GREAT! MOVIES: MONDAY 1ST JANUARY

Ease those sore heads by settling on the sofa and watching these three brilliant films back-to-back on New Year’s Day!

4.30pm – Robin Hood (2018) 

In the latest version of the legendary story, Robin of Loxley (Taron Egerton) a war- hardened Crusader and his Moorish commander (Jamie Foxx) mount an audacious revolt against the corrupt English crown. Robin Hood is a thrilling action-adventure packed with gritty battlefield exploits, mind-blowing fight choreography, and a timeless romance which also stars Ben Mendelsohn, Eve Hewson, Tim Minchin, and Jamie Dornan.

6.50pm –Deepwater Horizon (2016)

When technician, Mike Williams (Mark Wahlberg), and trusty rig supervisor, Jimmy Harrell (Kurt Russell) recognise a potentially catastrophic defect in a rig’s infrastructure due to a lack of care from BP oil executives, disaster strikes and a chain of fatal events unfold. Based on the true events of the worst oil disaster in U.S. history, Williams and Harrell heroically struggle to rescue their shipmates from the 87-day-long nightmare in Deepwater Horizon.

9.00pm –Allied (2016)

The must-see wartime drama, Allied, will keep viewers guessing until the very end. Max (Brad Pitt), a Canadian intelligence officer serving amidst the height of World War II, meets a member of the French Resistance, Marianne (Marion Cotillard) in Morocco. Whilst on a mission to assassinate a German officer, the pair fall in love with each other. They return to London and have a child together, but their love is put to the test under the strain of war. When Marianne’s true identity is brought into question, Max must embark on a mission to confirm whether or not Marianne is on the side of the enemy.

Great TV: Weekends from 9pm

Courtney Throne-Smith stars as Emma Fielding, a dedicated archaeologist she also puts her skills to work by solving murders.

An archaeologist professor, Emma Fielding, is doing her last job with some students in her hometown to prove her late father’s theory that there would be a colony settled there. One night she has an argument with a man, and the next day he is found dead and buried in the place of the dig. Among the suspects are art and artefact thieves and an ex-boyfriend! With the help of an FBI agent, Emma tries to unravel the mystery in Site Unseen.

In Past Malice, Emma finds her colleague murdered in the crypts below Chandler Castle. When she makes unsettling connections to an age-old curse, Emma, her students, and FBI agent Jim (James Tupper) soon find themselves in danger.

Saturday 16th December
9pm Site Unseen

Sunday 17th December
9pm Past Malice

PBS: Monday 18 December at 7.10pm

The True Story of King Tut’s Treasure

When the tomb of Tutankhamun was opened on 17 February 1923, the world was awed by the lavish trove of relics discovered in the young king’s burial chamber, among them his golden mask and solid gold coffin.

Now, a century on, this documentary casts new light on the familiar story. Using techniques including 2D and 3D imagery, the tomb, the mummy, the funerary objects and the topography of the famous Valley of the Kings are all reconstructed for the viewer.

In addition, the programme examines what the artefacts tell us about Tutankhamun and his ancient world, and explores the circumstances in which they were discovered and then taken from the pharaoh’s tomb.

GREAT Christmas: 16 December from 2PM

Christmas is just around the corner and GREAT! Christmas continues its countdown of favourite festive films.

For a newly-wed couple, having their families over for Christmas is anything but perfect in A Perfect Christmas. They invite their families to join them for the holidays, but when Steve is laid off just before the holidays and Cynthia discovers she’s pregnant, they both keep their news secret in hopes that the celebration runs smoothly.

Jesse Metcalfe stars in Christmas Next Door as Eric Randall, an author of bachelor lifestyle books who is left in charge of his young niece and nephew for the holidays. Unsure of himself, Eric turns to his neighbour April, a lover of all things Christmas, for help.

With only a week to go before Christmas, Miranda is far from in the festive spirit in Finding Father Christmas. Her mother died 20 years ago around the festive season, whilst her father’s identity was never divulged before her mother’s passing. When she comes into possession of a suitcase belonging to her mother, she puts together some clues and embarks on a quest to find her father in Vermont. There she meets new families and a romantic flame!

