Round-up week 44 (29 October - 4 November)

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

#BBCTV80

The BBC's first British television service launched 80 years ago today, on 2 November 1936. To mark the occasion our colleages at BBC History have launched a new website celebrating the landmark anniversary combining archive material from the early days of television. About the BBC blogged with some appetite whetting clips, and the BBC Media Centre covered the anniversary too.

Bowie Film

BBC Two has announced a new landmark film, David Bowie: The Last Five Years to air in January 2017, produced and directed by Francis Whately as a follow-up to his acclaimed David Bowie: Five Years which was broadcast on BBC Two in 2013.

Britain in Frame

BBC Four invites audiences to share in a celebration of British Photography with Britain in Focus, a season of programmes exploring the UK through the lens. Smile! The Nation's Family Album will tell the unique story of family life in Britain from the 1950s to the modern day, focusing on the cameras that shaped home photography, and the people that used them. BBC Four are looking for families of photo-fanatics - ideally three generations of snappers – to dig deep into their treasured photo collections and share their most precious memories and family images to become part of the story.

Announcements and blogs

Drama

The media pack for Northern Irish drama My Mother and Other Strangers was published, also the press pack for NW, the television adaptation of Zadie Smith’s bestselling book of the same name, now a 90-minute drama for BBC Two. Elsewhere, Holliday Grainger has been confirmed to join Tom Burke in the major new BBC One drama based on J.K. Rowling’s crime novels The Strike.

Comedy

BBC Three confirmed that sitcom Josh has been commissioned for a third series.

Factual

The much-anticipated Planet Earth II media pack was published. Elsewhere, DIY SOS returns to BBC One to complete veterans’ street in Manchester.

The BBC’s flagship cinema review programme Film 2016 returns to BBC One in November 2016 with a host of new presenters.

BBC One also announced that hit travel documentary series The Real Marigold Hotel will move to the channel when it returns to screens in early 2017.

The One Show announced that Michelle Ackerley and Angela Scanlon will cover for Alex Jones during her maternity leave.

Meanwhile, Director of Content, Charlotte Moore announced a new BBC One programme, Mary Berry's Secrets From Britain's Great Houses(w/t).

Children's 

Fans of The Worst Witch were given a Halloween treat as CBBC released the first images from the new 12-part drama along with a sneak peek on BBC iPlayer.

BBC Studios

BBC Studios' Creative Directors Samantha Anstiss and Sam Bickley’s newly named creative label Auntie Productions has won two new BBC Two commissions.

CiN

Nick Knowles, Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen and the ‘Purple Shirts’ team have confirmed they will venture to Blackpool to tackle a DIY SOS Special for Children in Need.

It was also revealed that an exclusive first look at the Doctor Who Christmas special will feature on BBC Children in Need Appeal Show.

BBC Music

My Generation goes back to the 1980s with Soul II Soul frontman Jazzie B.

Regional

The global hunt to discover the next generation of classical singers to compete in BBC Cardiff Singer of the World 2017 began this week.

Blogs

As well as marking #BBCTV80, we also published a blog about Mary Adams, first woman television producer at the BBC; Jon Jacob talk about BBC Outreach at Wild Place Project in Bristol with the next generation of Attenboroughs; we also stopped and looked back at A year of BBC Weather Watchers and got excited about Return to Planet Earth.

Broadcast Highlights

• Operation Gold Rush with Dan Snow, Sunday 30 October, BBC TWO
• Books That Made Britain: East Anglia - The Scene Of The Crime, Sunday 30 October, BBC FOUR
• Sister Rita To The Rescue, Monday 31 October, BBC ONE
• The Moonstone, Monday 31 October - Friday 4 November, BBC ONE
• The Furchester Hotel, Monday 31 October - Friday 4 November, CBeebies
• Arctic Live, Tuesday 1 - Thursday 3 November, BBC TWO
• Television's Opening Night: How The Box Was Born, Wednesday 2 November, BBC FOUR
• Citizen Khan, Friday 4 November, BBC ONE
• Fright Night: Rosemary’s Baby, Saturday 29 October, BBC RADIO 4
• River of Music – Part 1, Sunday 30 October, BBC RADIO 3
• Celebrating Country: 50 Years of the CMA Awards, Monday 31 October, BBC RADIO 2