en About the 主播大秀 Feed This blog听explains what the 主播大秀 does and how it works. We link to some other blogs and online spaces inside and outside the corporation.听The blog is edited by Alastair Smith and Matt Seel. Wed, 15 Mar 2017 11:00:03 +0000 Zend_Feed_Writer 2 (http://framework.zend.com) /blogs/aboutthebbc 主播大秀 Radio 3 and Edinburgh International Festival celebrate 70 year partnership Wed, 15 Mar 2017 11:00:03 +0000 /blogs/aboutthebbc/entries/e5f6bab8-f7df-4d41-849b-f50e27695ebd /blogs/aboutthebbc/entries/e5f6bab8-f7df-4d41-849b-f50e27695ebd Lindsay Pell Lindsay Pell

Announced today, the programme for the 2017 Edinburgh International Festival promises three weeks of the finest performances from the worlds of opera, music, theatre and dance.

Committed to virtuosity and originality, the Edinburgh International Festival was the inspired idea of Rudolf Bing, then the General Manager of Glyndebourne Opera, Henry Harvey Wood, the Head of the British Council in Scotland, and leaders from the City of Edinburgh. It was established in 1947 as a world class cultural event to bring together audiences and artists from around the world and, 70 years later, it continues to serve as a beacon for the very best in the arts.

As the official broadcaster of the International Festival, through live and recorded concerts available on radio and online 主播大秀 Radio 3 will bring the best of the Edinburgh International Festival to audiences at home and across the world in 2017, introducing the artists and their programmes to those unable to be at the concerts in person.

Radio 3’s predecessor the Third Programme broadcast from Edinburgh at the very first International Festival in 1947 and with both cultural institutions in their 70th year, Radio 3 will once again make the International Festival’s music offering available to everyone through a major series of broadcasts in 2017.

Lindsay Pell, Senior Producer for Music at 主播大秀 Scotland, tells us more about Radio 3’s long-standing relationship as the official broadcast partner of one of the world’s greatest arts festivals, and talks through what’s in store for radio listeners in the Festival’s 70th anniversary year:

 

  • When did the 主播大秀 first start broadcasting from the Edinburgh International Festival?

I have in my hand the original leaflet for the inaugural 1947 Edinburgh International Festival of Music and Drama as it was named them. It is a modest eight-page paper leaflet and a far cry from some of the very glossy publications that have existed in later decades but there are some impressive names.

The 1947 Edinburgh International Festival of Music & Drama souvenir programme

The 主播大秀 was involved right from the outset and I’ve found a recording from that first Festival year of A recital of Scottish Lowland Songs (Burns etc) given by the soprano Marie Thomson and tenor John Tainsh with Ian Whyte on the piano. The 主播大秀 Scottish Orchestra (sic) also makes an appearance with Ian Whyte as conductor and Cyril Smith on the pianoforte playing the first performance of the conductor’s own concerto. Clearly it was a good year for Ian Whyte.

Bruno Walter and Kathleen Ferrier performing at the first festival in 1947

  • What have been some of the standout 主播大秀 broadcast moments since the International Festival began in 1947?

This is a question I have asked various people including former Artistic Directors of the Festival and we are lucky to have had some truly historic moments from over the past 70 years captured forever thanks to Radio 3 and our predecessor The Third Programme. Today I discovered a recording of the famous tenor Fritz Wunderlich singing Schumann’s Dichterliebe at the 1966 Festival, literally days before he tragically died in an accident. I was also particularly excited to find a number of great composers had attended the Festival to perform their own works. There are recordings of Francis Poulenc and Pierre Bernac (who premiered so many of his songs at the Festival) performing the song cycle Le Travail du Peintre and the great Hungarian composer Ern艖 Dohnányi performing a solo piano recital of his own works. Benjamin Britten of course made several appearances as have other great luminaries including Pierre Boulez. Some of the greatest artists of the last 70 years have been captured on tape at the International Festival including singers Maria Callas, Kathleen Ferrier, Jessye Norman; instrumentalists including cellist Pierre Fournier, violinist Moskowsky (also famous as a composer of many showpieces), violinist Isaac Stern, the Amadeus Quartet, the Orpheus Choir and…the list goes on.

Maria Callas performing with La Piccolo Scala at the festival in 1957

  • Can you talk us through an average day for the Radio 3 team during the International Festival?

It’s quite a conveyor-belt of production as we are a fairly small team with usually two producers alternating concerts every day for three weeks. The team arrive at the Queen’s Hall at about 8am to re-rig and check the equipment and the communications to London. The presenter, (either Donald Macleod or Jamie MacDougall) arrives at around 9am to meet the producer, check over the script, make any last minute changes that have occurred recently. The trickiest thing here is when the repertoire changes at very short notice, which creates a flurry of activity including changes to the online and digital radio information and not least some speedy re-scripting to introduce the new piece. The producer meets and talks to the artist to finalise any last details that affect the broadcast including when they might come off stage between pieces, any changes or concerns and often a short interview for inclusion in the broadcast.

