BBC World presents The Real Cities in association with InterContinental Hotels & Resorts

Media News

Mumbai, November 12, 2007

Today BBC World announces the launch of a new five-part series, The Real Cities, in association with InterContinental Hotels & Resorts.

The Real Cities is a travelogue with a difference. Visiting five of the world’s most glamorous and iconic cities, it offers viewers an insiders’ guide to London, Sydney, New York, Tokyo and Paris through the eyes of their famous residents. Three prominent locals from each city will take viewers on a tour of his or her favourite haunts, bypassing the well-trodden tourist paths in favour of individual, underground, cool and offbeat sights and sounds that only those ‘in the know’ could possibly reveal.

The programmes will feature Julia Peyton-Jones, director of the Serpentine Gallery in London, Alek Wek, the model and handbag designer in New York, Colette Dinnigan, the fashion designer in Sydney and Olivier Picasso in Paris.

The five-part series airs weekly with the first episode, featuring London, appearing on BBC World on Saturday 17 November at 1800 IST. The series is being sponsored by InterContinental Hotels & Resorts, the international hotel company.

Carolyn Gibson, vice president, sales, EMEA and North America, says, “So many travel programmes simply show the clichéd tourist sights, and neglect to go behind the scenes to find the hidden treasures of a city that the locals enjoy. The Real Cities is a groundbreaking new series for BBC World, which interviews the famous residents from five major international cities to truly give our viewers an insider’s point of view. We are very proud of this series and hope that our viewers enjoy the insights it offers.”

Jenifer Zeigler, senior vice president, global brand management for InterContinental Hotels & Resorts, says, “We’re thrilled to partner with BBC World to bring The Real Cities to life. The InterContinental brand has always believed in providing our guests with authentic and enriching experiences when they visit one of our destinations. The interviews and insider content provided by The Real Cities is a perfect fit for our customers who live to travel.”

For further information and images please contact:

BBC World Press Office

Tel: + 44 208 433 3787

E-mail: bbcworldpressoffice@bbc.co.uk

Vidhu Aul

PR Manager

BBC World

T: +91 22 30652121

E-mail : Vidhu.aul@bbc.co.uk

Nikita Crasta / Khushman Irani

Genesis Burson-Marsteller

T: +91 22 24911783

Mobile : 98202-99051 / 98202-41723

E-mail : nikita.crasta@bm.com / khushman.irani@bm.com