16 December on Great! Christmas

2pm – Family For Christmas
4pm – A Perfect Christmas
6pm – Christmas Next Door
8pm – Finding Father Christmas
10pm – A Family For The Holidays

GOTTA CATCH SANTA CLAUS

TX: AVAILABLE ON FREEVIEW

A 12-year-old boy tries to catch Santa Claus, just to prove to his friends and the world that Santa really exists.

7 SECONDS (2005)

GREAT! Action: WEDNESDAY 20TH DECEMBER AT 9PM

7 Seconds is a high-octane action-thriller and follows Jack Tuliver (Wesley Snipes), a skilled thief who inadvertently becomes entangled in a daring heist involving a valuable Van Gogh painting.

Having pulled off the planned heist successfully, Tuliver and his crew are ambushed by a group of Romanian outlaws who were tipped off by a traitor within Tuliver’s crew. Tuliver’s associate ‘Bull’ (Andrei Ionescu) is killed in the commotion. Tuliver is able to escape captivity, taking a briefcase from the loot with him which happens to contain the priceless painting. As he makes his escape via Sgt. Kelly Anders’ (Tamzin Outhwaite) car, he must leave Anders behind. Tuliver eventually returns to help save a team member from the clutch of Alexie Kutchinov (Pete Lee-Wilson), a barbarous Russian mobster in charge of the Romanian racketeers that ambushed Tuliver.

With time quickly passing, it is a race against time for Tuliver and his crew to save themselves from the deadly gangsters holding them hostage.

Edwardian Britain in Colour

PBS: Wednesday 20 & Thursday 21 December at 8.35pm

The world of our Edwardian ancestors was visually documented mainly in flickering, black-and-white images. Yet, just as we do today, those long-gone people lived their lives in full colour.

By the careful addition of colour to archive footage, this two-part documentary lends a vivid immediacy to historically distant events. From Queen Victoria’s state funeral in 1901 to that parallel world of workers eking out a living in mills, down mines and in metropolitan dock- lands and markets, or enjoying the novelty of leisure time at the seaside, a whole era is captured as never before.

Social historians and experts on the industries depicted, chart the changes afoot during this time, as the old order was challenged while war clouds gathered over Europe.

HE-MAN & THE MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE

Yaaas!: New. Available now on Freeview.

On the planet Eternia, a young prince gains the ability to become a powerful warrior to defend Castle Grayskull against the dark lord Skeletor.  

THE 5TH WAVE (2016)

GREAT! Movies: SUNDAY 3RD DECEMBER AT 9PM

Talented actress Chloë Grace Moretz stars in the dystopian sci-fi outing The 5th Wave.

The human race stands on the brink of extinction as a series of four alien attacks decimate the planet, causing earthquakes, tsunamis and disease which rip families and the Earth itself to shreds.

Separated from her family, Ohio teenager Cassie Sullivan (Chloë Grace Moretz) will do whatever it takes to reunite with her brother. Fate leads her to form an alliance with a mysterious young man who may be her last hope. Forced to trust each other, they fight for survival during the fifth assault from the invaders.

The Fall and Rise of New York

PBS America: Tuesday 5 December at 9.45pm

Turn the clock back three decades and New York was a city in what seemed to be an advanced state of urban decay, struggling with high levels of violent crime, depressed property values, a declining middle class and associated woes.

The story of its subsequent transformation and revival, due to astute political leadership, the questioning of long-established tradition, and grassroots-level change, is both remarkable and inspirational, as this documentary details.

In the 21st century, cities around the world find themselves increasingly challenged by those same complex issues. As the 400th anniversary of The Big Apple approaches, the programme asks, what useful insights can be gleaned from the intellectual paradigm shift that helped turn around the fortunes of this great metropolis.

47 RONIN (2013)

GREAT! Movies: TUESDAY 21ST NOVEMBER AT 9PM

From ancient Japan’s most enduring tale, the epic fantasy-adventure 47 Ronin is born.

After a treacherous warlord kills their master and banishes their kind, 47 leaderless samurai vow to seek vengeance and restore honour to their people.

