He needs to raise even more money to fulfill his promise that every penny from the record will get there. At this point, he conceives the idea of a global music event to feed the world.

Enter respected music promoter Harvey Goldsmith and the start of the rollercoaster ride that is the often hilarious and ultimately deeply moving story of the relationship between a musical odd couple as they go from a madcap idea and a list of unconfirmed acts, to the biggest televised international charity event in history.

The film, which transmits in the 25th anniversary year of the historic concerts, stars Domhnall Gleeson as Bob Geldof and Ian Hart as Harvey Goldsmith.

PPR

Great Meadow Productions

Laconia

On 12 September 1942, the armed British vessel RMS Laconia was torpedoed and sunk by a German U-boat 156.

Six hundred miles from the coast of Africa, a mixture of English civilians, Allied soldiers and Italian prisoners of war faced certain death until U-Boat commander Werner Hartenstein, played by Ken Duken (Inglorious Basterds) made a decision that went beyond all protocol. The U-boat surfaced and Hartenstein instructed his men to save as many of the shipwrecked survivors as they could.

Over the next few days the U-156 saved 400 people. With 200 crammed on board the surfaced submarine and another 200 in lifeboats, Hartenstein gave orders for messages to be sent to the Allies to organise a rescue of the survivors but, in an unbelievable twist, they were spotted by an American B-24 bomber which moved in to attack.

This powerful two-part drama for ±«Óătv Two tells the true story of the amazing heroism shown by ordinary people in the face of extraordinary adversity during the Second World War and the human side of the remarkable events that took place. Brian Cox (The Bourne Supremacy) plays Captain Sharp of the Laconia and Andrew Buchan (Party Animals) plays 3rd officer Thomas Mortimer, who heroically risked his life to help the passengers reach the lifeboats.

Franka Potente (Bourne Supremacy) and Lindsay Duncan (Longford, Rome) also star in this work by acclaimed writer Alan Bleasdale (Boys From The Blackstuff, GBH, Jake's Progress).

CI2

A talkbackTHAMES production in association with Teamworx and ARD

Morecambe And Wise

From children's variety stars to national treasures, this drama is about the making of one of the best comedy double acts of our time – Morecambe and Wise.

Starring Victoria Wood as Eric Morecambe’s mother, it is written by Peter Bowker (Desperate Romantics, Occupation) and made by production company Blue Door Adventures and ±«Óătv Wales Drama Production.

A chance meeting between precocious child star Ernie Wiseman (Wise) and reluctant performer Eric Bartholomew (Morecambe) on the children's variety circuit saw the start of an unlikely friendship. Encouraged by his well meaning but pushy mother Sadie (Victoria Wood), because "you aren't good at anything else", Eric Morecambe became the funny man to Ernie Wise's "feed".

After a successful stint in children's variety, Eric and Ernie struggled to make their way in the world of mainstream entertainment. But after a few dubious tours and an ill-advised television series, Running Wild, Morecambe and Wise learnt to trust their own instincts and just make people laugh – and laugh they did.

AF

Blue Door Adventures/±«Óătv Wales Drama Production

The Song Of Lunch

To mark National Poetry Day on ±«Óătv Two, Alan Rickman and Emma Thompson star in The Song Of Lunch, a powerful, visually arresting dramatisation of award-winning poet Christopher Reid's witty and poignant narrative poem about a couple's ill-fated reunion in a Soho restaurant.

This single film sees Alan Rickman and Emma Thompson working together again. They have starred alongside one another in many films, including Sense And Sensibility, and Alan also directed Emma in The Winter Guest. In The Song Of Lunch, Rickman plays an unnamed publishing editor who meets an old flame for lunch 15 years after they broke up, and Thompson is known simply as "the woman".

The Song Of Lunch is directed by Niall MacCormick (Wallander, The Long Walk To Finchley) and produced by Pier Wilkie (Criminal Justice), with executive producers Greg Wise and Sarah Brown.

Poet Christopher Reid won the Costa Book of the Year Award 2009 for his collection of poems, A Scattering.

CI2

±«Óătv Productions

±«Óătv Films

This Autumn, award-winning ±«Óătv Films showcases Notes On A Scandal and The History Boys on ±«Óătv Two as part of a special education moment on the channel.

The UK television premieres represent ±«Óătv Two’s commitment to become the principal home for ±«Óătv Films, the film-making arm of the ±«Óătv, as part of its strategy to bring more distinctive and ambitious drama to the channel.

Judi Dench, Cate Blanchett and Bill Nighy star in the award-winning psychological drama, Notes On A Scandal, based on the novel by Zoe Heller. When Sheba Hart joins St George’s as the new art teacher, Barbara Covett senses a kindred spirit. But as Sheba begins an illicit affair with a pupil, Barbara becomes the keeper of her secret, with disastrous consequences.

A richly funny and intelligent film, The History Boys is Alan Bennett’s critically acclaimed story of a group of bright history students in pursuit of an undergraduate place at Oxford. It’s a tale of the boys’ journey, their maverick English teacher, a hopelessly outnumbered history teacher and a headmaster obsessed with results.

Notes on a Scandal is a Fox Searchlight Pictures and DNA Films presentation in association with the UK Film Council and ±«Óătv Films, a Scott Rudin/Robert Fox Production. Directed by Sir Richard Eyre.

The History Boys is a ±«Óătv Two Films and Fox Searchlight Pictures and DNA Films presentation, in association with the UK Film Council, a National Theatre Production. Directed by Nicholas Hytner.

LG

±«Óătv Films

±«Óătv Films – The Special Relationship

±«Óătv Two hosts the UK premiere of The Special Relationship, Peter Morgan’s third film to examine the history of Tony Blair, following on from his previous works The Deal and The Queen.

This time focusing on the special relationship between Britain and the United States, this film examines the relationship between Tony Blair and then US president Bill Clinton as they deal with the Monica Lewinsky scandal and the war in Kosovo.

The Special Relationship is directed by Richard Loncraine and stars Dennis Quaid and Hope Davis as the Clintons and Michael Sheen and Helen McCrory as the Blairs.

MO

A ±«Óătv Films and ±«Óătv Drama production in association with HBO

Nurse Jackie 2

A few months on from their confrontation which concluded season one, Nurse Jackie Peyton (Edie Falco) has cut all ties with pharmacist Eddie Walzer (Paul Schulze) and is determined to spend more time with her family. But Eddie has other ideas and gains her attention in a way she simply cannot avoid.

Back at All Saints, Emergency Room administrator Gloria Akalitus (Anna Deavere Smith) is concerned with the growing disappearance of drugs, and Dr Eleanor O'Hara's (Eve Best) life is complicated by the return of an ex-lover.

Dr Fitch “Coop” Cooper (Peter Facinelli) makes a formal complaint against Jackie and, as if that wasn't enough, she also has to cope with an unwelcome new member of the nursing staff.

±«Óătv Front Desk Publicity

A CBS International production