Authors
Wanted: A Very Personal Assistant – ‘We felt like long lost friends!’
Tattoos, partying and crude comedy: meet the new, younger generation of carers
The First World War From Above
I was approached to direct The First World War From Above earlier this year. Back then, my fantastic production team at the BBC had put together a dazzling array of stories and elements. These included a piece of extraordinary archive footage, filmed from a camera strapped to a French airship...
Chivalry And Betrayal: The Hundred Years War
We knew we were taking on a massive topic – those 114 years that saw England and France break apart through dramatic battles that redefined these nations’ histories.
Romesh Ranganathan proves even TV comedians get embarrassed by their mums
Romesh's (very funny!) mum showed he's still her little boy when we called them to chat about their new show together
Alive: Rankin Faces Death
Rankin reveals how different approaches gave an extended meaning to the stories behind his photography and documentary project, made in collaboration with The Culture show on BBC Two.
Baker Boys: We're the writers and real-life partners
Hello - I'm Helen Raynor. I've worked on established dramas like Doctor Who, Torchwood, and Primeval, but Baker Boys is my first original drama series. We've filmed this blog post to share a bit about the creative process with you. I created and wrote it with Gary Owen, who you will spot nod...
My cracking time on Cracking Antiques
Filming Cracking Antiques was such a hoot that I don't know where to start. It was brilliant fun meeting all of the different contributors - I love snooping around people's houses. I'm incredibly nosy - in fact, I always say that was why I became an interior designer. Mark Hill's my co-prese...
Be Your Own Boss: See what it takes
I read recently there are only three questions in life worth asking oneself: 'Am I having sex? Do I have a family? Am I intellectually stimulated?' With three yeses you're basically in paradise, two will bring you happiness and one means you at least can survive. I personally have a fo...
Putting the Zing into children's musical education
You may have seen ZingZillas on CBeebies yesterday (Easter Monday). It's a brand new music show all about a band of four primate friends who live on a tropical island and make wonderful music together and has taken four years to get from concept to screen! Each episode follows the ZingZillas ...
Wild Arabia: Bringing people and nature together
Drawing together classic and surprising new images of Arabia for BBC Two's documentary series.
Presenting Indian Ocean: From curried fruit bat to armoured underwear
We covered a vast area and huge distances while filming Indian Ocean. Starting in South Africa we travelled up the east coast of the continent, then around India and back down through Indonesia to finish in south-west Australia. Simon Reeve in Indian Ocean We visited 16 countries ...
Death Comes To Pemberley: Playing Mr Darcy
Watch Matthew Rhys reveal the 'nightmare' of playing Mr Darcy and what it was like meeting P.D. James.
The inspiration behind Outcasts
"Look at the pig!" I shouted to my wife as she came in, while I was watching rushes of Outcasts early on in the shoot. "It's a real piglet." As if to prove the point, the pig farted, squealed and peed on the floor of the set. "Cut!" shouted Bharat Nalluri, the director, a little wearily....
The Young Montalbano: Reinterpreting the detective
'Changing the face of the detective was almost blasphemy' - Actor Michele Riondino on the challenge of playing the young Montalbano from the iconic Italian crime drama series.
Playing my own dad in The Road To Coronation Street
I'm about to appear in a BBC Four drama about how Coronation Street started called The Road to Coronation Street, where I play my father, Bill Roache (who plays Ken Barlow in the soap) as a young man. I am about the same age as him when it started. To get into the role I had some great chats...
Origins Of Us: Studying chimpanzees
Filming for Origins gave me the opportunity to do something I've never done before: to observe our closest cousins, chimpanzees, in the wild. Earlier this year, on 5 March, I met up with a crew I knew very well - we'd filmed before on Incredible Human Journey - in Heathrow's Terminal Five. ...
Holby City: Connie and Joseph battle time and tide
At the beginning of the shoot for this two-part episode of Holby City, Time and Tide, I think the director was in some pain. When he was told that we were having two episodes about a flood but we weren't doing any flood sequences, he replied "Riiiiigggggghhhht." But I think it all works prett...
Horizon: Do you see the same colours as me?
Back in April this year I was called to a brainstorm with the Horizon production team to discuss the science of colour. It seemed like such a fun and compelling idea and addresses the kind of questions we've all asked ourselves. Do you see the same colours that I see? What if what I see as y...
The Flying Archaeologist: Revealing lost worlds
How my love of flying and archaeology helps me explore life in the distant past.
Dan Snow's Norman Walks: In search of hidden history
I guess I should consider myself very lucky. I get paid to do what most folk have to do as a hobby. But after six series of walks with Julia Bradbury, Dan Snow's Norman Walks has thrown up a fresh new set of challenges - and, it has to be said, a whole new level of walking fascination. Since...
