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In boxes in dusty attics sleeps much of the home movie history of Britain, the forgotten heirlooms and hand-me-downs that deserve to see the light of day. In a new series for ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Two, The Great British ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Movie Roadshow will be travelling across the UK, unearthing the hidden treasures of Britain's home movie archive.

Presented by Kirsty Wark and Dan Cruickshank, the series will capture the nation's history through the eyes of its most important historians – the British public.

³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ movies capture a social history that is often neglected – whether taking a view of historic events, documenting the reality of British life or creating home-made dramas, this archive is the nation's story.

The series attempts to uncover amateur-filmed footage that reflects the events of the last 70 years, documenting real life and the magic moments people think deserve to be on screen.

From street parties to strikes, celebrities backstage to intimate scenes of domestic life, some of these events will be familiar, but raw and unfiltered – this is the unscripted, unedited version of Britain's past.

The Great British ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Movie Roadshow will be travelling to four UK cities – London, Glasgow, Bradford and Falmouth, in Cornwall – arriving with the technology and the experts that can bring the footage to life, enabling visitors to watch the films they once thought were worthless or unplayable.

Working with the BFI and the regional film archives, experts will be on hand to analyse the footage as it comes into the roadshow, to offer real historical context, precise dating and, perhaps, a permanent place in the BFI's own archive.

The Great British ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Movie Roadshow is a Diverse production. The executive producer at Diverse is Alan Brown and the series producer is Stephen Taylor Woodrow. The executive producer for the ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ is Jo Ball.

Jo says: "The footage that has turned up so far is extraordinary. Not only are the films compelling to watch, they also capture a social history that is often forgotten. I can't wait to see what else is out there."

Stephen Taylor Woodrow says: "This is an incredibly exciting project, and nothing could have prepared us for the response.

"We have already had over 1,000 films sent in and have already identified several national treasures. This is our heritage brought to life – reality TV from the past."

Notes to Editors

The Great British ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Movie Roadshow will be visiting the following places:

23 March – the BFI on the South Bank, London
30 March – the Museum of Transport in Glasgow
1 April – the National Media Museum in Bradford
3 Apri – the National Maritime Museum in Falmouth

Any format of footage is accepted and a fee will be paid for any clips used in the series.

The show is due to be broadcast in summer 2010.

TD