Driven from their homes and dispersed across the land, this band of Ronin must seek the help of Kai, played by Keanu Reeves, as they fight their way across a savage world of mythic beasts and shape-shifting witchcraft.

Buffalo Soldiers: Fighting on Two Fronts

PBS America: Monday 27 November at 20:20

African Americans have a long and honourable history of serving with America’s armed forces, participating in both World Wars and many other conflicts across the globe. Yet at home they faced discrimination and a lack of civil rights.

Their involvement in many of their country’s military campaigns is not without its contradictions. As American soldiers under orders, they would also play a part in the subjugation of Indigenous peoples as the US appropriated tribal land; the persecution of striking silver miners in Idaho, and the fight against Filipinos seeking for independence in the Spanish-American War.

Drawing upon the testimony of historians, experts and descendants, along with archive material, re-enactments and animation, this documentary tells the complex story of the so- called ‘Buffalo Soldiers’.

GARFIELD

YAAAS!: Available Now on Freeview

Cat-astrophic comedy capers with the wise- cracking, nap-taking and lasagne-loving cat Garfield.

Royal New Year’s Eve

GREAT CHRISTMAS: SUNDAY 12TH NOVEMBER 12PM

As the festive season fast approaches, there’s some all-new Christmas film offerings to enjoy.

In Royal New Year’s Eve, magazine assistant Caitlyn is stunned when Prince Jeffrey and his presumed future fiancé Lady Isabelle come to town. Having always dreamed of a huge future in fashion, Caitlyn is ecstatic when Isabelle hires her to design her dress for the royal New Year’s Eve ball, where Jeffrey is supposed to propose. As Caitlyn and Jeffrey begin planning for the ball, whilst Caitlyn also designs Isabelle’s dress, the two begin to fall for each other.

The Stuarts

PBS: Monday 13 – Wednesday 15 November at 5.50pm

For most of the 17th Century, the Stuart dynasty would rule a newly united Britain dur- ing a period of religious conflict, civil war and political revolution.

When Elizabeth I died, her cousin James VI of Scotland was installed as James I of England. His son, Charles I, was beheaded following a civil war, and his family members forced into exile. As the family’s fortunes ebbed and flowed, eventually James II was forced from the throne by his own daughter, Mary, along with her hus- band, William of Orange.

Join Dr Clare Jackson as she tells the story of a family who, though an era of political violence and spiritual conflict, helped lay the foundations of the modern UK.

SAFE (2012)

GREAT MOVIES: SUNDAY 12TH NOVEMBER AT 9PM

When ex-government agent Luke Wright (Statham) exposes the Russian mafia for rigging an illegal fight, they seek revenge on his family and threaten to kill them.

Destitute and living alone on the streets of New York, Luke has given up hope until a chance meeting with a young girl changes everything. Mei, a 10-year-old mathematical prodigy, is abducted by gangsters wanting to use her unique ability to memorise a secret code.

When the Russian mafia and a group of corrupt cops also launch a plan to kidnap Mei, Luke leaps into action to protect her.

OPERATION OUCH

Yaaas!: Available Now on Freeview

Operation Ouch is packed with incredible facts about the human body and fronted by identical twins Dr Chris and Dr Xand van Tulleken.  

A Short History of the Moors

PBS: Monday 6 November at 7.25pm

For almost eight centuries after their conquest of the Iberian peninsula, its North African invaders ruled over Granada. It would become Moorish Spain’s last outpost, finally surren- dered to Catholic monarchs Ferdinand and Isabella in 1492.

This great Islamic civilisation would leave an impressive architectural legacy. Granada’s spec- tacular palace and fortress complex, the Alhambra, once a self-contained city, remains one of Spain’s key tourist attractions. In its time ornately decorated, defaced, altered, rebuilt, neglected, rediscovered and studied, it tells its own eventful story.

This programme explores the Moors’ extensive contribution to the history of the region, and the dynasties that built an empire during the long era between the defeat of the Visigothsand the subsequent dark days of the Spanish Inquisition.

As the cold, wintery nights loom, it’s the perfect time to Get Cosy With GREAT!

