SKY Arts

A hilarious profile of some of the world’s favourite comedy stars. Each episode celebrates one artist and includes highlights from their comedy careers while host and comedy writer, Barry Cryer recalls some of his funniest moments working with each them.

The series includes contributions from comedians Tony Hawks, Clive Anderson, Tim Brooke-Taylor, Steve Punt and comedy critic from The Times, Stephen Armstrong. A truly unique perspective of some of the greats of comedy from the UK and USA.

The 2019 Wallace National Piano Competition took place in July 2019. Since its inception in 2013, WNPC has firmly established itself as New Zealand’s premier national piano competition for emerging pianists. Previous prize-winners include Jason Bae (Steinway Artist) and Somi Kim (NZ Trio).

Fifteen pianists across the country ranging from ages 14 to 23 each present two 30-minute programmes but only four will progress onto the Grand Final where they will each present a 45-minute programme, competing for a total prize pool of $20,000. Acclaimed British pianist Charles Owen (Guildhall School of Music & Drama, London) adjudicated the 2019 competition.

The latest instalment of this fascinating, long-running programme features a wide range of new treasures up for auction, including a personal collection of 120 guitars belonging to Pink Floyd frontman David Gilmour, an iconic painting by David Hockney, set to become the most valuable work by a living artist to be sold at auction, and George Michael’s personal art collection, which includes works by Damien Hirst and Tracey Emin. A valuable lot from the Rockefellers, once the richest family in America, goes under the hammer, as do items from the family home of Lord Lucan, following the recent death of his wife.

An anthology of darkly comic tales by Steve Pemberton and Reece Shearsmith, each one taking place behind a door marked ‘number 9’. The show has been showered with praise and won awards including the Rose d’Or television comedy award, two major prizes at the Banff World Media Festival and a Royal Television Society Award. Featuring a stellar line-up, this latest instalment combines horror, thriller, drama and comedy – always aiming to surprise, delight, unnerve and amuse in equal measure.

What are the latest ideas from the world’s most prominent intellectuals? In this unique interview series, great minds of our time discuss arts, politics, literature, economics, and more. Featuring radical French philosopher Jacques Ranciere, German sociologist Axel Honneth, Italian philosopher Umberto Galimberti, and American art critic Jonathan Crary.

Sunrise Avenue is a Finnish rock band originally formed in 2002 in Helsinki, Finland. In the early days the band was called Sunrise and the name was changed to Sunrise Avenue in 2003. Sunrise Avenue was known for their catchy melodic and modern songs and energetic live performances. Their style varied from rock and pop-rock to rock ballads. The band sold more than 2,000,000 albums, 2,000,000 singles, has played several tours and more than a thousand shows in twenty European countries and Japan. Sunrise Avenue's best-known songs are "Hollywood Hills", "Fairytale Gone Bad", "Forever Yours", "The Whole Story", "Heal Me" and "Welcome To My Life".

Judged by world-renowned photographers including Oliviero Toscani, talented photographers from all over Europe compete to win 100,000 euros and the title of Master of Photography.

Churchill was mad about films, arguably more so than almost any other politician in history, but the true extent of his use of it as a propaganda tool has not been previously explored. In 1934, one of Britain's most celebrated film producers, Alexander Korda, signed Churchill up as a screenwriter and historical advisor, and a unique collaboration began. Churchill provided script notes for Korda's productions and also penned an epic screenplay.

When war broke out, their collaboration became of immeasurable importance. Korda was sent on a spy mission to Hollywood with the aim of bringing America into the war with spectacular results. Using previously undiscovered documents, that mission and the friendship which underpinned it is explored for the first time in a new documentary by writer-director John Fleet.

This year’s Last Night of the Proms is a spectacular climax to the world’s largest classical music festival. From orchestral dances and marches to songs and arias, Offenbach’s light- footed musical comedy to Verdi’s operatic tragedies, this event is packed with world premieres and traditional favourites. Charismatic American mezzo-soprano Jamie Barton, whose lustrous voice has established her as one of the most exciting performers of her generation, joins Sakari Oramo and the BBC Symphony Orchestra and Chorus to lead the musical celebrations.

The Smashing Pumpkins have created one of the most acclaimed bodies of work in musical history having sold more than 30 million albums and won multiple Grammy Awards in the process. The Pumpkins' line-up features singer/guitarist Billy Corgan, guitarist Jeff Schroeder, drummer Mike Byrne and bassist Nicole Fiorentino, performing their acclaimed Oceania album in full, followed by classics and deep cuts from their body of work for the second half of the show.

With his poet's eye and his unique way of capturing the world in which we live, photographer Nicolas Henry travels to India, the land of legends and divinities.

They are the exception, not the rule, mastering a skill to rival the most talented adult.

This series takes five children who excel in an area of the arts or sciences and asks: what does it take to be a child prodigy? Does exceptional talent at a young age come from nurturing? Or is it in the blood? What drives them, and what family conditions maximise their potential? This series meets two remarkable musicians, a ballerina, an artist and a young rocket scientist intent on changing the world.

Making Child Prodigies charts the emotional journeys of unique children as they strive to fulfil their potential and discover that being exceptional can be both a joy and a curse.

Laura Pergolizzi is an American singer and songwriter who performs under the stage name LP. She has released four albums and one EP. She has written songs for other artists including Cher, Rihanna, the Backstreet Boys, Leona Lewis and Christina Aguilera. LP duets with Mylene Farmer on the single "N'oublie Pas", released in 2018. The single immediately hit number 1 on the French iTunes chart upon release.

This stunningly filmed new series explores the work of some of the world’s most famous contemporary architects – from Santiago Calatrava to Sir David Adjaye - and examines how art influences their extraordinary designs. Focusing on one architectural achievement in each episode, this is towering look at some of our greatest modern buildings and restorations and provides privileged access to projects as diverse as the National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington DC, and Battersea Power Station in London. In Dundee we see Kengo Kuma’s vision for its new V&A Museum, inspired by cliffs and created as a regenerating force for the city, while in New York we visit two modern masterpieces: Calatrava’s World Trade Centre Transportation Hub, with its winged-bird quality and The Vessel, a giant staircase by Thomas Heatherwick, that has become an immediate must-see attraction in the city.

Sometimes you don’t know what your story is until you step away from the page. With Jack Savoretti’s 2015's 100,000 selling album, Written In Scars, it was clear. A top ten album and a sold-out worldwide tour later, Written In Scars had made him a star.