BBC Worldwide Channels today unveils a raft of brand new programming for December 2009 to April 2010 exclusive to DStv satellite viewers.

John Taite, Director of Programming EMEA, BBC Worldwide Channels, said: “BBC Channels have got a sizzling new programming line up for you this summer. We’ve listened; we’ve made changes; and we’ve been determined to give you more of what you want. The feedback has been fantastic and we are now the most watched International Channel Portfolio on DStv.

Our flagship channel, BBC Entertainment, goes from strength to strength. The Jonathan Ross Show has become a destination for younger audiences on Friday nights – we now play the show one week after its UK transmission. Who Wants To Be A Millionaire is a runaway hit, kicking off our killer Wednesday line-up with The Apprentice and Top Gear. Our Crime and Justice season re-established us as the destination for quality drama and saw our share jump 42%.

BBC Lifestyle is still the number one channel in its category. We’ve reduced the amount of parenting programmes and increased primetime food shows to satisfy our hungry viewers.

BBC Knowledge has established itself as the home of entertaining experts and award-winning documentaries.

Parents and children alike love CBeebies. It is the fastest growing children’s channel in Africa and consistently scores the highest satisfaction ratings. Not surprising given its commercial free environment where kids can learn through play.

Now we want to give you even more. More variety; more fresh programmes; and more talk about event TV. We’re here to deliver you the best of British and we hope you’ll enjoy what we have to offer.”

BBC Entertainment delivers a mix of comedy; drama; and light entertainment for the summer months. Presented by Myleene Klass and Nick Knowles, Last Choir Standing sees choirs from across the nation go head to head to find out who has the most power; passion; and performance. Thousands of choirs from all walks of life, singing any style of music, send in their applications on video, and the best are invited to perform in front of a panel of esteemed judges. Each week two choirs go through to the live 'knockouts' where the UK audience at home chooses their favourite until only three remain. In an emotional finale, the most rousing performance will see only one crowned the Last Choir Standing. The series is a BBC Production.

Hailed as the best new stand-up to emerge in a decade, Michael McIntyre has taken the comedy world by storm. Now, he's turning his attention to others as he travels the UK to bring viewers the best in new and established talent. Joining him on stage are Rhod Gilbert; Sean Lock; Al Murray; Patrick Kielty; Jason Manford; and Shappi Khorsandi, as well as a host of hilarious newcomers. With a finger tightly on the pulse of the booming UK comedy circuit, Michael McIntyre's Comedy Roadshow is never short on laughs. An Open Mike production.

Top Gear, the world's biggest car show, is back for a thirteenth series, and Jeremy; James; and Richard are no less ambitious. Richard goes to Abu Dhabi to test the new Lambo Murcielago LP640-4 SV; the boys buy three £1 500 rear-drive sports cars and somehow find themselves entered in a terrifying French ice race; film star, Sienna Miller; King of Twitter, Stephen Fry; and chat show host, Jay Leno, are amongst the stars taking part in 'Star in a Reasonably Priced Car'; and in a television-first, the mysterious Stig takes off his helmet to reveal just who he really is. Top Gear is a BBC Production.

The Old Guys is a new comedy about settling into old age with style. Housemates, Tom (Roger Lloyd Pack, Only Fools and Horses) and Roy (Clive Swift, Keeping Up Appearances) are the ying to each other's yang. Roy is well-read; organised; clean; and sensitive. Tom, well, isn't. Together, however, they manage to muddle through life - answering the important questions that retirement poses. Questions involving religion; true-love; and precisely how early is too early to start drinking in the day. The Old Guys is a BBC Production.

Award-winning intelligence drama, Spooks, returns for a seventh series. Heart-throb, Richard Armitage (Robin Hood) joins the cast as MI5 officer, Lucas North. Having spent the past eight years in a Russian prison, Lucas North is welcomed back by MI5 supremo and old friend, Harry Pearce. Lucas is keen to get back to work straight away and, with Section D's current priority operation having a strong Russian connection, he could well prove invaluable. But, after eight years with only a high ranking Russian spymaster for company, can Lucas' loyalty really be taken for granted? A Kudos Film and Television Production.

