Round up week 34 (18-24 August)

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

Bodyguard

The new six-part drama from writer Jed Mercurio (Line Of Duty) will broadcast on Sunday 26 August and on Monday 27 August. 

BBC Three's Fleabag series two cast announced 

Andrew Scott (Sherlock) joins the cast as filming commences for the award-winning show. 

Peaky Blinders to move to BBC One

The Bafta award-winning drama series will move to the nation’s favourite channel for its fifth series next year.

Doctor Who

New writers and directors for the forthcoming series. 

Announcements and blogs

Corporate

After 10 years behind the microphone Matthew Bannister has decided to step down from presenting Outlook - BBC World Service’s long-running programme which celebrates extraordinary personal stories of people from across the world.

Comedy

Speaking today at the Edinburgh TV Festival, Director of BBC Content Charlotte Moore announced Scarborough and 'king Gary.

Drama

BBC One heralded The Elephant Man, a two-part drama starring Charlie Heaton (Stranger Things) as Joseph Merrick, better known as The Elephant Man. BBC Three announced The Left Behind, a single drama charting one young man's increasing attraction to the far right as a way of explaining his problems. The trailer for Press, a drama set in the fast-paced world of newspapers, was also released. 

Factual

A range of new BBC Two commissions were announced, including on The Iraq war, Mary Beard on the nude in art, a topical studio-based news discussion programme with Romesh Ranganathan, the global travel and adventure series Race Against The World, and history series The Rise Of The Nazis. BBC One also commissioned Northumbria Police, a documentary series exploring the human stories behind modern policing.  

BBC Drama announced that Nicole Taylor will pen emotional thriller The Nest for BBC One; Michaela Coel, who gave the MacTaggart Lecture at Edinburgh TV Festival, is writing a landmark drama for BBC Two Jan 22nd (w/t); and Sally Rooney will be adapting her forthcoming novel Normal People for BBC Three.

BBC Two and Netflix also announced casting as filming began on new drama thriller Giri/Haji.

BBC Four

New BBC Four commissions include ghost story The Dead Room, written and directed by Mark Gatiss and starring Simon Callow, and a history series on the Yorkshire Ripper.  

Radio

This autumn BBC Radio 4 will broadcast three new programmes examining sexuality and consent in the modern age. 

Regional

The BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra take up a week-long residency in and around Campbeltown (29 September-4 October). 

Blogs

The heatwave, climate change and its implications for whisky distilleries in Scotland and vineyards in southern England are discussed in a Weather World post; two World Service trainees in BBC News Arabic and in BBC News Swahili write of their experiences and how to get involved; a BBC TV news service for Gujaratis is launched; and writer and activist Eugene Grant discusses representations of dwarfism in art, related to documentary Dwarfs In Art: A New Perspective which was broadcast on 20 August.  

Broadcast Highlights

The Lenny Henry Birthday Show, Wednesday 22 August, BBC ONE
Athletics: Birmingham Grand Prix, Saturday 18 August, BBC ONE
Dwarfs In Art: A New Perspective, Monday 20 August, BBC FOUR
Go Jetters, 20-24 August, CBEEBIES
My Asian Family - The Musical, Wednesday 22 August, BBC FOUR
The Women Of NASA, Sunday 19 August, BBC RADIO 5 LIVE
Global Beats: Heavy Metal In Finland, Sunday 19 August, BBC WORLD SERVICE
BBC Proms 2018 Prom 50 - Mozart's Clarinet Concerto and Mahler's Fifth Symphony, Saturday 18 August, BBC RADIO 3
Book Of The Week: The Freedom Papers, Monday 20 August, BBC RADIO 4