BBC Factual has announced the return of three beloved documentary series: “Saving Lives in Cardiff,” “Murder 24/7,” and “This Farming Life.” This exciting development encompasses four new series and a total of 36 hours of fresh programming.
Clare Sillery, Head of Commissioning, Documentaries, says: “Filmed in locations in Cardiff, the West Midlands and rural Scotland, these new commissions demonstrate our commitment to representing the lives of people across the UK and drawing on local talent in the production process to deliver series at volume. These returning series are incredibly important to the docs slate, enabling us to tackle valuable and timely issues, from the impact of crime to the challenges facing the NHS, in an immersive and accessible way for as broad an audience as possible.”
Saving Lives in Cardiff
Production is currently underway at the Cardiff and Vale University Hospitals for a new instalment of “Saving Lives.” This series, produced by Label1 (a Fremantle label) renowned for the award-winning series “Hospital” and “Worlds Collide: The Manchester Bombing,” follows in the footsteps of the critically acclaimed “Saving Lives in Leeds,” which was based at Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust.
The forthcoming series will document the daily decisions made by clinicians as they strive to improve the lives of their patients in South Wales, amidst the backdrop of mounting waiting lists. Through observational filming and in-depth interviews, the programmes will unveil the full scope of clinicians’ caseloads, bringing viewers into the heart of compelling and life-affirming patient narratives at the largest hospital in Wales. The series is scheduled to air on BBC Two and BBC Wales next year.
The series delves into the challenging decisions that clinicians confront daily when determining the order of treatment and the tangible impact this has on the lives of patients, their families, and the dedicated staff. This all unfolds against the backdrop of the longest national waiting list for specialist clinical care or surgery in NHS history.
Nick Andrews, Senior Head of Commissioning, BBC Wales says: “It is terrific to have the new series of Saving Lives filmed here in Wales. A privileged glimpse into a remarkable world that without say has touched all of our lives. As if the setting isn’t compelling enough, the life-changing decisions staff are having to make every single day will move you, me and audiences in Wales and across the UK.”
Lorraine Chalker-Phillips, CEO and Co-Founder of Label1 says: “Gaining access to any organisation is always an honour and something we never take for granted. Label1 is delighted to be making the next series of Saving Lives with our team in Wales as we continue to bring heart-warming and important stories to our audiences to show what’s going on inside our hospitals and the decisions that staff have to make day in day out on who to treat next”.
Jackie Waldock, Executive Producer of Saving Lives, says: “We are delighted to bring viewers this eye-opening medical series. Filmed across the whole of Cardiff and Vale University Health Board, it gives a unique insight into the variety of work being done across their departments at a time when decisions around how to tackle the growing backlog have never been more important.”
Suzanne Rankin, CEO of Cardiff and Vale University Health Board says: “I am extremely proud of the work that we do to support patients not just in Cardiff and the Vale of Glamorgan but across the whole of Wales. Colleagues do a difficult job every day and the past few years have been more challenging than ever, however, the series will give patients and their loved ones the opportunity to see some of the difficult decisions we make daily as well as the fantastic clinical work and expertise of the multi-disciplinary teams. Health is always advancing and viewers will see some of the best clinical innovations but also compassionate care that we give patients, who are often at their most vulnerable and lowest ebbs.”
Series two of Saving Lives… was commissioned by Clare Sillery, Head of Commissioning, Documentaries and Nick Andrews, Senior Head of Commissioning, BBC Wales. The commissioning Editor for BBC Factual is Anna Dickeson and the Commissioning Editor for BBC Wales is Sian Harris. It is Executive Produced by Jackie Waldock and Gaynor Davies for Label1 Television.
Murder 24/7
The acclaimed documentary series “Murder 24/7” is set to return to BBC Two and iPlayer, this time in collaboration with West Mercia Police in the West Midlands. The series provides a comprehensive look at murder investigations from various angles in real-time, capturing every decision and lead, minute by minute, from the crucial initial days to the eventual arrest and conviction.
Across multiple murder cases, “Murder 24/7” will offer viewers an unprecedented level of insight into the heart of police investigations.
Detectives, senior investigating officers, manhunt specialists, forensic analysts, dog handlers, interviewing officers, crime scene managers, phone analysts, and lawyers are just some of the specialists from the extensive team of experts who must collaborate to solve the crime.
The series follows the complexities of murder investigations, from forensic work at the crime scene to witness interviews, scrutinising CCTV footage, mobile phone analysis, executing search warrants, and tracking down suspects. No stone is left unturned in the race to apprehend the perpetrator.
Colin Barr, Creative Director, Factual at Expectation said: “Witnessing the scale, intensity and complexity of a murder investigation minute by minute is not only extraordinarily gripping, it offers a window onto some of the biggest challenges facing Britain today. From mental health to poverty, violence against women to organised crime gangs, Murder 24/7 takes viewers deep inside the most pressing issues and the most serious violent crimes.”
“Murder 24/7” 6×60 was commissioned by Clare Sillery, Head of Documentaries for BBC Two and iPlayer. It is being produced by Expectation Factual, where the Executive Producers are Colin Barr and Rachael Barnes. The BBC Commissioning Editor is Carl Callam.
Series 1 of “Murder 24/7” sold to numerous territories including Australia, US, Canada, France, Italy, Poland, Denmark, Sweden, Finland, Belgium, South Korea, China, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Netherlands, Northern Ireland, and Guernsey.
This Farming Life
The documentary series “This Farming Life,” which chronicles the lives of farmers in rural Scotland across the four seasons of a year, has been commissioned for two new series by BBC Studios.
Over the course of six series, “This Farming Life” has garnered a dedicated following, as viewers witness the triumphs and challenges of five distinct farming families, each hailing from different farming communities amidst the picturesque Scottish countryside.
The sixth series is currently airing on BBC Scotland and BBC Two, and the previous series, available on BBC iPlayer, garnered a consolidated audience of over 3 million viewers.
Alan Holland, Head of BBC Studios, Specialist Factual Productions said: ‘ We are absolutely delighted that This Farming Life has been greenlit for two more series. Audiences really relate to the very human, universal stories that are depicted throughout, and there is no greater setting than the stunning Scottish landscape. This is an important series for the documentary community in Scotland and will allow us to continue to deliver training opportunities from our base in Glasgow.’
Louise Thornton, Head of Commissioning for BBC Scotland added: “This Farming Life performs really well with our audiences in Scotland but also across the UK and we’re delighted to invest in it for another two series. By working with our colleagues at BBC Factual we are able to bring more content from Scotland to audiences across the UK to better reflect, represent and serve all parts of the country.”
