Televisionpoint.com Correspondent
Michael Peschardt is one of the BBC's senior foreign correspondents and is launching a new 13-part series on BBC World in April. Peschardt's People will give viewers a chance to take a look at the lives of some of the most famous and infamous people in the Asia-Pacific region. Michael spends an average of three days with each of his guests, interviewing them about the people, places, and issues that really matter to them, in a relaxed and informal style, encouraging them to open up and talk sincerely and passionately about their lives.

The line-up of guests include the following according to a media statement:
Apri 01: Sam Neill
Michael travels to New Zealand to visit the private country estate of Sam Neill, the star of many blockbusters including Jurassic Park. He talks about his relationship with Steven Spielberg and the frustrations of dealing with Hollywood.

Sam is married to a Japanese wife and talks openly about his multi-racial family living in a country, which he says, has sometimes been slow to embrace multiculturalism.

"It's a New Zealand story but we are together and we love each other and we see ourselves as the future really…and that old white vision of New Zealand, that's all in the past."

He shows Michael around his private vineyard and tells of his passion for organic gardening and fine art. "Over there I have saffron growing. It's all very Prince Charles really, except I do bad water colours. Prince Charles does good water colours!"

Attempting to explain the success of the New Zealand film industry which has recently produced the Lord of the Rings trilogy and King Kong, he says: "It is the isolation. We have had to do things for ourselves. There's never been a mentality in New Zealand that just because we are small we can't do it. In fact it's quite the reverse. We just get on and do things. It's in our nature."

April 08: Janet Holmes a Court
Janet Holmes a Court has often been described as Australia's richest woman. Normally very protective of her private life, the country's largest landholder welcomes Michael into her world.

Janet was married to one of Australia's most dynamic entrepreneurs, the late Robert Holmes a Court, and she talks openly about the roller coaster ride of being with Robert during a period when Australian entrepreneurs were taking on the world.

"It was tremendously exciting. He was one of the smartest people at doing what he did, and I was there, [but] when he died of course it was traumatic and desperate – to lose your husband. Women don't expect to outlive their husbands but they don't expect to be widowed at 47, and there were a lot of financial issues that had to be sorted out then."

Robert's death coincided with a dramatic economic recession and Janet talks openly about the problems she faced as a woman suddenly thrust into running a major international corporation.

"I have often joked that it was a bit of an asset because there was a huge amount of debt – hundreds of millions of dollars. Most of the banks also had their own problems, and I think they had never been owed so much money by a woman before and I don't think they knew quite what to do."

Able to live anywhere in the world, she explains her passionate devotion to Western Australia and all that it has to offer as she shows Michael around the beaches near her holiday home at Margaret River.

She remains passionate about the need for Australia to become a republic but concedes that it may be quite some time before it comes to pass.

April 15: Vanessa Mae
The young woman who has brought glamour and youth appeal to classical music talks about the pressures of being a child prodigy on the violin. Michael spends the day with her on tour in London. She talks about the decision to wear provocative costumes on stage and of her loneliness, as well as about growing up as the child of a Thai father and Chinese mother. Born in Singapore and raised in London, she tells Michael about the racism she's encountered, and what it is like to fall between several different cultures.

"I had as very cosmopolitan upbringing and I hate it when people stick together in groups. I like cross-pollination. I enjoy the fact that people of all cultures can work and live together, so I can help people be less xenophobic."

Vanessa reveals the price she has also had to pay for her fame, telling Michael about the fears for her safety from one fan in particular who became a stalker.

"There was one guy who was stalking me continually. Very recently he had had been hanging around a lot more, coming to the front door. And it really became too much. I thought he needed help and I needed help. We called in the police and he was put away for six months and banned from coming anywhere near me ever again."

April 22: Preity Zinta
Preity Zinta, is a well-known Bollywood Star from Delhi who shot to fame as the model in the Liril advertisement. Preity, a graduate in forensic science, is a very outspoken and beautiful actress who is known for the dimple on her right cheek when she smiles – a look that has become her trademark.

Michael takes a behind the scenes look at Preity's life as she takes him on a personal tour around India's most celebrated Bollywood film studio. She talks about the pressures of her fame, and says she really doesn't want to become more famous than she is now, ruling out any attempt to break into Hollywood. "Why would I want to go there, when everyone knows me already?" she says.

Preity shows Michael some of the colour and action that she believes has made Bollywood such a success, and tells him how she thinks India can change the world.

"There are half a billion young people in this country and that makes it possible for change to happen and very fast," she says. "Most older people in India believe that everything about Western influences is bad but young people see things differently, though they still want to hold on to their Indian culture and sense of family values."

Such is Preity's fame, that everywhere Michael accompanies her they are surrounded by her own personal bodyguards. "My life is not normal," she admits, "but I don't want to be an actress forever."

April 29: Doris Pilkington-Garimara
Doris Pilkington-Garimara has a powerful story to tell. She wrote the best-selling book Rabbit Proof Fence, which is now also a major motion picture, telling the true story of her mother, a young aboriginal girl who around 70 years ago made an incredible journey to be re-united with her family. Leading her two younger sisters, she walked 1,500 miles across the rugged outback, escaping police who at that time wanted to keep young aborigines in secure institutions away from their natural families.

Michael accompanies Doris as they re-trace her mother's steps to find one of the young girls who made the original journey. Now an old woman, Auntie Daisy talks about the challenges they faced and says: "It was a very long walk. We had no food and were always on the look-out for water."

She talks openly about the plight of aborigines in modern Australia and the curse of alcoholism. "Since white settlement, aboriginal men in particular, have lost their role. Their traditional place and status in society has been stripped away. They no longer feel needed and as a result many have taken to the bottle."

