The press release, issued yesterday but embargoed till now, reads as follows…

Hit family fantasy drama Merlin, produced by Shine Television, has been recommissioned for a third series for BBC One.

The announcement comes as the second series of the Saturday evening show continues to enthral audiences, pulling in a peak of over 6 million viewers and a 31% share.

Ben Stephenson, Controller Drama Commissioning, says: “With its mix of magic, adventure and humour Merlin is perfect Saturday evening family television, and we are thrilled that Shine Television will be creating a new series for BBC One. I’m looking forward to seeing what adventures our popular young wizard, and his friends in Camelot, will go on in series three.”

Johnny Capps, Executive Producer, Shine Television, says: “Merlin is ready to burst back onto BBC One with more action, romance and, of course, magic to delight fans of all ages. After the thrilling finale of the current series audiences will be left wondering what happens next – and with so many of Merlin and Arthur’s adventures yet to unfold, we can’t wait to continue the story.”

Merlin stars Colin Morgan as Merlin, Bradley James as Prince Arthur, Anthony Head as King Uther, Katie McGrath as Morgana, Angel Coulby as Gwen, Richard Wilson as Gaius, and John Hurt as the voice of the Great Dragon.

Series two has seen a host of high-profile guest-stars including Mackenzie Crook, Emilia Fox, Sarah Parish, Charles Dance and Adrian Lester, and continues on Saturday evenings on BBC One until the final episode on Saturday 19th December.

Merlin is executive produced by the award-winning Johnny Capps and Julian Murphy for Shine Television, with Bethan Jones executive producer for BBC.

The show has been recommissioned by Ben Stephenson, Controller Drama Commissioning, and Jay Hunt, Controller BBC One.

The first series is a worldwide smash hit and has been sold to 52 broadcasters in over 180 countries; to date series two has been sold to more than 40 broadcasters in 165 countries, and counting.

Here’s the full press release.

ITV STUDIOS today confirmed that Phil Collinson is to join the company as the new Producer of Coronation Street.  Manchester based Phil joins ITV STUDIOS from the BBC where his credits include Series Producer for the iconic Doctor Who.

Phil will take over from Kim Crowther who has decided to step down after two and a half hugely successful years as Producer of the UK’s favourite soap. Phil will join in March to allow for a suitable handover period.  Kim will continue to produce the show through to the early summer of 2010. Phil will report into Kieran Roberts, Executive Producer of Coronation Street.

John Whiston, Director of ITV STUDIOS said:

“We are delighted Phil has agreed to join ITV STUDIOS and carry on the fantastic, creative work that Kim has spearheaded.  Phil is a hands-on producer, with a fine track record in shaping much loved and treasured programming and I have no doubt he will bring all that talent to Coronation Street.

“I would like to thank Kim for her immense contribution to the show. Kim’s sheer hard work and her boundless imagination are the qualities that have continued to keep Coronation Street as fresh and exciting as ever as it enters its 50th year.

“Kim leaves Corrie in fantastically good health, having increased total audience share in the last quarter as recent storylines around Tony, Carla, Maria and Roy Cropper have been delivering spectacularly large audiences day in day out this autumn. This achievement is testament to the skill and talent of Kim and her team.

Kim Crowther said: “Coronation Street is very special to me. It’s been a huge privilege to work with such a wonderful cast, production and writing team. But after a couple of great years, I’m looking forward to reintroducing myself to my children. I’m delighted to be passing the baton to Phil, and wish him all the best for what should be a spectacular fiftieth year for the show.”

Phil Collinson said: “I am  absolutely thrilled to be joining Corrie, the nation’s favourite street and a show I’ve been a huge fan of all my life . It goes without saying that it’s a tremendous honour to be entrusted with building on Coronation Street’s success and creating the must-see storylines for 2010 and beyond. Kim will be a tough act to follow but I will be working with one of the best teams in the business and I can’t wait to get stuck in.”

And here are the details…

BBC Two is “terrified” to announce that Psychoville, written by Reece Shearsmith and Steve Pemberton, will return for a one-off special programme to be shown next year, and a new, six-part second series.

The dark comedy thriller was centred on very different characters, who each received an anonymous mysterious letter claiming: “I know what you did…” The last series episode concluded the story at Ravenhill Hospital, for the completely insane, with a huge explosion. In the new series, all will be revealed as to who managed to survive the blast.

The first series of Psychoville, shown earlier this year, has recently been nominated for two British Comedy Awards.

Steve Pemberton and Reece Shearsmith said: “We’re delighted that BBC Two commissioners have responded in the right way to the notes we sent bearing the words ‘We know what you did’. We look forward to being able to tickle and terrify our audience once again – preferably at the same time.”

