News and File Releases

An overview of our collections, with catalogue descriptions at the highest levels, is available via our pages at the Archives Hub

Update October 2026

Below are details of the documents released in October 2026.

Subject and Topic Based Releases

• Woman’s Hour (1941-1994)

Files relating to Woman’s Hour, the world’s longest-running radio programme focused on women’s lives, vetted and released to mark the programme’s 80th anniversary in October 2026. Included in this release are the Left Staff files for Monica Sims (Radio Producer and later Controller of BBC Radio 4); Jean Metcalfe (Radio Broadcaster); Marjorie Anderson (Radio Broadcaster) and Teresa McGonagle (Radio Broadcaster).

Newly vetted files: 25

• The Third Programme (1945-1972)

Files relating to the BBC’s third national radio network, released to mark the 80th anniversary of its launch. Part of the BBC’s post-war radio re-organisation, the Third Programme offer included literature, discussion, drama, and classical music.

Newly vetted files: 19

• Medical Programmes (1956-1998)

Files relating to medical programming policy, plus files for the medical series Casualty and Holby City and Cardiac Arrest. Vetted ahead of the 40th anniversary of Casualty, the world’s longest-running medical drama series.

Newly vetted files: 9

Contributor Files

Also released are correspondence and contractual papers relating to the engagement of speakers, performers, and other contributors to BBC radio and television programmes up to the end of 1972. This totals over 50,000 files being made newly available for research.

This includes contributor files for both network (typically covering non-staff contributions to both the BBC’s domestic and overseas programmes) output, at around 37,000 files, and over 13,000 files from across the English regions.

More details can be found for radio contributor files here, and for TV contributor files here.

Newly released contributor files: c. 50,000

Update April 2026

Below are details of the documents scheduled for release from April 2026, including descriptions and the number of files newly vetted or opened:

• Adult Education (1924-1947)

Series Reference: BBC/R/EDU/R14

These records have been created through the BBC’s provision of radio educational broadcasts and supporting material. The records relate to Education and Educational Broadcasts as well as educational bodies, including: Adult Education Area Councils, Advisory Committees, Central Committee for Group Listening, conferences, and the advisory committee for adult education of His Majesty’s Armed Forces.

Newly released files: 94 (Total: 273)

• Further Education (1942-1975)

Series Reference: BBC/R/EDU/R15

These records have been created through the BBC’s provision of radio educational broadcasts and supporting material. The records relate to Education and Educational Broadcasts as well as educational bodies, including: national Advisory for Television Group Viewing, group meeting minutes, programme files, language talks, and annual consultations and consultants.

Newly released files: 501 (Total: 646)

Series fully open for research

Following an audit of parts of the Written Archives collection in 2024, six series previously partially open are now fully available for research:

• Government Committees (1922–1975)

Series Reference: BBC/CORP/R4

Records concerning the Beveridge Committee and the Crawford Committee.

Newly released files: 26 (Total: 295)

• Censorship and American Liaison Unit (1936–1949)

Series Reference: BBC/CORP/R61

Records concerning the American Liaison Unit, censors, censorship, censorship reports, Ministry of Information American conventions, D-Notices, press censorship, War Emergency organisation.

Newly released files: 18 (Total: 148)

• External Services Audience Research (1928–2000)

Series Reference: BBC/E/E3

Overseas and World service audience research, including: panel reports, rebroadcasts of BBC material, listeners’ questionnaires and correspondence.

Newly released files: 11 (Total: 1156)

• Television Programme Files: Leeds (1953–1967)

Series Reference: BBC/NR/N/N31

Programme files for The Good Old Days and Northern Drift as well as episodes of It’s a Knockout, Jukebox Jury, and Come Dancing.

Newly released files: 1 (Total: 55)

• Programme Routine (1936–1967)

Series Reference: BBC/T/PRT/T21

Regarding announcements, bookings, rehearsals, regions, programme presentation, as well files on colour television and BBC2.

Newly released files: 2 (Total: 12)

• Programme Suggestions (1937–1957)

Series Reference: BBC/T/PRT/T22

Memos and notes on programme suggestions spanning late 1930s to mid-1950s, records associated with Michael Barsley, John Irwin, Cecil Madden.

Newly released files: 1 (Total: 6)

Subject and Topic Based Releases

• The Archers (1950-2000s)

Files relating to the world's longest running continuing drama, vetted ahead of the programme’s 75th anniversary with work prioritised for inclusion in BBC celebratory content throughout 2026.

Number of files: 134

• Casualty (1986-2004)

Files relating to the world’s longest-running medical drama series, vetted ahead of the series 40th anniversary in September 2026.

Number of files: 4

Update December 2025

Below are details of the documents scheduled for release from December 2025, including descriptions and the number of files newly vetted or opened:

Contributor Files

We are releasing correspondence and contractual papers relating to the engagement of speakers, performers, and other contributors to BBC radio and television programmes prior to 1963:

• Series RCONT1–RCONT11 (1922–1962)

More details can be found here

Number of files: approx. 42,000*

• Series TVART1 and TVART2 (1936–1962)

More details can be found here

Number of files: approx. 9,000*

*RCONT2–11 and TVART2 series are uncatalogued and so the number of files for these series are an estimate.

Series fully open for research

Following an audit of parts of the Written Archives collection in 2024, four series previously partially open are now fully available for research:

• Empire Service (1927–1943)

Empire Service files, including policy documents, Colonial Service Committee on Broadcasting, talks, meeting minutes, tours, and correspondence.

Newly released files: 2 (Total: 83)

• British Broadcasting Company (1922–1929)

British Broadcasting Company files concerning its formation and dissolution (1922–1926)

Newly released files: 17 (Total: 115)

• Children’s Hour (1923–1968)

Children’s Hour files, including programming material, ‘Children Calling Home’ broadcasts, annuals, conference minutes, diaries, and memos.

Newly released files: 20 (Total: 181)

• Greek Service (1970–2006)

BBC Greek Service files covering market research, audience reporting, scripts, Thessaloniki Trade Fair, and closure reactions.

Newly released files: 3 (Total: 22)

Subject and Topic Based Releases

• Sir David Attenborough collection

Special collection of Sir David Attenborough’s working papers, covering his BBC career as producer, writer, presenter, Controller of BBC Two, Director of Programmes (Television), and member of the Board of Management. Vetted ahead of Sir David Attenborough’s 100th birthday in May 2026.

Number of files: 175

• A. A. Milne (1937–1992)

Files concerning A. A. Milne and his major works, vetted ahead of the 100th anniversary of Winnie-the-Pooh (October 2026) and the 70th anniversary of Milne’s death (January 2026).

Number of files: 10

• Our Friends in the North (1996)

Files on production, research, editing, finance, publicity, reviews, and audience reactions, vetted ahead of the series anniversary in early 2026.

Number of files: 16