So what has the BBC ever done for us?

Written by Sarah Girling

I am a fan of the BBC, I don’t deny it. I enjoy Call the Midwife, Miranda, Dr Who, Sherlock… Yes, I’m a fan (and as you can tell, a woman of a certain age)…

Well, the BBC seems to have gone all out to ensure that everyone knows about the centenary of the First World War and as Tim Plyming, Executive Producer for the BBC has said in his blog:

“Central to the BBC’s ambition for the World War One season is the desire to reintroduce audiences to a war they think they know.”

So what has the BBC offered us, the viewers?

Firstly, there’s what will actually be on the telly. The trailer on YouTube is pretty good, including the song Pack up your Troubles, made popular during WWI.

Which brings me on to their second offer. BBC iWonder Guides are interactive guides designed for laptops, tablets and smartphones. One of the guides is Gareth Malone’s analysis ‘Why did Pack up your Troubles become the viral hit of WWI?’ and another looks at whether War Poetry has distorted our view of WWI.

If you came to the Researching the Great War day back in November 2013, you will have heard something about the BBC’s World War One at Home project from Stuart Woodward. I’m looking forward to hearing the 100 stories from across the UK.

There are podcasts and lots more, so I’ve signed up to their newsletter to stay informed about what’s coming up next…

There are links to other items on the website at BBC.co.uk/ww1  and you can read more about plans for TV and Radio by reading the blog of Adrian Van Kleveron, Controller of the BBC’s World War One Centenary.

Thanks for reading (and no I wasn’t paid by the BBC to promote this, I just think it’s jolly good!)