Jo Brand heads up new BBC season

Jo Brand and Liz Smith have been lined up to front a new BBC Four season this summer called Grey Expectations.

The series of programmes, which examine the challenges presented by the ageing process, will arrive on BBC Four in July.

Among the shows airing as part of the season are The Grandparent Diaries, an in-depth look at the relationships between three sets of grandparents and their grandchildren, and Liz Smith's Summer Cruise, which follows the 87-year-old actress as she prepares for a holiday.

Jo Brand will also star in Getting On, a drama following the lives of three geriatric nurses. Joanna Scanlan and Vicki Pepperdine will appear alongside the comedienne in the three half-hour episodes.

"Grey Expectations offers rare personal glimpses into experiences of older people," said BBC Four controller Richard Klein. "The experiences of people in the eclectic films reflect lives every bit as diverse, rich and varied as their younger counterparts - if not more so."