In the latest fifth series of Hustle Mickey (Adrian Lester, The Day After Tomorrow)has returned to a new London. The credit crunch has hit Britain and while the majority of people are tightening their belts, there are still a scurrilous and greedy few who are getting ever richer from others’ losses. If there is opportunity to be found and money to be made, then you can be sure that Mickey and the team will be there, ready to teach the immoral and materialistic members of society a valuable lesson. A Kudos Film & Television production in association with Red Planet Pictures.

Award-winning and critically acclaimed crime drama, Waking the Dead, returns with a dark and frightening eighth series. With new offices in an eerie basement, a new team member who has secrets of her own, and Boyd (Trevor Eve, Possession) seemingly more reckless than ever, how will the Cold Case Squad survive? Stunning visual effects; a new score; and ambitious stories that force the team to re-evaluate their relationships with each other make this series is deeper and darker than ever before. Waking the Dead is a BBC Production.

Multi-award-winning The Apprentice is back for a new fourth series, as no-nonsense, self-made millionaire, Sir Alan Sugar, returns to challenge a new group of 16 aspiring tycoons, who will battle it out in the toughest challenge of their lives. The candidates lined up for series four includes: a barrister; a bank manager; a risk manager; an ex-Army engineer; a single mother; an international car trader; an artist; a former championship show jumper; and a business liaison manager with royal connections. The new series raises the business bar, with more twists and turns than ever before. A talkbackTHAMES production for BBC.

Terrifying Michelin-starred chef, Gordon Ramsay, is back ready to roast another batch of aspiring US restaurateurs in this fourth series of the hit reality show, Hell’s Kitchen USA. Expect liberal sprinklings of real-life drama; high emotion; and culinary passion as 'perfectionist' Ramsay attempts to instil his love of all things food into a group of competing amateur chefs. With his reputation on the line, he assesses their performances and drives them to achieve their best... but who will have what it takes to survive in Hell's Kitchen and win their own restaurant? Hell’s Kitchen USA is a Granada America Production for Fox.

Part of the line-up for Christmas, The Worst Christmas Of My Life, A Hat Trick Production, stars Ben Miller (Primeval) and Sarah Alexander (Coupling). The second series saw Howard and Mel finally making it down the aisle, moving into a new home and expecting their first child. Now, in the new series, Howard and Mel are looking forward to their first Christmas as a family with their new baby daughter, Emily. However, for Howard, and those close to him, life is rarely that simple. From suicidal secretaries to maniacal relatives; homicidal boyfriends; and belligerent Santas, circumstances conspire to make this a Christmas to remember – for all the wrong reasons.

Top Gear’s James May presents two programmes on BBC Knowledge about his love of all things Space. As a child, James dreamed of being an astronaut. He was fascinated by the engineering that had made man's voyages into space and the famous trip to the moon possible. So now it's time for James to don his space suit and set off on a fascinating journey to discover the stories of the heroes behind the moon landings in James May On The Moon. With his unique brand of humour, he charts the progress of space travel — from Robert Goddard, the father of rocket design, to the men who walked on the moon themselves. A BBC Production.

In the second part of James’ investigation, he travels to the edge of the Earth in one of the most iconic planes of the 20th century - the U-2 spy plane. A product of the Cold War, this plane was designed to fly out of reach of missiles; radar; and fighter planes, and has been snooping on America's adversaries since 1960. James May At The Edge Of Space follows James through three days of intensive training with the Air Force. It follows him as he talks to the pilots; discovers the history of the plane; and prepares to take off. And as he cruises twice as high as a jumbo jet, watching the curvature of the Earth next to the blackness of Space, James gets as close as he's likely to get to an astronaut's view of space. A BBC Production.

