The Open University

2017: an award-winning year of inspiring BBC TV and radio

20 December 2017

2017 has been the most successful year to date for The Open University and BBC partnership. Our TV and radio programmes reached more people than ever before and have won an unprecedented number of awards, including a BAFTA and a Grierson. Everything we produce creates unique resources for our teaching and learning. Exploring the planet, […]

Blitz: The Bombs That Changed Britain

15 November 2017

In 1940, during the Blitz, an unexploded bomb on Martindale Road in London led to residents being evacuated to a local school, where they were told to wait for buses that would take them to safety. But the buses never came. Instead, the people sheltering in the school became a sitting target for returning bombers […]

Blue Planet II a big hit with younger audiences

10 November 2017

Recent figures show the first episode of Blue Planet II was watched by 2.3 million viewers aged 16 – 34, with a total of 14 million throughout the UK tuning in. The new series produced by the BBC Natural History Unit in partnership with OU and narrated by Sir David Attenborough, brings audiences closer to […]

New TV series unlocks the Languages Of Ulster

8 November 2017

A fascinating, new three-part documentary series, co-produced by The Open University and BBC Two Northern Ireland, Languages of Ulster begins on Sunday 12th November at 10pm. It explores Ulster’s unique linguistic traditions – Irish Gaelic, northern Hiberno English and Ulster-Scots – and the relationship between them. The Concise Ulster Dictionary will guide us as […]

Blue Planet II academic consultants on the message that humanity cannot afford to ignore

31 October 2017

As expected, the first episode of Sir David Attenborough’s Blue Planet II has been greeted with rapturous applause. But alongside the gasps of delight at the beauty of the natural world, the programme came with an urgent message for viewers which we can no longer afford to ignore. Produced by the BBC’s Natural History Unit […]

Are big businesses creating a modern dystopia? New BBC series investigates

26 September 2017

Whether it’s using PayPal instead of cash, checking your iPhone constantly for emails, or using a Fitbit to track your steps, technologies have pervaded our daily lives in the last few decades and completely changed how we live. But is it all for the good? A new BBC series, co-produced by The Open University, investigates […]

Human Body: Secrets of Your Life Revealed

OU/BBC documentary reveals the secrets of the human body

25 September 2017

In a landmark series, the BBC reveals the secrets of the human body and what biological and chemical processes support life. Produced in partnership with The Open University, Human Body: Secrets of Your Life Revealed, will be broadcast on BBC Two on Monday 25 September 2017, 9pm. In this three-part series, doctors and presenters, Chris and […]

The Detectives: Murder on the Streets

19 September 2017

The chilling BBC/OU Co-production The Detectives: Murder on the Streets returns for a second series this autumn, following Manchester’s homicide detectives as they work to unravel complex murder cases. With unparalleled and intimate access, this four-part series follows the Manchester team over the course of a year as they try to crack complex cases in real time. Open University […]

OU/BBC documentary to explore history of Milton Keynes

15 August 2017

Milton Keynes and Me: Wednesday 16 August 2017, 21:00: BBC Four The most famous new town in the UK – Milton Keynes – has turned 50 and so (it just so happens) has the documentary maker, Richard Macer, who grew up there. In this special programme, which is due to broadcast on BBC Four on […]

Dangerous Borders: A Journey across India and Pakistan

OU/BBC documentary explores the volatile border between India and Pakistan

10 August 2017

Marking the 70th anniversary of the Partition of India, the OU is exploring the recent history of the two nations and the Indo-Pakistan Border in a new three-part series on BBC Two. Dangerous Borders: A Journey across India and Pakistan, which starts on Monday 14 August 2017, 21:00, travels from Gujarat and Sindh to the […]

OU News

Category: TV and radio