Category: Documentary

  In this unique travelogue, Karl Pilkington sets out to see how multiple cultures face life’s big issues. Will Karl gain worldly wisdom or end up more puzzled and moaning more than ever? Me & You Productions / Sky1

    ***Winner  BAFTA Best Single Documentary 2016 ***Winner Broadcasting Press Guild Award for Best Single Documentary 2016 ***Nominated Royal Television Society Award for Best Documentary 2016   “by some distance the most powerful documentary I have seen this year” – Benji Wilson, The Telegraph “a stunningly sad, detailed and dignified portrait of a devastated mother, and…

      In this two part series for Animal Planet, animal biologist Dr Carin Bondar, gets up close and personal with some of the most unusual animal odd couples in the world. Oxford Scientific Films / Animal Planet

  “Presenter Arthur Williams’ natural, unaffected style was central to the appeal of this travelogue… this was an astute, absorbing repackaging of the anthropological documentary.” – Gabriel Tate, The Times   Directed by Max Shapira Blast Films / Channel 4

  “a fine piece of work” – Tom Peacock, The Telegraph “proper lump-in-your-throat stuff.” – Sebastian Shakespeare, Daily Mail   Directed by Chris Durlacher Exec Producers: Alice Keens Soper and Jeremy Bradshaw Oxford Scientific Films / Channel 4  

Directed by Christian Trumble Waddell Media / Channel 4

    With 60% of British women now technically obese, this Cutting Edge documentary for Channel 4, explores the fast-growing plus-size fashion industry and it’s biggest brands, and meets it’s witty and stylish stars.   “an altogether uplifting and educational programme that managed to address a (literally) big issue without being voyeuristic or patronising.”  –…

  ***Winner Grierson Best Documentary Series ***Winner Broadcast Award for Best Documentary Series ***Winner Royal Television Society Award for Best Documentary Series   “Not just watchable and balanced, The Romanians Are Coming is moving, and human, the personal side of a political story. Such an important story too, in the upcoming election, and in this part…

    The Auction House follows the stories behind some of the curious and fascinating objects that are bought and sold at iconic Chelsea saleroom Lots Road. It looks at the objects from the perspective of both the buyers and the sellers, including items from some of London’s super-rich.   Series Producer – Anoushka Roberts;…

  Every day across the country an army of unsung child heroes faces extraordinary challenges that most adults would struggle to cope with. They are Britain’s 700,000 young carers.   Directed by Lottie Gammon. True Vision / BBC1

  “A delightful slice of British life” – Ellen E Jones, The Independent   Studio Lambert / BBC

  “Nothing short of brilliant television.”  – Ryan Love, The Independent “Your heart, as so often in this Bafta-winning series, went out to everyone.” – Phil Hogan, The Observer “Channel 4 transforms an ordinary secondary school into a eight-episode laugh-a-minute, cry-your-eyes-out docu-drama via the magical means of fixed-rig cameras… Part of the genius of Educating……

  “One of the best documentaries of the year, masquerading as one of the worst… Brilliant.” – Matt Rudd, The Times “The appeal of this entertaining programme was the juxtaposition of animals that couldn’t care less about media stardom with the adults whose careers depended on it.” – Anita Singh, The Telegraph “Not entirely surprisingly,…

The glitz and glamour of Miss World has to start somewhere. Each year regional heats take place in ordinary towns and cities across England. This three-part series follows some of the young entrants hoping to make it through the regional pageants in Blackpool, Hull and Wolverhampton. “It was easy to expect that Beauty Queen or…

In 2014, Olly Lambert was appointed Filmmaker in Residence with BBC’s Newsnight, producing several short films which feature Mat’s music.   The Tower of David: Venezuela’s vertical slum   The Eastern Front – Life on the Ukraine/Russia border  

A three-part examination of the state of policing in Britain as forces around the nation try to cope with the biggest cuts to their budgets in modern times. “Mat Davidson’s compositions seemed entirely appropriate for problems that were wretched and seemingly intractable.” – Alex Hardy, The Times “Neither Mat Davidson’s ambient score nor Steven Mackinstosh’s…

Two-part documentary about the petrol-soaked world of banger racing, a motor sport where scrap domestic cars are stripped out and fortified for a final lease of life on a racetrack. “The past-it vehicles spinning around an abandoned Essex cement works were really just the backdrop to a fascinating bit of subculture tourism.” – Matt Baylis,…