Before the concert begins we’ve normally tweeted, Facebooked and shared stories and pictures about the concert. The producer keeps in close touch with Radio 3 via telephone and ISDNs to make sure we dovetail into the morning's programming. This often includes a short ‘two-way’ conversation between our presenter and the presenter on-air before the concert begins. At 11am the presenter and concert go live on air whilst we monitor the performance and audio. We make notes for future reference and are ready to take action in case something happens like a string breaking or in case anything happens inside the hall that disrupts the concert. In the interval we stay on air with script, conversation or music and we finally hand back to Radio 3 as the applause comes to an end.

  • What can listeners look forward to in this year’s Radio 3 coverage of the International Festival?

Radio 3 continues in its role as partner with the International Festival, broadcasting live, fifteen morning concerts from the Queen’s Hall and recording six Usher Hall concerts for later broadcast. There will also be live editions of programmes such as Breakfast, Record Review and In Tune from the 主播大秀 at the Edinburgh Festivals hub and two documentaries looking at the history and founding of the festival – one which will use archive recording and new interviews to trace an oral history of the early years of the festival, and the second, which will tell the story of how after 1945 arts festivals such as Edinburgh were created across Europe to re-establish a spirit of international co-operation. We’ll also be delving into our archive, looking back at some of the great moments captured on the radio over the past 70 years – these moments will include twelve concerts featuring some of the finest artists to appear at the International Festival.

In a year in which both the Festival and Radio 3 are 70 years young it’s set to be a brilliant three weeks of music making and recording - stay tuned!

Lindsay Pell is Senior Producer for Music at 主播大秀 Scotland.

  • and keep up to date with the station on and .
  • Find out more about the .
]]>
0
主播大秀 Four reveal plans at Edinburgh International Television Festival Thu, 27 Aug 2015 15:45:47 +0000 /blogs/aboutthebbc/entries/794feb8f-6af5-4a4b-8674-aa4bc23b71cc /blogs/aboutthebbc/entries/794feb8f-6af5-4a4b-8674-aa4bc23b71cc Cassian Harrison Cassian Harrison

I’ve been at the Edinburgh Television Festival this week and wanted to share the main things we at 主播大秀 Four are announcing. I’m pleased that the channel’s going from strength to strength; we’ve had an incredibly successful year with Slow Week, India’s Daughter from Storyville, and some very popular science programmes including Inside Sellafield with Jim Al Khalili. There’s also been strong arts programming, and the Proms have been really popular, so it’s fair to say the channel is thriving.

How are we going to keep up that momentum? Well, we are bringing back , which proved so popular earlier this year, with a Christmas twist – The Sleigh Ride. We’re also going to do a big music competition called . There’s also going to be the first live 主播大秀 broadcast from Television Centre since we moved out, in Live From Television Centre, we’ve got four regional theatre companies doing innovative theatre pieces – we are working with 主播大秀 Two on that as I’ll explain. There’s also good news for Scandi drama fans, we’ve three series coming this autumn: a new one called Beck, the return of Arne Dahl and the new series of . Other Christmas treats on 主播大秀 Four include Frank Skinner doing a history of popular entertainment with Suzy Klein.

For me the core thing that 主播大秀 Four is always about is innovation: it’s about innovation in form, with seasons things like Slow TV; it’s about innovation in content; and it’s about innovation in talent which is what Britain’s Best Part Time Band is about – opening the doors of the 主播大秀 to new talent who don’t normally get to appear on our channels.

Over the last year I’ve been working closely with Kim Shillinglaw, Controller of 主播大秀 Two, building a productive, effective and, again, fiercely innovative relationship with 主播大秀 Two. The plan is more combined seasons, like the India season earlier this year; next we’re doing one around theatre – which is what Live from Television Centre is about and there are other things coming down the line as well. There’s now a really close and clear relationship between the two channels where 主播大秀 Two brings the audience the universe: big things, big subjects, and what 主播大秀 Four does is bring you the atom, a deep dive down into content in a way that no other channel will do.

We also want to build ever closer relationships with our audience – so what I’m very keen on, in the course of 2016, is that the audience be able to get more involved with 主播大秀 Four. As part of this we’ve got an exciting project around Land Art where we’re going to invite the audience to contribute to build a piece of art in the landscape. We’re also doing some interesting work around social media and music: we’re bringing back Brian Pern, who is our comedy music guru, and he’ll be tweeting and talking about our Friday night music output and building a conversation with the audience around that.

Cassian Harrison is Channel Editor, 主播大秀 Four.

