Website for the over 60s    July 2009
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Wimbledon
Women's Final, Saturday 4 July
Men's Final, Sunday 5 July,
BBC ONE and BBC TWO

Sue Barker

Sue Barker presents live coverage of the 2009 women's singles final from the famous Centre Court at Wimbledon, which has witnessed some classic finals in the past.

Twenty five years ago, Martina Navratilova once again saw off her great rival, Chris Evert, to take the title, while 10 years ago, Steffi Graf's last appearance in a Wimbledon final ended in defeat to Lindsay Davenport of the USA.

Since then, the title has been dominated by American winners, with eight of the last 10 champions hailing from across the Atlantic. Last year, it was Venus Williams who lifted the famous Venus Rosewater dish for a fifth time – following a straight-sets victory against her sister, Serena.

Coverage continues on BBC Two with the men's and women's doubles finals. Last year's men's final saw Daniel Nestor and Nenad Zimonjic win their first Grand Slam title, with Zimonjic playing through the pain barrier after breaking a bone in his wrist. The programme also features interviews and reaction from the women's singles final.

At 10.30pm on BBC Two, John Inverdale is joined in the studio by former champions who offer their views on the day's events in Today At Wimbledon.

Sue Barker will also be hosting live coverage from this year's men's singles final at Wimbledon.

The Centre Court crowd will be hoping that the final matches the excitement of last year's epic clash between Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer, which produced almost five hours of incredible tennis.

Nadal's win denied Federer a sixth consecutive title in SW19 but the Swiss superstar will be on a high after his recent victory at the French Open. This year's men's final will be the first since the introduction of a retractable roof, meaning there is no chance of rain interrupting the action.

Coverage continues at 5.30pm on BBC Two with the mixed doubles final, and also reaction to the men's singles final. Last year's mixed doubles final saw unseeded duo Bob Bryan and Samantha Stosur claim the title against Mike Bryan, Bob's brother, and Katerina Srebotnik.

John Inverdale presents highlights from today's play at 11pm on BBC Two in Today At Wimbledon. He is joined in the studio by former champions who offer their views on the day's events.

Boris Becker
Boris Becker, former Wimbledon winner

Viewers can catch up with all the action from yesterday's ladies' singles final in Yesterday At Wimbledon on BBC Two at 6am.

Wimbledon and Today At Wimbledon are simulcast on the BBC HD channel – the BBC's High Definition channel available through Freesat, Sky and Virgin Media.

For more information about Wimbledon click on www.bbc.co.uk/wimbledon
 

Mamma Mia - Stunning at 60

Meryl Streep
Meryl Streep looks stunning at 60

Meryl Streep is celebrating her 60th birthday and instead of collecting a bus pass she has joined the sexy 60s club, having been voted one of the nation’s  favourite  women growing old in style by an online poll for MSN Entertainment.

However proving there really is nothing like a Dame, the Mamma Mia actress was pipped to the top of the poll by the UK’s own Oscar-winner Dame Helen Mirren (63 years old) who topped the poll with 24% of the votes.

Helen Mirren
Helen Mirren is the favourite celebrity in her 60s

Other Brits also flying the flag in their sensational 60s is the evergreen Lulu with 18% of the votes, followed by activist and actress Joanna Lumley in third place (17%). 

Colleen Last, MSN Entertainment Editor, comments, “These women are showing the world that age is just a number and that you can lead successful and fulfilling lives no matter how old you are. They all look as beautiful, if not more, than they did twenty years ago. Maybe life begins after 60?”

The Nation's Favourite Divas in their Sixties

1. Helen Mirren (age 63) - 24%
2. Lulu (age 61) - 18%
3. Joanna Lumley (age 63) - 17%
4. Meryl Streep (age 60) - 13%
5. Goldie Hawn (age 63) - 11%
6. Debbie Harry (age 63) - 5%
7. Diana Ross (age 64) - 5%
8. Diane Keaton (age 63) - 3%
9. Cilla Black (age 66) - 3%
10. Judy Finnigan (age 61) - 1%

Lulu
Lulu aged 61 came second in the vote

Meryl Streep wasn’t the only American to make the list, Private Benjamin star Goldie Hawn (11%) finished in 5th place, with rocker Debbie Harry (5%) in 6th and Supreme’s diva Diana Ross (5%) in 7th place.

