Channel 4 Features announce re-commission of five 2014 successes

4 August 2014

Following their success original commissions The Supervet, Grand Canal Journeys, For the Love of Cars, Bodyshockers and French Collection, all new to 2014, have all been re-commissioned for a second series for 2015.

The Supervet will return with eight more episodes. The series, which averaged 1.7 million viewers per episode and a 7.6% share of audience, will once again follow the incredible work carried out by Noel Fitzpatrick and his team at Fitzpatrick Referrals. 

At his pioneering veterinary hospital Noel and his 100 dedicated vets and nurses work tirelessly to save and transform the lives of animals every day.  Using ground-breaking surgery that includes the creation of bionic limbs and procedures that have never been tried before on either animals or humans, Noel’s practice is often the last stop for suffering pets.

The series will once again show how the team will stop at nothing to ensure they do all they can for the animals they meet, saving lives where most other practices wouldn’t be able to.

Great Canal Journeys for More 4 will see national treasures, Prunella Scales and Timothy West take to the canals once again to embark on some more breath-taking stretches of the waterways in both Britain and France. The first series was More 4’s best ever performing original commission.

These insightful journeys will be full of charm, nostalgia, personal insight and heartfelt humour. The series will offer a vicarious encounter with the world of slow travel and the camaraderie of canal life as well as the chance to see beautiful countryside from a refreshingly new perspective. 

Each of the four episodes will feature a different canal, where they’ll meet local historians and experts to learn the rich and fascinating history of each canal as they journey along it.

In For the Love of Cars Philip Glenister (Life on Mars, Ashes to Ashes) is set to continue his incredible passion for the great British motor.  He’ll be unearthing the stories of a set of new cars that were built in Britain and flew the flag for great British manufacturing across the world.

Under Phil’s guidance, the internationally renowned restorer Ant Anstead will be tasked with the challenging job of rebuilding them and bringing them back to their former glory. While Ant works hard with the spanners breathing life into old bangers Phil will explore the people, passion and social history stories behind each of the marquees, learning what makes each car so unique.

Katie Piper is set to return for a new series of Bodyshockers, meeting people who desperately regret their body modifications and introducing them to others who are about to undergo similar radical procedures . The first series averaged 2.3 million, up 70.3% on slot.

She’ll be staging a dramatic intervention between those who want to permanently alter their faces or bodies and those who want to reverse what they now regret in the hope that it will make them think carefully before they go ahead.

Will they decide to go through with their massive tattoo, multiple piercings or surgical enhancement? And what will the results be for those who have their shocking body modifications reversed?

Katie will also be unearthing the very latest bizarre beauty procedures in Britain as well as meeting those addicted to extreme body modifications.

Channel 4 Daytime’s French Collection is the series that celebrates all things vintage from across the Channel is to return for a second series.

The show challenges three contestants to seek out items that are shabby and chic in the incredible array of flea markets scattered across France and transform them into things that are  not only exceedingly desirable but also highly saleable.

Their task is simple, one day shopping in France, one day upcycling items and one day to sell the purchases back in the UK.

Individuals featured will have a unique sense of style and be crazy about modern collectibles – whichever one of them makes the most profit will scoop all three contestants’ profits pots.

 Production Information:

The Supervet

Executive Producer: Alistair Pegg

Production Company: Blast! Films

Commissioning Editor: Nick Hornby

 

Great Canal Journeys

Executive Producer: Dani Neumann

Production Company: Spun Gold

Commissioning Editor: Stef Wagstaff

 

For the Love of Cars

Executive Producer: Anna Beattie and Richard McKerrow.

Production Company: Love Productions

Commissioning Editor: Kate Teckman

 

Bodyshockers

Executive Producer: Oliver Wright

Production company: Remarkable

Commissioning Editor: Nick Hornby

 

French Collection

Executive Producer:: Rachel Platt

Production Company: Reef TV

Commissioning Editor: David Sayer