Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ

Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Television is planning special live programmes this Saturday to mark the 65th anniversary of the D-Day landings on 6 June 1944.

On Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ One from 4.20 to 6.00pm, Fiona Bruce and James Naughtie will be in Arromanches at the British Service of Remembrance to present live coverage of the emotional and poignant event which will be attended by 500 veterans of D-Day and the Normandy campaign.

They will also report on the many other events taking place over the weekend, including the international event at the American Cemetery at Colleville sur Mer and events at Bayeux and Pegasus Bridge.

The Prince of Wales, Prime Minister Gordon Brown, President Sarkozy and President Obama will be attending a number of the events.

Nick Vaughan Barratt, Head of Events says: "We're very proud to be guests of the Normandy Veterans at their commemorations in northern France on Saturday, and to be able to the share the bravery, pride and humility of these tremendous people with audiences back home."

As the formal events come to a close, and the veterans gather in the bars and cafes of Normandy to share their memories and toast absent friends, Fiona Bruce hosts a special D-Day night on Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Four (7.00-10.35pm) live from the Hotel Normandie overlooking Gold Beach at Arromanches.

The evening will include a number of classic programmes from the Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Archive and Fiona will be joined by D-Day veterans, current-day soldiers, writers and historians to discuss the events of 65 years ago.

Guests include General Sir Richard Dannatt, Chief of the General Staff, Colonel Tim Collins, best known for his role in the Iraq War in 2003, and military historian Antony Beevor.

Among the archive programmes which will be shown are:

News 44, a look at the first secret landings in Normandy, presented by Sue Lawley and first broadcast on the 50th anniversary of D-Day in 1994;

D-Day: Turning The Tide, the extraordinary and moving story of D-Day, seen through the eyes of those who took part and presented by the late Charles Wheeler, himself a Normandy veteran;

D-Day: Secret Maps, how tens of thousands of maps were created for the Allied invasion of Europe in 1944;

and D-Day To Berlin, a Newsnight special from 1985 presented by Robert Harris and featuring recently discovered colour footage from World War Two.

Throughout the day Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Breakfast and Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ News will also be reporting on the key events in Normandy.

EDA