Channel 4 commissions Super Surgeons: A Chance at Life from Wonderhood Studios

4 July 2022

Channel 4 has commissioned Wonderhood Studios to produce a new three-part series following some of the world’s leading surgical oncologists as they employ ground-breaking new technology to try to save or prolong the lives of their patients. The series is being made in partnership with  Macmillan Cancer Support and is produced by the team behind Grierson-nominated Baby Surgeons.

Super Surgeons: A Chance at  Life (3x60’, has exclusive access to The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust, one of the world’s leading cancer hospitals. Here pioneering surgeons undertake high-stakes operations, working at the forefront of what is medically possible, and often on incredibly rare cancers. The series follows the stories of the patients who put their trust - and their lives - in the hands of the surgeons.  The Royal Marsden is a leader in new surgical technology, offering patients with difficult-to -treat cancers hope, where other hospitals may have limited surgical options. From the moment they receive a full diagnosis, through to the hard choices confronting them, to their recuperation after surgery and adaption to a new life, the series reveals the impact cancer has on individuals and their loved ones.

The series is also being made in association with Macmillan, who are on the front line of cancer support in the UK. Through their services, the series will be able to show the bigger picture of how cancer impacts different people day-to -day, and how Macmillan does whatever it takes to support them.

The series also highlights the incredible work of the NHS as it works at extra capacity to recover from the pandemic.  Clinical staff have worked tirelessly to support patients through their cancer treatment and doubled as companions during their treatment and consultation appointments when visitor restrictions were in place to protect the most vulnerable patients.

James W Newton and Katharine Patrick, Executive Producers for Wonderhood Studios said: “Super Surgeons: A Chance at Life will give us profound insight into the lives of patients requiring life-saving surgery and a unique perspective on cancer from the consultants treating them. It will show the courageous decision-making by both patients and surgeons, and reveal the courage and hope that carry patients through their treatment at such a difficult time in their lives.”

Jonah Weston, Commissioning Editor, Channel 4 added; ‘”Everyone will be touched by cancer at some stage in their lives.  But with the Marsden team constantly pioneering new treatments, this series is about the positive, as we watch surgeons save lives with ground-breaking procedures that, until recently, would have been impossible.”

Anthony Newman, Brand and Marketing Director at Macmillan, said: “Someone is diagnosed with cancer every 90 seconds, and every diagnosis comes with questions, worry and uncertainty. We are in collaboration with this ground-breaking series to help more people understand how cancer can disrupt your life, and to show the army of people, from super surgeons to the Macmillan team, who will do whatever it takes to help you through it.  It is vital that people get a realistic look into the different ways cancer affects people, and the stories of people living with cancer will take centre stage in this important docuseries.”

Dame Cally Palmer, Chief Executive of The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust, said: “We are delighted the Super Surgeons series will showcase the innovative work The Royal Marsden’s surgical team perform every day to achieve the best results for our cancer patients. Our surgical team build strong relationships with patients while planning for complex operations that are often UK firsts. The desire to offer the most advanced procedures is always driven by what is best for our patients and their quality of life.”

Super Surgeons: A Chance at Life executive produced by James W Newton and Katharine Patrick, who received a 2021 Grierson nomination for Channel 4 series Baby Surgeons. It is produced and directed by Joy Ash and the Series Director is Ben Rumney. It was commissioned by Jonah Weston for Channel 4. The series is being distributed internationally by BBC Studios.

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Media contact:

Rachel Gordon rgordon@channel4.co.uk

Mark Ogle at OH Communications: mark@ohcommunications.co.uk

About Wonderhood Studios

Wonderhood’s TV Studio was founded in 2018 by David Abraham, the former CEO of C4, and former BBC documentary commissioner and creative director Samantha Anstiss. The studio produces premium documentary films and factual series for platforms and broadcasters in the UK and internationally including Sky, BBC One, Channel 4, NBCUniversal, BBC Two, ITV, BBC Three, and Smithsonian Channel. The award-winning team come from diverse backgrounds and have a shared ambition to make impactful television that moves audiences, winning multiple BAFTA, Grierson and Royal Television Society awards.

About Macmillan Cancer Support  

 At Macmillan, we give people with cancer everything we’ve got. If you’re diagnosed, your worries are our worries. We will move mountains to help you live life as fully as you can.   

And we don’t stop there. We’re going all out to find ever better ways to help people with cancer, helping to bring forward the day when everyone gets life-transforming support from day one. 

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