Two special editions of 'Dispatches', a 'Cutting Edge' documentary, and a week of peak-time short films featuring the victims of street crime, will round out the special season.
The broadcaster will be giving new talent the chance to shine through in New Talent Month throughout August, in which the channel will play host to new aspiring TV talent every single day.
The initiative includes a topical comedy programme 'The Nightly Show', which will air on weekdays for three consecutive weeks to promote a new generation of comics.
Other new comedies include 'The Kevin Bishop Show' from the team behind the award-winning 'Star Stories', while 'Plus One' is the work of up-and-coming writing partnership Tim Allsop and Stewart Williams.
New dramas include the darkly comic 'Poppy Shakespeare', based on Clare Allan's best-selling novel about life on a psychiatric hospital day ward, and 'The Shooting of Thomas Hurndall', about the aftermath of the shooting of the British peace activist in 2003.
Elsewhere, Professor Richard Dawkins will explore the lasting impact of Charles Darwin in a major three-part series called 'Origin of the Species'.
A series of history documentaries called 'Victorian Passions' will reassesses Victorian attitudes to life and love, and a week of documentaries on Islam will "aim to get to the heart of this most misunderstood religion".
'Big Brother' will return for a ninth series during the summer. Other returning series include 'Peep Show' and 'The Charlotte Church Show'.
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