  • Find out what and spoke about at the Edinburgh International Television Festival.
  • Read the .
  • Read Cassian's blog .
  • Discover more about .
]]>
0
Rolling up the astro-turf on Edinburgh 2014 Tue, 26 Aug 2014 09:48:22 +0000 /blogs/aboutthebbc/entries/65ebed30-874a-3c88-81bc-17c4dd511d76 /blogs/aboutthebbc/entries/65ebed30-874a-3c88-81bc-17c4dd511d76 Jonty Claypole Jonty Claypole

And so, goodbye Edinburgh Festivals. We said we'd do you bigger and better than ever before - and we did. Thanks to our teams across the city and down at the 主播大秀 site at Potterrow. Some just passing through for a night or two with one production, some in it for the full 24 days, but everyone working long hours, through all weather (including, and I'm not joking, an actual ''), to bring Edinburgh to audiences at home and to make Potterrow (pictured) a fabulous production base and focal point for festival visitors with events and outreach programmes. Sure, stacked portacabins don't immediately scream 'fun' for some people, but we paint them bright colours and smile a lot. And there are tents, a ping-pong, a big screen, bands, family events, food stalls and a bar too.听

One of the best things about Potterrow is the way it brings the whole 主播大秀 together. Here you find teams from Television, Radio, News, Learning, Nations and Regions, World Service and Online all working together with that warm, gooey collaborative spirit that defines the 主播大秀 at its absolute best. I even saw three different presenters come together in the same five-metre radius - the broadcasting equivalent of crossing the beams - and the world didn't end.

How do we know this was our best Edinburgh yet? Well, it was terrific having The One Show, Newsnight, Radio 1Xtra and World Service's Newsday join the party for the first time, bringing the best of Edinburgh to new and larger audiences. We also had a new flagship 主播大秀 Two show - and with Kirsty Wark on 主播大秀 Four. And we not only fulfilled, but surpassed our pledge to deliver a performance a day through . But the success also lay in the continuing support of friends like Fred MacAulay, Just a Minute, Radio 1, and the Asian Network. I sat in on as many broadcasts as I could and particularly enjoyed seeing shows like Front Row, Radio 2 Arts Show, Newsnight, In Tune, the Culture Studio, Simon Mayo Drivetime, Edinburgh Nights, recorded before large and enthusiastic audiences - and you could feel that energy translating on air.听

It's not just Potterrow, of course. broadcast 19 concerts from the Edinburgh International Festival and teams from Scotland and Comedy were out and about capturing the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo, Seann Walsh's Late Night Comedy Spectacular, and the hottest shows across the city. Between us all, we ensured that the best of Edinburgh - the world's largest and finest arts and comedy festival - reached millions upon millions of people. It's something only we can do.听

As for the art... pulled a blinder with Rona Munro's extraordinary James plays. Seeing Sofie Grabol's (of The Killing and 'that' jumper fame) electrifying performance as Queen Margaret in James III - in this city at this time - felt like seeing history in the making. Other highlights included Akram Khan's wonderful Gnosis, where he heroically and masterfully improvised for twenty minutes because his female principle was off sick. l goes from strength to strength and has emerged as one of the world's most important literary gatherings. My favourite Fringe plays were at Summerhall: Britannia Waves the Rules, The Man Who Almost Killed Himself and Standby for Tape Back-Up. There was weird and wonderful music with the Song of the Goat's Return to the Voice and Wyckham Porteous' Songs of Orwell Farm. And 主播大秀 Arts Online partnered with HiBROW on a brilliant series of productions including Alison Jackson's La Trashiata - a model for how we can be curators within the festivals as well as reporters.听

As I write, the astro-turf is being rolled up at Potterrow, the deckchairs stacked, the tents let down and the portacabins taken to wherever portacabins go when not in use. Edinburgh is Christmas for anyone who loves art and comedy, and we're already talking to our partners and developing new ideas on how to work even closer and more effectively with the festivals next year.听

is Director, 主播大秀 Arts

  • Catch up with the best of the festivals at 听

]]>
0
主播大秀 at the Edinburgh TV Festival 2014 Thu, 21 Aug 2014 06:50:24 +0000 /blogs/aboutthebbc/entries/f9899fd1-afd1-3717-9140-41440df71db2 /blogs/aboutthebbc/entries/f9899fd1-afd1-3717-9140-41440df71db2 Danny Cohen Danny Cohen

Over the next few days, the 主播大秀 is taking part in a wide range of sessions at this year鈥檚 . I鈥檒l be speaking in several sessions 鈥 sitting in for 主播大秀 Two Controller Kim Shillinglaw to talk about her strategy for the channel, joining fellow broadcasters on a panel to debate issues around commissioning, and discussing the plans we announced in July for changes to 主播大秀 Productions in 鈥溨鞑ゴ笮 鈥 The New Super Indie?鈥 (听Director General Tony Hall鈥檚 speech outlining the proposals on the Media Centre website.)

主播大秀 One Controller Charlotte Moore will be talking about her ambitions for the channel as well as joining a debate about diversity in television, and 主播大秀 Four Channel Editor Cassian Harrison makes his Edinburgh debut to explain what he sees as the big moments for the channel over the next 12 months.

