Round-Up Weeks 21 & 22 (21 May - 3 June 2016)

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

Carla Lane (1928 - 2016)

News came at the end of May that Carla Lane, writer of BBC sitcoms Bread, Butterflies, and The Liver Birds, had died, we collated a few of the touching tributes in a blog.

BBC Music Day 2016

On Friday June 3 from 6am until midnight, over 200 events unfolded around the UK and Channel Islands for BBC Music Day, many of them based on the theme of collaboration. Thousands of people took part and many of the events were covered across the BBC on television, radio and online. James Stirling, Editor, BBC Music, penned a guide to the day on the blog.

Olympics

Full details of the BBC's comprehensive coverage of Rio 2016 on the BBC have been announced, comprising more than 3,000 hours of live sporting action from this year’s Summer Olympics.

BBC Proms

Twenty years since the first BBC Proms in the Park in 1996, stars from the pop and classical worlds including girl band All Saints, 1980s pop icon Rick Astley, rock band The Feeling, tenor Juan Diego Florez, flautist Sir James Galway and Australian actor and comedian Tim Minchin, will join the Royal Choral Society, BBC Concert Orchestra and conductor Richard Balcombe in London’s Hyde Park on Saturday 10 September to celebrate the finale to the 2016 BBC Proms festival.

What's more we are calling on music lovers to pick up an instrument, and be part of the BBC’s world famous Last Night of the Proms celebrations.

#LovetoRead

At the Hay Festival in Wales, the BBC announced details of its #LovetoRead campaign, which celebrates reading for pleasure and aims to create a unique national conversation about books.

Awards

It's been an award-filled couple of weeks. First I, Daniel Blake, Ken Loach's new film, back by BBC Films was awarded the prestigious Palme D'Or at Cannes Film Festival, a fitting acknowledgment of the acclaimed director's work, who turns 80 this year.

The winners of BBC Radio 2's 500 Words competition were announced in a special live broadcast of the Chris Evans Breakfast show, from the Globe Theatre in London. It was also revealed that ‘Refugee’ was Children’s Word of the Year from all the stories.

Elsewhere in Sporting Awards Kim Little was named BBC Women's Footballer of the Year 2016, and Sarah Mulkerrins the presenter of BBC World Service's Sportsworld blogged for us about the award.

Another Sport award was announced too, the Inaugural winner of 5 live Young Commentator of the Year.

Announcements

Corporate

It was announced that Alice Webb is to add Director of BBC North to her remit, and Joe Godwin’s role to be extended to Director of BBC in Midlands.

News

BBC One will screen two special editions of Question Time in the run up to the EU Referendum, putting leading advocates of the case to remain and the case to leave the European Union directly in front of a live audience.

Drama

BBC Drama announced three new commissions for BBC One and BBC Two, alongside the return of BBC One series The A Word and BBC Two’s Peaky Blinders. 

A media pack for seven-part drama by Anthony Horowitz, New Blood was published, along with another for new Jimmy McGovern drama Reg starring Tim Roth. 

Comedy

BBC Comedy announced the return of two popular shows: Peter Kay's Car Share and BBC Three's Witless. 

Factual

Tom McDonald, Head of Commissioning, Natural History & Specialist Factual Formats, announced ambitious new commissions across BBC One and Two. Meanwhile, BBC Two's Great British Menu is back and, this year, it makes history as the Palace of Westminster opens its doors for the first televised banquet to be held in the historic House of Commons Members’ Dining Room.

Children's

CBBC announced that it will be heading to Birmingham in July for two action-packed days of events and live broadcasts celebrating Awesome Authors. 

In addition, news of a brand new children’s drama, Jamie Johnson, which is set to hit TV screens around the Euro 2016 Championships, was revealed: it features cameos from Gary Lineker, Ruud Gullit and Notts County FC’s Roy Carroll.

Finally in Children's news, Bafta award-winning medical show Operation Ouch!will return for a fifth series, venturing behind the scenes at Alder Hey to reveal the incredible work that goes on at one of Europe’s largest children’s hospitals.

Sport

It was announced that Manchester City and Belgium captain Vincent Kompany will join the BBC punditry team for Euro 2016, providing expert analysis from the Paris studio.

Music

The Undertones will be performing a special hour-long concert on BBC Radio Ulster recorded in front of a capacity audience at the BBC's Blackstaff Studios in Belfast, as part of their 40th birthday celebrations. BBC Radio Ulster Senior Producer Owen McFadden, blogged reflecting on four decades of music memories.

Radio

Radio 2 announced their summer highlights, including a variety of new programmes, series and documentaries featuring some of the UK’s best-loved presenters from Fearne Cotton, Martin Kemp and Paul Gambaccini, to new programmes from Trevor Nelson and specials from Eve Pollard and Bill Nighy.

Meanwhile, Radio 3 and the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC), in a public event at Hay Festival, unveiled the 10 academics who will be turning their research into television and radio programmes on the BBC, New Generation Thinkers 2016.

Regional

BBC NI are giving viewers a chance to be in the audience for The EU Referendum - NI Decides with Stephen Nolan.

There were also regional announcements for BBC Music Day: BBC Wales and BBC Bristol are teaming up to celebrate BBC Music Day and the 50th anniversary of one of Wales’ most famous landmarks, the Severn Bridge - with the help of Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter Amy Wadge and Only Men Aloud. Meanwhile, BBC Music announced the full details of its ambitious plans to Take It To The Bridge on Friday 3 June.

Elsewhere, BBC Newcastle and Tyneside Cinema will document a Year In The Life Of The Town Moor.

In Wales, a preview of John McGrath, former artistic director of National Theatre Wales, BBC Radio Wales’ 2016 Patrick Hannan Lecture was revealed. In addition comedian, radio presenter and dedicated Welsh football fan Elis James hails Gareth Bale as Wales’s best ever footballer, ahead of many other great players over the years, in an upcoming BBC Wales series of digital comedy shorts for Euro 2016, Elis In Euroland. Also BBC Wales has confirmed that one of Wales’ best-known football experts, Wali Tomos, will be joining its Welsh-language online service, BBC Cymru Fyw, for Euro 2016

International

BBC Kyrgyz will mark 20 years on air with special content - and 3 million weekly reach on TV.

Broadcast Highlights

• The FA Cup final, on BBC One in MotD Live - 2016 FA Cup Final - Crystal Palace v Manchester United
• The RHS Chelsea Flower Show was on BBC One and BBC Two from Sunday 22 May to Friday 27 May
• On Radio, BBC Radio 4's Dangerous Visions season, a series of dramas that explore contemporary takes on future dystopias, featured from 22- 27 May.
• BBC Four featured Mumford and Sons at BBC Radio 1’s Big Weekend Exeter 2016on Saturday 28 May
• Top Gear returned to BBC Two on Sunday 29 May
• Lavish drama Versailles started on BBC Two on 1 June
• Anthony Horowitz’s new crime drama series, New Blood, premiered on iPlayer on 2 June
• The UK’s Best Part-time Band started on BBC Four on 3 June