GREAT! will play host to a wide array of star-studded, cosy films in the coming weeks, including Allied (Brad Pitt, Marion Cotillard), Eye For An Eye (John Travolta, Morgan Freeman, Brendan Fraser), The Alamo (Dennis Quaid, Billy Bob Thornton, Patrick Wilson) and Mirror Mirror (Lily Collins, Julia Roberts). Moreover, episodes of the renowned hit detective show, Murder, She Wrote (Angela Lansbury), will also feature, bringing that much-loved homely feel to GREAT!

Please see below for more information about the warm, hearty listings that are coming up on GREAT! 

If you would like any assets for the below listings, please visit here.

GREAT CHRISTMAS: SUNDAY 29TH OCTOBER 8PM

A Dream Of Christmas tells the story of Penny, a tired wife and mother struggling to keep up with her job, husband, and family. While in line to see Santa, she wishes that she had never married. When a Christmas angel grants the wish, she plummets into a world where she is single and without the life she once had. Realising that she took for granted what she once had, she is determined to win back the life which she has now come to miss and adore. Starring Christmas rom-com TV faves Andrew W. Walker and Nikki Deloach.

PBS: Sunday 29 October at 8.25pm

Elon Musk’s Twitter Takeover

Rebranded as X after its recent acquisition by Elon Musk, the widely-used social net- working service formerly known as Twitter faces an uncertain future.

This FRONTLINE documentary takes a look at the billionaire’s long and frequently troubled relationship with the platform, from his time as one of its most provocative users to his sub- sequent moves to make it a part of his empire, when he finally succeeded in mid-2023.

Also examined is the associated controversy surrounding the scope and limits of free speech in this volatile era. As ubiquitous online misinformation and propaganda continue to stoke conflict across the globe, reinforcing entrenched attitudes and polarising social and political debate, the consensus required to tackle pressing problems becomes increasingly elusive.

HALLOWEEN SPECIAL: THE EVIL DEAD (1983)

GREAT MOVIES: SUNDAY 29TH OCTOBER AT 9PM

The scariest time of the year is nearly upon us and GREAT! movies has some classic horror films for fans to cozy up to in the safety of their own home!

The horror classic, The Evil Dead, is directed by Sam Raimi in his feature directorial debut.

Five young friends have found the mysterious and fiercely powerful Book of the Dead deep within the rural woods of Tennessee.

As they search for more supernatural artifacts in a bid to uncover an explanation of the book, they come across an antiquated tape recorder which does exactly that.

However, in playing the recordings, they unwittingly resurrect flesh- possessing demons.

As the demons embark on a bloodthirsty quest to bedevil them all, who will be left to fight for their survival and defeat this unearthly force?

A CANDLIT CHRISTMAS

GREAT! CHRISTMAS: SUNDAY 8TH OCTOBER FROM 12PM

In A Candelit Christmas, Ellie, a chemist and perfume maker, decides to go back home for Christmas and help her dad with the candle-making business. Little does she know however, that her father has the struggling but charming writer Logan staying with him, looking for inspiration for his writings. As Ellie shows Logan the candle-making art she’s inherited from her mother, he is fascinated by the tale that started her family’s rich heritage. What starts as Ellie’s attempts to learn more about her family becomes a magical journey through time with Logan, making Ellie realise that fairy tales do indeed exist!

BONNIE & CLYDE

PBS: FRIDAY 20 OCTOBER AT 6.15pm

The story of the most famous criminal couple in American history is a true tale of illicit romance, improbable escapes and dramatic capture.

During the height of the Great Depression, Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow became nationally known bank robbers and murders, due to the discovery of several provocative pic- tures of the couple that caught the public’s imagination. AMERICAN EXPERIENCE takes view- ers inside the story of Bonnie and Clyde’s rise to notoriety, through their two-year crime spree, and to their eventual demise on a Louisiana roadside on May 23, 1934.

Told through interviews with cultural historians and descendants of the outlaws and their cap- tors, BONNIE & CLYDE tells the fascinating true story of the most famous outlaw couple in US history.

