Ronnie Barker, Albert Finney, Vanessa Redgrave and Julie Walters head up a �94m spring and summer season for BBC Two, the channel has announced.

The details were announced the day after BBC Two scooped eight Royal Television Society (RTS) awards, including best newcomer award for comedian Johnny Vegas and best comedy for Ricky Gervais' creation, The Office.

The new season will include a season on the 40th anniversary of Jamaican independence, and several major arts series.

Barker: A long-awaited return to British TV screens

The channel will also feature major documentary investigations such as The Hunt For Britain's Paedophiles, which follows detectives' attempts to infiltrate rings, track offenders down and protect children.

BBC Two controller Jane Root described it as "one of the most emotive subjects documentary makers have tackled".

It is also due to screen The Experiment, the result of a unique collaboration between BBC Two and social psychologists from Exeter and St Andrews Universities.

For the controversial show, 15 volunteers were divided into "prisoners" and "guards" and filmed in a purpose-built set.

The Jamaican independence season will include the in-depth A History Of Reggae, while Power To The People tells the tale behind the struggle for self-rule.

A new art series, Reading The Decades, will chart social history through influential works of literature.

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Albert Finney and Vanessa Redgrave head an all-star cast in Churchill - The Gathering Storm, which explores Winston Churchill's pre-War wilderness years.

The drama sees the first TV drama appearance in more than a decade by Ronnie Barker as Churchill's manservant.

Julie Walters returns to the screen in Murder, playing a woman whose world is torn apart when her son is brutally killed.

Winners

BBC Two's RTS awards included two for the drama Perfect Strangers - best serial and best writer award.

Stephen Poliakoff's drama, which centres on a family reunion, has also been shortlisted for three awards in this year's Bafta ceremony.

Bob Marley will feature in a history of reggae

Other BBC Two winners included arts programme Arena, natural history documentary Congo and a best actress award for Diane Parish in Babyfather.

Comic Johnny Vegas picked up the best newcomer award for his role in BBC Two's Happiness.

Ricky Gervais' creation The Office won best comedy, but the comedian failed to pick up a best actor award.

Arts programme Arena, natural history documentary Congo and Diane Parish of Babyfather also came away with honours.

Ricky Gervais: Best comedy award

BBC One's successes included Alistair McGowan, who picked up an award for the best entertainment performance for his Big Impression comedy show, and David Suchet, who took best actor for costume drama The Way We Live Now.

EastEnders beat Doctors and Hollyoaks to win the soap opera award - though the category shortlist was criticised for leaving out Coronation Street and Emmerdale.

Channel 4 won five awards, including an entertainment gong for off-the-wall betting show Banzai.

ITV's three awards included one for Ant and Dec's performance on SM:tv Live - a programme the duo have since left.