·      Emma Thompson plays the Queen, Sir Tom Jones in his first acting role; Will Self writes for David Tennant - just a few in the spectacular line-up of Playhouse Presents…
 
·         Sir Michael Parkinson returns to British TV with a brand new format for Sky Arts
 
·         Sky Arts to partner with Tate Liverpool to create a brand new work of art with leading contemporary artist Doug Aitken, as the first project of the Sky Arts Ignition Series
 
·         Sky Arts content now available to watch on the move on laptops, PC’s and compatible mobile devices through Sky Go

Sky Arts is to become even bigger and better, with a range of ambitious new commissions, innovations and initiatives for 2012. Sky Arts is set to engage, excite and inspire even more audiences, whether on-screen through exclusive new programming or on the ground through investment in arts projects across the UK.

A fantastic year for customers on screen…

Hayley Atwell, Brenda Blethyn, Trevor Eve, Stephen Fry, Richard E. Grant, Sheila Hancock, Douglas Henshall, John Hurt, Geraldine James, Tom Jones, Eddie Marsan, Gina McKee, Paul O’Grady, Will Self, Martin Shaw, Harry Shearer, Stellan Skarsgård, Alison Steadman, David Tennant, Emma Thompson, Russell Tovey, Zoe Wanamaker and Olivia Williams will all appear in PLAYHOUSE PRESENTS…a brand new series of original comedy and drama productions set to premiere in April 2012. Building on Sky Arts’ successful Playhouse Live and Theatre Live series, which were executive produced by Sandi Toksvig, PLAYHOUSE PRESENTS is a series of incredibly diverse, richly crafted productions which recreate famous moments in history; span universal themes and genres and showcases the incredible wealth of acting, directing and writing talent in the UK. Complementing the increased investment in original content across Sky’s entertainment portfolio, PLAYHOUSE PRESENTS…represents a landmark moment in the evolution of Sky Arts as well as unmissable viewing for Sky customers.
 
Sky Arts will also welcome Michael Parkinson this autumn, as he returns to British TV with an exclusive format. SKY ARTS MASTERCLASS WITH MICHAEL PARKINSON will see the veteran presenter learn how the leading practitioners of the arts work, in the definitive interview of their life and times. Whether it’s how to write the perfect song or how a masterpiece is sculpted, Sky Arts Masterclass will explore the art of their craft.
 
Sky customers will enjoy a host of high quality entertainment in 2012, as Sky Arts bring back flagship, returnable series’, including a sixth series of THE BOOK SHOW, hosted by Mariella Frostrup, and IN CONFIDENCE with Laurie Taylor. THE SOUTH BANK SKY ARTS AWARDS will also return for the second year, and Sky Arts is delighted to welcome THE SOUTH BANK SHOW back to screens in 2012, hosted, edited and produced by Melvyn Bragg. Tim Marlow will offer further exclusive tours of some of the UK’s biggest exhibitions, including Picasso at the Tate and Sky Arts’ coverage of live festivals will continue in 2012, kicking off with exclusive, extended coverage of the Isle of Wight Festival in June, hosted by Zoe Ball.
 
THE RONNIE WOOD SHOW, an irreverent mix of music and interview, kicks off the channel’s new schedule from Friday 24 February and features guests including Mark Ronson, Alice Cooper and Kelly Jones. A brand new series, CELEBRITY EXPOSED, will see Grammy Award-winning filmmaker Don Letts explore the life and work of the world’s foremost society photographer Richard Young,
 
whilst Shakespeare comes to Sky Arts in the shape of Simon Callow, whose one-man West End show, Being Shakespeare will be exclusively broadcast on the channel as part of a Shakespeare season along with four exclusive productions from the Globe Theatre.
                                                 
Sky Arts also honours Britain’s other famous playwrights and novelists with In Love With…a series that sees actors including Stephen Fry, Caroline Quentin, Robert Sheehan and Russell Tovey bring their favourite characters from Charles Dickens; Noël Coward and Oscar Wilde to life in a new series of monologues.
 
