Tag: BBC

Mimi And The Mountain Dragon to be ‘BBC One festive treat’

Airing this winter on BBC One, a special 2D animated adaptation of Sir Michael Morpurgo’s children’s book Mimi And The Mountain Dragon is to have its television premiere this festive period as part of a wider literature focus on the BBC in 2019-20.

The (1×25’) story on BBC One will have an introduction from the award winning writer himself, Sir Michael Morpurgo (War Horse), and will be narrated through classical music in an original score written by Oscar award-winning composer, Rachel Portman (The Little Prince). It will be performed by the BBC Philharmonic featuring singers from the Hallé’s family of choirs and will be recorded at Media City UK, Salford.

Based on original illustrations by Emily Gravett and adapted for the screen by novelist, poet, and playwright, Owen Sheers, Mimi and the Mountain Dragon is a story about a village that quakes in fear of the mighty Mountain Dragon. One winter, a shy little girl called Mimi finds a tiny baby dragon asleep in her family woodshed. Mimi takes the perilous journey through blizzard and darkness to return the baby dragon to her mother who all the villagers fear.

The newly animated film from Leopard Pictures and Factory started life when Jan Younghusband, Head of Commissioning for BBC Music TV, approached Sir Michel Morpurgo and asked him if he would write a children’s story that could be set to classical music for BBC television. Inspired by a trip to a village in Switzerland some years before, Michael Morpurgo wrote Mimi And The Mountain Dragon which was also released as a children’s book.

The programme is commissioned by Head of BBC Music TV Commissioning, Jan Younghusband, for Charlotte Moore, Director of BBC Content. The project is also supported by Alice Webb, Director, BBC Children’s & Education, and is executive produced by Leopard Chief Creative Officer, Kristian Smith and Phil Chalk for Bafta-winning studio Factory.

Charlotte Moore, Director BBC Content, says: “We’re delighted to be bringing this enchanting mix of music and storytelling to BBC One this Christmas.

“Sir Michael Morpurgo’s wonderful book will be perfectly complemented by the music of Rachel Portman, The BBC Philharmonic and singers from the Hallé’s family of choirs – a real festive treat for all the family.”

Sir Michael Morpurgo says: “Many years ago, in the Engadine Valley in Switzerland, I saw village children in red hats, cracking whips, ringing cowbells, banging drums, creating a great cacophony of noise, as they paraded up through the village. I asked why this was happening. They are driving away wicked spirits, I was told. So began my story of Mimi And The Mountain Dragon.

“And now, extraordinarily, wonderfully, this little story is being made into an animated film, by Leopard Pictures and Factory Create. And what a team BBC Music have put together. There is music by Oscar-winning composer Rachel Portman, a script by Owen Sheers, the great Welsh poet (so he knows a thing or two about dragons!) and with magical drawings from the supremely talented Emily Gravett. I can’t wait to see it!”

Jan Younghusband, Head of BBC Music Commissioning for Television, says: “At the BBC we have a proud heritage of finding new ways to introduce children to classical music, stretching right back to Benjamin Britten’s Young Person’s Guide To The Orchestra, The BBC’s Ten Pieces project and now Mimi And The Mountain Dragon.

“It is an honour to work with Sir Michael Morpurgo, Rachel Portman, Owen Sheers, Emily Gravett, Leopard, Factory, The BBC Philharmonic and Hallé’s family of choirs to bring classical music to audiences everywhere with this film.”

Kristian Smith Chief Creative Officer Leopard Pictures, says: “Mimi And The Mountain Dragon is truly born of love. With countless awards and prizes each, author Sir Michael Morpurgo, composer Rachel Portman, writer Owen Sheers and illustrator Emily Gravett have united their exceptional and exquisite talents to create a timeless, magical story. How lucky am I to get to hang on their coat tails?

“We had the great privilege of partnering with a company I deeply admire in Factory, who are bringing the animation to life. This is a beautiful film, all set to Rachel’s phenomenal original music.”

Phil Chalk, Managing Director of Factory, says: “We are absolutely thrilled to be working with Leopard Pictures and the BBC in making this magical 2D animated special of Mimi And The Mountain Dragon. It’s such a wonderful story by Sir Michael Morpurgo, which we can’t wait to bring to life!”

You’re hired! Tom Allen is the new Host of The Apprentice: You’re Fired

Comedian, writer and actor Tom Allen is the new host of BBC Two’s The Apprentice: You’re Fired, the popular companion show to The Apprentice, the series which sees candidates compete to go into business with Lord Sugar.

