Victoria Wood in Victoria Wood's Sketch Show Story (2001).
A round-up of BBC announcements and press releases and blogs, plus some highlights from our TV, radio and online output this week.
Victoria Wood
On Wednesday 20 April we learned of the death of comedy icon Victoria Wood. BBC Director General Tony Hall paid tribute to Victoria. We at About the BBC remembered the comedienne, writer, actress and songwriter in a special gallery.
Shakespeare Day Live
Shakespeare Day Live Saturday 23 April: A dazzling array of actors, musicians and artists including Dame Judi Dench, Sir Ian McKellen, David Tennant, Dame Carol Ann Duffy, Adrian Lester, Germaine Greer, Ralph Fiennes, Simon Russell Beale, Lauren Cuthbertson and Edward Watson, the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra and the BBC Concert Orchestra, together with new work inspired by Shakespeare from young artists from across the UK and Europe, will be featured on Shakespeare Day Live, which launches Shakespeare Lives, a six-month online festival marking the 400th anniversary of the death of the Bard.
Anniversaries
As HM the Queen turns 90 this week The Prince Of Wales has narrated BBC One documentary Elizabeth At 90 – A Family Tribute and recorded a birthday message which was aired on the World Service - details below in the broadcast highlights section. We at About the BBC also pulled together a picture blog with images from the Queen's visits to the BBC.
Sir David Attenborough also turns 90 this year and a hunt through the Attenborough archive has led to a week of programming to celebrate the broadcaster across BBC One, BBC Two and BBC Four to mark the occassion.
Awards
The BBC Young Musician Percussion category final was awarded to Andrew Woolcock.
Announcements
Drama
BBC One confirmed that MyAnna Buring will star in In The Dark, a brand-new, four-part drama by BAFTA-winning writer Danny Brocklehurst. The network also revealed details of the second series of Kay Mellor's In the Club, which will air this spring. Casting was also revealed for Sally Wainwright’s new BBC One drama, To Walk Invisible.
It was also announced that BBC iPlayer Original The Rack Pack has been so popular that it will be broadcast on BBC Two after the semi-final of the World Snooker Championship on 30 April at 9.30pm.
Comedy
The BBC and National Literacy Trust launched a new comedy writing competition for secondary school students, Comedy Classroom with support from some of the UK’s top comedy talent, including comedian Charlie Higson, Kerry Howard, Marcus Brigstocke and David Walliams.
BBC Three revealed that Phoebe Waller-Bridge’s Fleabag a brand new comedy will be coming to the network later this year.
Documentary
BBC Three had documentary news too this week - having signed up YouTube sensation RS for #HoodDocumentary.
Entertainment
And the network also commissioned Sounds Random - a brand new music show hosted by comedian James Acaster - from Rumpus Media and Phil McIntyre Television.
Sport
Sports fans may be pleased to learn that Alan Shearer has extended his BBC contract until 2020. In addition, it was confirmed that BBC and London Marathon have extended their rights agreement until 2021.
Meanwhile, Radio 5 live has launched the search for Young Commentator of the Year.
Radio
The full line-up for Radio 1’s Big Weekend in Exeter was announced, and features Mumford and Sons, The Weeknd, Iggy Azalea, Nick Jonas and Jess Glynne.
Meanwhile BBC Local Radio and BBC Music have joined forces to commit to bringing coverage of 42 UK festivals to audiences this summer. Marianne Bell, Editor, BBC Radio Oxford blogged about the new partnership.
Regional
Dalriada School, Ballymoney and St Patrick’s Primary School, Drumgreenagh, Rathfriland were named as Northern Ireland’s top senior and junior school choirs in the live final of the BBC Radio Ulster School Choir Of The Year on 17 April, when it was also confirmed the competition will return next year.
BBC Radio Cymru announced that Stori Tic Toc for young listeners has been commissioned for a second series.
International
This week, BBC Indonesia launched a channel on Instagram to share news-related content and inspirational human stories told via videos and photos. With its overarching theme, #BBCGetInspired, the new channel adds to the BBC’s presence on Indonesia’s other most popular social-media platforms: Facebook and Twitter.
Meanwhile, the BBC’s pilots of innovative ‘virtual voice-over’ technology have entered a new stage, with the launch of a new virtual voice-over translation in Russian.
Broadcast Highlights
- DoctorsThis week the BBC commemorates the works of William Shakespeare, who was born on 23 April, so long-running soap Doctors used a Shakespeare sonnet as inspiration for every episode that aired this week, and featured scenes filmed in Stratford-Upon-Avon. Cast members, Bharti Patel and Ian Midlane, talked to the blog about their experience.
- Elizabeth At 90 – A Family Tribute: 9pm on BBC One, Thursday 21 April with an extended 90-minute version on BBC One at 4.35pm on Sunday 24 April.
- Prince of Wales's birthday tribute to The Queen: 8.20 BST (7.20 GMT) on BBC World Service radio.
- Sheila Hancock – Hancock’s Whole Hour as part of Radio 2's 50s pop-up DAB station - live from 14-17 April.
- Shakespeare And The American Dream:Robert McCrum journeys across America tracing the origins of the country's love affair with Shakespeare, Tuesday 19 April, Radio 4.