Cheryl Taylor, Controller of Comedy Commissioning, said: “It’s great news for all, including all the dedicated Psychoville fans that this wonderfully creative series from Steve Pemberton and Reece Shearsmith will return to dazzle and delight BBC Two viewers next year.”

Executive producer Jon Plowman said: “We are thrilled that our twisted baby, Psychoville, has been re-commissioned. We look forward to intriguing and scaring the audience next year and the year after”.

Adventures from each of the seven original doctors are promised; The Web Planet (all six episodes) is already up on the MSN UK website.

Further stories are to be uploaded one per week (I think), and are scheduled to be The Tomb of the Cybermen, Planet of the Spiders, The Talons of Weng-Chiang, The Caves of Androzani, The Mark of the Rani and Survival.

I’m not sure any of the more recent adventures have been licenced, or how long the archive ones will stay up online.

James Buckley as he appears in E4's The Inbetweeners

Here’s the full press release.

Filming is commencing on BBC One’s Sex, Drugs & Rock’n’Chips, the new comedy drama which focuses on the early years of South London’s most famous family, The Trotters, with Nicholas Lyndhurst returning to Peckham to play ‘art connoisseur’ Freddie ‘The Frog’ Robdal and Inbetweeners star James Buckley stepping into the teenage shoes (1960s winkle-pickers) of the nation’s favourite wheeler-dealer Del Boy Trotter.

Also joining the cast are Kellie Bright (Kinky Boots, Bad Girls, Jericho) as Del Boy’s glamorous (certain neighbours might say “tarty”) mother Joan Trotter and Shaun Dingwall (Soldier Soldier, Above Suspicion, Doctor Who) as her work-shy husband Reg Trotter. Phil Daniels (Outlaws, The Long Firm) appears as Del’s granddad, Ted Trotter and Robert Dawes (The Royal, Roger Roger) features as Joan’s boss, the sleezy Mr Raynor.

“Sex, Drugs & Rock’n’Chips hurtles us into the rough and unglamorous world of London in 1960 to discover the circumstances that led to Del and Rodney Trotter turning out the way they did,” says writer John Sullivan.  “Nick Lyndhurst is a comedy genius and I can’t think of anyone better suited to bring the shady but charming Freddie Robdal to life and James Buckley has a tough act to follow but is sure to do for leather bomber jackets and winkle-pickers what David Jason did for camel-haired coats and cocktail umbrellas!”

Shooting entirely in London from October 5th, Sex, Drugs & Rock’n’Chips picks up the Trotter story in 1960 as Peckham’s answer to Brigitte Bardot, Joan Trotter, is not-so-happily married with bone-idle Reg and her teenage son, Derek. But the reappearance of ‘art connoisseur’ Freddie ‘The Frog’ Robdal, fresh from a ten year stay as a guest of Her Majesty, is set to ruffle some feathers in the Trotter household.  Centering on the relationships between Joan, Reg, safe-cracker Freddie and teenage Del, the comedy drama will also feature the teenage versions of Only Fools and Horses faves Boycie, Trigger, Denzil and Roy Slater.

“It’s nearly 30 years since Only Fools and Horses first hit our screens and we’ve taken great care to pull together a mixture of exciting new faces and highly-experienced talent to do justice to a fantastically-popular and iconic series and bring this bittersweet new chapter of the Trotter story to life,” says Mark Freeland, Head of Comedy at the BBC.

Sex, Drugs & Rock’n’Chips is written by Only Fools and Horses creator John Sullivan, will be produced by Gareth Gwenlan, directed by Dewi Humphreys and executive produced by Mark Freeland for BBC Comedy. A co-production between In House BBC Comedy and John Sullivan’s production company Shazam Productions Sex, Drugs & Rock’n’Chips was commissioned by Jay Hunt, Controller, BBC One and Lucy Lumsden, former Controller, Comedy Commissioning.

It’s all thanks to a unique co-production deal with UKTV’s Watch. Here’s the info…

ITV can today announce that hit drama Primeval will return to UK television screens for two new series from 2011, thanks to a ground-breaking deal between ITV, multichannel broadcaster, UKTV, and producers Impossible Pictures.

The new series will be showrun once again by Adrian Hodges and will feature the return of stars from the previous series, including Hannah Spearritt, Andrew Lee Potts and Jason Flemyng, alongside the acclaimed special effects created by the award-winning team at Framestore CFC.

The premieres of Series 4 and series 5 of Primeval will be split between ITV1 and UKTV’s new entertainment pay TV channel, Watch. ITV1 will be the first to broadcast series 4 (in early 2011), while Watch will premiere series 5 later that year. ITV1 will then broadcast season 5.

