BBC WEEK 7, 13 - 19 February 2016 Programme Information, Television & Radio BBC Scotland Press Office BBC Media Centre (Scotland) BBC iPlayer (Scotland) BBC Scotland BBC Scotland on Facebook @BBCScotland on Twitter General / Carol Knight Hilda McLean Jim Gough Julie Whiteside Laura Davidson BBC Alba THIS WEEK’S HIGHLIGHTS TELEVISION & RADIO / BBC WEEK 7 _____________________________________________________________________________________________________ MONDAY 15 FEBRUARY Cuimhneachan/Remembrance NEW BBC ALBA WEDNESDAY 17 FEBRUARY Facelifts and Fillers NEW BBC One Scotland _____________________________________________________________________________________________________ Viewers outside Scotland can access BBC One Scotland on Sky 141 (HD) & 951, Freesat 108 (HD) & 960, Virgin Media 108 (HD) & 862. BBC Two Scotland can be viewed on Sky 142 (HD) & 970, Freesat 970. BBC ALBA is on Sky 143, Freesat 110, Virgin Media 188, Freeview 8 (Scotland only). BBC Radio Scotland can be accessed on Sky 0116, Freesat 712, Freeview 719 (Scotland only). BBC One Scotland, BBC Two Scotland and BBC ALBA are also available on the BBC iPlayer bbc.co.uk/iplayer & BBC Radio Scotland on bbc.co.uk/radioscotland EDITORIAL 2016 / BBC WEEK 7 _____________________________________________________________________________________________________ . Robot Wars and Rillington Place to film in Scotland this Spring Two major network shows, the rebooted action-packed Robot Wars and a new three-part drama Rillington Place, will be filmed in the west of Scotland over the next few months. Dara O Briain and Angela Scanlon have been announced as the new presenters of Robot Wars when the series is rebooted for BBC Two and filmed near Glasgow, with Jonathan Pearce returning as commentator. And Endomol Shine Group’s fledgling label Bandit Television is to co-produce a dramatisation of the notorious Rillington Place murders for BBC1, filming in the BBC Scotland drama studios in Dumbarton. Bandit and BBC in-house drama’s will recount the true story of murderer John Christie, his wife Ethel, and neighbour Timothy Evans who lived at the address in the late 1940s and early 1950s. The story will be told from each of the main character’s viewpoints and explore their relationships and actions that led to a tragic miscarriage of justice which contributed towards the abolition of capital punishment in Britain. Filming will begin at the end of March in Dumbarton and the series is expected to air on BBC1 late this year. Dara and Angela, meanwhile, will get up close with the robots, the teams and get feedback from the Robot Wars judges while legendary commentator Jonathan Pearce will return with his inimitable take on the Robot Wars fights. All the Robot Wars action will come from the new purpose-built fighting arena near Glasgow, which will allow viewers to get even closer to the action, with state-of-the-art cameras capable of capturing every crushing, sawing and scorching moment in incredible detail. Dara O Briain says: “I am thrilled to be presenting Robot Wars. For too long, the schedules have cried out for a show in which dedicated amateurs, toiling day and night, handcraft sophisticated automatons built on the delicate interplay of hand-wired servo motors with custom-built circuit boards and fingertip motion control, just to see them get smashed to pieces by a dustbin carrying a massive hammer. It's war, and how I love it so.” Angela Scanlon adds: “I'm so excited to be joining such a legendary show that, after all this time, still manages to make people squeal with joy. I cannot wait to see the robots in all their metallic glory playfully destroying each other!” Jonathan Pearce says: “Robot Wars is an immensely enjoyable programme to commentate on. I am delighted to be involved and back among the cut and thrust of the robot battles. ACTIVATE!” Channel Editor of BBC Two, Adam Barker, says: “I’m thrilled that Dara O Briain and Angela Scanlon will be fronting BBC Two’s reboot of Robot Wars. Alongside the welcome return of Jonathan Pearce bringing his unique commentary to proceedings, they are the perfect team to bring to life all the excitement and drama from the arena and explain the innovation and technological advances being showcased in the new and improved robots.” Acting Controller of Entertainment, Alan Tyler, says: “We are delighted to have such an enviable line- up of talent at the helm of the new series. Dara is the perfect host for Robot Wars. Funny, intelligent, warm and genuinely enthused by both the engineering science and the passionate people behind the machines. I'm slightly worried he may actually apply to be a contestant. Angela’s razor-sharp wit and clever curiosity, alongside Jonathan’s expertise and insight, complete a perfect partnership. We can’t wait to bring the new series to the BBC Two’s audience.” The new Robot Wars logo for the series, designed by Jump, has also been unveiled. Mentorn Scotland’s Executive