Full details of all 主播大秀 related announcements will appear on this blog over the next few days, linked to below. I鈥檒l also be joining Richard Bacon鈥檚 Radio Five Live show at 2pm live from the Festival on Thursday.

I鈥檓 excited by the new 主播大秀 Television programmes announcements we鈥檙e making this week at the Festival 鈥 I鈥檓 proud that we offer such a wide range of compelling, world-class programming.

Danny Cohen is Director of 主播大秀 Television

  • Controller Charlotte Moore introduces new drama, comedy and factual programming.
  • New drama, comedy and factual programmes for听.
  • Sam Bickley announces new commissions for .
  • Channel Editor Cassian Harrison unveils new content for the channel.

]]>
0
Edinburgh TV Festival 2013: Looking forward to even more from 主播大秀 Three Fri, 23 Aug 2013 14:13:28 +0000 /blogs/aboutthebbc/entries/37d07583-cf9e-3968-bc75-cb3fb916abfb /blogs/aboutthebbc/entries/37d07583-cf9e-3968-bc75-cb3fb916abfb Zai Bennett Zai Bennett

In comedy, new sitcoms like Bluestone 42 (pictured) proved a big hit with our audiences

We鈥檝e had a great year on 主播大秀 Three. Whether we鈥檝e been giving politicians GCSE maths text books, feeding people slabs of horsemeat, seeing what new drivers really get up to, bringing women鈥檚 football to the nation or whiling time away at the Wishy Washy Laundrette, we鈥檝e continued to innovate and originate in every genre.听As a result we鈥檙e still the most watched non-terrestrial channel in the hours we transmit.听 We reached an average of 12.6 million people a week and over 4 million of these were 16-34 year olds.

In comedy, new sitcoms on the home front and the front line proved a big hit with our audiences, , , , and will all be returning. We鈥檝e also commissioned Siblings, a brand new scripted comedy series from the producers of The Inbetweeners.

In entertainment Nick Grimshaw and his quiff are sweating more of the small stuff with a second series of his panel show , and there will be plenty of chat thanks to Staying In With Greg and Russell, and Jack Whitehall鈥檚 Backchat, where Jack鈥檚 biggest headache won鈥檛 be the guests, but having to cope with his disparaging Dad, Michael.

In factual we鈥檝e continued to explore and raise awareness of issues facing young people across the UK and abroad, reflecting their life experiences.听 We highlighted the problems with being a woman in India and being gay in the US.听 was an agenda-setting season of thought-proving and often uplifting programmes dedicated to debunking the myths and taboos around mental health issues and it received a great response from audiences, critics and Mental Health charities alike, really making a difference in young people鈥檚 lives. Next year we will continue to tackle emotive issues with our Justice Season, reflecting on crime and punishment in the UK and the US and asking whether young adults are treated fairly.

Call Centre's Nev poses for the camera

And who could forget the impact that made? We saw that happy people do indeed sell, and thanks to Nev we got involved with the lives and loves of the very entertaining employees of a Welsh call centre.听 Series two will air next year but in the meantime there鈥檚 a Christmas special to look forward to. Bring on the Santa suit.

We also commissioned successful, fast turnaround documentaries on the Cleveland kidnappings, the horsemeat scandal and the Oscar Pistorius arrest. New series , and saw young people鈥檚 birthing skills, driving ability and sexual health being tested and all will be returning. We continued to see how our audience can party abroad, plan a wedding and eat 26 Krispy Kreme doughnuts in one sitting.听And later this year the parents will be getting suspicious and cold when the ski season hits in Snow Sex and Suspicious Parents.

On the awards front there were BAFTA and Broadcast Awards for the satirical hit (and I can promise you the boys will continue to pack a punch with series two hits on high-profile people including leading politicians), a second BAFTA and a Freesat Award for , a Comedy Award for Jack Whitehall and a Broadcast Award for the single drama . Our zombie thriller will be returning and the good news is we鈥檙e looking for more dramas, two a year from next year.

Fresh Documentary, Knight Club

Innovation is nothing without new talent and we鈥檙e still providing a pipeline for rising stars in all genres. Our , and will continue to act as a springboard for talent both on and off the screen. We have already commissioned three full series as a result of our Comedy Feeds Pilots and Fresh has nurtured an expanding array of great documentary makers. And as always we鈥檙e working with online and iPlayer, making our content as quickly and widely available as possible.