Festivals are the one time of the year where families; communities; and whole countries come together to celebrate. But what do these ritual festivals tell us about people and their cultures? Feasts is a new series that follows epicurean and author, Stefan Gates, during the build-up to some of these countries' most important religious and cultural food extravaganzas and joins in the extraordinarily lavish affairs that sometimes last for days at a time. He takes part alongside families and communities as they unite for an unforgettable few days of eating; drinking; dancing; singing; and dressing up in ways that are totally unique to their culture. Feasts is A Plum Pictures production for the BBC.

From the makers of Last Man Standing, Tough Guy or Chicken? sees five young men brave challenges that most people would run from. Around the world there are men who every day confront the most dangerous forces of the natural world – formidable beasts in some of the most extreme environments on Earth. These men have learnt to conquer nature by first conquering their own fears… but what about five brash young lads who think they can handle just about anything thrown at them? The group of intrepid adventurers must contend with being thrown into the deep end of the scariest real-life jobs on the planet. These young men are full of confidence, but on this journey they will find out things about the world and about themselves that they never knew before. A BBC Production.

Acclaimed historian, and one of the world's leading authorities on the Tudors, Dr David Starkey, presents Henry – Mind Of A Tyrant; the most detailed analysis to date of the life of this infamous British monarch. Henry's accession to the throne in 1509 was greeted with wild rejoicing. Tall; athletic; and handsome, he filled the nation with hope. However, by his death 38 years later, he had earned the reputation of a tyrannical and ruthless monarch. How did the one turn into the other? Henry – Mind Of A Tyrant is a Redhouse DOX production for Channel 4.

The second series of Tribal Wives sees six British women give up their everyday lives and spend a month living with some of the world's most remote communities. In order to get a real sense of their new life, the women spend a month living with their new families and immersing themselves fully into their new culture. Tribes featuring in this series include the Waura, who live along the Xingu River in the Brazilian Amazon; the Hamar, semi-nomadic cattle farmers in the bush covered hills of Ethiopia's Omo Valley; and the Kitava, a matrilineal community in the lush Trobriand Islands off the coast of Papua New Guinea. A Diverse Bristol production in association with Goldhawk Media.

Everyone’s favourite survival expert, Ray Mears, dons his rucksack and heads out into the wilds of Canada – one of the greatest wildernesses on the planet - in Ray Mears’ Northern Wilderness. High on adventure and incident, Ray Mears follows in the footsteps of the explorers who first entered Canada’s tough and unforgiving environments. Part history, part survival guide, each episode sees Ray venture into a different area of Canada’s beautiful interior. A BBC Production.

The SAS is the most skilled; experienced; and feared crack fighting force in the world. But what does it take to survive once you make it into the SAS? Join former SAS Sergeant, Eddie Stone, as he reveals the covert techniques and rigorous training regimes that enable the recruits to survive even in the very toughest of combat situations. In SAS Survival Secrets the viewer will feel as if they are being trained by the Special Forces and encountering the harsh realities of life on the front line for real. Using a series of dramatic, stylised reconstruction scenarios, a team of hardened ex-SAS soldiers demonstrate the survival secrets that kept them alive when they served in the world’s most elite Special Forces Regiment. A BBC Production.

Tomb of a 1 000 Roman Skeletons tells the remarkable story of the discovery in 2006 of more than 1 000 ancient skeletons in an unknown tomb only feet away from one of Rome's largest catacombs. The skeletons, mostly women and children, were mysteriously stacked on top of each other. Well dressed and preserved, they appeared to have passed away around the same time. Who were these ancient people; how did they die; and why were they collectively buried and stacked within this secret burial chamber? This film follows a team of experts as they open a full archaeological and biological mystery the likes of which Rome has rarely seen. A Lion Television/Brave New Media Production.

