Charles Dance will play Italian artist Michaelangelo in the new BBC docu-drama ‘Renaissance: The Blood and The Beauty’.
Dance’s casting in the three-part series came as the BBC unveiled its arts and culture program on television and radio at a special event in London on Wednesday evening. “Renaissance: The Blood and The Beauty” is a co-commission with PBS that explores an era of violence and power politics that produced some of the Western world’s greatest works of art.
Other program highlights include Simon Schama’s take on the culture wars in “The History of Us,” the return of the archaeological series “Civilizations” with a new version tentatively titled “Civilizations: Rise and Fall,” and a docudrama about Jane. Austen to celebrate the 250th anniversary of her birth next year. “Jane Austen: Rise of a Genius” features interviews with writers, actors and biographers.
A series of new films are also planned as part of the BBC documentary film Arena, on subjects ranging from opera singer Maria Callas to 007 Roger Moore, as well as the new documentary series In My Own Words, which examines Britain’s leading cultural figures. from writer Hanif Kureishi to artist Alison Lapper. There will also be a film about legendary playwright Alan Bennett in honor of his 90th birthday and another film to mark the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz, which coincides with Holocaust Memorial Day.
Rob Rinder and Rylan Clark have been recommissioned with a new series exploring India, inspired by EM Forster’s novel, while a third season of “The Read” will see a new group of actors read from some of their favorite classic literature, including “Bad Sisters” star Anne -Marie Duff reads ‘A Christmas Carol’ by Charles Dicken.
“Elizabeth Taylor: Rebel Superstar” is a new series exploring the life of the legendary actor, while Stephen Fry, Richard E Grant and Adjoa Andoh all join a new series about Mozart.
A series of classical music and dance programs are also planned across the BBC’s television and radio networks. A range of cultural and arts programs were also unveiled for the BBC’s radio services, ranging from current affairs to pop music.
“I want to celebrate the richness of our arts offering at the BBC,” said BBC chief executive Tim Davie, who, along with the broadcaster’s head of content, Charlotte Moore, organized the event at the Royal Academy of Arts in London. “The wealth of arts and culture content available every day on the BBC, radio, TV and online is second to none. As does the BBC’s role as Britain’s cultural partner and the most ambitious creator of original arts programming.”
“Frankly, I want to undermine the feeling that the BBC’s commitment to arts and culture has diminished. Or the idea that we sometimes hear that we don’t care as much as we used to. The arts remain extremely central to the BBC’s mission. We want to send a strong message that art and culture matter, for everyone, and even more important in difficult times.”