So, keep watching and we鈥檒l keep making stand-out programmes that get you talking.听 Or in the words of Nev, 鈥渨e promise to keep putting even more glide in our stride.鈥

is Controller, 主播大秀 Three


as part of Zai Bennett's Edinburgh International TV Festival 'Meet the Controller' session can be found on the Media Centre website.听

Zai also marked with a special post here on the About the 主播大秀 Blog.听

]]>
0
Edinburgh TV Festival 2013: A year of highs for 主播大秀 Two Thu, 22 Aug 2013 09:28:44 +0000 /blogs/aboutthebbc/entries/370518af-3c34-3bba-9525-295f9dba11d4 /blogs/aboutthebbc/entries/370518af-3c34-3bba-9525-295f9dba11d4 Janice Hadlow Janice Hadlow

Vicky McClure in acclaimed 主播大秀 Two drama The Line of Duty

I鈥檓 at the Edinburgh TV Festival today and have just finished my 鈥楳eet the Controller鈥 session with Cathy Newman from Channel 4 News. It鈥檚 been a chance to look back at what has been a fantastic year for 主播大秀 Two as well as look ahead to another exciting year to come. (You can read a summary of some of the points discussed听.)听

It has been a year of real highs for the network, winning Broadcast Channel of the Year and MGEITF (Media Guardian Edinburgh International Television Festival) Channel of the Year. 主播大秀 TWO also won more BAFTAs than any other channel this year including awards for: , , and plus eight RTS Programme Awards. Drama has continued its resurgence, from the acclaimed series , which was the biggest new drama series on the channel since 2005 (peak of 4.2m) to (4.7m watched the final episode).

Great British Bake-Off (l-r: Paul Hollywood, Sue Perkins, Mel Giedroyc and Mary Berry)

In factual, one of my guiding principles has been to make the intelligent popular, and the popular intelligent. I believe the success of programmes like Great British Bake Off, , and is down to the fact that they are content rich and informative, but also compelling and they 鈥榝eel鈥 distinctively 主播大秀 Two.

鈥楾alent鈥 has continued to be central and I鈥檝e been delighted to see the success of new expert presenters such as Joann Fletcher and Michael Scott as well as the on-going popularity of established faces such as Mary Beard, Lucy Worsley, Mary and Paul, Dara O Briain and Brian Cox.

Of course, the (Delivering Quality First) cuts have been challenging, but 主播大秀 Two is still ahead of its main competitors in peak, and audience appreciation is as high as ever.

On top of all this, I鈥檝e relished the challenge of taking on responsibility for 主播大秀 Four, following the departure of Richard Klein in May. I was Controller of 主播大秀 Four for four years, and the channel has always held a really special place in my heart.

My ambition is to find ways to increase collaboration between the channels whilst ensuring that 主播大秀 Four retains the unique and distinctive voice that I know its viewers love. Today I announced two examples of this new collaborative approach: a major season looking at the art and music of the 18th century and an exciting science moment taking us closer to the Earth鈥檚 atmosphere, as well as a number of other new commissions which demonstrate the confidence and range of both channels.

Over on the , you can find out more about the announcements I made including a landmark factual drama about the countdown to the First World War; a major new season about the 18th听century across both channels and new series fronted by Ian Hislop, Lucy Worsley, Kate Humble and Fern Britton.听

is Controller 主播大秀 Two and Interim Controller, 主播大秀 Four.


A can be found on Storify.听

For more information about the 主播大秀's TV announcements follow on Twitter or find full details about Janice's announcements on the .

The will be running free 'EdTalks' sessions throughout the day. More information about those industry sessions can be found on the Academy website.

introduced the Edinburgh International TV Festival coverage on the About the 主播大秀 Blog earlier today. 听

]]>
0
Edinburgh TV Festival 2013: Introduction Thu, 22 Aug 2013 07:30:45 +0000 /blogs/aboutthebbc/entries/848e1e84-6436-323d-bc7d-0de8f3068309 /blogs/aboutthebbc/entries/848e1e84-6436-323d-bc7d-0de8f3068309 Danny Cohen Danny Cohen

Over the next few days at the , Charlotte Moore (主播大秀 One controller), Janice Hadlow (主播大秀 Two and 主播大秀 Four controller) and Zai Bennett (主播大秀 Three controller) will outline the plans for their channels for the coming year.

There will be posts from them on this blog, showreels and a selection of announcements posted on the site.

At last year鈥檚 Festival, 主播大秀 Two won the coveted Channel of the Year Award, while 主播大秀 Four was named Best Digital Channel. Sherlock picked up the accolade for .

I'm determined to build on this success 鈥 and others such as our recent haul of 's and 鈥 by delivering programmes with the finest storytelling and the highest quality production techniques, whilst also ensuring there is something to grip everyone who pays the licence fee.

As Director of Television, ensuring all audiences find something they love across our channels is extremely important. I hope that via the updates throughout the Festival you鈥檒l see plans that excite you as much as they do me for the coming year.听

Danny Cohen is Director, Television

For more information about the 主播大秀's TV announcements follow on Twitter or find full details on the website.

The will be running free 'EdTalks' sessions throughout the day. More information about those industry sessions can be found on the Academy website.听

]]>
0
主播大秀 at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe Tue, 30 Aug 2011 10:31:38 +0000 /blogs/aboutthebbc/entries/89d7c4ad-be0d-3587-80c1-0a31eca6c520 /blogs/aboutthebbc/entries/89d7c4ad-be0d-3587-80c1-0a31eca6c520 Sophie Taitt Sophie Taitt

On Saturday we ended our two week run at the which, for the first time, saw 主播大秀 television, radio and online come together under one roof at our own in the heart of the world's largest arts festival.

