Alternative views

The 100th Anniversary of the Battle of the Somme - or at least its fateful first day - comes up on 1st July, and, as you'd expect. there's a raft of BBC programmes to go with the various public commemorations.

However one documentary is still looking for a slot. 'The Other Side of The Somme' is based on the research of historian Peter Barton, commissioned for BBC2, by the departing Martin Davidson. Peter's film tells the story of the German regiments lined up against the much bigger British army, using so far unseen German military documents.

There's a theory that the BBC has found Peter's analysis - basically a British operation outsmarted by cleverer Germans - is a bit hard to take in the current climate. It might have to wait til later in the summer. Still, it's an anniversary that has legs - the battle officially ended in November 1916.