In a week which saw England’s last Plantagenent king unearthed in a Leicester car park, BBC Two’s announcement about its upcoming history programming seemed most timely. It includes details of a season dedicated to exploring the reign and legacy of the Tudors, whose founder, Henry VII, seized power following his victory over Richard III at the Battle of Bosworth Field in 1485. Other programmes announced include Lucy Worsley’s ‘Fit To Rule?’, which investigates the health of monarchs through the ages, and Dr Joann Fletcher’s new study of Ancient Egypt, ‘Life And Death In The Valley Of The Kings’.
And it’s an archaeological dig, albeit a fictional one this time, that provides the starting point for a new drama announced for BBC One. Set in the dramatic landscape of the Shetland Isles and based on a book by award-winning crime writer Ann Cleeves, ‘Shetland’ stars Douglas Henshall as a native islander who returns home after a long spell away and leads a murder investigation, uncovering secrets and lies from the past.
As one new drama starts, another comes to an end, as BBC Three confirmed last week that the current series of ‘Being Human’ will be the last. The show, which features a vampire, werewolf and ghost as its main characters, seems set for a suitable apocalyptic end!
And as the channel celebrates its tenth birthday, a host of new commissions announced by controller Zai Bennett demonstrate its continuing commitment to making challenging and irreverent television. These include a new season of programming which examines the variety of mental health issues that many young people face; a new series of the current affairs debate programme, ‘Free Speech’; coverage of this summer’s UEFA European Women’s Championships; and, for fans of supernatural drama who might be missing Being Human, a new take on the zombie genre called ‘In The Flesh’.
It’s also been busy on the radio/music front too, as BBC Radio 1 and 1Xtra announced ‘Access All Areas’, which sees the stations open their doors throughout February to give listeners unprecedented access both on air, via the website and social media to experience just what goes on behind the scenes.
Meanwhile, the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra brings a new experimental music festival to Glasgow called ‘Tectonics’. Curated by Principal Guest Conductor Ilan Volkov and featuring the talents of, amongst others, American composer Alvin Lucier and Mogwai guitarist Stuart Braithwaite, full details and a short video introduction can be found here.
Lastly, following on from the success of the BBC Academy’s ‘Expert Women Day’ in January, more plans were announced to host four more free training days across the UK for female specialists looking to develop their media skills. More information about the initiative can be found in last Thursday’s blog post from Academy Director Anne Morrison.