Impossible Pictures has worked closely with BBC Worldwide to implement a new funding strategy for the series, in which BBC America, which has acquired previous series for broadcast in the US, joins Germany’s Pro7 as a co-production partner for the new episodes.

Tim Haines, Creative Director of Impossible Pictures Ltd, said: “I am thrilled that ITV has agreed to this new deal which will allow Impossible Pictures to produce another 13 episodes of Primeval. The confidence demonstrated in the programme’s continued success here and abroad will help us bring more big screen action and a whole host of new creatures roaring back into people’s living rooms.”

Laura Mackie, Director of ITV Drama Commissioning, said: “We’re delighted to have agreed this new deal with Impossible to return Primeval to ITV1. The innovative nature of this partnership will allow the show to maintain its high production values and deliver the fantastic programme that our viewers know and love.”

Paul Moreton, Channel Head of Watch, said: “We are really excited to be part of this truly innovative deal that guarantees the continuation of this fantastically entertaining series.  I know Primeval is going to be a massive hit with Watch viewers and the perfect complement to other popular sci-fi dramas such as Doctor Who and Torchwood.”

Following Philip Glenister’s remarks  during the production of series two last year – “I think the thing about Gene is you are restricted in terms of what you do with him – people want to see him for what he is, and although that’s fun to play I need new challenges now, I want to move on.” – it’s always been clear Gene Hunt’s days were numbered. And the Kudos are making a virtue of this. Here’s the press release, issued this morning.

London, September 2009: It’s time to get your shoulder pads out of storage, start crimping your hair and get into the 80s mood for the very last time.  The award-winning BBC One drama, Ashes to Ashes, is back as filming begins on the eagerly awaited final series.

The highly-anticipated finale sees Philip Glenister and Keeley Hawes reprise their roles as that most un-PC of policeman, DCI Gene Hunt and his sassy partner DI Alex Drake, along with Dean Andrews as DI Ray Carling, Marshall Lancaster as DC Chris Skelton and Montserrat Lombard as WPC Sharon ‘Shaz’ Granger.  As well as the much loved regular faces, Daniel Mays (The Street, Plus One) will also appear in the series as Discipline and Complaints officer, Jim Keats, adding an exciting twist to the team dynamic.

With last series’ cliff-hanger leaving audiences with the frightening image of Alex lying shot on a hospital gurney, the questions on everyone’s lips are “will Alex survive?”  And “how will her colleague and accidental assassin Gene Hunt dig himself out of that hole?”

The smash hit drama, made by Kudos Film and Television in association with Monastic Productions, finally unravels many of the mysteries from the previous two series of Ashes to Ashes, as well as those first experienced by the initial time-travelling copper, Sam Tyler, in the groundbreaking BBC One series Life on Mars some four years ago.  Will Alex finally discover why she’s been sent back to the 80s? Does anything tie Alex and Sam Tyler together?  And who exactly is Gene Hunt…?

Jane Featherstone, Executive Producer, Kudos Film and Television says: “Everyone has their own theory about who Gene Hunt is and why Alex Drake, and Sam Tyler ended up in his world. Alex’s journey is nearing its end and Matthew Graham and Ashley Pharoah have planned a fabulous finale.  We’re now at the point where we can finally reveal some of the answers and we can’t wait to hear what the fans think about it all.”

Ashley Pharoah, co-creator, writer and Executive Producer for Monastic Productions adds: “Gene Hunt has delighted fans for almost five years.  Matthew and I have loved writing the adventures of Gene, Alex and the rest of the team and will be really sad to finally have to say goodbye to characters that have become a great part of our lives.”

Piers Wenger, Head of Drama, BBC Wales also says: “Series three of Ashes to Ashes will have the same combination of thrilling crime drama, outrageous 80s outfits and cutting one liners. We’ll be sad to see Gene and the gang go but the journey that will take us to that finale will be one of the most exciting, compelling and edge-of-your seat rides on TV!”

Ashes to Ashes is written and created by Matthew Graham and Ashley Pharoah, two creators of the award-winning Life on Mars.  It is produced by Kudos Film and Television, in association with Monastic Productions and was commissioned by Jay Hunt, Controller, BBC One and Ben Stephenson, Controller, BBC Drama Commissioning.

Executive producer duties will be split between Jane Featherstone, Simon Crawford Collins and Alison Jackson for Kudos Film and Television, Ashley Pharoah for Monastic Productions and Piers Wenger for the BBC.  The producer is Howard Burch.