“To watch people who love to dance get the chance – and to be good at it – after they’ve spent years being too embarrassed or discouraged to do so just because of their size is, I’m here to tell you, quite uplifting. There was nothing to laugh at, except perhaps yourself for allowing tears…

If you’ve ever wondered where market traders and pound shops get their products from, here’s your answer: Former second-hand car salesman Steve Elwis and his company, Virrgo. From family-run businesses that have finally gone under, to famous stores in administration and manufacturers who’ve made too much, Steve and his team are out on the road…

“This shattering film is as simple as the title suggests: it merely points a camera at some teenagers and asks them about the breakdown of their parents’ relationship. But what it reveals is the tremendous pain and desperation they felt and in many cases continue to feel.” Sunday Times “Olly Lambert is one of the…

Malcolm Walker, the maverick CEO of Iceland supermarkets, believes that his shoot-from-the-hip leadership holds the key to a happier workforce and profits too. This series follows the fortunes of Iceland as Malcolm opens the doors to his Willy Wonka style empire and shares the secrets of the food, the boardroom, and the colourful life of…

“It could have been awful – gawpy and patronising, or worthy and dull. It’s none of those things. It’s funny, fair, frank. And it still manages to highlight the very real issues of poverty in this country.” – Sam Wallaston, The Guardian “This was TV as a window into lives that most people in this…

WINNER – BAFTA for Best Current Affairs programme WINNER – Grierson Award for Best Current Affairs Documentary WINNER – AIB Award for Best Middle East Documentary WINNER – Rory Peck Award for Best Feature WINNER – RTS Craft award for Best Documentary Editing (for Christopher Swayne) FINALIST – Broadcast Award for Best News and Current…

This film follows the stories of Council Parking Enforcement Departments who issue tickets and the motorists who have decided to revolt against the system and fight back against their local councils. “Full of British eccentrics, Parking Mad was highly entertaining and at points it had me laughing out loud.” – Sameer Rahim, The Telegraph Directed…

“Brilliant” – The Observer “The disarmingly brutal honesty shown by the subjects of this documentary makes for engaging viewing” – The Guardian Hayley, Jamal and Adam all suffer from severe mental illness. But now they are joining an extraordinary football league run by occupational therapists where every player suffers from a mental illness, from schizophrenia…

*also broadcast as Locked Up Abroad Tom Crutchfield, a salesman living in Fort Myers, Fla., successfully smuggled crocodiles, snakes, tarantulas and king cobras around the world. When Belize officials deport him back to the U.S., federal marshals are waiting. Directed by Fergus Colville RAW Television / Channel 5 / National Geographic / Discovery

*also broadcast as Locked Up Abroad It’s 1979 and Chicago mobster Frank Cullotta heads to Las Vegas for more opportunity. His Hole in the Wall gang becomes notorious for their high-stakes robberies. Eventually, his thievery comes to an end when the FBI catches up with him. They want him to testify against his mob. Directed…

“the happy ending felt entirely earned” – The Telegraph Directed by Lottie Gammon Firecracker Films

“This was the best TV journalism on the riots so far….. My Child the Rioter made you think so hard about a well-covered subject that you changed your mind several times even while watching.” Andrew Billen, The Times. ” Riveting… Here is a fascinating view of crime, punishment, morality and parenting in today’s Britain –…

Gordon Ramsay is going to prison to attempt the impossible: make offenders pay their way. Most prisoners sit around all day, while the public forks out for them to do so. And it costs taxpayers a fortune to keep criminals in prison – £38,000 a year, £2 billion a year. In a time of recession…

Filmed over a year at a major NHS trust, Confessions of a Nurse follows a diverse group of nurses, revealing their day-to-day challenges and what they really think about being a nurse. Series director: Ben Anthony Blast / Channel 4

“tragic, funny, warm, and fair too” – Sam Wollaston, The Guardian The story of two boys with a dream to scale the heights of Oxbridge university politics, the fabled nursery slopes for Westminster. Both Chris Monk, 19 and Joe Cooke, 21, are passionate about politics and have been Conservatives from a tender age. Now they face…

*nominated for a Grierson Award “excellent” – Louis Theroux “extraordinary” – Sam Wollaston, The Guardian “a fascinating and memorable piece of television” – Caroline Frost, Huffington Post Directed by Tim Wardle Century / Channel 4 – Cutting Edge