Over the course of the last fortnight has been produced from our temporary home at the Fringe with more than 10 主播大秀 networks involved and over 20,000 fringe-goers visiting our venue. I'm very proud that we've had every on our stage at some point during the last fortnight including the winner Adam Riches.

This venue was something of a pilot for us as we look to join up as well as the 主播大秀's overall Edinburgh Festivals programming.

As the person responsible for bringing all of the production teams together at this single venue it was great to see hosted by Scott Mills and Nick Grimshaw, with guest hosts Dappy from N-Dubz and The Hoff, crossing paths with the team from 主播大秀 Radio 4's Fringe favourite , chaired by the legendary performer Nicholas Parsons, who not only recorded radio shows at the 主播大秀 venue but also hosted his own daily chat show and appeared in a play at the Pleasance during the Festival.

Under the careful eye of Headmaster Arthur Smith, and new for 2011, the Comedy School at the Fringe included masterclasses with some of the most respected names in comedy including the team behind , Miranda Hart and Ricky Gervais.

In addition, with a host of performance and comedy writing workshops and the 主播大秀 Three Funny in 15 seconds video booth, we hope to have found a few stars of the future.

For a taste of the last two weeks from the Edinburgh Festival Fringe our short film and will, I hope, whet your appetite for Edinburgh 2012.

Sophie Taitt is Project Director, 主播大秀 at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2011

  • The
  • In Pictures:
  • Film:
]]>
0
主播大秀 One - reflecting the nation Sat, 27 Aug 2011 14:00:00 +0000 /blogs/aboutthebbc/entries/90009548-e044-361a-93f6-4e6e3b13a8cd /blogs/aboutthebbc/entries/90009548-e044-361a-93f6-4e6e3b13a8cd Danny Cohen Danny Cohen

I've been the Controller of 主播大秀 One now for ten months and have begun to put new plans in place to make the channel as vibrant and creative as it can possibly be.

One of the big things for me is to try and make sure that offers something for everyone and does a good job of reflecting the nation back to itself. 主播大秀 One is the Nation's Favourite Channel, and I think it's important that all licence-fee payers find plenty on 主播大秀 One that informs, educates and entertains.

With this in mind, I hope that the programmes you see on this preview video are enticing - and encompass the quality, scale, thoughtfulness and entertainment values that I want 主播大秀 One to deliver.

The programmes previewed include brand new drama starring Miranda Hart and Jessica Raine, the epic new natural history series , and new comedy starring Sir David Jason, . It is thrilling to have Sir David returning to the 主播大秀 for his first comedy since , and this video gives you the very first exclusive snippet of a show that is currently still in production.

I'd also like to take this opportunity to announce a raft of exciting new commissions for 主播大秀 One.

In Drama, we've just given the green-light to The Village - a bold new series from Peter Moffatt. It's the story of one man's journey through the 20th Century, beginning with his humble childhood on a downtrodden farm. The Village is one of those scripts you read and can't wait to see realised on-screen from the moment you turn the final page. It has the richness and emotional depth of the very finest television writing.

Also on its way for 主播大秀 One viewers is Fight For Life, a major new natural history series which will use the latest live technology and filming techniques to tell the story of young animals right across the world. This is a very ambitious new live event for 主播大秀 One that we hope will bring viewers closer to the daily experience of wild animals than they have ever been before.

In entertainment, we're delighted to be able to announce a new series starring one of Scotland's brightest young talents, Kevin Bridges. 主播大秀 One should simultaneously be the home of Britain's national treasures in comedy and also a place where new talent can flourish. We are therefore thrilled to be working with Kevin, who combines brilliant jokes with an acute vision of human nature.

Finally, I'd like to announce two new projects that introduce a new level of risk and experimentation to 主播大秀 One. 主播大秀 One should be known for boldness, quality and mainstream impact, but I'd also like it to be known for a commitment to risk and innovation that is unusual on a mainstream channel.

To this end, we've commissioned a six-part improvised drama series from Dominic Savage for 主播大秀 One - Love Life - that will test the boundaries of fiction on the Channel. We are also announcing a run of new transmittable comedy pilots in order to supercharge the comedy development process for 主播大秀 One. Our aim here is to use a run of transmittable pilots as a way of reaching out to joyous new things, in the way we managed with on 主播大秀 Three.

So, from the African savannah to a small English village, from major live events to one of Britain's hottest young comic talents, these commissions show the range and ambition we have for 主播大秀 One, and our aim to combine world-class quality with risk and innovation.

Thanks again for taking the time to read this and watch the video - and I hope you find plenty to enjoy on 主播大秀 One in the coming months and years.