BRITAIN’S BEST AM-DRAM will see the cream of the UK’s amateur dramatic societies battle to win the ultimate prize – performing in front of an audience on a West End Stage. Mentored by some of the country’s finest actors, including Dame Harriet Walters, Jill Halfpenny, Roger Allam and Niamh Cusack and judged by actor Miriam Margolyes, theatre critic Quentin Letts and impresario Bill Kenwright, BRITAIN’S BEST AM-DRAM will showcase the passion, dedication and talent that the world of amateur dramatics has to offer.
 
Sky Arts will also continue to bring the finest foreign drama to their customers as it brings two outstanding Israeli dramas on to UK screens. The original In Treatment, BETIPUL and PRISONERS OF WAR will launch on the channel in February.  
 
Sky Arts will be made even more accessible to customers by moving up Sky’s Electronic Programme Guide, and being made available on the move. Sky Arts 1 and Sky Arts 1 HD move to channel number 129, while Sky Arts 2 and Sky Arts 2 HD move to channel number 130, and Sky Arts 1 is now available through Sky Go on all compatible mobile devices, significantly expanding the choice of TV on offer on the move.
 
Supporting the arts on the ground

Sky Arts will also continue its commitment to supporting the arts on the ground in 2012, showcasing, creating and directly investing over £1.2 million into the arts in the UK and Ireland. The launch of the first SKY ARTS IGNITION SERIES project will take place in September at the Liverpool Biennial, in partnership with Tate Liverpool and globally acclaimed visual artist Doug Aitken, while later this year, the first winners of the SKY ARTS IGNITION: FUTURES FUND will launch their new projects.
 
The SKY ARTS IGNITION SERIES is a new programmewhich will enable Sky Arts to back the creation of major new works of art as well as nurture emerging talent, and complements Sky Arts’ existing and longstanding support for the arts across the UK and Ireland.
 
“I’ve always said I’ve got the best job in TV – and our plans for 2012 only confirm this for me,” comments James Hunt, Director of Sky Arts. “It’s hard to know what to be most excited by – the thrilling talent we now have coming to the channel, the raft of fantastic ideas we have for programmes or the enormously exciting work that’s happening off air. We’re delighted to be able to offer our customers this kind of content, and the unique opportunity to experience what we do off screen as well as on. Needless to say, we’re also thrilled that, in our new home, it’s even easier for them to find us, and to find more of what they love.”

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT

Manisha Ferdinand Head of Sky Arts and Sky Movies PR, Sky Press Office
T: 0207 032 2842
E:

Katherine Solomon PR Manager, Sky Press Office
T: 0207 032 0599
E:

Dominic Collett Sky Arts Publicist, Sky Press Office
T: 0207 032 4892
E:

NOTES TO EDITOR

About Playhouse Presents

Sky Arts has commissioned the award-winning Hat Trick Productions (Outnumbered, Armstrong and Miller) Sprout Pictures (Little Crackers, Kingdom) Tiger Aspect (Grandma’s House, Benidorm) and Warp Films (This is England, Submarine) to produce the series. Six of the twelve plays have been executive produced by Sandi Toksvig for Sprout productions, artistic director of Sky Arts’ previous Playhouse Live and Theatre Live series. Many have been filmed at Sky Studios, Sky’s new production facility.

KING OF THE TEDS Drama written by Jim Cartwright (The Rise and Fall of Little Voice) Tina works part time as a cleaner. Ron’s been made redundant by the bottle factory. The lives of this long-term married couple are turned upside-down with the surprise visit of their best friend from the fifties and deep feelings are rekindled. With Tom Jones, Alison Steadman and Brenda Blethyn.
 