When he first appeared on TV, chronic hoarder Richard Wallace was living in squalor. His hoarding was so out of control that his own life was in danger. Mountains of papers and packaging filled his home from floor to ceiling and, worryingly, surrounded his gas cooker where he made his boiled eggs and toast. Richard…

‘Lust for Life’ featured as part of BBC Four’s Storyville Survivors season in 2012. It is based on the true life story of director Heather Leach’s battle with thyroid disease and cancer. “The film was shot over 3 and a half years and all the way through it’s been a very intimate production… The music…

Herpetologist Winston Card visits a South Carolina man who is oblivious to the dangers that his collection of nearly 80 exotic snakes poses to himself and his family. Directed by Tom Peppiatt Oxford Scientific / Animal Planet

This series goes inside the offices of Premier Model Management to reveal the realities of life in the world’s most glamorous industry “absolutely fascinating” – Sam Wollaston, The Guardian Directed by Nick Hornby Maverick TV / Channel 4

In the wake of the Arab Spring in 2011, the tiny Italian island of Lampedusa saw the arrival of over 40,000 migrants from Tunisia and Libya, all seeking refuge or a better life in Europe. Situated just 70 miles from the north African coast, the island soon becomes the front line of Europe’s immigration crisis…

“Tender, insightful and ultimately transcendent, this comes highly recommended” – Time Out “An absorbing documentary” – The Telegraph “Surprisingly uplifting” – The Daily Mail “An extraordinary film” – The Guardian Directed by Christian Trumble *Nominated for a Grierson Award, and highest rated one-off documentary for Channel 4 in 2011 RDF / Zodiak / Channel 4…

Orphaned and injured baby sloths lead busy lives learning how to survive in the wild at a sanctuary in Costa Rica. Directed by Lucy Cooke Blink / Animal Planet / Discovery

Documentary telling the story of three young women who have each decided to give a childless couple the ultimate gift – a baby of their own. Twenty-two-year-old Louise has her hands full with her own son, but she is determined to become pregnant for a couple who have wanted a baby for 13 years. Twenty-three-year-old…

“Both simple and brilliant… eternally compelling… No novelist or poet could have put it better, nor could they come up with anything quite so richly entertaining as this simple look inside a modern British family.” Matt Baylis, Daily Express “Shows family love that’s hard to replicate even in the best fiction” The Guardian, Pick of…

In the harsh and unforgiving Namib Desert, there are hunters, big and small. A brave clan of Meerkats struggle here, working together to cope in a hostile world. Facing jackals, snakes and birds of prey, as well as the harsh desert climate, life in this tightly-knit clan is full of drama. Directed by Anne Sommerfield…

“A triumphant hour of inspiring human interest” – Gabriel Tate, Time Out Four young people aged 12-14 endeavour to overcome the traumatic effects of bullying at a network of specialised centres for kids who’ve been so badly affected by their experiences that they can no longer attend mainstream school. Filmed over eight months, with unique…

“One of the best, most insightful and balanced pieces of television I have seen explaining Israel’s unique situation… [The series] was superb: not just grippingly produced, but actually balanced. Sky has given the BBC a lesson in how to produce documentaries.” The Spectator “Kemp is in the hands of a TV production dream team…. The…

*also broadcast as Locked Up Abroad A jungle adventure turns sour when American backpacker Mark Wedeven and his travel companions are taken hostage by armed guerilla soldiers in Panama. Directed by Stephen Kemp RAW Television / Channel 5 / National Geographic / Discovery

“This intelligent, thought-provoking documentary reminded us of the blurred moralities of making war. “ – Daily Express “A celebrated and faintly alarming photograph of Winston Churchill with a machine-gun was the motif for Churchill’s Darkest Decision, a fine and meticulously researched documentary, which showed that teary-eyed pride can be misplaced.” – The Independent “A fascinating…

Directed by Olly Lambert “You will need a tourniquet for your broken heart… Olly Lambert’s fascinating, shocking and shaming film follows Durga as that ever present smile slowly starts to slide from his face when he begins work for the company contracted by Westminster City Council in London to issue parking tickets. He is so…

What was the connection between the rise of the Kray twins, from small-time racketeers to leaders of the most powerful criminal organisation in London, and a Tory peer with a passion for kinky sex? Directed by Richard Bond Furnace TV