BBC Blogs - About the BBC - Round Up Week 49 (2-8 December)

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

BBC One celebrates spending Christmas together in its 2017 short film

This week BBC One launched its Christmas 2017 short film The Supporting Act, that will run throughout the Christmas period on the channel, you can watch it above.

Announcements and blogs

Drama

BBC One announced this week that Mark Benton, James Faulkner, Suzanne Packer and Levi Roots are star in the new series of Death In Paradise.

Meanwhile media packs for BBC Two's The League of GentlemenandFeud: Bette and Joan were published.

Comedy

The British Academy of Film and Television Arts and BBC Two announced that the life and career of Michael Palin CBE will be celebrated in an hour-long television special to be broadcast on BBC Two in the New Year.

Meanwhile, Frankie Boyle returns to the network this Christmas, and with the help of his guests will dissect the bewildering year that has just happened in Frankie Boyle’s 2017 New World Order.

Entertainment

On Wednesday it was announced that BBC Radio 1’s Clara Amfo is the new co-presenter of the Top Of The Pops Christmas and New Year specialsthat will hit BBC One screens this festive period.

Meanwhile, nine new celebrities have been confirmed for The Real Marigold Hotelfor BBC One next year.

News

On Wednesday a new programme supporting young people to identify real news and filter out fake or false information was launched.

Meanwhile, on Thursday BBC’s Local News Partnerships revealed they have taken a key step towards the creation of a pool of local democracy reporters to cover council and public meetings across the UK.

Sport

On Saturday BBC Sport announced it had secured the rights to show the international Rugby League series between England and New Zealand, airing autumn 2018.

On Monday, following the FIFA World Cup 2018 draw on Friday, BBC and ITV confirmed which broadcaster will show which matches of next summer’s much anticipated event in Russia.

On Friday it was confirmed that BBC Sport will continue to broadcast all three of snooker’s Triple Crown tournaments until the end of the 2023/24 season.

In addition, the top three contenders for the BBC Young Sports Personality of the Year 2017 were revealed live on CBBC’s Blue Peter.

Children's

Actors Sanjeev Bhaskar (Goodness Gracious Me, Paddington 2) and Shobna Gulati (Coronation Street, Dinnerladies) have been announced as the stars of a brand new CBeebies show, Treasure Champs, which starts on 6 January 2018.

Meanwhile, on Tuesday at the Children’s Global Media Summit in Manchester today, the BBC launched Own It, a new website full of fun and empowering tips, insight, stories and advice to help 9-12 year-olds get the most out of their time online.

Then, on Wednesday, the BBC and the Premier League have announced a new, exciting partnership that will help primary school teachers inspire children to become more active throughout their school day and enhance their learning.

iPlayer

BBC iPlayer is to show Blue Planet II in best ever quality, with Ultra HD and HDR first from Sunday 10 December.

BBC Music

On Wednesday, BBC Music Awards 2017 announced Declan McKenna as BBC Music Introducing Artist Of The Year.

Radio

On Sunday, in his BBC Radio 6 Music show, Jarvis Cocker told his listeners that this will be his final month presenting Sunday Service. From 7 January, Amy Lamé joins 6 Music bringing a brand new show to that slot (4-6pm).

Christmas Day 2017 will be very special this year for broadcaster Ian Skelly, who will start his new role as a presenter of Essential Classics live on air. Ian will share the popular mid-morning classical music programme with Suzy Klein. He will take the position vacated by current presenter, Rob Cowan, who is moving on from Radio 3.

On Friday another national transmitter was launched which has increased BBC National DAB coverage to nearly 98% of UK homes.

Regional

On Tuesday, Rugby Union centre Jonathan Davies was crowned the BBC Wales Sports Personality of the Year 2017 at the Wales Sport Awards.

In addition, a new team of journalists is to be appointed across Wales to improve the reporting of Wales’ 22 local authorities in a new deal announced today between the BBC and local media organisations.

On Wednesday BBC Scotland revealed its selection box of festive treats to bring festive cheer to BBC Scotland audiences this yuletide.

International

Over the next 10 weeks, BBC Pashto will feature a series of children’s bedtime stories, Lallo Lallo (Lullaby). The digital series will be available on the BBC Pashto digital platforms and will be aired on Shamshad TV in Afghanistan and Mashriq TV in Pakistan.

Blogs

This week on the blog: Andrew Martin, BBC Genome producer introduces another decade of Radio Times magazines as part of the BBC Genome Project; James Harding talked about fake news and how the BBC has set up a new initiative to inform young people on how to discern if articles are real or fake; Nicola Golding penned BBC Two’s Employable Me: life with Cerebral Palsy; TV Licensing launched their consumer trend report for the year, Telescope 2017; as well as the weekly BBC iPlayer Highlights 9-16 December.