Round up weeks 13 & 14 (24 March - 6 April)

A bumper round up of BBC announcements, press releases and blogs, plus some highlights from our TV, radio and online output over the last two weeks.

Annual Plan 2018/19

The BBC published its Annual Plan, outlining creative plans for the year; how it will fulfil the obligations in its Ofcom Operating Licence and its extra commitments that go further to deliver high quality distinctive content, as well as an update on the BBC’s three year strategy, the BBC’s high level budget and the BBC Board’s approach to their duties.

Diversity Code of Practice

The BBC published its first Diversity Code of Practice, as part of its commitment to increase diversity on and off air to reflect and represent today’s UK.

50:50 Challenge

The BBC announced that it is seeking to ensure that there is a 50:50 gender balance on expert contributors across its airwaves in news, current affairs and a range of topical programmes, by April 2019.

Commissioning Editor for podcasts

Ben Chapman, Head of Digital for Radio announced the appointment of the BBC's first Commissioning Editor for Podcasts. Jason Phipps, currently Head of Audio at The Guardian, will start the role in May.

Awards

On Wednesday 4 April the winnners of the Radio 2 Folk Awards 2018 were announced in a ceremony broadcast live on BBC Radio 2 and BBC Radio Ulster, from Belfast Waterfront in Northern Ireland.

Announcements and blogs

Drama

News broke that Tchéky Karyo is to reprise his role as Julien Baptiste in gripping new drama, and BBC One also revealed that filming has begun in Liverpool on The War of the Worlds, a major adaptation of H.G. Wells’ classic sci-fi title starring Eleanor Tomlinson, Rafe Spall, Robert Carlyle and Rupert Graves. 

Following a hugely successful launch series which generated exceptional audience feedback BBC One Daytime drama Shakespeare & Hathaway - Private Investigators, starring Jo Joyner and Mark Benton, will return for a second series.

We also published the media pack for BBC Two'sThe City & The Citystarring David Morrissey.

Comedy

Following on from a succesful pilot last year, the full series of sketch show Famalam has been commissioned and will premiere on BBC Three in early April before coming to BBC Two later that month.

Factual

Samantha Evans and Shauna Guinn launch a new cookery programme to celebrate the achievements of community champions across Wales. Sam and Shauna’s Big Cook-Outwill air on BBC One Wales on from Monday 9 April.

BBC Two announced four ambitious new current affairs commissionsGrammar Schools: Who Will Get In?, Return To Iraq (w/t), Terror in Manchester (w/t) and Burma With Simon Reeve will air this spring.

BBC One announced that Dr. Chris van Tulleken will returns to TV screens for a new series of the BAFTA-nominated The Doctor Who Gave Up Drugs.

Entertainment

The BBC commissioned a new Saturday night dance talent show, The Greatest Dancer will feature a host of talent from across the world of dance, from ballet to jazz; hip hop to Bollywood and also for Saturday nights All Together Now will be returning to BBC One for a second series, following a successful first run. And the full presenter line-up for the Eurovision Song Contest 2018 was revealed

Radio

BBC Radio 4 announced some presenter changes on the station, Sarah Montague will become the lead presenter of World at One and Martha Kearney will become one of the main presenters on the Today programme.

BBC Asian Network announced brand new shows and talent on the station kicking off on 14 May.

World Service

The BBC News Serbian (BBC News na srprskom) digital service went live with the launch of its website, plus Twitter and Facebook feeds on Monday 26 March. 

In the run-up to the short-lived democracy’s centenary, BBC Azerbaijani (BBC Azərbaycanca) has started a major digital project - ADR-100 - which will help to re-discover and re-live some of the key episodes of its history, with a special focus on Britain’s position towards the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic (ADR).

The 4th BBC Arabic Festival programme was announced. BBC Arabic also launched AimHigh, its first ever trainee scheme in the region for journalists with disabilities, and on 10 April, BBC World Questions comes to Accra to host a debate on the country’s political and economic future.

Children's

This year's CBBC Summer Social will take place at Croxteth Hall in Liverpool in August and the BBC launched CBBC Buzz, a new mobile community for under 13s to have fun and get creative.

Blogs

Radio 3 Controller Alan Davey introduced some changes and new faces for the station, and we learned that Sue Lawley is to "hang up [her] Reith Boots" in Jim Frank's blog about this year's Reith Lectures.

Emily Kasriel, who is leading the BBC News global season 'Crossing Divides', explains why the BBC is running the season, how it showcases solutions-focused journalism, and shares some of her highlights of what to look out for.

Head of Digital, English Region, Laura Ellis asked if 'some places funnier than others?' as she introduced new comedy podcast Knock Knock.

We also published the BBC iPlayer Highlights for 31 March-6 April and 7-13 April and listed all the BBC programmes nominated for BAFTA TV Awards this year.

Broadcast Highlights

Week 14

• Easter From Kings, Saturday 31 March, BBC TWO
• Hamlet, Saturday 31 March, BBC TWO
• Ordeal By Innocence, Sunday 1 April, BBC ONE
• The Unbelievable Truth, Monday 2 April, BBC RADIO 4
• Dave Allen At Peace, Monday 2 April, BBC TWO
• My Dad, The Peace Deal And Me, Wednesday 4 April, BBC ONE
• Just Boys, from Wednesday 4 April, BBC THREE
• BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards 2018, Wednesday 4 April, BBC RADIO 2
• Front Row - 20th Anniversary, Friday 6 April, BBC RADIO 4
• Sounds Like Friday Night, Friday 6 April, BBC ONE

Week 13

• The Boat Race, Saturday 24 March, BBC ONE
• Holy Week around Europe, Sunday 25 March, BBC RADIO 3
• RAF AT 100 With Ewan And Colin McGregor, Sunday 25 March, BBC ONE
• Hospital, Monday 26 March, BBC TWO
• In The Studio: Nils Frahm, Tuesday 27 March, BBC WORLD SERVICE
• R Kelly: Sex, Girls And Videotapes, from Wednesday 28 March, BBC THREE
• Wannabe, from Thursday 29 March, BBC THREE
• Painting The Holy Land, Friday 30 March, BBC ONE
• Episodes, Friday 30 March, BBC TWO