BBC celebrates birth of punk

Never mind the Jubilee, here's a punk season ... the BBC is to celebrate the birth of a musical revolution with a series of programmes on radio and TV.

Some of the most prominent figures of the punk era are to take part in the programmes including John Lydon, Siouxsie Sioux and Mick Jones.

The season - to commemorate 35 years since three-chord wonders achieved national prominence - will be spearheaded by a BBC4 series Punk Britannia, which will look at the roots and the impact of the movement.

The three-part series includes contributions from Sex Pistols star Lydon - known in the late 1970s as Johnny Rotten - as well as The Clash's Jones and Sioux, who fronted Siouxsie And The Banshees.

Other major names from the era include Pete Shelley and his Buzzcocks bandmate Howard Devoto, who went on to front Magazine, The Fall's Mark E Smith, Generation X singer Billy Idol and Adam Ant.

The programmes look at the influence of mid-70s New York guitar acts and pub rock on the punk scene, how it went mainstream and its evolution and lasting influence.

Further programmes on BBC4 will include punk performances from the corporation's vaults including punk's main players as well as others from the scene including Dr Feelgood and The Au Pairs.

There will also be a documentary about punk poet John Cooper Clarke - known for tracks such as Evidently Chickentown, Health Fanatic and Beasley Street - featuring admirers and friends such as Steve Coogan and Arctic Monkey Alex Turner.

BBC Radio 6 Music will also be part of the celebration, with Lydon, Sioux, The Damned's Captain Sensible and Patti Smith each presenting their musical selections for hour long Playlist programmes in June.