MUMBAI: UK pubcaster The BBC?s controller of drama Ben Stephenson will take centre stage at the television trade event MipTV to throw light on the behind-the-scenes magic at the heart of the commissioner/producer creative alliance, during a Creative Talk on 9 April. Stephenson will also present the opening speech at MipTV?s second annual Drama Co-Production Summit on 8 April.

Organised by Reed Midem, MipTV 2013 will take place in Cannes, France from 8-11 April 2013.

Appointed Controller of Drama Commissioning in September 2008 and in charge of the BBC?s drama output, Stephenson has carved out a reputation for risk-taking and originality in his efforts to bring a new generation of mainstream hits to the BBC channels.

2012 marked a string of successes, with the launch of the BBC One drama series ?Call the Midwife? and BBC Two?s ?Line of Duty?. BBC Two?s Shakespeare Season received critical acclaim and Stephenson also launched BBC One?s returning series ?The Syndicate?, ?The Paradise?, ?Prisoners Wives? and ?Last Tango in Halifax?. ?Sherlock? and ?Luther?, both originally commissioned by Stephenson, will also return this year.

Stephenson is responsible for the re-emergence of drama on BBC Two, with a range of original programmes including ?The Shadow Line?, ?United?, ?Eric and Ernie?, ?The Crimson Petal and the White?, ?Murder? and ?Parade?s End?.

Forthcoming dramas include ?Dancing on the Edge?, ?The Fall?, ?Frankie?, ?Mayday?, ?Mary and Martha?, ?Peaky Blinders?, ?Top of the Lake?, ?The Village?, and ?The White Queen?.

MUMBAI: BBC Children?s and television format creator and distributor FremantleMedia Enterprises? (FME) Kids and Family Entertainment division have signed a long-term deal that will see them develop and produce a continuous sequence of new programmes designed to entertain and appeal to children of all ages.

The deal will see FME and BBC Children?s co-developing, co-producing and co-funding a number of new children?s shows over the course of the next five years, and investing tens of millions of pounds in order to fulfill the production requirements of the agreement.

The partnership brings together two players in the kids and family entertainment space in a dedicated effort to delight and inspire children in the UK and the world over.

The announcement of a strengthened and committed relationship between BBC Children?s and FME?s Kids and Family Entertainment is designed to result in the continuous creation of new programming for children.

Within the parameters of this new partnership, BBC Children?s and FME?s Kids and Family Entertainment will collaborate to create programmes for both CBBC and CBeebies.

CBBC focusses on children aged 6-12 years old and CBeebies is geared towards younger children under the age of six. Under the terms of the partnership, the BBC Children?s in-house production teams will produce the shows in conjunction with the FME Kids & Family team including Sander Schwartz, president, and Bob Higgins, executive vice president.

BBC Children?s director Joe Godwin said, "We?re delighted to be signing this new deal with FremantleMedia Enterprises and look forward to building on the success we?ve already had working together on top-rated programmes such as Tree Fu Tom. This groundbreaking partnership will allow us to create and develop even more exciting new shows that will entertain and inspire kids throughout the UK."

This partnership does not affect the first-look deal that BBC Children?s has with BBC Worldwide who continue to invest in children?s programming and also operate the CBeebies international channels. And BBC Children?s will continue to collaborate with a wide range of creative partners, broadcasters, distributors and indies (who currently produce 70 per cent of the BBC?s children?s programmes).

An immediate benefit stemming from this new partnership is the commissioning of further explorations in the enchanted kingdom of ?Treetopolis?, with the second season of ?Tree Fu Tom?. Allowing each viewer to become a superhero within this miniature fantasy world, ?Tree Fu Tom? was developed to aid children who have movement disorders and difficulties such as Dyspraxia. Continued seasons of the show are certain to both inspire and entertain pre-schoolers.

FME Kids and Family Entertainment president Sander Schwartz said, "When we started FME?s Kids and Family Entertainment division just three years ago, our goal was to join forces with leading broadcasters and producers of kids? content in order to inspire, transform, challenge and stimulate our young audiences who will grow to be the world?s next generation of leaders.

"BBC Children?s and FME?s Kids and Family division joining forces in a strategic relationship is truly an example of 1+1 = 3. The combining of strong experience and skills from both companies is sure to amplify the quality of shows that will result from this unique alliance."

FME Kids and Family Entertainment executive VP Bob Higgins said, "BBC Children?s is the top echelon in the kids and family genre and we have had phenomenal success in working with them on shows such as Wizards vs Aliens, and Tree Fu Tom".

"They are fearless in their dedication to make bold, creatively brilliant programs and we couldn?t be more excited to have the opportunity to continue working with such an amazing partner."

Extending beyond television screens, the deal will also see FME representing global ancillary rights, including merchandise, home entertainment, live events, publishing, worldwide distribution, and more. The BBC will retain television rights for the UK and Eire, as well as certain other rights within those countries.

