BBC2 controller Janice Hadlow has greenlit a new five-part drama series called Dancing On The Edge. Written and directed by Stephen Poliakoff, it is set in the early 1930s and follows the adventures of a black jazz band in London. Commenting on the commission, Hadlow said: “Stephen is a great distinctive talent. In Dancing On The Edge you will see a very different voice from Stephen and I am delighted to add this piece to the new dramas on the channel in 2012.”

Ben Stephenson, Controller, BBC Drama Commissioning, added: “Following the huge success of The Shadow Line where every episode consolidated with 2 million viewers, the channel will continue its commitment to original British drama in 2012. I am thrilled to welcome Stephen back to BBC Two with the first series ever he has both written and directed for TV.”

Produced by Nicky Kentish Barnes and exec produced by Alison Owen and Paul Trijbits, Dancing on the Edge is a Ruby Film and TV production, which is expected to begin shooting in October. It is currently casting.

Separately, CBeebies controller Kay Benbow this week announced two major new in-house commissions, Justin’;s House and Numbats. Justin’;s House (22 x 25 mins) is the first CBeebies show to be recorded in the BBC’;s new home at MediaCity. It will entertain a live theatre audience of 3-6-year-olds with a mix of singing, dancing and comedy chaos in panto-party style. Numbats (25 x 5 mins) is a mix of live action and computer-generated animation. It features 10 furry animated critters whose mission is to teach pre-schoolers about the numbers 1 to 10.

Benbow said: “Justin’;s House taps into (our audience”s) sense of fun with its slapstick humour. Numbats is a simple, clear format designed to teach basic number skills to younger children using repetition and familiar objects and surroundings.”