A round-up of BBC announcements, press releases and blogs, plus some highlights from our TV, radio and online output last week.
BBC Arts
Jonty Claypole, Director of Arts, announced a broad range of ambitious new arts commissions across BBC television, including the film Terry Pratchett: Back in Black, starring Paul Kaye as the late author (pictured above). BBC Arts will also take viewers to the heart of 2017’s cultural moments, including marking the centenary of the establishment of Imperial War Museums and exploring Hull - 2017’s UK City of Culture.
Director-General
On Wednesday 11 January, Tony Hall delivered his New Year message to staff from the Mailbox in Birmingham. He spoke about the challenge of reinventing public service broadcasting for a new generation without forsaking existing audiences and the BBC's three priorities for success, our creativity, our culture and our global ambition.
David Clementi
Also this week, as it emerged the preferred candidate for BBC Chair was David Clementi. Tony Hall made a statement on Tuesday 10 January regarding the selection.
BBC Proms
BBC Proms launched its 2017 Inspire Competition for young composers aged 12-18 on Monday 9 January. The closing date for entries is Thursday 25 May.
Awards
The EE British Academy Film Award nominations were announced on Monday 10 January, with BBC Films I, Daniel Blake, Florence Foster Jenkins and Denial receiving 10 nominations between them.
Announcements and blogs
Drama
Consolidated viewing data issued on Monday 9 January revealed that Sherlock: The Six Thatchers, which aired on New Year's Day,was the most watched programme over the festive season across all channels, with 11.3 million viewers.
Comedy
BBC Entertainment and BBC One commissioned a new Saturday night series with Agnes Brown and all the Mrs Brown’s Boys favourites. All Round to Mrs Brown's will be filmed in front of a live audience and will air later in the year.
Factual
It was announced that Mariella Frostrup and The Reverend Richard Coles will host BBC One’s Big Painting Challengeand we introduced the mentors who will appear on the show.
Children's
David Walliams and Rochelle Humes are to join the voice cast of CBeebies series Teletubbies. It will be 20 years since the original series first appeared on British television.
iPlayer
The week of New Year (26 December – 1 January) saw 69.3 million requests, more than any other week in BBC iPlayer’s history. December was also BBC iPlayer’s best month ever, seeing 281 million requests across the month.
World
BBC Focus On Africa television and radio, along with the BBC Swahili TV programme, Dira ya Dunia, will hit the road together to broadcast live from Uganda for a week from 23 to 27 January.
Launched by BBC World Service and the in-language mobile distribution platform AudioNow, BBC Somali news headlines and radio programmes are now available globally via the free BBC Somali App.
Radio
BBC Radio 2 announced late night and overnight schedule changes, and BBC Radio Asian Network today announced the line-up for Asian Network Live, set to take place on Saturday 25 February at Eventim Apollo, Hammersmith.
As part of Independent Venue Week which runs from Monday 23 to Sunday 29 January, Steve Lamacq is set to broadcast his BBC Radio 6 Music show from Essex, Leeds, Oxford, Birmingham and Brighton, to raise awareness of the grassroots music scene.
Sport
The Aegon Championships at The Queen’s Club tournament will remain free-to-air for tennis fans for another seven years as the BBC announces it will continue broadcasting the event until 2024.
Regional
Current affairs programme Inside Out is returns to BBC One for its 31st series on Monday 16 January.
BBC Radio Cymru invited listeners to enjoy a day of spectacular music at Hoddinott Hall in Cardiff, home of the BBC National Orchestra of Wales, on Wednesday 25 January, as part of a year of celebrations to mark Radio Cymru’s 40th anniversary this year.
Blogs
Creative digital director at BBC Wales, Jo Pearce, talked us through the process of creating #SherlockLive - an exclusive, live case for the audience to solve on Twitter.
Marcus Wilson, executive producer for CBBC's The Worst Witch spoke to us about the joys and challenges of adapting the much-loved series of children's books for the screen, and producer of Antiques Roadshow Holocaust Memorial, Julia Frost spoke to us about her experience of working on such a special episode.
Broadcast Highlights
Langur monkeys looking at spy langur in India in episode 1 of 'Spy in the Wild'
- Spy in the Wild, Thursday 12 January, BBC One
- David Bowie: The Last Five Years, Saturday 7 January, BBC Two
- Transgender Kids: Who Knows Best?, Thursday 12 January, BBC Two
- Let It Shine, Saturday 7 January, BBC One
- Hospital, Wednesday 11 January, BBC Two
- Now The Twelfth Night Show, Saturday 7 January, Radio 4
- Sound Of Musicals With Neil Brand, Friday 13 January, BBC Four
