The Open University

10 programmes that inspired us in 2018

19 December 2018

Did you see any of our co-produced BBC programmes this year? Millions of people tuned in to discover thousands of years of visual culture in Civilisations, to listen to research into how society works in Thinking Allowed, and to see if Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall could inspire healthier lifestyles in Britain’s Fat Fight.In 2018 OU/BBC programmes won […]

New BBC series delves into unseen world of the British Foreign Office

14 November 2018

The Open University has partnered with the BBC to co-produce a three-part documentary, which explores the strange, secretive and fascinating world of the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO). Inside the Foreign Office begins on Thursday 15 November at 9pm on BBC Two. Filmed over 12 months, the fly-on-the-wall series follows diplomats, ministers and senior […]

BBC series School: your questions answered

12 November 2018

Why can teachers no longer just be teachers? What are the human impacts of budget cuts on today’s school children? Is pastoral care an important part of a student journey or a symptom of the snowflake era? These are all issues uncovered following the first episode of School last week – questions then put to academic […]

The Prosecutors: new series throws light on Crown Prosecution Service

25 July 2018

The second series of The Prosecutors, co-produced by The Open University and Gold Star Productions for the BBC, begins on Thursday 2 August at 9pm on BBC Two, with the second episode following a week later. This series uncovers more about our Criminal Justice System’s workings, following the prosecutors tackling an organised criminal gang who […]

In depth: What is a smart city?

23 July 2018

The Open University is at the forefront of examining how ‘smart cities’ work. But what is a smart city? Do you know if you live in one? And how might they change how we live and work in the future? Dr Oliver Zanetti and Professor Sophie Watson – who appear on Radio 4’s Thinking Allowed […]

New series uncovers biggest engineering challenge for a generation

18 July 2018

London’s Victorian sewer network is at bursting point and its tunnels are regularly pushed past their limit. A huge engineering project is underway to massively expand the capital’s capacity to deal with its own waste and a new three-part series co-produced by The Open University and the BBC follows the action. The Five Billion Pound Super […]

Memories tell 70 year history of NHS in new BBC series

29 June 2018

Thursday 5 July marks the 70th anniversary of the National Health Service (NHS), one of the nation’s best loved institutions. To celebrate this milestone and the vital role it plays in our lives, the OU and the BBC have co-produced three programmes that showcase the NHS’ achievements and debate its future. The NHS: A People’s History One of these […]

Will a pill be enough to end the HIV epidemic?

27 June 2018

The People vs the NHS: Who Gets the Drugs? on BBC2 at 9pm on Wednesday 27 June, is an Open University and BBC co-production, following the incredible story of the battle for HIV drug pre-exposure prophylaxis, or PrEP, on the NHS. People at very high risk for HIV take PreP daily to lower their chances of getting infected […]

Happy Birthday NHS! Three OU/BBC programmes mark 70th anniversary

20 June 2018

Thursday 5 July marks the 70th anniversary of the National Health Service, one of the nation’s best loved institutions. To celebrate this milestone and the vital role it plays in our lives, the OU and the BBC have co-produced three programmes that showcase the NHS’ achievements and debate its future. NHS at 70 – Live NHS […]

Why “civilisation” remains a contested term: OU academics explain

28 February 2018

The new landmark BBC series, Civilisations, co-produced by The Open University, is set to bring history and art to life in a stunning piece of television. Presenters Simon Schama, Mary Beard and David Olusoga travel the globe to examine dazzling works of art and history – helping us to re-examine our own place in the […]

OU News

Category: TV and radio