BBC Autumn Season

The BBC’s Autumn season, at a total cost of £165m, includes 82 hours of new drama and 25 fresh comeday and variety shows.

The comedy season includes Dawn French as a vicar in The New Vicar, by the writer of Four Weddings and a Funeral, Timothy Spall is in a Nice Day At The Office with John Sessions and Nicola Stephenson. This is Your Life and Michael Aspel return to BBC1 after 25 years. Harry Enfield has a new series, as does Paul Merton.

Dramas for the Autumn include Seaforth, an epic saga of two lovers, Edward Woodward stars in Common as Muck about dustbinmen; Robert Lindsay stars in the adaptation of The Wimbledon Poisoner. There is a new season of Screen One films; stars include Victoria Wood in her first screen play, with Julie Walters, Charlotte Rampling in a psychological thriller, and Elliott Gould as a jazz pianist. Returning drama series include Between The Lines and Casualty. Factual programming is headed by The Homecoming, an exclusive which covers Alexander Solzhenitsyn’s return to his homeland after 20 years. Lord Lucan is the subject of a documentary. Joanna Lumley presents Girl Friday and Clive James sends two postcards from Berlin and Bombay.

Returning favourites include Chef! with Lenny Henry; Waiting for God; Noel Edmonds’ House Party and Telly Addicts; Birds of a Feather, 2point4 Children; Challenge Anneka and How Do They Do That? Sport will include the Rugby League test series in Britain, and the athletics World Cup. Films include Shattered, Blue Ice with Bob Hoskins and Michael Caine, and Michael J Fox in The Hard Way.

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