BBC ONE ANNOUNCE NEW FACTUAL COMMISSIONS
BBC One announce three new factual commissions
Anton Ferdinand: Football, Racism & Me
Documentary (1x60') fronted by ex-Premiership footballer Anton Ferdinand. Filmed over the course of the 2019 / 2020 football season, regarded by many as the most racist in recent times, this urgent documentary follows Anton Ferdinand as he explores the problem of racism in football both past and present. The documentary also features intimate access to Anton, his friends and family to understand how his own experiences have affected those around him.
Anton Ferdinand says: “Racism is still a prominent issue in football and during the filming process alone, there have been numerous incidents on and off the pitch. I hope by sharing my own personal experiences of racism I can help people understand this subject better. It's of huge importance and should matter to us all. I would like to thank the BBC and New Era for supporting me and my family during this process.” Jeremy Lee, Executive Producer for Wonder, says: “As someone who has been on the receiving end of some very high-profile racism in professional football, Anton is perfectly placed to explore this subject for the BBC. Recent shocking scenes from the stands and beyond show that it has never been more important to address this issue head on and look for answers.”
Race, Coronavirus And Me
Black British actor David Harewood sets out to investigate the reasons for this disparity in death rates between white and black and other minority ethnic patients, and to discover what the pandemic really tells us about health inequality in modern Britain.
David Harewood says: “Covid-19 has had a profound impact on the whole of the UK but it has left a particularly devastating footprint in the lives of many black and other ethnic minority communities across the country, taking the lives of loved ones and relatives in shocking numbers. In this documentary I set out to understand the real reasons why this is happening and what can be done about it.”
Patrick Kielty: My Nation, Its Border And Me
To mark 100 years since the creation of Northern Ireland, Patrick Kielty will explore its story, from partition through to present day, in a one-off, authored documentary for BBC One. With his inimitable style and a strong dose of humour, Patrick will embark on a journey to uncover some of the turning points in Northern Ireland’s history, meeting people whose stories have an intimate connection to the key moments in its first 100 years and discovering how their remarkable stories intersect with those of his own family.
He will try to make sense of some of the events which have shaped Northern Ireland: from the unionist families who got caught on the ‘wrong side’ of the new border to the British government’s interest in ending partition at the start of the Second World War in return for Ireland abandoning its policy of neutrality towards the Nazis. He will look at how partition has shaped the identities of the people of Northern Ireland, how they feel about their unique corner of the world today, and how their past is now shaping its future.
Patrick Kielty, says: “It’s almost 100 years since the border was drawn in Ireland and Northern Ireland was born. Now is the perfect time to look at how that border came to be, what it means for the future, and how it has shaped my own family’s story.”