MUMBAI: UK pubcaster The BBC?s research and development division has launched BBC R&D In Session. This is a regular series of video interviews exploring key engineering issues defining the future of broadcasting and content distribution.

The first In Session collection brings together experts from BBC R&D and the wider industry, setting the agenda on the challenges and opportunities digital technology has brought to the industry.

Chaired by BBC News correspondent, Nick Higham, the collection features the BBC?s controller of research and development, Matthew Postgate, on the broadcast system of the future and how technology can shape new editorial formats. He is joined by several other leading technologists, author of The Art of Immersion, Frank Rose, who shares insights into digital storytelling, and Dan Snow, filmmaker and historian, explaining the concept of history as metadata.

 
All video interviews can be viewed at the BBC R&D website.

• Introduction - Ralph Rivera, BBC
• The new medium of digital storytelling - Frank Rose, author and speaker
• What?s next? Beyond HDTV and 5.1 audio - BBC Graham Thomas,
• Towards a worldwide digital TV standard - EBU, Technical Director Lieven Vermaele
• History as metadata - filmmaker, historian Dan Snow
• The choreography of personal devices - Fjord director of strategy Louisa Heinrich
• A new broadcast system - BBC Matthew Postgate,
   

BBC R&D In Session will return with a new set of guest speakers. Each series aims to bring together broadcasters, academics, start-ups, developers and engineers to help build the media industries and technologies of tomorrow.

BBC controller of research development Mathew Postgate said, "With the launch of our first In Session video series we?re aiming to involve the wider industry in defining the longer term challenges and opportunities we face. It?s an ideal platform to collaborate and discuss new ideas with all players in the ecosystem, large or small, and I?m looking forward to more In Session events to help push those boundaries."

MUMBAI: Proving to kids that science definitely isn?t boring, CBBC and CBeebies have revealed their brand new science shows for 2013, featuring established BBC children?s stars and introducing new presenting talent.

?Dick and Dom? investigate the lives of people whose genius ideas have helped shape the modern world in Absolute Genius; Fierce Earth examines the true power of planet Earth and a new series of Nina And The Neurons explores amazing feats of engineering.

BBC Children?s director Joe Godwin said, "The best children?s programmes educate and inform kids without them even realising! I hope our new raft of science-themed shows will not only entertain children but inspire the next generation of scientists and inventors."

Absolute Genius with Dick and Dom takes the CBBC audience on a journey to explore the work of some of the most important inventors and scientists in history. From da Vinci to Watt and Archimedes, this series will fuse thrilling experiments and animation to explore the theories and inventions that have shaped the world we live in.

CBBC?s ?Fierce Earth? explores the true power of planet Earth. Shot on location, and combining archive footage, experiments, experts and personal stories, each episode sees the Fierce Earth team travel the globe to tell the stories and science behind incredible and awesome natural phenomenon from hurricanes to earthquakes and tsunamis to lightening strikes.

Also on CBBC, presenter Tim Fitzhigham searches the world for people with real life super powers in ?Super Human Challenge?. With the aid of the Mission Doctor, Dr Megan John, he pits himself against them to find out just how super they really are. Using animation, science and technology this show astounds viewers with just how amazing the human body is and what it can achieve. These are real life Super Human that defy science with super strength, extraordinary stamina and other unbelievable physical abilities.

Meanwhile ?Junior Vets? is a new CBBC show that gives six ordinary school children the chance to become the first ever juniors to enrol at Edinburgh University?s super high-tech Vet School. They?ll work alongside the school?s top vets, treating poorly pets, wounded wildlife and farm animals that are feeling unwell.

And, new for CBBC, ?Deadly Mission: Madagascar? takes eight young teenagers to the front line of conservation to discover for themselves the issues faced there, and work directly wit the scientists and conservationists at the forefront of research. They?ll meet endangered wildlife from Humpback Whales to Bamboo Lemurs, plus get to know the generation of kids growing up in rural Madagascar.

For its youngest viewers, ?Nina And The Neurons? returns to CBeebies with a new series investigating some amazing feats of engineering. ?Nina And The Neurons: Go Engineering? sees super scientist Nina (Katrina Bryan) and her young Engineers travel the UK in search of engineering wonders from towering skyscrapers to really long bridges. With the help of Nina?s five animated sense Neurons, they explain how things work and discover how science and engineering have built the world around us.

Continuing CBeebies mission of learning through play, Mr Bloom returns with ?Mr Bloom?s Nursery: Get Set, Grow!? Mr Bloom packs up his Compo Car and head out across the country to set up a travelling village fete for thousands of Tiddlers. Mr Bloom is, of course, joined by his loveable team of Veggies who are thrilled to discover about life outside the Nursery from a hydroponics farm to an amazing maize maze.

And, finally, this Spring, one of CBeebies? most popular shows, Octonauts, is back with a host of new adventures. The animated adventure heroes go on a journey of discovery through the world?s oceans looking at marine biology, exploring incredible underwater worlds and rescuing amazing sea creatures.