KILL BILL: VOLUME 2 (2004)

GREAT MOVIES: SUNDAY 8TH OCTOBER AT 9PM

An amazing and blazing sequel, Kill Bill: Volume 2 is a vengeance masterpiece from the mind of genius director Quentin Tarantino.

The Bride continues her quest of vengeance against her former boss and lover Bill, the reclusive bouncer Budd and the treacherous, one- eyed Elle.

The Bride (Uma Thurman) picks up where she left off in Volume 1 with her quest to finish the hitlist she has composed of all the people who have wronged her, including ex-boyfriend Bill (David Carradine), who tried to have her killed four years ago during her wedding to another man.

Leaving several dead in her wake, she eventually tracks down Bill in Mexico. Using skills she has learned during her assassin career, she attempts to finish what she set out to do in the first place.

Secret Bunkers

PBS: Monday 9 – Tuesday 10 October at 8.40pm

After the murderous trench warfare of World War One, several European nations sought to secure their borders and protect their troops with vast concrete structures, modern equivalents of medieval castles.

Ironically, although the Nazis’ Blitzkrieg tactics would render this form of defence all but obsolete, they themselves built more bunkers than almost anyone else. And in the post-war era, the threat of nuclear conflict gave the military bunker a renewed relevance. Once top secret, many are now in ruins.

This two-part series tells the stories of some of these imposing structures, tracking down examples from the inter-war period, World War Two and the Cold War, and also explores how the paranoia of a dictator would see Albania become the bunker capital of the world.

OM NOM STORIES: BACK TO SCHOOL

TX: Available on Freeview and YouView Channel 209, Samsung Smart TVs and Google Play for Android Tablets and Smartphones and the Apple App Store.

It’s time to go back to school! Om Nom and friends make things a little easier with their super fun compilations about learning, exploration, numbers, colours, and more!  

WEEKDAY DOUBLE-BILL:

CASTLE

Great! tv: Weekdays From 11AM

In the incredibly popular crime comedy TV series, Castle, Richard “Rick” Castle is a millionaire playboy who recently killed off his main character when a serial killer starts killing people like he does in his books. He teams up with New York police detective Kate Beckett to solve the case and continues to shadow her for his next book.

Catch double-bills of Castle Season 2 episodes every weekday from 11am on GREAT! tv.

There’s a creepy case in Vampire Weekend. As Halloween draws close, a man is found murdered in a graveyard, sporting fangs with a stick through his heart. Castle and Beckett discover that the murderer may be part of a vampire cult.

The Fifth Bullet sees Castle and Beckett investigate an art dealer that is shot in his gallery, but the bullet is inexplicably missing from the crime scene. To add to that, the only witness suffers from amnesia.

Alyssa Milano guest stars in the episode A Rose For Everafter in which Castle reconnects with Kyra, a former girlfriend, on her wedding day and sparks fly. Beckett picks up on the obvious connection between the two of them, making her a little jealous.  

Christmas With A Prince (2018)

GREAT! Christmas: Sunday 24th September at 12pm

A Fairytale Christmas kicks off at 12pm on Sunday 24th September, with Christmas With A Prince. Dr. Tasha Miller finds her pride and joy in ensuring the best care is given to the patients on her children’s ward, so when the spoilt Prince Alexander is secretly hospitalized on the ward having broken his leg nearby, she is less than impressed in having to nurse him better. Tasha begrudgingly helps the Prince in return for a donation towards the underfunded children’s ward, but when the seemingly pampered Prince turns out to be a natural with children, will Tasha begin to warm to her famous new patient?

LEGION (2010)

GREAT! Movies: Tuesday 26th September at 9pm

Scott Stewart’s supernatural thriller Legion follows a group of strangers in an isolated café who become the first line of defence when God, believing the human race is no longer worthy of Him, decides to end their existence.

This motley crew’s only spiritual help comes in the form of archangel Michael, played by Paul Bettany.

Dennis Quaid, Tyrese Gibson, and Charles S. Dutton also star in this action-packed sci-fi feast!

Inside Japan’s War

PBS: Monday 25 – Thursday 28 September at 8.40pm

In December 1941, Imperial Japan asserted itself to menacing effect on the world stage in the midst of the fight against Hitler, attacking American forces at Pearl Harbor and bringing the USA into what had become the Second World War.

