The Open University

Greatest person of the 20th Century? You decide

7 January 2019

BBC Two is starting its search for the greatest person of the 20th Century, inviting audiences to get involved and vote for their favourite icon in the most ambitious BBC history series in over a decade. Icons, a co-production with The Open University, tells the definitive story of a century of change through the people […]

BBC and OU examine Babes in the Wood killing in exclusive documentary

2 January 2019

A 32-year fight for justice in a notorious double child murder concluded last year when Russell Bishop was found guilty of killing Karen Hadaway and Nicola Fellows. Now an exclusive documentary co-produced by the BBC and The Open University sheds light on the case, following the re-investigation and proceedings from an early stage and sharing […]

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 […]

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 […]

OU launches plastic waste initiative with BBC

28 July 2018

Following the impact of Blue Planet II, The Open University (OU) and the BBC have launched an online platform, which brings together programmes and resources to help us understand plastics, the impact they have on the environment, and top tips to reduce our reliance on single-use plastics. Plastics Watch brings together engaging and interactive content […]

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 […]

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 […]

World Cup: sexism in British punditry is clear for all to see

28 June 2018

For the first time in UK football punditry, both the BBC and ITV have hired women to offer analysis and commentate at the men’s World Cup. It is also the World Cup that has given a clear glimpse into the reality of everyday sexism. Already male pundits have been accused of patronising, condescending and sexist […]

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 […]

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