Danny Cohen is Controller of 主播大秀 One

  • The Media Guardian Edinburgh International TV Festival finishes tomorrow. Details . Follow on Twitter.
  • The Guardian has for news from the festival.
  • There's also a special page for announcements from the Festival.
]]>
0
主播大秀 Two - ancient Rome to London in the fifties Fri, 26 Aug 2011 17:00:00 +0000 /blogs/aboutthebbc/entries/41342dca-32fc-3fd7-9763-1849f0202514 /blogs/aboutthebbc/entries/41342dca-32fc-3fd7-9763-1849f0202514 Janice Hadlow Janice Hadlow

I've just finished my 'Meet the Controller' session at the where I was interviewed by Kate Silverton. It was a chance to reflect on what I think has been a really good year for 主播大秀 Two. We screened some of the highlights and you can see them in the video.

There's been an amazing resurgence in drama and comedy, with programmes like , , , and . We've proved that quality can rate with programmes like , , , and we've not been afraid to tackle sensitive subjects in factual programmes, for example and the recent series. We've also nurtured some really engaging and authoritative new presenters on the channel, like Mary Beard, Amanda Vickery, Brian Cox, Lorraine Pascale and Ben McIntyre. We've won five RTS awards and five Bafta awards this year across the range of genres and I'm pleased to say that 主播大秀 Two share is up in peak so far this year, which suggests that viewers like the direction that the channel is moving in too. Thank you for all your support.

If you look at what has worked over the last year you can see what the channel needs more of going forward, and this is what we were talking about in the session. I was pleased to be able to announce that The Hour will be returning - a programme that has had tremendous impact and has seen its audience appreciation figures rise over the series. We have agreed with writer Abi Morgan that the next series will be set ten months later and it will be interesting to see how the plot develops. You can read more about it .

I'm also delighted that Mary Beard will be returning to the channel with a three-part series on Rome. Following her ratings-busting first appearance on the channel with a one-hour documentary on Pompeii, we have persuaded her to put academia aside for a few more months in order to make a series for us on what life was like for ordinary people in ancient Roman Society. Mary is a wonderfully engaging and charismatic communicator, with a wealth of knowledge on her subject - always compelling, always passionate, she's a joy to watch. There's more about the new series and if you'd like to know more about our forthcoming programmes, take a look at .

Janice Hadlow is Controller of 主播大秀 Two

  • The Media Guardian Edinburgh International TV Festival starts today and goes on all weekend. Details . Follow on Twitter.
  • The Guardian has for news from the festival.
  • There's also a special page for announcements from the Festival.
]]>
0
主播大秀 Three - gripping, relevant and entertaining Fri, 26 Aug 2011 15:15:00 +0000 /blogs/aboutthebbc/entries/8d576f72-7b3d-3aee-9a01-f2fda5c235ca /blogs/aboutthebbc/entries/8d576f72-7b3d-3aee-9a01-f2fda5c235ca Zai Bennett Zai Bennett

The has kicked off and it's one of the few times in the year when the TV community takes time to discuss the challenges facing the industry. For me, it's the first time I've been to the festival as Controller of . In a session earlier today I was interviewed about my vision for the Channel and what kinds of programming I'm looking for.

For me, 主播大秀 Three should have a creative or social purpose in everything that we do. Creatively we are a channel that should take risks. These risks can give new faces their break both on and off screen, help break new formats and investigate areas the more mainstream channels shy away from. On screen, I want to work with new talent in comedy, entertainment and drama and give them a chance to work in TV, often for the first time, but also to help develop people into household names. 主播大秀 Three has helped bring some outstanding comedy talents to the publics attention like Ruth Jones and James Corden in , Matt Lucas and David Walliams in and the amazing . I also want to give established artists a chance to try something new - and that's why I'm announcing today that Billie Piper is starting in a new comedy for us for next year called Tom and Jenny. We have already announced two other new comedies for early next year, Pramface and Life Story with Sharon Horgan. The video includes previews of these programmes along with our new drama for this autumn from Jack Thorne - The Fades.

Off-screen, I want to work with new writers and directors, especially in factual where we run a scheme called Fresh (more information ) which gives new directors a chance to make their first full TV films. Here are and some information on other shows we are making for the channel:

In terms of social purpose, 主播大秀 Three is dedicated to the highest quality factual programming specifically made for our youthful audience. Our factual programming should inform and educate, but in gripping, relevant and sometimes entertaining ways. We want to encourage debate and really look at the issues facing young people. Today I am announcing that through the autumn and winter our documentaries and factual programming will be scheduled every Monday night at 9pm so our audience knows every week where they can see high quality, intelligent, issue-led programming.

Its been a busy five months running a channel which is now the most watched digital channel for the hours it's on as well as being the most popular for young audiences. It's a huge responsibility looking after any channel, but particularly a 主播大秀 one, I hope it will also continue to be a very fun experience.

