BBC Showcase 2021

BBC Studios has announced details for its first digital Showcase which takes place from 22-24 February 2021.

This gives us an indication of upcoming titles from the broadcaster.

The virtual event will feature documentary maker Louis Theroux, and writer, historian and broadcaster, David Olusoga.

BBC Director-General Tim Davie will discuss his vision for the BBC in the run-up to the Corporation’s centenary, and Charlotte Moore, BBC Chief Content Officer, will discuss editorial trends and her Showcase slate highlights.

Paul Dempsey, President Global Distribution for BBC Studios, said: “In a time when we are unable to connect with others through physical events, BBC Studios has pulled out all the stops to deliver a digital Showcase for customers that will bring them closer to our content than ever before. This highly personalised and curated experience will allow for a deeper exploration of our premium catalogue and the chance to hear exclusively from the worlds leading British creatives about their latest projects.”

Shows making their debut at BBC Studios Showcase include:

Time: From BAFTA award-winning writer Jimmy McGovern this is a visceral and high-stakes portrayal of life in the modern British penal system. Starring Sean Bean (Broken, Game Of Thrones) and Stephen Graham (Line Of Duty, The Irishman) it is a story of guilt and forgiveness, punishment and penitence and the impact that prison has on all those who pass through it. A BBC Studios production.

Superhoe: An original six-part musical drama based on Nicôle Lecky’s one woman Royal Court show. An aspiring singer and rapper finds herself ensnared by the glamourous world of social media influencing and the opportunity to make money the easy way through cam and sex work. However, it is a world more complex and darker than she could have ever imagined. Superhoe is produced by Bonafide Films.

This is Going to Hurt: Adam Kay’s adaptation of the international best-selling memoir of the same name starring Ben Whishaw (A Very English Scandal, Skyfall, London Spy) about the truth of life as a junior doctor. This is Going to Hurt is produced by global content company Sister (Girl/Haji, Chernobyl, Gangs of London) in association with Terrible Productions for BBC One and AMC.

The Offenders: Created by multi-award-winning writer and director Stephen Merchant and Elgin James (co-creator of US series Mayans M.C.), The Offenders follows seven strangers from different walks of life forced together to complete a Community Payback sentence in Bristol. Academy Award winning actor Christopher Walken (Annie Hall, The Deer Hunter) stars in his first lead British television role, alongside writer and director Stephen Merchant, with Rhianne Barreto (Honour), Gamba Cole (Soon Gone: A Windrush Chronicle), Darren Boyd (Killing Eve), Clare Perkins (EastEnders) and Eleanor Tomlinson (Poldark). A Big Talk and Four Eyes production for BBC in the UK and Amazon Prime Video in the United States, Canada and Australia.

The Cleaner: Written by and starring Greg Davies and based on the multi award winning long-running German comedy series Der Tatortreiniger (Crime Scene Cleaner) this new comedy series follows a state-certified cleaning technician with a very special field of work: a crime scene cleaner responsible for the removal of any signs of death. The series is produced by Studio Hamburg UK.

Earthshot: How to Save Our Planet: A major five-part television series from Silverback Films in conjunction with Prince William’s global environmental prize. With contributions from the world’s most eminent scientists, foremost wildlife experts and environmentalists, the series will focus on five ‘Earthshots’ – simple but ambitious goals to fix our climate, restore nature, build a waste free world, clean our air, and revive our oceans.

The Green Planet: The first immersive portrayal of an unseen, inter-connected world, full of remarkable new behaviour, emotional stories and surprising heroes, this new natural history landmark from BBC Studios Natural History Unit has been described as Planet Earth from the perspective of plants. A BBC Studios Natural History Unit production, co-produced by ZDF, bilibili and The Open University for BBC One and PBS.

The Forgotten Empire: Historian David Olusoga embarks on a journey to unearth an eye-opening account of Britain’s place in the world, looking beyond the Victorian clichés to reveal new aspects of the imperial story and encounter forgotten communities across the globe with whom we have a shared history. An Uplands production for BBC in co-production with PBS and Open University.

In Ten Pictures: Produced by the BBC Studios’ Documentary Unit, this series re-examines the lives of six famous faces from the recent past through the photographs that have come to define them. Each episode is dedicated to a single celebrated figure and examines their lives using ten key images, from their earliest photo to one of their last, exploring milestones, moments of conflict and turning points such as their breakthrough moment or their fall from grace.

Top Gear Series 30: In their fourth series at the wheel of Top Gear, Freddie Flintoff, Chris Harris and Paddy McGuinness, hit the road again in a series of challenges designed to push them and their cars to the limit. Series highlights see the trio tackling the thorny issue of ‘mid-life crisis’ cars, heading to the Scottish Highlands on a punishing off-road adventure, celebrating and driving some of the most iconic cars from the James Bond films, and a nostalgic trip down memory lane as they drive their Dads old cars. Plus reviews of the new ToyotaYarisGR, the Ferrari Roma and more. Top Gear is back and it’s utter carnage! A BBC Studios production.

This is MY House (Format): A unique, addictive guessing game format set in the real world that will keep audiences playing right to the very end. The show begins with four people declaring “This is MY House” – but only one of them is telling the truth. The other three are imposters doing their best to convince the viewers and celebrity judges that the house and everything in it belongs to them. Packed full of laugh out loud moments, this fun show challenges our prejudices and perceptions and asks one simple question: can the truth win? The format was created by Richard Bacon and Nick Weidenfeld and is produced by Expectation for BBC One prime time.