Rosalind Sack, Deputy Celebrity Editor of Reveal magazine, says: “It's difficult to believe that Meryl Streep is 60-years-old today! As a true Hollywood icon, she's one of those stars who never seems to age and she still looks as fabulous as ever.

"Her down-to-earth attitude, together with her wicked sense of humour, still win over fans across the globe and her recent performances in Mamma Mia and Devil Wears Prada prove she still oozes glamour and retains her mass appeal.”

For all the latest entertainment news, gossip and photo galleries take a look at the website at www.MSN.co.uk/entertainment

And to find out how Helen Mirren looks fabulous at 63 look at our Beauty & Hair Care page.
 

Russell Grant to
Rock Glastonbury

Russell Grant

With the line up of stars at this year’s Glastonbury festival, who better to attend than the World’s Number one Star Gazer, Russell Grant!

Russell Grant in association with www.glastonburyradio.net will be broadcasting to a global audience ensuring everyone hears the latest gossip and news from the festival.
 
Interviews confirmed include Tom Jones, Fairport Convention, Tony Christie, Francis Rossi, Lily Allen, Spinal Tap and Will Young.

Tom Jones

Russell says, “Wait and see what surprises and secrets my Horoscope charts reveal for all of my special guests. Plus, I will try to pose as many questions to the guests that have been sent to my Twitter account from my friends in the UK and USA”.

To hear the unique show and interviews, simply log onto www.glastonburyradio.net

And to see Russell Grant's website, click on www.russellgrant.com
 

Entertainment

 Monday Monday 
Starts Monday, 13 July, ITV1

Jenny Agutter, Holly Aird and Faye Ripley star in Monday Monday

 

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.

 

Jenny Agutter
 

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.

 

Tom Ellis and Holly Aird

 

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).

 

Neil Stuke plays Max Chambers

 

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

Martin Jarvis stars in Taking the Flak


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.

 

Taking the Flak

 

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

Trevor McDonald


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.

 

Trevor McDonald

 

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.”

 

Trevor McDonald discovers why the rich mixture of people and cultures in the Caribbean make it like no other place 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
 
Music Therapy at the Charlie Ratchford Resource Centre

 

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

 

Torchwood Children of Earth
Monday 6th July - Friday 10th July
on BBC ONE
 

Torchwood - Children of Earth

 

Captain Jack Harkness, Gwen Cooper and Ianto Jones return for a brand-new adventure in Torchwood – Children Of Earth, a new five-part series for BBC One.

 

An ordinary day becomes a world of terror, as every single child in the world stops. A message is sent to all the governments of Earth: "We are coming".

 

But as a trap closes around Captain Jack, sins of the past are returning, as long-forgotten events from 1965 threaten to reveal an awful truth.

 

Torchwood are forced underground, as the government takes swift and brutal action. With members of the team being hunted down, Britain risks becoming a rogue state, with the mysterious and powerful 456 drawing ever closer.

 

Captain Jack (John Barrowman), Gwen (Eve Myles) and Ianto (Gareth David-Lloyd) are helpless, as events escalate until humankind faces the end of civilisation itself.     

 

Due to the popularity of the series, Torchwood has made a swift move from BBC Three to BBC Two, with the new instalment, Torchwood – Children Of Earth, finding itself on BBC One. 

 

In one epic story, told over five episodes, the new series promises to be Torchwood's greatest adrenalin-fuelled, high-octane adventure to date. As they battle against the odds, do they stand a chance of saving humankind?

 

Torchwood – Children Of Earth is executive produced by Russell T Davies and Julie Gardner. The producer is Peter Bennett.

 

Euros Lyn, director of Torchwood
Euros Lyn director of Torchwood

 

Torchwood – Children Of Earth is written by Russell T Davies, John Fay (Mobile, Clocking Off, Coronation Street) and James Moran (Doctor Who, Torchwood) and directed by Euros Lyn pictured above (best director in Bafta Cymru TV Awards, Doctor Who, George Gently).

 

Torchwood – Children Of Earth is a BBC Wales for BBC Drama production.

 

 Diana Krall
BBC Radio 2, Monday 6 July
10.30 - 11.30pm
 

Diana Krall


Grammy Award-winning singer/songwriter Diana Krall performs a selection of songs from her new album, Quiet Nights, including Walk On By, The Boy From Ipanema and PS I Love You, in an exclusive concert for BBC Radio 2.