Producer, Andrew Robertson, says: “The logo totally encapsulates everything that is new about the series: updated technology, modernised armour, contemporary design and a seismic updated tonal shift from the original series.” The new six-part series will be produced by Mentorn Scotland, part of the Tinopolis Group, in association with SJP Media, and will feature a new structure with more robots, more battles and more science than ever before. It also includes a raft of technological advances since the show first aired over a decade ago, and viewers can expect to see more innovative fighting machines as teams of amateur roboteers battle it out to win the coveted Robot Wars title. Robot Wars fans can apply to see the battles first hand in the studio audience by contacting lostintv.com; by emailing [email protected] or by calling 0208 5308 100. Follow Robot Wars on social media: Facebook: facebook.com/ukrobotwars Twitter: @ukrobotwars YouTube: RobotWars KP2 Mohsen Amini wins BBC Radio Scotland Young Traditional Musician Of The Year 2016 BBC Radio Scotland’s annual celebration of young musical talent raised the roof at the City Halls in Glasgow when Mohsen Amini won the title of Young Traditional Musician of the Year 2016. Concertina player Mohsen, 22, made his mark at the event on Sunday, January 31, which was broadcast live on BBC Radio Scotland as part of Celtic Connections 2016, presented by Bruce MacGregor. Each of the six finalists gave a rousing 15-minute performance showing real talent across a wide range of musical approaches. But Mohsen, of Glasgow, just had the edge during a superb night of entertainment. Head of BBC Radio Scotland Jeff Zycinski says: “Our six finalists were magnificent. Each one of them brought an individuality and flair to their performance that both impressed and entertained. “Yet again, we were faced with an extremely difficult choice but we felt Mohsen produced the best performance on the night. “Mohsen encapsulates exactly the kind of performer we set out to find when BBC Radio Scotland launched the search for this year's Young Traditional Musician Of The Year. “Performances like his and the others we saw tonight will encourage a new generation to keep these important traditions alive and to maximise their musical potential.” Mohsen, of Glasgow, began playing concertina at 10. Heavily influenced by both Irish and Scottish music, he is a member of various bands and with one - Talisk - won a BBC Radio 2 Young Folk Award in 2015, followed up with a live session on Mark Radcliffe’s BBC Radio 2 Folk Show. Later this year Mohsen's first albums with Talisk and another band ÍMAR will be released. He wins a recording session with BBC Scotland and one-year membership to the Musicians Union. All finalists get a one-year membership to the Traditional Music and Song Association of Scotland (TMSA) plus the opportunity to take part in the TMSA’s annual Young Trad Tour. He said: “I'm just shocked and amazed - what a brilliant night. The camaraderie between all the finalists backstage has been brilliant - we're all good friends. Winning the award is such an honour.” Previous winners who have used their award win as a major springboard to a professional career in music include Anna Massie, Stuart Cassells, Robyn Stapleton, Paddy Callaghan and Rona Wilkie. Entries will open for the 2017 competition in the Spring. The other 2016 finalists were: Hannah MacRae (Lochaber) – fiddle: Originally of Fort William, Hannah now lives in Glasgow while she studies for her BMus Scottish Music degree at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland. She began playing fiddle when she was still at primary school and by the time she was 14 she won her first major title at the junior solo International fiddle competition in Carlow, Ireland. Hannah is a strong believer in keeping up tradition – in particular the culture of traditional music and Gaelic – and has been teaching fiddle for the past year. Jessica Burton (Orkney) – clarsach: Wanting to stand out from all the fiddle players on Orkney, a young Jessica began playing clarsach at 11 and joined school fiddle group Hadhirgaan, led by Douglas Montgomery. She graduated with a degree in Scottish music from the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland in 2012 and her performances have taken her across the country as well as across the pond to Canada, playing for the likes of Prince Charles and Prime Minister David Cameron. Now holding teaching posts at both the Glasgow Academy and the Junior Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, Jessica has released an EP, Mira, with harpist Sarah MacNeil and has a collection of new tunes from Orcadian composers out later this year. Murray Willis (Lismore) – accordion: Originally from the Isle of Lismore, Argyll, a young Murray found playing his accordion the perfect reminder of home to help him get over homesickness as he boarded in Oban while at high school.