A round-up of BBC announcements, press releases and blogs, plus some highlights from our TV, radio and online output last week.
Easter
Details of Easter religious programming across the BBC has been revealed: the line-up includes innovative documentaries, music, reflection and worship to mark this cornerstone of Christian faith.
Awards
The winners of the Radio 2 Folk Awards 2017 have been announced in a ceremony broadcast live from the Royal Albert Hall, London.
Elsewhere, 19-year old Shyam Dattani has been announced as the winner of the South Asian Dance Final of BBC Young Dancer 2017 and will go on to represent the category at the Grand Final.
BBC Music
BBC Music and Glastonbury have agreed a six-year broadcast partnership to bring the glory of Glastonbury to BBC audiences for the next five festivals.
BBC Music also announced a major new partnership with The Great Escape (TGE). Now in its 12th year, the festival will take place on Thursday 18 May - Saturday 20 May in Brighton. In addition to its already longstanding relationship with BBC Music Introducing, BBC Radio 1, BBC Radio 3 and BBC Radio 6 Music will join forces with TGE 2017 to further champion and promote upcoming artists across these channels.
Culture UK
A new creative partnership has been launched to get more people participating in the arts.
Announcements and blogs
Drama
It was confirmed that Paul McGann will join BBC One’s popular continuing drama Holby City, also that Bryn Fôn will be joining the cast of Pobol y Cwm. In addition, John Simm will return as The Master to battle The Doctor (Peter Capaldi), new companion Bill Potts (Pearl Mackie) and Nardole (Matt Lucas) in the forthcoming series of Doctor Who.
Elsewhere, Carey Mulligan (pictured above) is to star in major new David Hare thriller Collateral for BBC Two.
Meanwhile filming has started in the Lake District and at Manchester's Space Project in preparation for the return to BBC One's The A Word this Autumn.
Elsewhere, further casting for The Child In Timehas been announced, with Kelly Macdonald (Boardwalk Empire, Trainspotting), Stephen Campbell Moore (The History Boys, The Go-Between) and Saskia Reeves (Luther, Shetland) joining Benedict Cumberbatch (Sherlock, Parade’s End) in Stephen Butchard's adaptation of Ian McEwan's award-winning novel.
BBC One’s longest running medical drama Casualty will mark the end of series with a unique one-shot episode, a first for the show. This special episode, named One will be filmed all in one take on a single camera and will broadcast this Summer.
Comedy
The Car Share media pack was published. In addition it was confirmed that filming is under way for a new series of BBC Two's Inside No.9.
Factual
The media pack for Colombia with Simon Reeve was published.
Radio
It was confirmed that Radio 4's Westminster Hour is to host Political Thinking With Nick Robinson as a new special feature.
Regional
The BBC and Northern Ireland Screen have renewed their successful partnership agreement. In addition it was confirmed the BBC is to invest an additional £11m in Northern Ireland over the next three years.
In Wales, BBC Cymru Wales announced plans for national television debate series.
International
Throughout April, BBC World Service series The Conversation will be in the US to hear from a group of exceptional and inspiring women with contrasting experiences of life in America. Meanwhile, BBC World Questions in The Netherlands.
BBC World Service will be in Uganda on 3 April to broadcast BBC Minute - the dynamic 60-second news blast aimed at younger audiences around the world.
Broadcast Highlights
How to be a Surrealist with Philippa Perry
- The Boat Races, Sunday 2 April, BBC ONE
- Child Of Our Time, Monday 3 April, BBC ONE
- How To Be A Surrealist With Philippa Perry, Tuesday 4 April, BBC FOUR
- Jamie Johnson, Wednesday 5 April, CBBC
- Free Thinking Festival 2017, Monday 3 April, BBC RADIO 3
- BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards 2017, Wednesday 5 April, BBC RADIO 2
