We present an overview of Programmable Networks in the context of the BANG (Broadband Active Network Generation) project. The combination of a hardware-based router and an Active Network controlling node provides us with both performance and flexibility for advanced applications. Current work is based on Policy-based Routing and using Programmable Networks to make intelligent routing decisions. One of the future directions of our work is to use the selective deployment of intelligence in the network to introduce application-awareness into the network. Overlay Networks such as those typified by Peer-to-Peer systems could benefit from the intelligent routing decisions that could be made if the network was programmed to be application-aware.