While this aspect of the conflict has been extensively documented from the Allied side, the view of the war through Japanese eyes has remained relatively unexplored. Why did Japan fight, and with what objectives? What was everyday life like for ordinary Japanese citizens during this time?

Employing archive material, personal accounts, expert interviews, graphics and animation, this series addresses such questions, offering illuminating insights into Imperial Japan’s military motives, culture, startling initial success as an aggressor, and eventual dramatic surrender.

GROJBAND

YAAAS!: AVAILABLE NOW

Grojband follows the story of a band of the same name formed by Corey Riffin as they work together to propel their band to international stardom.

GREAT! ROMANCE ON GREAT! TV  

GREAT! TV: SATURDAYS FROM 11AM

Prepare to get lovey-dovey this September, as GREAT! tv presents GREAT! romance every Saturday from 11am, showcasing some of the best love story favourites to keep you feeling charmed throughout the month!

A young caterer, Jenny Fintley (Lacey Chabert), inherits half a house in All of My Heart. She learns that the house’s co-owner is Brian Howell (Brennan Elliot), a Wall Street trader who is obsessed with nothing but work. The pair do not get on initially, but the tide soon changes direction when the two of them must work together to restore the house which they have inherited.

Jodie Carpenter (Brooke Williams) feels her sail-making company ‘The Loft’ is under threat when Charles Prescott (Mark Mitchinson) purchases the port where the business is situated looking to carry out a big expansion. In an attempt to save the local businesses located on the marina, Jodie spends her time trying to teach the architect of the redevelopment, Will Calvin (Matthew Walker), of the local community and its cultural traditions. Whilst trying to save the local community, however, the pair set sail for more than what they had initially bargained for.

Lastly, Love Struck Café follows the story of Megan Quinn (Sarah Jane Morris) who must convince an old hometown friend to sell her land so that the architect company which she works for can begin redevelopment upon it. Struggling with the task, she must also take care of her injured father and the family café, whilst also managing with the reconnection with her childhood sweetheart Joe (Andrew W. Walker), who broke her heart.

Attack of the Zeppelins

PBS America: Wednesday 20 September at 9.40pm

The early twentieth century saw the birth of a new and terrifying form of warfare: bombing from the air. Civilians were targeted in the belief that finding death raining down upon them would break their morale.

Early in World War One, the Germans began to employ this tactic on London and other targets, sending huge airships named after their inventor, Count Ferdinand von Zeppelin, on bombing raids that caused panic as well as widespread damage. Left struggling to combat this airborne menace, the British finally countered the threat, at least in part, by developing effective explosive bullets.

Along with a team of historians and weapons experts, Cambridge University engineer Hugh Hunt investigates this relatively unknown arms race and its technological background.

YAAAS!: CAN YOU IMAGINE THAT!

Can You Imagine That! combines practical and factual information about a chosen future career. Through a child’s unique voice, we see what it would be like to explore that job.

Available on Freeview and YouView Channel 209, Samsung Smart TVs and Google Play for Android Tablets and Smartphones

PBS America: Monday 11 September at 20:30

Augusto Pinochet: The Coup, The Torture & The West

Half a century ago, a coup saw General Augusto Pinochet seize power in Chile, his military junta having toppled the democratically elected left-wing government of Salvador Allende.

Ruthless toward political opponents, Pinochet maintained his grip on the country through the use of terror, imprisonment and torture – while, out in the wider world, democracies including the United Kingdom and the United States chose to look the other way.

With the aid of archive footage, expert analysis, personal accounts of torture and declassified gov- ernment files, this sobering documentary exam- ines Pinochet’s path to power. Also revealed is the shocking extent to which his brutal regime would benefit from overseas enablers, key players on the international stage who regarded his dictator- ship as expedient.

GREAT! ACTION: MONDAY 11TH SEPTEMBER AT 9PM

PUNISHER: WAR ZONE (2008)

The crime thriller reboot, Punisher: War Zone, follows The Punisher (Ray Stevenson), as he continues turning the streets of New York City red as he wages a one-man war against crime and corruption. Aided by his trusted sidekick, Microchip, The Punisher has his sights set on revenge against Billy “Jigsaw” Russoti (Dominic West).