Continue reading You’re hired! Tom Allen is the new Host of The Apprentice: You’re Fired

BBC and ITV join forces: Get ready for BritBox

FULL STREAM AHEAD
ITV and the BBC have now signed an agreement to launch BritBox in the UK in the fourth quarter of this year. This is a bold, new step for ITV and BBC as they seek to work together to offer something ‘fresh and distinctive’ to the public.

Continue reading BBC and ITV join forces: Get ready for BritBox

Popular characters to return to Holby City as part of 20th anniversary celebrations

2019 has already been a major year at Holby City as it continues to celebrate its 20th anniversary. Now, Paul Bradley (above) is amongst the latest set of classic characters confirmed to grace the hospital wards once again, returning to BBC One’s long-running drama series as Elliot Hope for its 1000th episode.
  • Patricia Potter returning as Diane Lloyd
  • Tan twins storyline from 2008 to be revisited

Coming back for a total of five episodes, Elliot visits the hospital to see his old friend and protégé Jac, or so he tells her, but it won’t be long before his ulterior motive is unveiled and his old colleagues discover the real reason behind his return.

Continue reading Popular characters to return to Holby City as part of 20th anniversary celebrations

Kirsty Young steps down from Desert Island Discs

Kirsty Young is to step down permanently as host of Radio 4’s Desert Island Discs.
The popular Scottish presenter said: “After 12 incredibly happy and fulfilling years on Desert Island Discs I’ve decided to step down permanently.
“Having been forced to take some months away from my favourite job because of health problems, I’m happy to say I’m now well on the way to feeling much better. But that enforced absence from the show has altered my perspective on what I should do next and so I’ve decided it’s time to pursue new challenges.

“Having hundreds of Castaways share their triumphs, tragedies, tribulations and tracks with me over the years was a huge privilege and an education. I am so thankful to Roy Plomley for the brilliance of his format, and I wish the programme and Lauren all the very best.”

 

Kirsty has been the presenter of the programme since 2006 and in that time has presented 496 episodes of the programme as well as fronting the programme’s 70th and 75th anniversary celebrations.

Her illustrious castaways have included Zadie Smith, David Beckham, Bruce Springsteen, Victoria Wood, Denise Lewis, Dame Judi Dench, George Michael, Alice Walker, Tom Hanks, WWII pilot Eric Winkle Brown and Sir David Attenborough.

Director of Radio & Education, James Purnell says: “Kirsty has been a wonderful host of Desert Island Discs for more than a decade and her intuitive interviewing style as well as her warmth and humour has helped bring out incredible life stories and anecdotes from her castaways. We know how loved she is by listeners and we all wish her well for the future.

“Lauren Laverne has been doing a brilliant job at the helm in Kirsty’s absence and I’m delighted she continues to host one of Radio 4’s most popular shows.”

Lauren Laverne will continue to host Desert Island Discs for the foreseeable future as planned. She says: “Stepping in for Kirsty on Desert Island Discs (which was already my favourite programme) has been an enormous honour. I wish her the very best in her next chapter.”

Putting the brakes on air pollution

Councillors on the city council’s Transport and Environment Committee will hear next week that air quality in Edinburgh is improving. However the latest figures produced by Friends of the Earth Scotland show that there are now more pollution zones across Scotland than there were twelve months ago – and that much more needs to be done to address a problem they say is becoming a ‘public health crisis’. Continue reading Putting the brakes on air pollution

OMG! College offers digital industry skills programme

Edinburgh College gives budding digital creatives the chance to make it with BBC scheme

Social Media Logotype Background

Edinburgh College is giving creative young unemployed people who love likes, hashtags and telling stories online the chance to take the first steps towards a digital industry career.

The college’s eight-week BBC Make it Digital programme will teach skills to unemployed young people including: digital storytelling, building a website, planning a social media campaign, shooting and editing a film and learning how to pitch creative ideas to business.

The training programme was designed by the BBC Academy and is open to unemployed people between 16-24. It will take place at the college’s Milton Road Campus, where students will work with industry-standard software. The course will start on 2 November.

Taking part in this programme does not affect benefits and those between 16 and 18 on the programme will receive £55 per week Training Allowance. Travelling expenses are also part of the support.

Students will spend three weeks on work placements with local employers, who will ask them to design a social media campaign.

Make it Digital is a national scheme but the programme in Scotland has the added benefit of a recognised SQA qualification – the National Progression Award in Enterprise and Employability.

Trainees will also take part in a Radio 1 challenge based in London, where the best entries will be shortlisted into the final recruitment stages for a year-long Radio 1 Apprenticeship.

As well as new digital skills, students will also learn employability skills including business networking, CV and interview tips, budgeting, project management and creating an online portfolio. By the end of the training, participants will greatly improve their chances of finding a job or a modern apprenticeship.

