Round-up week 34 (20-26 August)

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

Edinburgh TV Festival

In the week of the Edinburgh TV festivals there were new commission announcements from Director of BBC Content Charlotte Moore; Patrick Holland, Channel Editor of BBC Two; Damian Kavanagh, Controller, BBC Three; and BBC Four Channel Editor Cassian Harrison.

Unsung Hero Award

Local sports volunteers who deserve recognition for their efforts can now be nominated for the BBC Get Inspired Unsung Hero Award 2016.

Announcements and blogs

Drama

It was confirmed that Aidan Turner and Eleanor Tomlinsonwill return with the second series of BBC One's Poldark on 4 September at 9pm. In addition, the network confirmed a deal with Agatha Christie Productions LTD for seven new Christie dramas over four years.

New commissions announced this week for BBC One include: an adaptation of Malorie Blackman’s Noughts and Crosses,The Split- a new original drama series from acclaimed Bafta and Primetime Emmy award-winning screenwriter Abi Morgan, a new Jed Mercurio drama series Bodyguard, and a new Scottish drama Trust Me.

Actress Thandie Newton was confirmed to star as guest lead DCI Roz Huntley in the fourth series of Jed Mercurio’s hit drama Line Of Duty.

Meanwhile, BBC Two announced a brand new six-part drama adaptation of the Man Booker Prize-winning novel The Luminaries.

Comedy

BBC Two revealed details of The Entire Universe, a unique collaboration from the creators of Spamalot, starring Professor Brian Cox, and combines fascinating facts about the birth of the universe with larger-than-life comedy characters penned by the legendary Eric Idle. The network also announced a collaboration between BBC Comedy and Fudge Park in White Gold starring Ed Westwick, Joe Thomas and James Buckley.

Meanwhile, BBC One confirmed an eighth series of Not Going Out.

Entertainment

The eleventh and twelfth contestants for this year's Strictly Come Dancing were announced to be Olympic gymnast Claudia Fragapan and Robert (Judge) Rinder this week and the full ine-up confirmed.

News

BBC One’s political debate programme Question Time is returning for a new series, beginning with a Labour Leadership Hustings Special.

Factual

BBC Four has announced a season celebrating the weird and wonderful world of conceptual art.

Radio

Jess Glynne, Shawn Mendes, Little Mix, The Vamps and DNCE have been confirmed to perform at BBC Radio 1’s Teen Awards. Elsewhere, it was announced that Asian Network Future Sounds 2016 is set to return on Friday 23 September, showcasing the hottest British-Asian talent and emerging artists from across the UK and internationally.

Digital

It was announced that BBC Three’s contemporary British drama Thirteen is the most requested show on BBC iPlayer in 2016 with 3m requests. Meanwhile, BBC Sport’s coverage of the Olympics Games in Rio reached 102.3m unique global browsers, with 68.3m coming from the UK, the biggest ever success for BBC Sport’s digital service.

National

Lesley Garrett and John Owen-Jones join the line-up of international and home-grown stars at BBC Proms in the Park Northern Ireland.

International

The way Shakespeare resonates in the lives of five luminaries from around the globe is the subject of the Living Shakespeare series, a British Council, BBC World Service and the Open University partnership going live on Monday 5 September across BBC World Service’s multilingual output, on BBC World News television and the website bbc.com.

Meanwhile, BBC World Service and the British Council, with co-producer The Open University and in partnership with Commonwealth Writers, have announced the winners of the 25th International Radio Playwriting Competition.

Blogs

With comedy Fleabag being broadcast on BBC Two after an initial run on BBC Three, our own Jen Macro looked at other original BBC Three comedies that have moved to BBC One and BBC Two; Damien Lindsay who won the BBC Get Inspired 2015 Unsung Hero Award reflects on his experiences as year’s search for an Unsung Hero gets underway; and Lisa Opie, Director of Factual, BBC Studios, talks in depth about the recently announced new structure for BBC Studios Factual.

Programme Highlights

• Rio 2016: Closing Ceremony, on BBC One, Sunday 21 August
• Animal Park Summer Special, on BBC One, Monday 22 August
• Debatable, on BBC Two, Monday 22 to Friday 26 August
• Ripper Street, on BBC Two, Monday 22 August
• BBC Proms 2016: Quincy Jones Prom, on BBC Four, Monday 22 August
• One Of Us, on BBC One from Tuesday 23 August
• The Reunion, on Radio 4 from Sunday 21 August
• Edinburgh International Festival 2016, on Radio 3 from Monday 22 August
• Blood And Milk, on Radio 4 from Monday 22 August
• The Conversation: Women At Seaon BBC World Service on Monday 22 August
• Hiroshima, on Radio 4 Extra from Tuesday 23 August