BBC Week 29 Programme Information Week Commencing 13/7/2019

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BBC Week 29 Week Commencing 13/7/2019

Programme Information Television & Radio

BBC Northern Ireland Press Office

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THIS WEEK’S HIGHLIGHTS TELEVISION & RADIO / BBC NI WEEK 29

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SATURDAY 13 JULY Tell Tales  NEW BBC Radio Ulster

SUNDAY 14 JULY The Road To The Open  NEW BBC One Northern Ireland

SUNDAY 14 JULY Storytellers – Brian Friel Stories  NEW BBC Radio Ulster

MONDAY 15 JULY – FRIDAY 19 July Open For Summer  NEW BBC One Northern Ireland

Places Of Interest: Portrush (Open For Summer) (The Road To The Open)

EDITORIAL 2019 ______

SATURDAY 13 JULY TELEVISION & RADIO HIGHLIGHTS / BBC WEEK 29 ______

Tell Tales  NEW Begins on Saturday 13 July BBC Radio Ulster, 10.30am Also available on BBC Sounds

Since 2011, the monthly Tenx9 sessions in Belfast’s Black Box, is a great place to hear all sorts of stories from all kinds of people.

Each month a theme is announced for the next session, inviting anyone to submit a story based on that theme. From these submissions, nine are selected to be read in front of what is always a full house.

There’s one condition - the stories must be true and can be moving, provocative, challenging or funny.

In this new six-part series, Kathy Clugston presents a series of highlights from the shows.

Tell Tales begins on BBC Radio Ulster on Saturday 13 July at 10.30am and is also available via BBC Sounds.

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SUNDAY 14 JULY TELEVISION & RADIO HIGHLIGHTS / BBC WEEK 29 ______

The Road To The Open  NEW Sunday 14 July BBC Northern Ireland, 8.00pm

How do you ensure every inch of an historical golf club is perfect for the return the sport’s oldest and most prestigious international major tournament?

Narrated by James Nesbitt, a new BBC Northern Ireland film charts the work of a small team of dedicated staff at Royal Portrush Golf Club as they prepare to welcome back The Open.

Filmed over five years, The Road To The Open on Sunday, July 14 on BBC One Northern Ireland at 8pm, gets exclusive access behind the scenes of the club to chronicle the intense preparations for the arrival of an estimated quarter of a million spectators, the eyes of the world media and the best players in the world.

Viewers get unprecedented access to the small team of people who have to ensure the club and course are in perfect condition for one of biggest global events including Club Secretary Wilma Erskine who has been at the helm for 30 years; Graeme Beatt, the Head Greenkeeper; world renowned course architect Martin Ebert; course designer Marcus Terry, regarded as the best in the business and Club Professional Gary McNeill.

There are also contributions from Ireland’s four Major Champions – McDowell, Clarke, McIlroy and Harrington – and some of golf’s other major international stars including eight time Major winner, Tom Watson, and, commentator Peter Alliss who played in The Open at Royal Portrush in 1951 – the last time it was staged here.

While the planning is intensive for the return of The Open, the team at Royal Portrush also have to balance the multi-million pound preparations with the relentless day-to-day work that goes into running one of the UK’s most prestigious clubs.

The club has to undertake a significant course restructure – the first in more than 25 years - providing two new holes which meet the approval of golf’s governing body – the R&A. And while this crucial work is ongoing, it can’t be allowed to detract from the enjoyment of its members and the thousands of visitors who come to experience the spectacular seaside links.

Produced by Stephen Watson for Imagine Media, The Road To The Open is on Sunday, July 14 on BBC One Northern Ireland at 8pm.

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Storytellers – Brian Friel Stories  NEW Sunday 14 July BBC Radio Ulster, 12.30pm Also available on BBC Sounds

A series of short stories written by Brian Friel and read by Adrian Dunbar will be broadcast on BBC Radio Ulster as part of the Storytellers series.

Acknowledged as one of the great playwrights of his generation, Brian Friel wrote the much loved plays Faith Healer, Translations and Dancing at Lughnasa, however, many of his short stories are still unknown to many.

Now broadcast on BBC Radio Ulster for the first time they form part of the Storytellers series – a series of radio dramas telling stories reflecting Northern Ireland and beyond.

The 15 minute stories, read by long-time admirer of Friel, Adrian Dunbar, starts with The Gold In The Sea which tells the story of an old farmer’s fishing trip off the Donegal coast which sparks a yarn of a sunken ship and elusive treasure. Following this, The Death of a Scientific Humanist tells the story of Angela Cassidy who must make other plans when her brother Cormac is refused burial on consecrated ground. Both stories can be heard on Sunday 14 July at 12.30pm.

The following week, on Sunday 21 July, the stories begin with My True Kinsman which tells the story of Tom Burke and a surprise encounter with his garrulous, forbidden grandfather which sparks an unexpected connection. The Skelper, the final story in this series, tells the tale of an outsider in Beannagreaghan instigating a poaching contest to ingratiate himself with town locals.

Gemma McMullan, Content Editor of Radio Drama BBC NI says: “Storytelling has always been a rich part of our culture so we are delighted that BBC Radio Ulster listeners will now be able to enjoy and celebrate the creativity of some of our very finest writing and acting talent.”

Andy Martin, Head of Factual & Innovation, BBC NI says: “We are delighted that BBC Radio Ulster is the new home for a rich collection of dramas reflecting life here at home and further afield. We aim to get more writing talent from Northern Ireland reflected on the radio network, locally and nationally. We also want to leverage the fantastic pool of local acting and production talent. Storytellers on Sundays at 12.30pm is a good start.”

The Brian Friel Stories were originally narrated for BBC Radio 4.

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MONDAY 14 JULY TELEVISION & RADIO HIGHLIGHTS / BBC WEEK 29 ______

Open For Summer  NEW Monday 15 July – Friday 19 July BBC One Northern Ireland, 7pm

As The Open golf championship swings into action at Royal Portrush, BBC One Northern Ireland will be celebrating all that’s good about our beautiful north coast with a new week-long series of live programmes from the seaside town.

Open For Summer, presented by Holly Hamilton and Colin Murray, tees off on Monday 15 July at 7pm and will broadcast live from Portrush every evening at 7pm during the week of The Open.

A host of familiar faces will join the duo in an outdoor studio with all the craic, stories and nostalgia from the seaside town which is proving to be the place to be this summer.

Open For Summer’s roving reporter, Stephen Clements will be out and about seeing what’s going on in the holiday town for golfers and non-golfing visitors. And there will also be live music from artists including Nathan Carter and Cliona Hagan.

The last time The Open came to Northern Ireland was 1951 and the programme gets exclusive access behind the scenes as Royal Portrush prepares for the tournament’s historic return.

Former Strictly Come Dancing judge Len Goodman meets Portrush couple Lily and Billy as they take a trip down memory lane and back to the times of the once vibrant dance hall The Arcadia. There’s stories of postcards, ice-cream and sticks of rock. Presenter and golf enthusiast Jodie Kidd takes her golf swing to a new level as she explores how technological advances are improving the game and she looks forward to the legacy of the Open in Portrush for younger golfers.

Open For Summer, BBC One Northern Ireland from Monday 15 July – Friday 19 July, 7pm..

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