BBC 1 Winter 1999 Schedule Details

BBC1 has this week unveiled its Winter 1999 schedule and taking pride of place for the channel is contemporary drama. According to the BBC, £125 million has been spent on more than 70 hours worth of drama in the ratings battle with ITV. One of the main beneficiaries of the money is Holby City, which amounts to nothing more than a spin off from the successful medical drama Casualty.

Other highlights include : Ex-Eastenders star Nick Berry featuring in Harbour Lights; Michelle Collins appearing in Sunburn, which is from the creator of ITV’s Cold Feet; Sean Bean staring in the adaptation to the best selling book Bravo Two Zero and Richard E. Grant as The Scarlet Pimpernel. Winter ’99 also sees return of Jimmy McGovern’s The Lakes and Kay Mellor’s Playing the Field.

Entertainment offers up such programmes as: Mrs Merton and Malcolm from Caroline Aherne; Get Your Act Together, which has people such as Ronan (swoon!) Keating from Boyzone revealing how to become a star; Families At War which follows on from the pilot broadcast earlier this year and is hosted by Vic and Bob; Ainsley Harriott presenting Hidden Camera Show and chat show Parkinson, hopefully this time in its old Saturday evening slot instead of late on Friday.

There are factual programmes like Fighting Fat;Fighting Fit, Supernatural, Paddington Green and Love Town, which unfortunately are yet more fly-on-the-wall documentary series along the lines of Airport and Hotel. There will also be the bi-annual Comic Relief event, which will feature the talents of Lenny Henry, Julian Clary, Ewan McGregor and Geri Halliwell(?). Returning programmes include the ever popular Changing Rooms and Groundforce.

BBC tries to make the most of what sporting coverage it has left by showcasing Five Nations Rugby Union, the World Indoor Athletic Championships, Premiership football, Benson and Hedges Snooker Championships and National Hunt racing.

Reviewer: Simon Wright

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