The Open University

The Hairy Bikers (Si King & Dave Myers) at The Oxford Academy

New TV series: Old School with the Hairy Bikers

9 May 2016

The first episode of Old School with the Hairy Bikers, a new three-part OU/BBC series will broadcast at 9pm on Tuesday 10th May on BBC TWO at 9pm. The Hairy Bikers, otherwise known as Si King and Dave Myers, have a big new challenge. At a struggling school in Oxford, they are taking two groups – […]

Joe Smith, David Attenborough and Kim Hammond

Who is the next David Attenborough? You are

8 May 2016

“David Attenborough has left more tracks across the broadcasting landscape than any other human being, and his 90th birthday is a good moment to reflect on what makes him special,” says Dr Joe Smith, OU Professor of Environment and Society, who is leading a research project entitled Earth in Vision, exploring environmental change through the […]

David Attenborough in Life in Cold Blood

Happy 90th birthday to Sir David Attenborough

8 May 2016

Today, Sir David Attenborough – Britain’s best-known natural history film-maker – celebrates his 90th birthday. With a career as a naturalist and broadcaster spanning six decades, Sir David was awarded an honorary doctorate from the Open University in 1980 and has been supporting our work ever since, endorsing projects like iSpot. In his speech, back […]

Why assisted suicide is a ‘moral maze’

11 February 2016

Dr Sam Murphy, Lecturer in health studies and Interim Assistant Head of Department, in the Faculty of Health and Social Care writes on the controversial subject of assisted suicide… The recent BBC programme How to Die: Simon’s Choice brought to the fore the dilemmas that arise following a diagnosis of a terminal illness such as […]

Documentary on personal story of a choice to die

9 February 2016

An observational documentary, co-produced by The Open University and BBC, follows the journey of a man considering assisted suicide. Simon is a successful businessman with a loving family and large circle of friends. His world falls apart in January 2015 when he is diagnosed with an aggressive form of Motor Neurone Disease and given two […]

2015’s broadcast blockbusters from The Open University

30 December 2015

Over 30 co-produced programmes with the BBC and Channel 4 inspired our viewers and listeners this year. Here are some of the most popular series from 2015: Countdown to Life: The Extraordinary Making of You told the thrilling story of how you were made, combining human stories with ground-breaking computer generated imagery (CGI). You can […]

Author and presenter Simon Reeve in Ireland. Image credit: BBC TWO

New TV series takes viewers on an Irish adventure

18 November 2015

In a new OU/BBC series, author and presenter Simon Reeve takes viewers on a journey to uncover the history of a country which he has never visited before: Ireland. Simon explores Ireland’s breath-taking scenery, and the surprising political and social history of the Irish; from the recent financial crisis that hit the country in 2008 and the legislation of […]

Is this the answer to ending extreme poverty?

16 September 2015

Internationally-renowned statistician Professor Hans Rosling asks whether it’s possible to eradicate extreme poverty by 2030 in a one-hour BBC programme made in partnership with The Open University. Don’t Panic: How to End Poverty in 15 Years considers whether the goal set by the United Nations (UN) of wiping out ‘extreme poverty’ for almost one billion people […]

CGI image of baby in a womb. Image credit: BDH for The BBC

The story of how human life is made

14 September 2015

100 Trillion cells. 280 days. One human life. The person you are was decided before you were even born. Countdown to Life: The Extraordinary Making of You is a fascinating new three-part BBC series produced in partnership with the OU, telling the thrilling story of how human life is made. The way you smile, the […]

TV series lifts the lid on ancient world’s greatest philosophers

28 August 2015

Genius of the Ancient World follows historian, Bettany Hughes, on her quest to explore the wisdom of the three greatest philosophers of the ancient world: Buddha, Socrates and Confucius. These three celebrated philosophers, who lived during a period of intense intellectual development (600 – 500 BC), were trailblazers. They were the first individuals to apply […]

OU News