NIXON’S THE ONE Comedy-drama starring Harry Shearer (This is Spinal Tap, The Simpsons) as Nixon. This is a verbatim account of Nixon’s time in the Oval office, based on more than 198 hours of recordings made between February 1971 and 1973. This brilliant film is a fascinating account of his controversial and often farcical time in office. Also stars Henry Goodman as Henry Kissinger.
 
THE MINOR CHARACTER Drama written by Will Self and starring David Tennant as Will, the artist, who observes life in minute detail, providing a witty and acerbic critique of his life. When a tragedy occurs, Will is forced to reconsider the trust he has in the urban-suburban, middle-class landscape of his middle-aged friends.
 
CITY HALL Riding a wave of popular opinion after footage of her defiant stance against London rioters becomes an internet hit, an ordinary woman finds herself as the capital’s first female Mayor. With Olivia Williams, Rhashan Stone, Lucy Punch and Martin Shaw.
 
CARE Stars Gina McKee as Natalie, a nurse whose relationship with an elderly patient and other residents on the notorious Byker Estate forces her to confront her own fears and isolation.
 
NELLIE AND MELBA Melba teaches ballroom dancing and likes to play whist. Her 51 year-old son still lives at home working at the dreaded social security office. His dream is to go onto the stage which, despite a catalogue of disasters, he triumphantly does – with a little help from his mother. With Paul O’Grady, Sheila Hancock, Rosie Cavaliero and Jonathan D. Ellis
 
THE SNIPIST Drama by Matthew Holness (Garth Marenghi) and starring Douglas Henshall and the voice of John Hurt. Set in a post-apocalyptic Britain, a lone sniper (Henshall) must fend off plague carriers and rescue stranded communities in order to survive. But is this landscape of a destroyed civilisation all that it seems?
 
WALKING THE DOGS An intruder breaks into the Queen’s bedroom at dawn. They discuss love, family and personal freedom before the police arrive to take him away. With Emma Thompson, Eddie Marsan and Russell Tovey.
 
THE MAN Hidden in an exclusive hotel, a cabal of powerful individuals debates international politics, economics and war. A chilling look at how an unelected few control the fate of the masses. With Stephen Fry, Haley Atwell, Zoe Wanamaker and Stellan Skarsgård.
 
THE OTHER WOMAN  Life imitates art as a successful TV writer and his actress wife’s failing marriage is mirrored in the show he writes and she stars in. But can they work out their problems on screen or is their relationship doomed to fail? With Geraldine James, Richard E Grant, Trevor Eve and Tom Ellis.
    
About Sky Arts

Sky Arts offers an eclectic mix of the best music, arts, biographies, chat shows, film, drama and comedy. 2012 will see Sky Arts turn the spotlight on the best amateur dramatics companies in the UK in BRITAIN’S BEST AM-DRAM, exclusive productions from The Globe Theatre and Simon Callow’s one man play as part of a SHAKESPEARE SEASON and Ronnie Wood’s new show for Sky Arts. Popular series such as THE ONION NEWS NETWORK and ROMANZO CRIMINALE will sit alongside the premieres of Israeli dramas BE TIPUL and PRISONERS OF WAR. Sky Arts also encourages new formats and methods for accessing opera; beaming the world’s first live opera in 3D to cinemas across the UK and Ireland from ENO.
 
Sky Arts seeks to connect with culture on the ground; creating and collaborating with the best of the arts in the UK and Ireland to bring new experiences to life. The flagship show, The Book Show, now goes to four literary festivals including Hay and Cheltenham. The Sky Arts Ignition Serieslaunched in in 2011 to invest in the arts landscape of the UK, following long term partnerships with English National Opera, English National Ballet and Artichoke. The Series will seek to collaborate with six arts organisations over the next three years in the creation of brand new works; Sky Arts Ignition Series: Futures Fund will support five young artists with a bursary of £30,000 each, enabling Sky Arts to back the creation of new works of art as well as nurture emerging talent.
 
See sky.com/arts
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