Round Up Week 51 (16-22 December)

A round up of BBC announcements, press releases and blogs, plus some highlights from our TV, radio and online output last week.

BBC Sports Personality of the Year 2017

The public have crowned Sir Mo Farah as BBC Sports Personality of the Year 2017. It was also announced that Bradley Lowery is to be honoured posthumously with the Helen Rollason award at BBC Sports Personality of the Year 2017

Religion and ethics

On Wednesday the BBC set out wide-ranging plans to increase our ambition for coverage of religion and ethics.

Appointments

Fran Unsworth has been appointed as the BBC's Director of News and Current Affairs, elsewhere Glyn Isherwood has been appointed the BBC’s Group Finance and Operations Director, while the World Service has appointed Rachael Akidi Okwir and Toyosi Ogunseye as heads of language services for East and West Africa respectively.

Announcements and blogs

Drama

The media pack for BBC One’s ground-breaking new international thriller McMafia was published, as well as an interview with Doctor Who writer Steven Moffat as part of the The Doctor Who Christmas Special media pack.

Comedy

Ahead of their return this Christmas with Vic & Bobs Big Night Out special it was announced that next year Vic Reeves and Bob Mortimer will be bringing the show to BBC Four for a four episode series made by BBC Studios.

Entertainment

Twenty-one-year-old Craig Johnston was named the youngest ever champion of the UK’s most prestigious cooking competition,BBC Two’s MasterChef: The Professionals, it was announced on Thursday.

Elsewhere, BBC One confirmed that Strictly Come Dancing -The Finalachieved 2017's highest overnight ratings.

Factual

BBC Two announced that a special feature-length documentary to tell the definitive story of Harvey Weinstein has been commissioned.

Children's

CBeebies announced that Bedtime Stories are to be read by Eddie Redmayne and Emily Watson on the channel over the Christmas period.

Radio

Changes were confirmed to the Radio 2 schedule as Sunday mornings on Radio 2 will ring in the changes with a brand new live show.

Regional

In Scotland, expert women are being invited to apply to be part of a day-long media familiarisation bootcamp. It will give them the skills to share their knowledge on air in front of a potential audience of millions.

Meanwhile, in Wales BBC National Orchestra Wales celebrates its 90th birthday from January to May 2018

International

The BBC Ukrainian 2017 Book Awards winners were revealed this week at a ceremony in Kiev.

Blogs

David Whiteley explained how his passion for Star Wars led to him making a fascinating documentary about the British crew who worked on the George Lucas films in Uncovering 'The Galaxy Britain Built'; and we published the weekly BBC iPlayer Highlights 23-29 December.

Broadcast Highlights

• Strictly Come Dancing - The Final, Saturday 16 December, BBC ONE
• Feud: Bette And Joan, Saturday 16 December, BBC TWO
• Sports Personality Of The Year 2017, Sunday 17 December, BBC ONE
• Man Like Mobeen, Sunday 17 December, BBC THREE
• Father Brown, Monday 18 December, BBC ONE
• The League Of Gentlemen, Monday 18 December, BBC TWO
• Judi Dench: My Passion For Trees, Wednesday 20 December, BBC ONE
• The Galaxy Britain Built: Droids, Darth Vader And Lightsabers, Thursday 21 December, BBC FOUR
• Christmas Around Europe, Sunday 17 December, BBC RADIO 3
• 6 Music Presents Elbow With The BBC Philharmonic At Christmas, Thursday 21 December, BBC RADIO 6 MUSIC