As part of Sky”s commitment to increase its annual investment in home-grown programming to £600 million by 2014, cultural channel Sky Arts will see its programming budget increase three-fold. Thanks to this investment, Sky Arts will grow the breadth of its content, to try and reach an even wider audience.

Upcoming highlights include:

– Playhouse Presents…Emma Thompson, David Tennant, Sheila Hancock, Stephen Fry, Richard E. Grant and Tom Jones – in his first acting role – are just a few of the household names in a line-up of brand new plays.

– Michael Parkinson back on British TV with a new show.

– A new run of The South Bank Show, once again to be hosted, edited and produced by Melvyn Bragg.

– Flagship Sky Arts series such as The Book Show, In Confidence and Tim Marlow On…returning for new runs.

Commenting, James Hunt, Director of Sky Arts, said: “I”ve always said I”ve got the best job in TV – and our plans for 2012 only confirm this for me. It”s hard to know what to be most excited by – the talent we now have coming to the channel, the raft of fantastic ideas we have for programmes or the enormously exciting work that”s happening off air. We”re delighted to be able to offer our customers this kind of content, and the unique opportunity to experience what we do off screen as well as on.”

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