Channel 4 commissions quartet of new digital-first programmes

Channel 4 Digital, headed by Sacha Khari, has commissioned its first original drama as well as three new investigative documentaries.

From Dark Pictures, Ori Pictures and GroupM Motion Entertainment comes Beth, a three-part drama written and directed by Uzo Oleh (Edicius). The science fiction series follows the relationship between a husband and wife whose life is thrown into turmoil following the birth of their daughter. Beth is executive produced by Anna Higgs and Uzo Oleh for Ori Pictures, Yaw Basoah for Dark Pictures and Deep Sehgal for GroupM Motion Entertainment. The series will air over three episodes on Channel 4’s YouTube, as well as a 1 x 45’ linear broadcast on Channel 4.

Newcastle-based Northern Child, in collaboration with North East Screen, has been commissioned to make Codename: Project Inkjet (w/t). In this investigative documentary, journalist Snake Denton, explores the legality of 3D-printed firearms. Codename: Project Inkjet (1 x 20’) is executive produced by Andrew Eastel and directed by Oliver Smith.

In Paid to Party, produced by Flying Shoe Films and Meldrum Dent, journalist and model Sydney Lima lifts the lid on the dark side of image modelling – a subsect of modelling in which young models can often be flown around the world to be paid to party - exposing an unregulated industry that can put aspiring models into potentially dangerous situations. Paid to Party (1 x 20’) is executive produced by Heydon Prowse at Flying Shoe Films.

Hunting the BBL Butchers sees journalist Mary Mandefield go deep into the murky world of Turkey’s rogue cosmetic surgery clinics as she attempts to track down and confront the people responsible by posing as a customer. The journey takes her to the front door of a clinic owner after a whirlwind of searching. This 1 x 20′ investigative film is commissioned in partnership with Northern Ireland Screen. Due to the nature of the investigation, the production company did not wish to be named.

Sacha Khari, Channel 4’s Head of Digital Commissioning, said: “This new roster of fresh and original digital commissions is an exciting progression in our Fast Forward strategy. In Beth, we have our first digital original drama which has attracted a stellar line-up of talent on both sides of the camera, showing that producers and talent alike are embracing our strategy to reach digitally-native audiences with quality British programming, wherever they choose to watch it. 

“Our new documentaries are also set to get people talking, as we see three brilliant and young journalistic talents getting under the skin of important, yet little-talked-about issues, setting the agenda, calling for change and trying to hold those responsible to account.”

All four commissions will air on Channel 4’s YouTube channels. Beth was commissioned by Thomas Pullen, Digital Commissioning Executive, and Danyele Seignoret, Development Executive, Channel 4 Drama. Codename: Project Inkjet and Paid to Party were commissioned by Thomas Pullen and Hunting the BBL Butchers was commissioned by Catriona White, Digital Commissioning Executive, with Laura Marks, Digital Commissioning Editor, and Sacha Khari, Channel 4’s Head of Digital Commissioning, across them all.

Beth is funded by Channel 4 and GroupM Motion Entertainment’s Diverse Indies Fund. The Diverse Indies Fund was set up to support small and medium-sized ethnically diverse-led independent production companies to produce new projects. The fund is overseen by Vivienne Molokwu, Senior Commissioning Editor at Channel 4 and Deep Sehgal, Head of Creative Diversity at GroupM Motion Entertainment. 

-Ends-