Cleopatra: Portrait of a Killer is a tale of sibling rivalry; of lust; murder; and power that destroyed an empire: an incredible true story about one of history’s greatest legends, and a fight to the death with her sister that no Hollywood fiction could hope to match. Through taut, stylish drama, and fascinating investigative documentary, this film reveals the darker side of love and power in the ancient world. Based on exclusive access to the archaeologists and the skeleton – this is a remarkable chance to explore afresh one of the world’s greatest characters. A Lion Television/Brave New Media Production.

BBC Lifestyle welcomes back style guru, Gok Wan, for a brand new fifth series of How To Look Good Naked. In this series, Gok continues his mission to persuade us to love our bodies, with a few new strings added to his bow. His 'Gok Pod' pops up in different locations around the UK, and is a place for members of the public to talk about how they feel about their bodies. And this time the show is deliberately inclusive, making a point of covering subjects with a whole range of ages, from teenagers to grandparents and every decade in between. A Maverick Television production.

Newcomer Valentine Warner is an advocate for seasonal eating and shows viewers how in his latest series, What To Eat Now: Summer. Valentine serves up a number of must-try dishes, teaching viewers how to cook everything perfectly, from broad beans to trout, and cherries to asparagus. He also leaves no stone unturned as he teaches all there is to know about every fruit; meat; and fish that make up the taste of summer - not just how to cook them, but where and when to buy them. Val’s enthusiasm for seasonal eating is infectious, as he shows viewers exactly how and why foods appear at certain times, and because it’s seasonal, it’s also great value for money. Produced by Optomen TV.

Britain’s favourite girl-next-door, Coleen McLoughlin (wife of Manchester United footballer, Wayne Rooney) has been set the challenge of a lifetime; to find naturally beautiful women to be the face of eight major brands in her brand new series, Coleen’s Real Women. At the beginning of each show, Coleen is given a brief from the brand. She then sets out on a scouting mission and holds open castings to find girls she thinks will not only fit the brief but could win the campaign over and above professional models. Will Coleen be successful in her quest to get 'real women' into advertising? Coleen’s Real Women is an Initial Production.

Multi-Michelin-starred chef, Gordon Ramsay, takes his no-nonsense restaurant rescue show, Ramsay’s Kitchen Nightmares USA, to America for a second series, hoping that his unique brand of tough love will help failing eateries to turn their fortunes around. The businesses in this series know they are in trouble, but the intensity of Gordon’s scorchingly honest approach is often not the easiest medicine to take. Restaurants featured in this series include Giuseppi’s in Michigan, where a tempestuous father-son relationship causes uproar, and J Willy’s Bar and Grill in Indiana, where one poor customer is driven to tears by their dining experience. Produced by Optomen TV.

Dr Christian Jessen and Anna Richardson return for a second run of the diet magazine show, Supersize vs. Superskinny, which tackles the UK's dysfunctional relationship with food. Amongst others, the series features a superskinny dad who lives on chocolate as he swaps diets with a supersizer twice his weight. Elsewhere, a wannabe model hopes to regain some womanly curves to help launch her career as her diet partner struggles to lose weight so she can fit into her dream wedding dress. Produced by Endemol UK.

Ty Pennington and his design team continue to make more deserving families’ dreams come true in series six of Extreme Makeover: Home Edition. Racing against time on projects that would usually take months, the team manage to cram everything into just seven days. Participants include Susan DeVries of Michigan, who refuses to allow her life-threatening arrhythmia to prevent her from being a loving music teacher; band director; first grade reading specialist; and even a bus driver for her school’s evening route. This heartwarming series gives viewers not only the opportunity to see the unbelievable transformations of people’s houses, but also the life-changing impact they have on the families involved. An Endemol production.

Eccentric chocolatier, Willie Harcourt-Cooze, is back, continuing his mission to produce the finest chocolate in the world, and to convert the public to eating the best quality confectionery in Raising the Bar: Willie’s Chocolate Revolution. Having successfully set up his 'wonky' chocolate factory in Devon, Willie is about to take on the big boys of the chocolate world and compete directly with confectionery giants, setting his sights on developing his own chocolate bar. Can one individual, no matter how passionate, really hope to take on the chocolate giants and win? Produced by Liberty Bell.

