Monday Monday 
Starts Monday, 13 July, ITV1

Monday Monday is a brand new seven part comedy drama series for ITV1, created by new writing team Ben Edwards and Rachael new and produced by talkbackTHAMES.
 

Set in the head office of a struggling supermarket chain, it is a tale for our times about a group of workers forced to re-locate to a new city. With their friends and family left far behind, they’ll be in each other’s pockets (and beds) like never before. 

The stellar ensemble cast includes Fay Ripley (Reggie Perrin, Cold Feet), Jenny Agutter (Spooks, The Alan Clark Diaries), Holly Aird (Waking The Dead, Torn), Neil Stuke (Reggie Perrin, Trust), Morven Christie (Lost in Austen, Oliver Twist), Laura Haddock (Honest, The Colour of Magic), Peter Wight (Early Doors, Hot Fuzz), Tom Ellis (Pulling, The Passion) and Saikat Ahamed (Afterlife, East is East.

Determined to hold onto his job, company man Roger Sorsby (Peter Wight) is the Chief Executive of the company; he has worked there all his life, with the very loyal support of his assistant Jenny (Jenny Agutter). Roger finds his position under threat by the appointment of a young and highly ambitious Chief operating officer, Alyson Cartmell (Holly Aird), who seems determined to make it to the top.

What Roger doesn’t know is that Alyson’s relationship with her handsome PA, Steven (Tom Ellis) is rather more than just professional.

Heading up Human Resources is Christine Frances (Fay Ripley). A Luddite who is short of friends and terminally single, Christine struggles with both life and work and seeks solace in booze. Christine’s PA Sally (Morven Christie) is trying to rebuild her life having been dumped by her fiancé, who ran off with her sister. Sally shares a flat with foxy Natasha (Laura Haddock).

Best friends from school, Natasha is also a PA at Butterworth’s and in search of the perfect man. Max Chambers (Neil Stuke) is the hard-nosed Head of Marketing determined to make a name for himself, aided and abetted by his PA Vince (Saikat Ahamed).

Monday Monday was commissioned by ITV’s Director of Drama, Laura Mackie. She says, “Monday Monday is a witty, warm-hearted and contemporary workplace drama that promises to entertain, engage and strike a chord with the audience”.

Taking the Flak
Starts Wednesday, 8th July
9.00pm - 10.00pm, BBC TWO

A small African war suddenly becomes the centre of global attention when a team of BBC journalists arrives in Karibu, ready to cover the conflict, as this new comedy drama starring Martin Jarvis begins.

Local "stringer" Harry (Bruce Mackinnon) is hanging on to the bottom of the journalist ladder and thinks the story will be his big break. But he finds himself "bigfooted" when BBC News heavyweights, including senior foreign correspondent David Bradburn (Martin Jarvis), flanked by his production team, and Margaret Hollis (Joanna Brookes) from the World Service, arrive in town.

Football-mad boy soldiers, corrupt car dealers, intestinal discomfort, unexploded landmines, old flames, impromptu hostage situations, YouTube viral videos and colossal egos all combust under the African sun. There is a story to be told in Karibu – but who will get to tell it?

Bruce Mackinnon plays Harry Chambers, Martin Jarvis plays David Bradburn and Joanna Brookes plays Margaret Hollis. Taking The Flak also stars Doon Mackichan as Jane Thomason, Kobna Holdbrook-Smith as Joyful Sifuri and Lloyd Owen as Jack. Mackenzie Crook guest stars as Nigel Bagwell, with Bill Turnbull, Sian Williams and George Alagiah as themselves.

Secret Caribbean
With Trevor McDonald
Currently showing on ITV1

There are 7000 islands which make up the Caribbean, stretching from the coast of Florida down to South America, and, in this brand new series for ITV1, Sir Trevor McDonald goes beyond the images of the region in the glossy travel brochures to discover why the rich mixture of people and cultures make it like no other place on earth.

Trevor travels 2000 miles across the islands taking in the pristine private resorts, the no-go areas, the stunning beauty and the violent natural disasters.

He meets the wealthy landowners and celebrities enjoying life in the sun, samples Caribbean communism in Cuba, meets the businessman running a coffee plantation, a chocolate factory owner and the girls with a passion for music trying to turn the lives of young people around.

He sees one of the great wonders of nature when he witnesses a giant turtle laying eggs and he sees the effects a huge volcanic eruption can have on a small island.  

Trevor says, “My journey across the Caribbean is an incredible one. The islands have so many contrasts to offer, so much wealth and luxury sitting so close to poverty and crime and powerful natural disasters. I know I’ve only scratched the surface, but I’m sure of one thing, that the Caribbean really is like nowhere else on earth.”

The Secret Caribbean with Trevor McDonald is a Plum Pictures production for ITV1. Stuart Cabb is the series producer and the executive producer is Will Daws.

 Music Takes Older People Down Memory Lane
 

Older people have been singing old songs to remember times gone by, as part of a music therapy course at the Charlie Ratchford Resource Centre.
 
The 10-week course sees music therapist Harriet Powell co-ordinating a weekly hour-long session where she plays the accordion and piano, following the singing and taking requests to play songs that everyone can remember.
 
John Larkin, 79, of Regent’s Park estate, has been going to the sessions. He said: “I find it very uplifting. I like all the old songs; being Irish I like ‘A long way to Tipperary’. It’s the songs we sang back in the 50s.”
 
The Charlie Ratchford Resource Centre is a Camden Council-run day centre for older residents and anyone in the borough is welcome to attend.
 
Music therapy supports older people socially, by reducing isolation and increasing communication with others, as well as being physically relaxing and stimulating. It is grounded in the belief that everyone can respond to music, regardless of their abilities.
 
Harriet Powell, music therapist employed by Nordoff-Robbins, says, “Everyone is innately musical and music therapy allows everyone to become involved, regardless of their abilities.

"They can use percussion instruments if they want and I follow their lead rather than leading them. The course at Charlie’s has been really well received and has made a positive difference to the people who use the centre.”
 
Camden Council’s executive member for adult social care and health, Cllr Martin Davies, adds, “The music therapy course at the Charlie Ratchford Resource Centre is an excellent example of how we can engage with older residents.”

For more information about Camden Council click on www.camden.gov.uk