Press Releases & Press Packs

21.08.03

BBC THREE

Comedy heads up a rich and eclectic autumn season on BBC THREE

Press pack available

BBC THREE goes into its third season of programming this autumn with an eclectic and distinctive range of output.

Heading the line up are five British comedy series for young adults, as well as brand new programming on business, arts and ethics.

Says Stuart Murphy, Controller of BBC THREE: "I think we've genuinely got something on BBC THREE for all young contemporary British adults this autumn.

"We've got three completely new comedy series, Little Britain, Grass and Nighty Night - each with its own distinct flavour and tone, and the return of the superbly dark and clever satirical animation Monkey Dust alongside the hilarious breakthrough hidden camera series, 3 Non-Blondes.

"But it's not all laughs on the channel as we try to get to grips with the passions and concerns of our audience.

"James Gooding has investigated the underground art scene across Europe and New York in Art and the City, examining works by today's most influential, exciting and talked about artists.

"In New Tycoons we tell you all you need to know about giving up the 9-5 and starting up in business on your own, something we know a large percentage of our audience are considering, and Jerry Hall's Gurus looks at alternatives to mainstream religion and spiritualism across the world at the beginning of the 21st century.

"The Third Degree, BBC THREE's current affairs series, is back with a raft of issue based programmes dealing with subjects our audience genuinely want to know about, ranging from the debate around the MMR vaccination to an investigation of who really runs Britain's cities.

"We have been on air for a little over six months and I think we're really starting to get under the skin of the audience, find out what they want and shape the channel accordingly", he said.

This autumn new British comedy is across the schedule for the BBC THREE audience.

The long awaited series of Little Britain finally arrives, after the critically acclaimed pilot was transmitted on the launch night of the channel back in February.

Based on the highly successful Radio 4 series, Little Britain, starting on 16 September, will run in the Tuesday night comedy zone at 9.00pm, and presents a collection of some of the funniest, most bizarre and memorable characters, written and performed by Matt Lucas and David Walliams.

Award-winning Julia Davis makes her debut on BBC THREE with Nighty Night.

A dark comedy which Julia wrote and stars in alongside Angus Deayton, it will add to the vain of challenging BBC THREE comedy which began with the first series of Monkey Dust six months ago.

Grass is a comedy with a much gentler flavour.

It is written by and stars Simon Day, and features his infamous Fast Show character, Billy Bleach, the interfering pub know-it-all.

Banff award-winning satirical comedy Monkey Dust returns for a second series this autumn, and continues BBC THREE's commitment to new British animation.

3 Non-Blondes has been a real break through programme for BBC THREE, and returns on Tuesday 16 September at 9.30pm for a second series.

EMMA award-nominated, the first series is currently being shown on BBC TWO and BBC America.

Interactively the channel is trying to build on this year's online phenomenon of Celebdaq, the BBC's fastest growing online site ever, and has commissioned Fightbox.

Fightbox started as an online game earlier this year and nearly 100,000 people registered to construct a virtual reality warrior.

Only then could they get the chance to pitch their warrior against others and battle it out in an actual studio, and the innovative and exciting results will be shown on BBC THREE this autumn.

This strategy of starting shows online, then moving them to TV, is something BBC THREE is keen to develop further.

Other highlights of the BBC THREE autumn season include:

• In entertainment series Hercules 12 super athletes from all over Britain complete 12 new labours of physical endurance in just 12 days;

• Johnny Vaughan returns with a brand new series;

• Dreamspaces, the stylish weekly magazine programme exploring the spaces people inhabit returns for a new series;

• Psychologist Dr John Marsden endures more Body Hits in a new series of the show that explores what goes on inside people's bodies as they grope their way through the hectic modern lifestyle;

• Break-through drama Burn It returns for a second series;

• Celebdaq has 250,000 registered online players and the television series continues on Friday evenings throughout the Autumn.

Notes to Editors

Performance against commitments since launch:

• 94% of broadcast hours are made in the EU against a commitment of 90%;

• 82% of hours are made for BBC THREE against a commitment of 80%;

• 29% of broadcast hours are Music & Arts, Education and News & Current Affairs, against a commitment of 15%;

• 6% of broadcast hours are acquired - against a commitment of no more than 10%;

• BBC THREE share in all homes has averaged 1.3% since launch, and 1.9% in the target age group of 25-34 years;

• In the same period last year average BBC Choice share in all homes was 0.9%, and 1.3% in the target age group;

• The cumulative reach of the BBC THREE since launch is 18 million;

• More than 3.6 million viewers watch BBC THREE every week, based on 15 minute reach;

• The Reach of the BBC THREE zone on BBC ONE since launch is 22 million and on the BBC THREE zone on BBC TWO is 9.5 million.

The BBC THREE autumn press pack is available below in PDF format, as a complete pack or by genres.

You may require Adobe Acrobat Software to read PDF files which can be obtained here.

Tip for users: when in the PDF files use the "Zoom In" tool to magnify the text.

Full BBC THREE autumn press pack (917 KB)

Introduction (16 KB)

Comedy (209 KB)

Arts, Documentary and Ethics (196 KB)

Interactive, Entertainment and Talent (186 KB)

News & Current Affairs (110 KB)

Music, History & Science and Drama & Animation (232 KB)

Notes to Picture Editors

Pictures are available for media use only on the BBC's digital picture service "specials folder".

Related release

THREE is the magic number - channel launch press pack (23.01.03)

Transmission dates and times

Little Britain - BBC THREE, starts Tuesday 16 September 2003 at 9.00pm

3 Non-Blondes - BBC THREE, starts Tuesday 16 September 2003 at 9.30pm

Freeview offers the BBC's eight television channels, interactive services from BBCi, as well as 11 BBC radio networks.

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