´óÏó´«Ã½

From Hopper to Hollywood, Mississippi Mud Pies to Music, Steinbeck and more, controller of ´óÏó´«Ã½ Four, Richard Klein, today announced an ambitious America Season, a collection of thought-provoking programming for Autumn/Winter 2011 which will explore the rich cultural heritage of 20th-century America.

The season will feature a broad range of American culture across visual arts, music, movies, gastronomy, photography and popular culture. Programming ranges from Andrew Graham-Dixon on the Art of America to Melvyn Bragg on Steinbeck; Rankin on the photography of LIFE Magazine to Rick Stein on food and blues in Mississippi; and a series looking at African-American music legends of the Eighties to a documentary on diners.

Richard Klein, Controller, ´óÏó´«Ã½ Four, said: "´óÏó´«Ã½ Four will look at the culture of the United States in the century when it developed the most, when it was at its most energetic. As the gold card channel for arts, music, culture and knowledge, we wanted to ambitiously celebrate this 20th-century culture in a way that only ´óÏó´«Ã½ Four can, with programming that has proposition and purpose.

"The America Season brings viewers American arts and culture through a broad range and depth of distinctive programming. From Rick Stein talking us through his view of how music and food have influenced each other in Mississippi, to Andrew Graham-Dixon continuing his ´óÏó´«Ã½ Four world art tour with his biggest country yet; or Stephen Smith's loving exploration of that classic American institution – the diner. The programmes will explore this fascinating time when American culture really matured in the 20th century, becoming a powerful voice, with American artists amongst the world's leading figures."

As part of the season Andrew Graham-Dixon's regular arts travelogue series returns to ´óÏó´«Ã½ Four with his most ambitious journey yet in The Art Of America. Building on the success of previous series in Spain, Italy, Russia and Germany, Andrew will explore the rich, exciting, and diverse art in the heart of contemporary America and uncover the diverse and complex character of the nation itself.

Rankin, the UK's leading fashion photographer, journeys through the remarkably rich and diverse images of LIFE Magazine in America In Pictures. Considered by many to be the most important photographic magazine in the world, Rankin will create an energetic and revelatory portrait of the life and people of America captured through the lenses of the magazine's leading photographers.

As part of Books On The ´óÏó´«Ã½ and ´óÏó´«Ã½ Four's America Season, Melvyn Bragg looks at the work of one of America's literary giants, the Nobel prize-winning American author John Steinbeck. From the Pulitzer prize-winning Grapes Of Wrath to the American Depression, Bragg will seek to discover Steinbeck's impact on American culture today.

´óÏó´«Ã½ Four's focus on contemporary popular music continues with New Power Generation: African-American Music Legends Of The 1980s (working title). The Eighties was a defining decade for African-American pop music. After the successes of soul, funk and disco in the previous two decades, the Eighties were the years when young talent took centre stage and became some of the biggest-selling artists of all time. This special series of Legends features critical biographies of some of the Eighties most successful and influential performers.

Following the success of last year's Rick Stein's Taste Of Italian Opera, Stein returns to ´óÏó´«Ã½ Four with the blues for another gastronomic and musical adventure. Stein Tastes The Blues explores references to food ingrained in the lyrics of the blues. Many of the dishes stand the test of time in family-run restaurants up and down the Mississippi. A celebration of Southern food and the Afro-American music born out of melancholia and despair in the Deep South, this series tells a fascinating story.

America On A Plate is Stephen Smith's re-envisioned story of 20th-century American culture through its most iconic institution – the diner. Whether Edward Hopper's Nighthawks or the infamous encounter between Al Pacino and Robert De Niro in Heat, these gleaming, gawdy shacks are at the absolute heart of the American vision.

Writer and presenter Richard Grant argues that an enduring "nomadism" is at the heart of the United States of America, and is the key to understanding its culture and history, in American Nomads. This is a documentary about people who won't settle down. Grant argues that the best place to be if you won't settle down is America, where there is plenty of space to just keep going.

In Rich Hall's Continental Drifters, Rich Hall goes on the road to explore one of Hollywood's most loved film genres, road movies. He looks at what these movies and their roads say about America in the 20th century.

Notes to Editors

´óÏó´«Ã½ Four is the gold card channel for arts, music, culture and knowledge. ´óÏó´«Ã½ Four's impact on the arts goes beyond broadcasting, the channel also partners and collaborates with the arts sector to enrich the audience's experience of the arts in a unique way. Recent partnerships include The Oxford Literary Festival, The Royal Academy Sculpture on Screen Collaboration.

The Art Of America (3x60) is ´óÏó´«Ã½ Vision London Production commissioned for Controller of ´óÏó´«Ã½ Four Richard Klein, by Mark Bell Commissioning Editor for Arts at the ´óÏó´«Ã½. The Executive Producer is Basil Comely.

America In Pictures (working title) (1x60) is a ´óÏó´«Ã½ Scotland Production commissioned for Controller of ´óÏó´«Ã½ Four Richard Klein by Mark Bell, Commissioning Editor for Arts at the ´óÏó´«Ã½. The ´óÏó´«Ã½ Executive Producer is Susanne Curran.

Melvyn Bragg On John Steinbeck (1x60) is a Mentorn Media commissioned for Controller of ´óÏó´«Ã½ Four Richard Klein, by Mark Bell Commissioning Editor for Arts at the ´óÏó´«Ã½. The Executive Producer for Mentorn Media is Steve Anderson.

New Power Generation: African-American Music Legends Of The 1980s (working title), (4x60) is produced by ´óÏó´«Ã½ Cymru Wales – Music, commissioned by Jan Younghusband, ´óÏó´«Ã½ Commissioning Editor for Music and Events, and Executive Produced for ´óÏó´«Ã½ Wales by Paul Bullock.

Stein Tastes The Blues (3x60) is produced by Denham Productions, commissioned by Jan Younghusband, ´óÏó´«Ã½ Commissioning Editor for Music and Events. The Executive Producer is Chris Denham and Executive Producer for the ´óÏó´«Ã½ is Adam Barker.

America On A Plate (1x60) is ´óÏó´«Ã½ Vision London Production commissioned for Controller of ´óÏó´«Ã½ Four Richard Klein, by Mark Bell Commissioning Editor for Arts at the ´óÏó´«Ã½. Jonty Claypole is the Executive Producer for the ´óÏó´«Ã½.

American Nomads (1x90) is a production by 3Di TV. Commissioned by Charlotte Moore ´óÏó´«Ã½ Commissioning Editor for Documentaries. ´óÏó´«Ã½ Executive Producer is Clare Paterson, The Executive Producers for 3Di TV are Gerry Troyna and Grant McKee.

Rich Hall's Continental Drifters (1x90) is an Open Mike Manchester Production commissioned by ´óÏó´«Ã½ Executive Editor of Entertainment, Suzanne Gilfillan. The Executive Producers are Andrew Beint and Addison Cresswell for Open Mike Productions.

AH