“groovy mother...”

The first part of Auntie Beeb’s integration with MusicBrainz and Wikipedia is live. Every artist in MusicBrainz now has a page on bbc.co.uk, featuring radio playcount information where available. Very cool.

TheyWorkForYou has a crowdsourcing project matching the Hansard transcripts of parliamentary debates to BBC video. It’s pretty easy work if you keep going through one debate (and you get to watch a little bit of politics in action). Fancy taking a half hour to help them out?

This is amazingly good news. Steven Moffat (writer of Coupling and Press Gang, as well as the best episodes of “new” Doctor Who) is taking over as lead writer. I’m giddy at the prospect of what’s to come.

Schulze & Webb’s hardware prototype of a socially-networked open-source digital radio. Some excellent ideas for internet-enabled physical objects in the pamphlet.

Man, this is sad news. Humph’s impeccably innocent delivery of a filthy “double” entendre on “I’m Sorry I Haven’t a Clue” had me in hysterics many a time. He will be missed.

The Beeb pick the perfect day to launch a lovely promo video for iPlayer.

BBC Radio experiment with XMPP for radio “Now Playing” information dispersal.

Ashes to Ashes (the 80’s Life on Mars follow-up) is starting the first week of February, and everything about it sounds bloody AMAZING.

“What’s been your favourite scene to film?” “That would have to be when we were on a speed boat going under Tower Bridge carrying machine guns. Say no more.”

Fast-paced stand-up and sketches from BBC Radio 4. The great thing about this format is if you don’t like an act, that’s fine — there’ll be another one along in a minute.

Christmas isn’t christmas without a BBC 1 ident. And this year’s is a corker. PENGUINS!

Curmudgeon-par-excellence Bill Drummond promotes “No Music Day”, and BBC Radio Scotland is going along with it, playing no music at all for 24 hours.

I completely forgot this was on tonight. Lovely little bit of Who geekery. Number 5 was “my” doctor too — the first one I remember watching.

Highlighting the best of the right-wing hystericals who post to the BBC News “Have Your Say” boards.

I can forgive TV companies for running crooked competitions, or faking phone-ins, but overrulling the viewers’ choice for the name for the Blue Peter Cat? That’s just EVIL!

Schulze & Webb are working on an open, social digital-radio-plus-wifi prototype for the BBC. Fascinating the way they hope to apply “open source” to hardware design.

Was not expecting this. Living over here, I haven’t been over-exposed to Tate or her catchphrase(s?), so thought she was rather good in the Christmas special last year.

More on the BBC/MusicBrainz link-up — Not only are the Beeb paying to use MB data on their site, the music experts over there will be helping update MB. This can only be a good thing.

BBC releases music playlist data (from Peel Sessions and Top of the Pops at first), linked in with MusicBrainz IDs. Hurrah!

Last night’s Scientology documentary from the BBC. I watched this last night, and it’s really quite jaw-dropping. I’m surprised the scientologists have been kicking up such a fuss about it, because it’s only raised public awareness of what a bunch of controlling manipulative fruitcakes they are.