大象传媒

Introduction - 大象传媒 THREE documents the lives of young adults around the world

大象传媒 THREE puts contemporary documentary making at the heart of the schedule this winter with a raft of commissions reflecting the lives of young adults around the UK and the wider world.

From the hopes and tears of the babycatchers in Midwives to the voice of new documentary makers in Fresh; from the realities of UK rural living for the dispossessed in Country Life to the 18th Street Gang members of San Salvador in 18 With A Bullet - 大象传媒 THREE documents the ebb and flow of daily life for young people around the globe.

Says Stuart Murphy, Controller of 大象传媒 THREE: "Towerblock Dreams proved that new directors and producers can bring intimacy, style and humour to a series looking at inner city life, and this season we are building on its success with the same people making Country Life.

"The Fresh strand has given us the opportunity to commission six new to television film makers to tell their own personal stories, and further extends the 大象传媒 THREE remit of developing new talent in all areas."

From the team who produced the critically acclaimed 大象传媒 THREE series Towerblock Dreams, Country Life tells the stories of the young, rural and dispossessed who have given up caring.

With drink, drugs, crime, homelessness and anti-social behaviour the norm, rural life is not the idyll normally portrayed on British television and radio, but a life fraught with many of the problems affecting our inner cities.

Continuing a commitment to documentary making from the margins of society, 18 With A Bullet captures the reality of life for the young members of the 18th Street Gang in San Salvador, now one of the most dangerous cities in the world.

During the civil war in San Salvador, thousands of families migrated to America. Most of these settled in Los Angeles where many joined the notorious 18th Street Gang.

Since the end of the war most have been deported back to San Salvador, taking their gang structures back to their homeland with devastating effects.

And in Midwives the miracle of life is explored from the perspective of those who must deliver it in a series which follows midwives in their work at Derby City Hospital.

Topical investigations pose difficult questions to people in power

3 Investigates, 大象传媒 THREE's current affairs strand, delves into institutions, companies and high profile figures to expose serious wrong doing.

This winter the series goes beyond political rhetoric and elements of the kind of press sensationalism that surrounds the thorny issue of asylum, to chart the story of the attempted coup in Equatorial Guinea and, with the introduction of Super Casinos in the UK, examine the murkier side of the gambling world.

These new commissions build on the impact of previous investigations into the mobile phone industry and Manchester United's business dealings with Sir Alex Ferguson's football agent son.

Building a reputation for contemporary drama

Over the past year 大象传媒 THREE has built a reputation as the place for smart UK drama in multi channel.

No other channel is originating the kind of pieces you find on THREE - from the critically acclaimed medical drama Bodies, to last season's powerful and uncompromising cop drama Conviction, setting a record audience for 大象传媒 THREE drama, with half a million viewers coming to the first episode alone.

This season the creative bar is being raised yet further with the channel's first ever period drama.

Legendary film actor Peter O'Toole and rising star David Tennant (Blackpool) lead a stellar cast in the Russell T Davies' adaptation of Casanova.

Punk meets period as our 18th century hero romps across Europe, often as a fugitive, but always with an eye for the ladies.

In Twisted Tales expect the unexpected in a series of compelling dramatised short stories.

Using a mixture of new and established writing talent, each Twisted Tale is a self-contained episode with a mysterious twist.

Continuing the theme of parenting programmes

大象传媒 THREE was first to the market with factual parenting titles Little Angels and Who Rules the Roost in 2004.

This winter Teen Angels builds on a commitment to accessible parenting programmes with real take out value, and examines how to cope with difficult teenagers.

New British comedy

This season 大象传媒 THREE continues its commitment to exceptional cutting edge comedy with pieces from both Marc Wootton and Johnny Vegas.

In Ideal Johnny Vegas plays the lead role of Moz, a small-time dope dealer, in the first series to be commissioned from the 大象传媒 Comedy Unit in Manchester.

Moz has been dealing for over 20 years from his small Manchester bedsit which he shares with his girlfriend, Nicki.

Although Moz's chosen profession is a dubious one, he is a man of principles who only deals in the many varieties of marijuana, and sees himself as providing a crucial service to the local community.

All supporting characters in Ideal are played by new and diverse acting talent drawn largely from the north of England and further supporting 大象传媒 THREE's desire to find and develop new comedy talent.

Having made his name with 大象传媒 THREE's Cyderdelic, Marc Wootton went on to star in Channel 4's My New Best Friend, which won the Comedy Award for Best New Show amongst other plaudits.

Now he is headlining his first project for 大象传媒 THREE. Details are a closely guarded secret until nearer transmission, but early sightings report a character-based tour de force that's equal parts comedy and audacity.

Series three of the critically acclaimed satirical cartoon Monkey Dust sees the return of favourite characters Ivan Dobsky, the falsely-imprisoned mass-murderer; Omar, Abdul and Shafiq, the would-be terrorists from West Bromwich; and the Paedofinder-General, now booked for a regular slot.

Loaded with awards since its last outing - including a Broadcast Award, a British Animation Award and even a Canadian Bafta - the show reflects a dark, unhappy underside to Blair's Britain and new characters include Fran Chappell, an ordinary mum who uses her daughter's disappearance as the springboard to launch a showbiz career, and Noodles, the lab rabbit who bounces back like Tom and Jerry from every unpleasant experiment.

End of Story, the 大象传媒 Three project which urged the public to complete half written short stories penned by some of the country's top authors, set an amazing precedent as the UK's most successful short story writing competition, attracting an astonishing 17,380 entries.

This Winter 大象传媒 THREE launches the search for new British comedy script writers in The Last Laugh.

Some of the top names in comedy writing - including Carla Lane, Marks & Gran, Ian Pattison and The Peep Show's Bain & Armstrong - are crafting the first half of eight entirely new sitcoms and challenging 大象传媒 THREE viewers to finish them off.

Other highlights of the 大象传媒 THREE Winter season include:

Find out how it all ends in the final series of Two Pints Of Lager And A Packet Of Crisps.

Bionic Buildings showcases the buildings that are using nature for design inspiration.

Find out who the latest and freshest talent is across arts, media, entertainment, architecture and fashion in The Top 50 Movers and Shakers.