Rattansi & Ridley - Episode One 2032 GMT, Sky 515, 31 October 2009 (2bof3)

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RATTANSI & RIDLEY - A NEW CURRENT AFFAIRS TELEVISION SERIES ON SKY CHANNEL 515

(LONDON, 28 OCTOBER 2009) Last time the Iranians commandeered a British ship was two and a half years ago in the Persian Gulf. Starting this Saturday 31 October, 2009 the Iranians will take over another Royal Navy ship in the heart of London.

HMS President, the World War One veteran is moored on the River Thames on Victoria Embankment, and will broadcast each week at 2034 GMT on Sky channel 515 the Rattansi & Ridley show.

Billed as the show which rocks the boat, R&R is the only TV programme in the world presented on board a floating TV studio. HMS President was originally commissioned as a 'Q' Ship (or Mystery Ship). Disguised as a merchant ship, she was designed to attract German U-Boats that she would then try and destroy with her arsenal of hidden weapons. HMS President is listed on the National Register of Historic Vessels.

"It seems HMS President is going to be making history once again," commented Afshin Rattansi.

"This time, however, we want to captivate our viewers although I've no doubt R&R will still ruffle a few feathers," added co-host Yvonne Ridley

Veteran journalists, Rattansi and Ridley of First Witness Productions in London have gained their first Sky platform commission on Irans international 24-hour broadcaster, Press TV. Executive producing as well as presenting the show are the former Sunday Times Insight correspondent, Ridley, and former BBC Today programme producer, Rattansi, who interview a cavalcade of important figures on the geopolitical landscape analysing everything from the so-called war on terror to the arts and big business.

Episode 1 includes interviews with former cricketer and future Pakistani Presidential contender, Imran Khan; the neocon Prince of Darkness, himself, Richard Perle; Somalias Finance Minster, Syrias Deputy Prime Minister and others. Future episodes include Al Qaidas Banker, a former guard at Guantanamo Bay prison camp who converted to Islam, former Guantanamo detainees, including Moazzem Begg and Al Jazeera cameraman, Sami Al-Hajj and the father of a British hostage in one of Britains longest running kidnaps. He uses the R&R platform to make a remarkable offer to the hostage-takers holding his son.

Afshin Rattansi has for more than twenty years worked in journalism at organisations including The Guardian, BBC Today programme, Bloomberg Television, CNN International, Al Jazeera Arabic, GMTV and the Dubai Business Channel. His quartet of novels, The Dream of the Decade is available at Amazon.com. He won a Sony Award for outstanding contribution to international media in 2002.

Award-winning journalist, Yvonne Ridleys work has worked as a reporter for many Fleet Street titles including The Sunday Times, The Observer, Daily Mirror and Independent on Sunday. Her broadcast journalism has appeared on BBC TV and radio, CNN, ITN and Carlton TV. Her books include In The Hands of the Taliban and Ticket to Paradise. Her debut into documentaries with film-maker David Miller - GUANTANAMO: Inside the Wire earned them accolades at the Roma TV Film Festival this year. Since then she has co-produced three other films - two featuring Gaza are already receiving critical acclaim at film festivals across the globe.

PRESS INQUIRIES: Email: info@1stwitness.com Telephone: +44 (0)7836370649

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