Jon Buglass, head of Creative Industries at Edinburgh College, said: “This is a fantastic opportunity for young people to start to develop the skills they need to make it in the creative digital industry. The digital sector is one of the fastest-growing industries in the UK at the moment as businesses now rely on an online presence to survive. We’re excited to be working with the BBC Academy and Skills Development Scotland to give unemployed young people the chance to build digital and employability skills to help them make their way back into the workplace.”

Skills Development Scotland is funding the programme through the Employability Fund. Contact the Edinburgh Skills Development Scotland Careers Centre on 0131 718 2040 or speak to a Jobcentre Work Coach to find out how to apply for this course.

 

Terrestrial TV ramps up Referendum coverage

While the ‘Yes’ and ‘No’ campaigns continue to slug it out as the Referendum countdown continues, the broadcasters are having a private battle of their own. Both BBC and STV have just announced plans which they hope will grab some headlines for themselves.

STV announced yesterday that Alex Salmond has agreed to take part in an STV television debate on the independence referendum with Alistair Darling.

Mr Salmond has been calling for a ‘First Minister to Prime Minister’ debate over independence, but as David Cameron continues to insist the referendum is an issue for the Scots, the First Minister has now agreed to appear in a debate with Alistair Darling, who leads the Better Together campaign.

STV News had invited both campaigns to participate in a live two-hour debate in front of an audience of 500 voters from both sides as well as undecideds. The landmark live debate will be chaired by STV’s political editor Bernard Ponsonby on a date to be confirmed.

Speaking about the debate, Better Together campaign director Blair McDougall said: “Alex Salmond’s TV debates bluff has finally been called. This is a welcome, if long overdue, climb-down by the First Minister.

“The nationalists wanted to make this a Scotland versus England contest. The vast majority of Scots know that’s not what this is about.

“There are two competing Scottish visions for our country. We offer the best of both worlds, with more powers for Scotland backed up by the strength, security and stability of the larger UK. The nationalists only offer a leap in the dark with separation.

“People in Scotland deserve a TV debate between the leaders of both campaigns about the big issues in this referendum, like what would happen to our Pound, pensions and public services.”

Blair Jenkins, Yes Scotland’s chief executive, said: “Polls show that the people of Scotland want a debate between the First Minister and the Prime Minister.

“If David Cameron is content to dictate to us, then he should be brave enough to debate with us. Team Yes has an abundance of talent ready and waiting to put forward the positive Yes case; meanwhile, the No side are desperately trying to pass the bat as far down the pecking order as possible.”

While STV will undoubtedly be delighted to have landed ‘the big one’ and will host the eagerly-anticipated leaders’ debate, ultimately it’s you, the punter, who will decide Scotland’s future – and increasingly it seems that young first-time voters may swing the result one way or the other. BBC Scotland announced today it will host the biggest debate the country has ever seen in the week before the independence referendum – and every secondary school in Scotland will be invited to take part.

Up to 12,000 first time voters from across Scotland will fill Glasgow’s SSE Hydro for a BBC One televised debate on independence. The 11 September debate will give 16 and 17-year-olds the opportunity to air their views and question politicians.

The BBC will contact both campaigns to discuss the appropriate representative from each side to appear on the show, and the programme will be broadcast across the UK on BBC One a week before Scotland makes it’s choice.

John Boothman, BBC Scotland’s Head of News and Current Affairs, said: “This will be the biggest political debate that has ever been televised in Scotland. We are proud to bring the nation’s young people together to hear the arguments that will determine the future of the country.”

Then again, of course, there are always repeats of ‘Only Fools and Horses’ …

Letter: Protecting our Parents – who cares?

care

Dear Editor

Part two of the BBC programme Protecting our Parents, shown on 24 April, revealed the inadequacy of all-round care provision for the elderly.

All staff shown were indeed caring but handicapped by having to work within existing rules and funding constraints.

A disturbing feature was the ‘test’ by a psychologist to determine the patients’ capacity to make decisions (in other words removing decision-making from them) with questions such as: ‘what day is it?’; I would imagine most people after being in hospital for weeks would hesitate before answering. There were  of course other similar questions, and on their answers a decision is made on the patients capacity of doing so, with all that it implies.

The ‘test’ came across as inadequate and faulty, needing radical appraisal.

The second part of of the programme reinforced the first – that provision of care in all forms, from rapidly building NHS Hospitals for the elderly run by fully qualified staff, that care at home visiting time should be greatly expanded – if necessary to 24 hour caring operated by fully qualified staff.

This can be at least a start in showing we do care about protecting our parents.

A. Delahoy

Silverknowes Gardens