2000 Today - Season 1

The start of biggest ever live broadcast in TV history - 28 hours of celebrations as people of the world bid farewell to and welcome the new millennium.

The celebrations begin on Kiribati and Tonga. and there are reports from around the UK, including Kirsty Wark in Edinburgh, Noel Thompson in Belfast and Tim Vincent in Cardiff.

Cameras capture midnight in Auckland, New Zealand. There's a link-up with Cape Town, South Africa, and Bugwatch provides news on the millennium bug. Diane Louise Jordan pays the first of a series of visits to one of the last weddings of 1999, and a VIP meets workers on board an Irish Sea gas rig. Plus the first of today's reunions.

Big Ben rings the final midday of 1999. Glastonbury Abbey holds a historic service. Paddy Kielty visits in Belfast's Kitchen Bar. Australia gears up for midnight, and the sun sets on the Taj Mahal.

Australia welcomes 2000 with a huge firework display, there's a Bugwatch update and Nick Knowles pays the first of many visits to Southampton general. Including 1.05-1.15 BBC News.

There's an act of Remembrance from Nottingham, Nelson Mandela speaks from South Africa, and the first UK sunset is observed off the Shetlands. From a tornado jet, Philippa Forrester describes sunset across the nation.

David Attenborough voices his hopes for mankind. Michael Palin investigates scientific activity in the South Pole. There's a report from Beijing, China, as the world's largest population sees in the new millennium.

Michael Palin reviews midnight in Hong Kong, Singapore and Taiwan, and in New Zealand, first light brings a special concert featuring Kiri Te Kanawa.

Preparations for a spectacular parade taking place on London's Tower Bridge.

Gaby Roslin introduces some special reunions, bringing together long-lost friends and relatives. From the studio, Meera Syal looks forward to midnight in India and Rolf Harris watches "sun-arise" in Australia.

Shauna Lowry reports from Londonderry in Northern Ireland, where a massed choir sings Danny Boy, and in London David Dimbleby and Juliet Morris watch guests arrive at the Dome for the opening ceremony.

The grand final of the Children's Promise millennium quizshow to determine who will win the whole of 2000 off work on double pay. Hosted by Michael Parkinson and Katy Hill, with Lenny Henry making an appearance as the final Man in the Golden Suit. (W)
All the above programmes carry subtitles

The final countdown is started. Cliff Richard lights the Flame of Hope in Birmingham's Centenary Square, and Katy Hill reports as the Prime Minister opens the London Eye ferris wheel at Westminster. Fergal Keane monitors celebrations in Leipzig, Table Mountain in South Africa and Egypt, where Jean-Michel Jarre stages a concert at the Pyramids, and there's a report from Moscow.

The festivities continue. Including at 9.05 BBC News; Regional News and Weather and at 9.25 National Lottery Big Draw 2000 with Dale Winton. The Queen lights the first national beacon in London - prompting others to be lit in Belfast, Cardiff and Edinburgh. There's a Bugwatch update and news from gigantic parties around the globe, including Athens, Venezuela, Paris and Finland. As the UK approaches 10pm, Jeremy Bowen joins a candlelit procession welcoming in the new year in Manger Square, Bethlehem.

In South Africa, Nelson Mandela hands over the flame of reconciliation, and back in Greenwich, Jamie Theakston introduces a star-studded concert including Simply Red and the Eurythmics.

As crowds gather in the UK's major towns and cities for the stroke of midnight, the Queen and Prince Philip arrive at the Millennium Dome and the Archbishop of Canterbury leads the prayers. A spectacular opening ceremony for the Dome paves the way for Big Ben's most important chime of the year.

The year 2000 arrives on Big Ben's midnight chime, with a river of fire being lit along the Thames from Tower Bridge. Scenes of jubilation will be shown from around the UK. There's news of the first millennium babies, at 12.35 National Lottery Big Draw 2000, the first lottery of the new millennium, and the Dome's opening extravaganza and Greenwich concert conclude.

After a ten-minute News bulletin including a millennium bug update, Dame Edna Everage gets crowds in New York's Time Square, in the mood for their midnight celebrations at 5am GMT.

Brazil celebrates midnight, there's a rave in Liverpool and live jazz music in New Orleans.

A look at activities in the trendy high spots of London and other UK cities. There's a glimpse at how life may be in the 21st century, and reports from midnight in Argentina, Chile and the first one in North America.

Eddy Grant leads the festival in the Caribbean, the partying continues in the UK and the Gypsy Kings play live in Miami. It's time for the Americas to celebrate. Including at 4.45 News and Weather.

Sunrise in Venice, and the last sunset of the 20th century, in Samoa in the South Pacific.

It's midnight in the Wild West, Hollywood and Las Vegas in the USA, and dawn in Italy and over the Jungfrau.

As the sun rises for the first time in the UK in 2000, pictures from the meridian line in Greenwich and all over the UK. 

The live broadcast continues.
Hour Twelve: Samoa is the last place to enter the 21st century. Plus a look back at the night's events in the Americas.

Starting with more than 35,000 church bells will ring across the country from noon. Including at 12.05, the Archbishop of Canterbury's New Year message.

Some final global highlights.