The Open University

Rethink returns with a new series on society, technology and change

6 January 2026

The fifth series of the BBC/Open University radio programme Rethink begins Thursday 15 January at 4pm on BBC Radio 4 and BBC Sounds. The series continues its exploration of issues across politics, society, economics, technology and culture, asking how we might approach them differently in the future. The weekly four-part series tackles a diverse range […]

Watch The Royal Institution Christmas Lectures: Is There Life Beyond Earth?

27 December 2025

Starting on 28 December 2025, a new three-part OU/BBC series, The Royal Institution Christmas Lectures with Dame Dr Maggie Aderin-Pocock, starts on BBC Four at 19:00 and available for catch up on BBC iPlayer. The 2025 lectures are titled: Is There Life Beyond Earth? Dame Dr Maggie Aderin-Pocock begins her search for extraterrestrial life with an exploration of our nearest neighbour, and her favourite […]

Chris McCausland: Seeing into the Future

21 November 2025

In this new OU/BBC documentary airing Sunday, 23rd November, at 8pm on BBC Two and iPlayer, comedian Chris McCausland is on a mission to discover the future of technology, and what it might hold for him personally. Chris was born with a degenerative eye condition, where he gradually lost his eyesight, and by his early […]

David standing in front of the Red Fort, Delhi, BBC / Hillgate Films and Voltage TVIndia

New series sheds fresh light on the shaping of the British Empire

7 November 2025

From Friday 7 November, a new three-part BBC/OU co-production, Empire with David Olusoga, begins on BBC Two and iPlayer at 9.00pm. In this new series, historian and broadcaster David Olusoga explores the rise, rule and lasting impact of the British Empire – one of the most powerful and far-reaching forces in world history. Drawing on […]

Discover the human side of space exploration in new OU / BBC programme

27 October 2025

From Monday 27 October a new four-part part OU/BBC series, Once Upon a Time in Space, begins on BBC Two and iPlayer at 9.00pm. In this series, we hear the remarkable, unusual and sometimes moving history of humans in space and consider what the consequences are for the future of humankind. Told by the people […]

Hamza Yassin ©BBC/Silverback Films/Ellie Hilton

Lights, camera, wildlife! It’s Hamza’s Hidden Wild Isles

10 October 2025

Britain is a treasure trove of natural history, some of it hiding in plain sight. Now a brand new series, Hamza’s Hidden Wild Isles, starts at 6.15pm on Sunday 12th October on BBC1 and BBC iPlayer aiming to uncover just a few of those wildlife wonders lying right under our noses. Behind the lens is […]

OU/BBC documentary investigates the rise of sextortion scams

2 October 2025

A new OU/BBC documentary explores why sextortion scams on social media are becoming increasingly common. Airing on Sunday 5th October at 9pm on BBC Three and iPlayer, ‘Blackmailed: The Sextortion Killers’ follows reporter Tir Dhondy, as she takes a closer look at the darker side of social media. With unprecedented access and interviews with industry […]

Uncovering the mysteries of the human brain in new OU / BBC programme

29 September 2025

A new two-part OU / BBC series, Secrets of the Brain, begins today (29 September) at 9pm on BBC Two and available to watch on catch up through BBC iPlayer. Join renowned theoretical physicist Professor Jim Al-Khalili on an epic journey through 600 million years of evolution to uncover how the human brain, the most […]

OU/BBC co-pro ‘Freddie’s Field of Dreams’ returns

8 September 2025

In this new four-part series, sporting hero Freddie Flintoff is back with ambitious plans to create several new cricket teams made up of local teenagers across his home turf of Northwest England. Starting on Sunday 7th September at 8.10 pm on BBC One (excluding Northern Ireland) and available on iPlayer, the first episode sees Freddie […]

Rethinking our national and international issues

4 September 2025

The fourth series of the BBC/Open University radio show Rethink has begun which discusses issues from politics to technology, economics and beyond and poses how we might approach them differently in the future. This latest series, airs at 4pm on Thursdays, beginning 4 September, on Radio 4 and runs for five episodes, and is available […]

OU News

Category: TV and radio