Jigsaw, along with his frenzied brother Loony Bin Jim, seeks the help of criminals from all over the city to take on The Punisher and Microchip, resulting in a gruesome last stand firefight between the infamous opponents.

Looking for your festive flicks fix already? Everyone’s favourite Christmas TV channel, GREAT! christmas, is returning!

From Thursday 7^th September GREAT! christmas will be showing feel-good seasonal films 24/7 and bringing non-stop festive spirit into everyone’s homes all the way through to 4^th January 2024.

GREAT! christmas is available on Freeview 52, Sky 319, Virgin 424, and Freesat 303 (temporarily replacing GREAT! romance) and will be bursting with heart-warmingly festive films, channel premieres, comfortingly cheesy romantic classics and much, much more. 

All day, every day, there’s a sparkling line-up including:

• Cosy channel premieres such as A Blueridge Mountain Christmas, A Dream Of Christmas and many more

• Famous faces such as Samaire Armstrong and Matthew Lawrence in My Santa, Melissa Gilbert in The Christmas Pageant, Downton Abbey’s Robert James Collier in A Christmas Star, and Robert Wagner and Tiffani Thiessen in Northpole

• Special themed days and weekends such as Santa Saturday, Christmas Wedding Day and A Romantic Christmas Weekend for viewers to enjoy

So, if you’re pining for some festive sparkle in your home, tune in to GREAT! christmas from Thursday 7^th September on Freeview 52, Sky 319, Virgin 424, and Freesat 303.

NERDS & MONSTERS

YAAAS!: AVAILABLE ON FREEVIEW

A group of nerdy kids are washed up on an island inhabited by a tribe of hideous monsters.

TED (2012)

Great! Movies: SATURDAY 2^nd SEPTEMBER AT 9PM

Starring Mark Wahlberg, Mila Kunis and Seth Macfarland, Ted tells the story of John Bennett (Mark Wahlberg), a Boston native whose childhood wish was to bring his teddy bear friend Ted (Seth Macfarland) to life.

The two grow up together, but in adulthood, their dream friendship soon becomes a nightmare when Ted and John’s friendship begins to interfere with the progression of John’s relationship with his girlfriend, Lori Collins (Mila Kunis).

Vikings: The Rise and Fall

PBS: Monday 4 September at 8:45pm

Centuries later, their name and reputation still inspire awe, conjuring up images of fierce Norse warriors setting sail in their longboats to plunder and pillage. Yet does the truth measure up to the myths and legends sur- rounding the Vikings?

Calling upon rigorous research through mythical sagas and bioarchaeological finds, with input from an impressive gallery of experts, this series sets out to answer such questions.

From their Scandinavian beginnings, through the attack on a religious community on Lindisfarne in AD 793 that began their age of conquest, the series traces how the Vikings would expand not only into Europe, but as far afield as Constantinople and even the land later known as America before their empire finally receded into history.

GREAT TV: MONDAY 28TH AUGUST FROM 12PM

MURDER, SHE WROTE

Join Jessica Fletcher, the smart writer, as she helps the authorities catch crooks! There’s a whole afternoon of intrigue and suspense with the best-selling sleuth from 12pm this bank holiday Monday, only on GREAT! tv.

GREAT! MOVIES ACTION: TUESDAY 29TH AUGUST AT 9PM

THE DEVIL’S OWN (1997)

Harrison Ford and Brad Pitt star in this gripping thriller about an IRA gunman who draws an American family into the crossfire of terrorism.

Frankie McGuire (Pitt) is one of the IRA’s deadliest assassins. But when he is sent to the U.S. to buy weapons, Frankie is housed with the family of Tom O’Meara (Ford), a New York cop who knows nothing about Frankie’s real identity.​

Their surprising friendship and Tom’s growing suspicions forces Frankie to choose between the promise of peace or a lifetime of murder.