Zai Bennett is Controller of 主播大秀 Three

  • The Media Guardian Edinburgh International TV Festival starts today and goes on all weekend. Details . Follow on Twitter.
  • The Guardian has for news from the festival.
  • There's also a special page for announcements from the Festival.
]]>
0
主播大秀 Four - curating content on-air and online Fri, 26 Aug 2011 12:00:00 +0000 /blogs/aboutthebbc/entries/668554eb-80e3-37ef-a395-99942a007ff6 /blogs/aboutthebbc/entries/668554eb-80e3-37ef-a395-99942a007ff6 Richard Klein Richard Klein

Thank goodness my interview at the Media Guardian International TV Festival is over. It's always slightly terrifying and good to get some fresh air afterwards, but actually Penny Smith, who was interviewing me, was delightful. Hopefully the audience found it an informative and lively session.

Naturally there was quite a bit of interest in what the future holds for 主播大秀 Four post-DQF (). While there are no final decisions yet, there's one thing we do know: we've all got to take our share of cuts. Of course no one welcomes being cut back and it will bring changes. I'm not at liberty to talk about it what these changes will be yet as we don't know the outcome, but I promise I will do everything in my power to keep the essence and spirit of the channel - appealing to people who love to think, be entertained on every subject and who enjoy a channel that has an opinion and offers perspective.

In my session, I was keen to talk further about 主播大秀 Four's new role as the curator of content online as well as on television. It was recently announced that 主播大秀 Four will be the gateway through which audiences can explore the rich heritage of 主播大秀 TV programming. 主播大秀 Four's collections will be curated around seasons/themes, something I think we are very good at, and will take the viewer on a deeper journey through the subject via the 主播大秀's extensive archive, with content from all genres and channels. Today I announced our first 'collection', which will be around the channel's Army Season in September. We've managed to find some amazing gems from the archive which chart the British Army from the 1950s to 90s, brought bang up-to-date with our programmes that form part of the season on 主播大秀 Four.

You can read more about our new 'collection' , where we also announce a new arts series for 主播大秀 Four, Art Noveau, which explores the short but brilliant life of this movement at the end of the 19th century. I also announced two 90-minute film adaptations of Alan Furst's novels, - yes, I am still commissioning drama on the channel. The video is the one I showed in my 'Meet the Controller' session at the conference, which features some of our recent successes and offers a sneak preview of The Killing 2. (Talking of , I hope you are managing to catch our repeat showing of the first series which is stripped across the schedule at 10pm, continuing until 15 September.)

Richard Klein is Controller of 主播大秀 Four

  • The Media Guardian Edinburgh International TV Festival starts today and goes on all weekend. Details Follow on Twitter.
  • The Guardian has for news from the festival.
  • There's also a special page for announcements from the Festival.
]]>
0
The Edinburgh TV Festival - a word from the Chair Fri, 26 Aug 2011 08:00:00 +0000 /blogs/aboutthebbc/entries/3bc6804c-c07b-3243-94f5-3fb02781a7f3 /blogs/aboutthebbc/entries/3bc6804c-c07b-3243-94f5-3fb02781a7f3

The is a key event in the broadcast calendar; it's an opportunity for media companies to debate the industry's biggest issues and showcase their upcoming content. As Advisory Chair of this year's festival I've pulled together a programme that promises not only to celebrate television but also to examine its future - and to look at how and why, several years after many prophesised its demise, it's actually more popular than ever.

The 主播大秀 is of course participating in many of the key debates and the channel controllers for , , , and all be discussing their plans with a live audience. As the weekend progresses they'll all be uploading blogs to this page, linking to exclusive clips from some of the high quality programmes which will be hitting your screens over the next twelve months. They'll also be announcing brand new titles and giving an insight into their plans for their channels. I hope you enjoy the updates and for more information on the festival, do visit www.mgeitf.co.uk

George Entwistle is Director, 主播大秀 Vision

  • The Media Guardian Edinburgh International TV Festival starts today and goes on all weekend. Details . Follow on Twitter.
  • The Guardian has for news from the festival.
  • There's also a special page for announcements from the Festival.
  • The picture shows an unidentified cameraman and husband and wife team Nan Kenway and Douglas Young making a 主播大秀 television programme in 1947. It's from the 主播大秀's picture library
]]>
0
主播大秀 Radio 4's new home at the Edinburgh Festival Wed, 17 Aug 2011 11:26:35 +0000 /blogs/aboutthebbc/entries/2db7ccc5-e561-329b-9a1f-cbc0ab32156d /blogs/aboutthebbc/entries/2db7ccc5-e561-329b-9a1f-cbc0ab32156d Steve Bowbrick Steve Bowbrick

This evening's edition of , Radio 4's nightly arts review programme, comes from the 主播大秀's new, on the corner of Potterow and Marshall Street. We asked Front Row presenter John Wilson to talk to Caroline Raphael, Radio 4's Edinburgh Supremo, about the new venue, the highlights of the 主播大秀's Edinburgh coverage and the history of the 主播大秀's involvement with the festival.

Steve Bowbrick is editor of

  • All the details of the 主播大秀's coverage of the festival are . Pictures of the too.
]]>
0