A round-up of BBC announcements, press releases and blogs, plus some highlights from our TV, radio and online output last week.
RAJARs
According to the latest Rajar figures (Q1 2017, 2nd Jan-2nd April 2017) BBC Radio 6 Music has achieved its highest ever audience.
Doctor Who Time Vortex 360
Fand of the popular Sci-Fi series will be able to fly the TARDIS in the BBC’s first ever 360 arcade game, Doctor Who Time Vortex 360.
General Election 2017
BBC Northern Ireland announced its General Election 2017 programming across television, radio and digital including through-the-night results coverage.
Appointments
BBC Studios appointed Tom Sherry as Head of Drama-North, to lead its drama operation based in Salford.
BBC iPlayer
New data shows requests were up by 23 per cent compared to April last year, with three series in particular, Peter Kay’s Car Share, Line Of Duty and Doctor Who, dominating the top ten most requested episodes on BBC iPlayer.
Announcements and blogs
Factual
BBC One announced a two part series which will follow the 2015 Great British Bake Off winner Nadiya Hussain as she embarks on a journey following one of the world’s biggest pilgrimages, the Hajj and the BBC have committed to broadcasting from the RHS Chelsea Flower each year until the end of 2021 with coverage across TV, radio and online.
Nations and regions
BBC Wales launched a UK-wide search for families who are prepared to live and work on a hillside farm in Snowdonia this August. Produced by Folk Films the series will be presented by Kate Humble and Gareth Wyn Jones. BBC Radio Wales announced some new voices including Matthew Rhys (Brothers And Sisters, The Americans) and Janice Long.
On Wednesday it was announced that BBC Proms In The Park 2017 will be live from Castle Coole in County Fermanagh.
Comedy
BBC Scotland launched a tribute to the comedian Billy Conolly who turns 75 this year. Three representations of the comedian, who turns 75 this year, commissioned by BBC Scotland, will go up on walls dotted across Glasgow city centre area.
Vic Reeves and Bob Mortimer are bringing their surreal stage show back to BBC Two for a special show Vic & Bob’s Big Night Out.
World service
A new Monday to Friday, 75-minute slot launchat at 18.00 Moscow Time (15.00 GMT) on 15 May 2017. Viewers of TV Rain will be able to see some of the best of the BBC’s programmes, in Russian.
On Wednesday BBC Arabic launched innovative bi-weekly news programmes on for radio and online audiences in North Africa and the Gulf. The thirty minute interactive current affairs programmes will feature a wide range of stories that matter to local people as well as drawing on the BBC’s unrivalled global news resources.
Also on Wednesday BBC Somali launched its first ever poetry award for young women. The contest, open to all women aged 16 to 35, has no restrictions on their level of experience or location.
Drama
Filming for series three of Our Girl began in Nepal. Written and created by Tony Grounds and made by BBC Studios for BBC One, it will see Michelle Kegan return to her role as Corporal Georgie Lane. Call The Midwife also began filming the seventh series of the show and Christmas special.
On Thursday BBC Two announced Diana & I, a fictional single drama about the extraordinary impact Princess Diana's death had on people’s lives.
Blogs
On Sunday the BAFTA Television Awards ceremony took place in London with BBC programmes winning a record amount of awards. We also took a look at BAFTA Fellowship recipient, Joanna Lumley's BBC career highlights.
Also on Sunday the day after the opening of general ticket sales for the 2017 BBC Proms, the Director, David Pickard gave an overview of the concerts series.
Over three nights (May 16-18) BBC One showed a dramatisation of the sexual exploitation and grooming of young girls in Rochdale. Hilary Salmon, Head of Drama for England at BBC Studios wrote about the meticulous research that went in to writing Three Girls and the team behind producing the drama.
Broadcast Highlights
Lucie Jones performs the UK's entry at this year's Eurovision Song Contest Grand Final in Kyiv
- Eurovision Song Contest Grand Final 2017, Saturday 13 May, BBC One/BBC Radio 2
- Women's FA Cup Final, Saturday 13 May, BBC Two
- The British Academy Television Awards, Sunday 14 May , BBC One
- Quake / Just A Minute, Monday 15 May, BBC Radio 4
- Our Man In The Middle East, Monday-Friday 15-19 May, BBC Radio 4
- Three Girls, Tuesday-Thursday 16-18 May, BBC One
- A Time To Live, Wednesday 17 May, BBC Two
- Kat And Alfie: Redwater, Thursday 18 May, BBC One