May 06: Shobhaa De
Michael Peschardt meets the best-selling author Shobhaa De, who has succeeding in breaking down many of the sexual taboos in today's India. She takes Michael around Mumbai in her chauffer-driven vintage Mercedes explaining why she believes it is so important to bring sensuality and sexuality back into Indian literature.

"I wanted to show that women should have the same rights over their lives, bodies and sexuality," she says. "Remember, India first produced the Karma Sutra. So there has been a long tradition."

However, as Shobhaa shows Michael around her city centre apartment, it becomes clear she feels that many young Indians are going too far in embracing liberal sexual practices.

She has recently finished another best-selling book about the importance of marriage.
" I have never advocated promiscuity. Marriage is important to me, and people must either show commitment to it, or not do it at all," says Shobhaa. "Some people watch birds, I watch marriages," she says.

May 13: Cranston Edward
Cranston Edwards is one of a fast-disappearing breed – a lone prospector who makes his living searching for gold. At one time, tens of thousands of Australians lived the solitary life of the prospector looking for the one big strike.

Cranston shows Michael around the gold mining town of Kalgoorlie - a throwback to an Australia of a hundred years ago.

"The bar where I am taking you now is one of the most popular spots not least because of the skimpies. The skimpies are the bar maids who wear bikinis and other skimpy clothes just to brighten things up a bit. Every week the paper announces who has been voted as the most popular skimpy of the week. In mining towns there has always been a bit of a shortage of women."

However, Cranston admits that the role of females is changing and he takes Michael to the 'super pit', which straddles the town.

"Look at those trucks over there. They are absolutely huge. Each one costs over four million dollars. And guess what. Nearly all the people driving them are women. They are much more careful drivers. They are much better than the men."

As Michael accompanies Cranston to look for some gold, the last thing he expects is to strike it lucky.

May 20: Sompan Charumilinda
Sompan Charumilinda is one of Asia's most charismatic business leaders. Based in Bangkok, he shows Michael around his city. As a man of influence, Sompan ensures there are no traffic hold-ups by arranging a police escort wherever they go.

A leading musician as well as entrepreneur, he featured in Thailand's own major charity concert to aid the victims of the Tsunami. "As well as all the physical damage and the many lives lost, the Tsunami has also had a huge psychological effect on the Thai people. It will take a very long time to recover."

May 27: Dr Fiona Wood
Dr Fiona Wood is a pioneer in plastic surgery, who first came to international prominence as a result of her treatment of some of the worst injured by the first Bali bombing in 2002.

She has developed techniques to produce new skin for those suffering severe burns, and was awarded the Australian of the Year accolade in 2005. She is also the mother of six children.

She invited Michael to spend a day with her as she juggled an astonishing array of commitments and challenges.

"I got into this kind of work when I was living in England, and I was treating this young boy who had been terribly burnt, and I just thought there has got to be more that can be done."

"When you see some of the people who have been injured, you realise that your life can change in an instant, and that most of us really do not know about suffering. For them it is a different league…. but I am nearly always amazed how people can recover and live fulfilling lives."

She also talks of the myths of being a super woman. "We decided early on that we wanted a large family. Having six children involves a lot of organisation but we love it. I don't think it is a question of being a superwoman. All that talk just puts on more pressure. It is about being super people – there is a tremendous role for men as well."

June 03: Dr Vijay Mallya
Michael Peschardt meets Dr Mallya, arguably India's highest profile entrepreneur and the tycoon behind Kingfisher Beer and the new Kingfisher Airlines. Dr Mallya is a successful businessman, politician and the Chairman of The UB Group, which focuses on alcoholic drinks (the world's second largest Spirits Company), life sciences, engineering, agriculture and chemicals, information technology and civil aviation.

A recognised orator and sportsman, he has won trophies on the professional car racing circuits, is a keen yachtsman and aviator and leads an extraordinarily frenetic life.

Michael meets him at his office at six o'clock in the evening, and watches as meetings continue through to half past two the following morning. Dr. Mallya reveals to Michael his plans to expand even further internationally. "We are looking at new acquisitions," he says, and is happy with comparisons between himself and British owner of the Virgin Empire Richard Branson. "I definitely want Kingfisher to fly internationally in the near future," he adds.

Dr. Mallya is a man who doesn't like to take no for an answer and expresses his frustrations with Indian bureaucracy and red tape, but he believes India's economic boom will certainly continue.

He keeps a 24-hour check on his sprawling business empire from his bulletproof Mercedes which he uses as a mobile office, and takes Michael on a tour around the city of Mumbai. "I don't read books, and I don't watch movies," he says. "For me work is fun. It's what I do. I've installed a 'can-do' attitude throughout my companies."

June 10: Pannin Kitiparaporn
Pannin Kitiparaporn is a woman on a mission. One of Thailand's richest women, she is also the country's leading female impresario. She has invested US$40 into building what is believed to be the world's biggest stage in Bangkok.

"I was worried that Thai culture was being lost. So many of our young people watch films from Hollywood and there is nothing wrong with them, but I want them to know about Thai culture as well. That is why I have built this stage to put on a show which will tell the new generation all about the history of this country – their country."

She says that being a woman is no barrier to business success in Thailand. "On the contrary, Thai men are very respectful of women in business. I have never had any sort of problem whatsoever," she says.

June 27: Luc Longley
Luc Longley is considered Australia's most successful basketball player. He was the first Australian to play in the NBA and won three consecutive NBA championships as a member of the Chicago Bulls, as well playing for the Phoenix Suns and the New York Knicks.

Peschardt's People begins transmission on BBC World from 1st April. The series has been sponsored by Microsoft and Daikin Air conditioners.