BBC Lifestyle celebrates Christmas by serving up yuletide premieres, including Willie’s Perfect Chocolate Christmas, a seasonal special from Willie Harcourt-Cooze. Willie takes care of the menu for the holiday season, preparing a series of mouth-watering chocolate-themed recipes, both sweet and savoury. Expect boozy chocolate mince pies; a classic chocolate tart; and an entire lamb cooked rather adventurously underground. He also suggests a rather unusual stuffing for the turkey on the big day - made from chestnuts; pancetta; and of course Willie’s favourite ingredient, chocolate. Produced by Liberty Bell.

The second festive offering is Gordon Ramsay’s Christmas Cookalong Live. In this cooking masterclass, Gordon Ramsay takes on the challenge of leading a nation through the preparation of a sumptuous Christmas feast. Filmed live, and with cameras in the kitchens of volunteer families across the UK, Gordon attempts to coordinate an extraordinary culinary feat. On the menu are a seasonal chestnut soup; chicken fricassee with bread sauce; and pan-fired sprouts, and there’s a Christmas trifle to finish. Sounds delicious, but will the cookalong chefs manage to replicate Gordon’s creations at home? Produced by Optomen TV.

For little learners CBeebies has summer covered with top telly treats. Nuzzle and Scratch are two alpacas, and they are the two most incompetent employees of Two by Two - a job agency for animals. The agency is run by The Boss, a diminutive nine year old powerhouse who models herself on Sir Alan Sugar, the British business tycoon and star of The Apprentice. In each episode she is called upon to supply various animals for various jobs. However, the only animals available are the two happily underachieving alpacas, Nuzzle and Scratch. The jobs they find themselves trying to do (albeit unsuccessfully) include school caretakers; librarian assistants; sports teachers; hotel employees; cinema employees; rugby coaches; window cleaners; laundry assistants; park keepers; hairdressers; and Scout leaders. A BBC production.

From the creator of the phenomenally successful The Wonder Pets come brand new episodes of 3rd and Bird, a beautifully unique animated series for three- to five-year-olds packed with entertaining stories; songs; and adorable characters. Nestled in the canopy of a beautiful old tree are a row of birdhouses of all different shapes and sizes, where Samuel Lovebird lives. With his best friend Rudy and his cute little sister Muffin, Samuel embarks on a series of colourful adventures. These entertaining stories help young children explore their world, develop an understanding of community and gain valuable social skills. 3rd and Bird is A Little Airplane Production.

The Large Family is a family just like any other; there’s just one difference… this family have trunks. These unpredictable appendages make for even more funny incidents in the second series, and make their everyday adventures a bit more muddled than normal. Some of the stories include the whole family competing in a talent competition (The E-Factor); the efforts Laura makes to keep up with her new best friend’s popularity; and little Luke’s battle to conquer his fears of staying away from home for the first time. As with us humans, the Large Family’s problems may appear to be massive, but are often easily solved, even if they make the odd elephant- sized mistake along the way. A Coolabi/Go-N Productions/Luxanimation/DQ co-production.

CBeebies favourites, Charlie and Lola, return for a Christmas special. The siblings are extremely excited because Christmas is coming, and they take it in turns to open the advent calendar. After 24 days of hiccups and happy preparations, Christmas carolling and making things, everything looks set for the perfect Christmas… until Lola discovers that there is no door in the calendar for Christmas Day. Christmas has completely disappeared and definitely is not going to happen. Desperate to find out what is going on, Charlie and Lola scramble inside the advent calendar and confirm their worst fears. Christmas has indeed ground to a halt. Father Christmas’s helpers, the Elves, have run out of wrapping paper. It’s a total disaster. Or is it? Charlie and Lola is a Tiger Aspect production.