Main content

Wales

  • BBC Wales Commissioning Brief Highlights

    Nick Andrews

    Head of Commissioning, BBC Wales

    Tagged with:

    The extraordinary story of the past couple of months in drama is well known. ‘Keeping Faith’ and ‘Hidden’ continue to break all sorts of records.  The summer looks set to be a belter with a raft of series making their mark – ‘Factory Girls’ and ‘Hidden Wales’ confirmed as nation to network projects amongst many others. We’re also buzzing about the prospect of comedy returning to BBC Wales in the Autumn.

    In a couple of weeks’ time we’ll send out a briefing note specifically focussed on the commissioning opportunities and our ambitions for 19/20 but first a quick reminder of specific steers mentioned at our last briefing;.

    There are two kinds of show we’re still interested in for 19:30 -

    First, we’re after factual pre-watershed observational documentary series that will delight our heartland audiences. They have to nail that sense of place and include a rich mix of character led stories that can play out across a run.

    Second, we’re up for playing with form in this slot. What does fixed rig look like on BBC One Wales? What have you got cooking that sits at the lighter end of factual? We’ve commissioned plenty of landscape and plenty of food so what else are you developing?

    Further…

    Read more

    Comments

  • CALLING ALL #SQUADGOALS!

    Are you and your friends the epitome of #SQUADGOALS?



    Fancy taking part in a new comedy pilot for social media? …of course you do!

    We're looking for quick-witted, sassy girl squads who aren’t afraid to voice their opinions.

    To apply please email with a short, one minute application video with your group (2-5 people).

    Introduce yourselves! We want to know names, ages, where you're from and what's great about your squad on a night out! 



    (Get creative and have fun with it, we want to see your personality!) 



    Phone quality videos will be absolutely fine, as long as you're all audible! 



    Please send your video application to: sophie.parrett@bbc.co.uk



    Aged 18+

    ALL genders are welcome to apply

    Deadline: 31st January 2018

    You must enable javascript to play content

    We tested out the sassiness of some ladies on Halloween... the bar has been set pretty high!

    Comments

  • Autumn update - and breathe...

    Nick Andrews

    Head of Commissioning, BBC Wales

    There are so many fantastic projects currently in production.

    In specialist factual we’ve commissioned two living history series and a landmark natural history series. In drama two eight-part series are sitting on the horizon. At our comedy launch I eluded to a six-part mock documentary series which will move into production in the spring. Whilst Valley Cops was definitely a documentary highlight it’s just one of a number of series being made. ‘Wales Live’ and ‘The Hour’ represent a fresh new line up for Welsh Affairs

    We’re making real progress in nation to network co-commissioned projects and enjoying network repeats on a weekly basis.

    Earlier this week we launched ‘Find Me Funny’ http://www.bbc.co.uk/writersroom/opportunities/find-me-funny a new comedy initiative from BBC Wales, BBC Comedy and Writers Room. It was superb to see so many writers, producers and performers packed into Cardiff’s Glee club to hear the plans.

    It was also brilliant to hear that over 100 people had applied to be part of our New Director’s Scheme which you can read all about here http://www.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre/latestnews/2017/wales-documentary-scheme.

    Rolling commissioning has brought a real energy and…

    Read more

    Comments

  • Hedd Wyn: The Lost War Poet

    Euros Wyn

    Producer / Director

    Tagged with:

    The main challenge that faced us as we began the process of structuring the documentary was obvious, to do justice with one of Wales’ most enduring stories. It’s a story that has been pored over for generations, one that generated an Oscar nominated film during the early nineties, followed by an excellent biography written by its screenwriter, the poet Alan Llwyd.



    We decided to try and strike a balance between the obvious drama inherent in Hedd Wyn’s life story and a more factual analysis of his life and work; but without forgetting the man himself. Who knew that Hedd Wyn used to compete in…

    Read more

    Comments

  • BBC Radio Wales' sports output

    Colin Paterson

    Tagged with:

    As we head into another season of sport, BBC Radio Wales Editor Colin Paterson blogs about the station’s sports output.

    BBC Radio Wales is a proud er of Welsh sport. As the national radio station for Wales, we want to ensure that we prioritise the moments involving our national teams and beyond.

    We cover the whole of Wales and deliver a wide range of content – news, current affairs, politics, sport, music, entertainment, factual and drama. The challenge is to do this in a way which brings the radio station together in a cohesive way. While the future of digital technology provides huge…

    Read more

    Comments

  • A radio programme for deaf people? It actually makes total sense.

    Selma Chalabi

    Producer, Eye on Wales

    Tagged with:

    As a producer of BBC Radio Wales’ Eye On Wales programme, I’m always on the lookout for ideas. So when a colleague told me about a service that was helping deaf people to break through barriers and get in to employment, I was convinced there was a possible programme.

    I called up Action On Hearing Loss Cymru and learned that deaf people who are skilled and capable, are struggling to get into employment in Wales. Wales has the highest rate of unemployment for deaf people in the UK, and currently there’s only a service in South East Wales to assist deaf people into work. The rest of Wales is not…

    Read more

    Comments

  • NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL SINGERS RECEIVE NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL PRAISE!

    David Jackson

    Artistic Director, BBC Cardiff Singer of the World

    Tagged with:

    Well, there goes another Cardiff Singer - and what a great week it was.

    Just over a week after Cardiff had hosted the biggest sporting event in the city’s history, we had the pleasure of welcoming some highly talented competitors of a very different kind!

    20 brilliant singers – some with their very young families in tow – arrived from various countries around the globe. And our prestigious judging also travelled from far and wide. The judges were certainly tested this year; with the startlingly good quality of the singing, none of their decisions was easily arrived at.

    This year there…

    Read more

    Comments

  • Mucking out and mucking in: fancy a new life as a farmer?

    Rachel Evans

    Series Producer

    Tagged with:

    You must enable javascript to play content

    Want to find out what it’s really like living and working on a busy hillside farm?

    If you long to escape the city for a change of scene, or want to know if your ion for food can earn you a living, this is your chance!

    Over the course of three weeks in August 2017, your new home could be a working farm in beautiful Snowdonia.

    Under the watchful and expert eyes of farmers and presenters Kate…

    Read more

    Comments

  • The story behind Sweet Sixteen: A Transgender Story

    Molly-Anna Woods

    Director and Producer of ‘Sweet Sixteen: A Transgender Story’

    Tagged with:

    In spring 2015, I made my way to a private house in the Tawe Valley to meet Sadie, a transvestite who had set up a transgender group called ‘Tawe Butterflies’.



    I’d noticed that while there was an increasing number of transgender stories and issues appearing in the press, very few, if any, were coming from south Wales and I wanted to explore why.



    I didn’t really know what to expect from the meeting. The Tawe Butterflies’ monthly meetings were always held at Sadie’s house. When Sadie wasn’t dressed as Sadie, she was a tough talking ex-builder, in her late 60s, called Paul.



    That meeting…

    Read more

    Comments

  • Could your experience of disability inspire a Casualty storyline?

    Debbie Biggins

    Line Producer, Casualty

    Tagged with:

    Telling stories about real people in real situations, with integrity and truth, is something that matters to all of us at Casualty. And as the show moves forward into its fourth decade (series 32 is just round the corner) it’s a principle that still inspires our team of writers, producers and actors at the BBC’s drama village at Roath Lock in Cardiff Bay. We are very proud that the show is made in Wales.



    It’s estimated that 1 in 4 people in Wales are disabled or have a long-term health condition. This summer, Casualty is trialling a new scheme, funded by BBC Wales, asking disabled people here…

    Read more

    Comments