PBS: Friday 1 September at 8.30pm

Prince Albert: A Victorian Hero Revealed

Overshadowed by his wife, who would outlive him by several decades, and initially regarded with suspicion and hostility by the British public, Queen Victoria’s German consort has long remained a rather enigmatic figure.

Yet new historical evidence suggests that Prince Albert wielded considerable influence over the culture of his era, with his untimely death robbing the world of a forward-thinking reformer, a man of innovative ideas. However, making his voice heard in Victorian society had required a good deal of determination and tenacity.

Drawing upon over 20,000 of Albert’s private papers and photographs stored in Windsor Castle’s Round Tower, Professor Saul David examines how Albert would leave his imprint on the culture, governmental policy and even international relations of his adopted country.

CAMP LAKEBOTTOM

YAAAS!: AVAILABLE NOW ON FREEVIEW

When McGee’s bus takes a wrong turn he ends up at run-down, spooky Camp Lakebottom. McGee quickly discovers that Lakebottom isn’t a typical camp – it’s the best camp ever!

10 MINUTES GONE (1995)

GREAT! Movies: SATURDAY 19TH AUGUST AT 9PM

Action legends Bruce Willis and Michael Chiklis light up this edge-of- your-seat thriller.

Crime boss Rex (Willis) hires Frank (Chiklis) and his crew to steal a priceless jewel stash — but the job goes wrong when someone tips off the cops.

After Frank suffers a blow to the head, he wakes up to find the jewels gone and no memory of his attacker. Now, Frank must confront his team members one by one to find the traitor — before Rex covers his tracks by having Frank murdered.

The 100 Days That Defined Modern History

PBS: UK PREMIERE Starts Monday 21 August at 8.45pm

The period between Napoleon’s re-emergence from exile in 1815 and his defeat at Waterloo came to be known as ‘The Hundred Days’, and demonstrated that the world could change dramatically within a matter of weeks.

This six-part series applies a comparable timespan to key events from the 20th century – The Fall of France, D-Day, the Suez Crisis, The Assassinations of Martin Luther King & Robert F. Kennedy, The Fall of the Berlin Wall and the Gulf War – as a useful framework for examining the backdrop and context.

Often highlighting unfamiliar aspects, graphics, maps, archive material and expert contributors all offer insights into how these historical storms came about, how they developed and evolved, and the changes they would leave in their wake.

THE FLU THAT KILLED 50 MILLION

PBS: Friday 18 August at 20:25

The Armistice of November 1918 brought the curtain down on four years of savage conflict that had seen millions slaughtered in the trenches and elsewhere. Yet, following closely on its heels, was a deadly pandemic that would claim countless more lives.

Although its earliest documented case was in the USA, and its origins remain indeterminate, the so-called ‘Spanish Flu’ soon found its way to a Europe still locked in battle. Ravaging populations already weakened by warfare, it would prove every bit as lethal as machine guns and poison gas.

Drawing upon new evidence, this documentary focuses on the human stories behind the rapid spread of the pathogen and the desperate efforts to get to grips with this invisible, indiscriminate enemy .

SEVEN POUNDS (2008)

GREAT! Movies: SUNDAY 13TH AUGUST AT 9PM

Will Smith stars as Ben Thomas, a man at a crossroads searching for a way to redeem his heavy conscience.​​

He discovers he has the power to change the circumstances of seven strangers who deserve a second chance.​​

But when one of them captures his heart, he must decide if he should reveal his secret – even if it means giving up on his plan.​​

From the creators of The Pursuit of Happyness, it’s an emotionally charged, captivating and inspiring film. ​​

Rosario Dawson and Woody Harrelson also star.

DANIELLE STEEL’S HEARTBEAT

GREAT!: SATURDAY 12TH AUGUST 11.10AM

Make sure you have enough hankies at the ready for these best-selling, tear-jerking romance stories from the pen of Danielle Steel which are showing on GREAT! tv every Saturday.

Polly Draper plays a woman whose husband leaves her when she gets pregnant in Danielle Steel’s Heartbeat. Devastated, she struggles to get over her ex, that is until she meets Bill. Bill wants to welcome her into his life with his own children. But can she forget her old existence and move on with her new one? Also starring the late John Ritter.