Part of BBC4′s Electric Revolution season, it’s provisionally scheduled to air on BBC4 at the end of September. The press release reads…

Following in the footsteps of Screenwipe and Newswipe, Charlie Brooker’s Gameswipe will poke fun at the world of video games and its relationship with the media.Video games continue to be looked down upon by other media and Gameswipe aims to bring some equality into the mix by illustrating how games can be just as dumb or brilliant as TV and movies. The one-off, 50 minute special will premiere during the BBC’s forthcoming Electric Revolution season.

Charlie Brooker comments; “It’s good to be doing more ‘Wipes‘ for BBC4. I started my writing career penning video game reviews, so Gameswipe effectively sees me coming full-circle: it’s evolution in reverse basically. Expect pixels, joypads, some of the world’s weirdest games, celebrity cameos and the occasional sound effect.”

Comedian Dom Joly ventures into the online gaming world and does his best to wind up hardcore gamers as they relax with their favourite games. Other contributors include Graham Linehan and Dara O’Brian.

Electric Revolution, a season of programmes giving viewers a unique insight into how developments in technology have shaped our lives over the past 50 years and charting the rise of today’s globally-linked, instantly-gratified digital culture.

Charlie Brooker’s Gameswipe is produced by Zeppotron, an Endemol Company.

The precursor to his Events series airs this Wednesday (September 9) on Channel 4 at 10.35pm, the same time the National Lottery Draw transmits on BBC1. Brown’s stunt will then be followed up on Friday at 9pm with an hour-long show revealing how the illusion was achieved.

As ever, C4 has provided us with a corresponding trailer…

The BBC Heritage site will be renamed The BBC Story to be launched in September 2009. Here, as ever, is the press release…

The BBC Heritage website, now called The BBC Story, will relaunch in September and offer users a richer experience in terms of new content and design.

The new site will give audiences a greater insight into the BBC and provide a range of dynamic routes into the unique history of the corporation.

The site was soft launched in June 2009, and has already proved very popular with users; during its first feature on the BBC homepage the site generated more than 3,000 page impressions.

The official site launch will be in September 2009 to coincide with the 70th anniversary of the outbreak of World War 2 on 3 September 1939 – a seminal moment in BBC’s history which transformed the corporation’s profile and its public impact.

Other BBC “great moments” to be celebrated on the site will include the appearance of Elizabeth Cowell, the first female TV announcer in 1936 (with behind-the-scenes footage including her wardrobe test – never before broadcast on the BBC), the 40th anniversary of Monty Python’s Flying Circus, the info text innovation that was Ceefax, and the 25th anniversary of the BBC’s most popular soap ever, EastEnders.

Robert Seatter, Head of BBC History, said: “The history of the BBC is the nation’s history, and we wanted to reflect that in the new site, offering topical stories as well as a chance for audiences to tell us how the BBC has touched their lives.

“We hope that everyone will find something to engage with in the new site – whether they are looking for in-depth media history, access to our many historical collections, or simply the opportunity to find out something more about their BBC.”

The site aims to:

• Make BBC History relevant and engaging by connecting the past to the present and future
• Enable audiences to reflect on what the BBC has meant to them
• Offer wider access to the corporation’s unique collection of objects, artefacts, photos and artworks
• Provide a learning resource for users who want to find out more about broadcast history
• Deliver a future platform for enhanced partnership with other broadcast history agencies, such as the National Media Museum and the BFI

New features of the site include:

• Interactive History Of Innovation timeline that takes you on a journey through the BBC’s pioneering work from 1922 right up to the present day and the corporation’s latest creative and technological innovations
• Weekly Great Moments celebration, highlighting key BBC anniversaries with TV/audio clips with short interpretation texts which explain their legacy in terms of contemporary broadcasting
• Direct link to Memory Share, the interactive part of the site where people can read, upload, or comment on the most memorable moments in their lives as well as research events that are linked to relevant material dating back as far as the 1900s
• Access to BBC Collections via a weekly feature on an object from the BBC’s range of props, technological artefacts and artworks
• Changing online photo galleries from the BBC’s unique stills library including many photos that have never been previously released to the general public
• Video tours of the BBC’s most significant historical buildings: Broadcasting House, the iconic home of BBC Radio, and BBC Television Centre, the first ever purpose-built television studio complex in the world
• Range of learning articles, from case studies of the BBC’s editorial independence to the BBC at war
• An improved look and feel, with enhanced graphics and a new page layout that makes it easier to navigate

The site is a valuable resource for licence fee payers and can be used by:

• Anyone who is interested in finding out more about the BBC
• Teachers/students (any age) to support learning programmes
• Historians/heritage enthusiasts
• Other agencies, eg museums