 

Presented by Claire Teal, the concert was recorded at the BBC Maida Vale Studios in May of this year.

 

Diana Krall in concert

 

Claire Teal presents the show, and producer is Sarah Gaston.
 

Angel and The Badman
World Premiere, Sunday, July 5th, Hallmark Channel

 

Brendan Wayne

 

Brendan Wayne, grandson of the immortal John Wayne, will be paying homage to 'The Duke' in Angel and The Badman - a thrilling remake of his grandfather's 1947 classic. Angel and The Badman will also be starring Luke Perry and Lou Diamond Phillips.

 

Thirty years after John Wayne – the face the of the American Western – rode off into the sunset for the last time, his grandson, Brendan Wayne, dusts off his grandfather’s cowboy hat for a role in “Angel and the Badman,” a remake of ‘The Duke’s’ 1947 classic, which was also the first film that Wayne served as producer for. 

 

Angel and The Badman

 

The remake, a Hallmark Channel Original Movie premiering Sunday, July 5 (9/8c) co-stars avowed Western aficionados Lou Diamond Phillips and Luke Perry as a pair of rival outlaws, one trying to change his ways and the other with murder on his mind.  

 

Wounded and on the run, notorious gunman Quirt Evans (Phillips) takes refuge with a sympathetic Quaker family.  As he recovers, he begins to fall for the family’s beautiful daughter (Deborah Kara Unger, “88 Minutes”), and the hardened criminal begins to reconsider his violent ways in favour of the family’s peaceful, simple life. 

 

But Quirt’s past won’t let him escape that easily: Not only is he tempted to return to his old ways by his former partner, Randy (Wayne), but his deadly rival, Loredo (Perry), the man whose gang wounded him, is hot on his trail and looking to finish the job. 

 

Brendan Wayne

 

Nasser Entertainment Group presents “Angel and the Badman.”  Joseph Nasser and Jack Nasser are the executive producers.  Durey Shevar and Tara Cowell-Plain are the co-executive producers and Jack Nasser produced.  Terry Ingram directed from a script by Jack Nasser.

 

Hallmark Channel, owned and operated by Crown Media Holdings, Inc., is a 24-hour basic cable network that provides a diverse slate of high-quality entertainment programming to a national audience of over 86 million subscribers. 

 

For more information about the Hallmark Channel click on www.hallmarkchannel.com

 

Moon Season
BBC TWO and BBC FOUR, July
 

James May


On Sunday 20 July 1969, Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin ended a landmark four-day trip on the Apollo 11 spacecraft and made history by becoming the first humans to step foot on the Moon.

 

Forty years since those first "small steps" were taken, BBC Two and BBC Four take a voyage "out of this world" with a month-long Moon Season of programming to celebrate this most momentous historical event, "launching" this Summer.

 

As the season's centrepiece, Top Gear's James May makes his own very personal mission to travel to the ends of the Earth in two one-off documentaries.

 

On BBC Two, James May On The Moon takes the presenter on a personal voyage to fulfil his lifelong dream of flying to the edge of space. Along the way, he meets some astronauts who give their own personal accounts of what it is like to fly to the Moon.

 

BBC Four then travels 70,000 feet above the Earth to find out more about James May's intergalactic journey into the unknown, in James May At The Edge Of Space. Flying in a U-2 spy plane, James looks out of his plane to see Planet Earth far below him.

 

Throughout the rest of the month, BBC Two and BBC Four will celebrate the auspicious events of 20 July 1969 with programmes featuring in-depth interviews and insight from the people who were there at the time, together with amazing restored archive footage.

 

James May at Nasa

 

In addition, BBC Radio 2, BBC Radio 3, BBC Radio 4 and BBC Radio 5 Live will mark this landmark historical date through dedicated programming themed around the Moon landings.

 

BBC Archive is also supporting the Moon Season by releasing a new online collection that tells the story of the Apollo moon missions, how they got off the ground and why they came to an abrupt end.

 

This is the latest collection being released by BBC Archive that enables the public to take advantage of the BBC's access to unique historical content.

 

The new collection will be found at www.bbc.co.uk/archive/moonlandings when the Moon Season begins.