The Open University

Brontë blockbuster tells story of remarkable sisters

28 December 2016

They came from obscurity to produce some of the greatest novels in the English Language. The story of the Brontë sisters, authors of Wuthering Heights, Jane Eyre and the Tenant of Wildfell Hall, is told with a new one-off drama on BBC One, To Walk Invisible, which airs on Thursday 29 December at 9pm and is […]

The OU’s 2016 TV and Radio Blockbusters

24 December 2016

A raft of award winning television and radio programmes co-produced with the BBC in 2016 inspired and informed us. Here are some of the highlights from this year: Celebrating Shakespeare The 400th anniversary of Shakespeare’s death saw the OU team up with the BBC, the Royal Shakespeare Company and the British Council to produce a […]

The Open University Chancellor Asa Briggs addressing the audience at a graduation ceremony.

OU pays tribute to Asa Briggs, former OU Chancellor

5 October 2016

Members of the OU community, past and present, attended yesterday’s thanksgiving service for the late Asa Briggs. The former Vice-Chancellor Sir John Daniel, representing the OU and a close family friend, paid tribute to Asa’s remarkable contribution to the OU and announced the new Asa Briggs Chair in History. All the speakers brought out just […]

Scotland and the Battle for Britain

9 September 2016

Former BBC political editor Andrew Marr, born in Glasgow, presents Scotland and the Battle for Britain, a two-part documentary exploring Scotland’s political transformation during the historic events of recent years. Produced in partnership with The Open University, the programmes look at the impact of the Scottish referendum on independence, the success of the SNP in last […]

Praise for ground-breaking OU/BBC series following refugees

12 July 2016

Last night saw the first episode of a new BBC2 series which follows the journeys of 70 refugees as they aim to leave conflict or persecution and make their way into Europe. Exodus: Our Journey to Europe was produced in partnership with The Open University, with three leading OU academics acting as consultants on the […]

TV series sheds light on real life journey of refugees

11 July 2016

The subject of refugees and their often dangerous journeys into Europe has barely been out of the news in recent years. Now, a powerful new BBC series – produced in partnership with The Open University – is set to cast a new light on those directly involved. Exodus: Our Journey to Europe charts the journeys […]

Radio 4 shines a light on OU academic

29 June 2016

One of the OU’s leading academics has been recounting her career studying volcanoes on BBC Radio 4’s The Life Scientific. Professor Hazel Rymer has recently been appointed the OU’s Pro Vice-Chancellor for Learning, Teaching and Innovation. However, her career to date has been spent as a leading volcanologist, travelling the globe to study the world’s […]

Winners of International Radio Playwriting competition – slavery, war and corruption

10 June 2016

BBC World Service and the British Council, with co-producer The Open University and in partnership with Commonwealth Writers, have announced the winners of the 25th International Radio Playwriting Competition. Joanne Gutknecht from Canada won the English as a First Language category for her script Playing With Fire, while Pericles Silveira from Brazil triumphed in the […]

Meet the OU academics behind The Big C and Me TV series

3 June 2016

OU academics are often nominated to work as consultants on Open University TV and radio co-productions which align with their areas of professional expertise. But what does this mean? They’re nominated by their faculty to consult on co-productions and work closely with the programme makers throughout, advising on research topics, commenting on draft scripts, fact checking and providing […]

The Big C booklet produced by Open University academics to support BBC TV series The Big C and Me.

5 ways to make a difference to someone living with cancer

2 June 2016

Two and a half million people are living with cancer in Britain. But what is the impact on a patient once they receive the diagnosis and how do they, and their families and friends, cope with everything the disease then throws at them? The Big C and Me is a BBC/Open University co-production delving into […]

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