Channel 4 commissions Guy Martin’s Power Trip (w/t)

7 September 2022

Channel 4 has commissioned from North One Guy Martin’s Power Trip (w/t) (3x60).  As an energy crisis and cost of living crisis collide this series will see the Lincolnshire lorry mechanic and motorcycle racer investigate the past, present and future of British power stations to work out how the country makes its most valuable commodity of all: electricity.

The series is set to have a raft of fascinating  moments  including Guy making his own spectacular contribution towards Britain's Net Zero goals, by helping to blow up a coal-fired power station.  He’ll be putting himself through an intense safety course and learning how to escape from an underwater helicopter so that he can work on the world's biggest offshore wind farm, then he'll work with the British Army in their brand new solar-powered workshop. Plus he'll be tasked with "the hardest job in the country" - manually making the second-by-second adjustments required to balance the nation's supply of electricity with its ever-changing demand.  

Guy will also drive to the very end of the National Grid - the Orkney Islands - and find out how the world's biggest tidal generator and a fledgling hydrogen economy are teaching the world about future fuels.  Additionally,  he’ll investigate what part nuclear has to play in keeping the country's lights on and will put in a shift at Hinkley Point C, the nuclear building site reputed to cost £7m a day to run.

Guy Martin said: "I've been telling the telly lot we need to do this series for ages. I've always been fascinated with power - making it, using it, tuning it, while at the same time trying to be efficient and not spend a fortune. And whether it's motorbikes or tractors or my house or power stations , the principles are the same. All the places we've had access to are trick, and getting stuck in alongside the people who work in them is bloody brilliant. The plan is to find out how power generation work, what the good bits are, what the problems are, and where our next bit of electricity is best coming from."

Jonah Weston, Commissioning Editor  said: “With the current energy crisis there’s never been a better time to for Guy to roll his sleeves up and explain just what really powers Britain now, how we’ll be making electricity in the future, and whether our bills will be coming down any time soon.”

James Woodroffe,  Series Director, North One added:   "Recent events mean people have never been more curious about where their energy comes from, and Guy's typically enthusiastic and entertaining romp around Britain's power stations, wind farms, fusion reactors and National Grid is an essential guide to how these vital pieces of national infrastructure actually work." 

ENDS

Credits:

Executive Producer - Steve Gowans

Series Director - James Woodroffe

Producer - Amy Roff