Channel 4 to spend 24 Hours in Custody

Channel 4 Head of Documentaries Nick Mirsky has commissioned The Garden Productions (24 Hours in A&E, Bedlam) to make a brand new 20 x 60 min observational documentary series inside Luton Police Station.

Filmed by a combination of fixed-rig and handheld cameras, this prime-time series will aim to provide insight into the day-to-day challenges faced by the staff and understanding of the workings of a busy police station.  

Mirsky says: “The combination of filming techniques and unprecedented access will provide a unique perspective on policing in modern Britain – allowing viewers inside into a space they are likely to have never seen before: A 21-cell block with seven interview rooms handling an average of 30 prisoners per 12-hour shift, with two custody sergeants in charge at any one time. The series is also focusing on other vital aspects of policing including response, CID and investigation and visitors to the Enquiry Office.

“Prisoners must usually be released or charged within 24 hours of custody being authorised and the station operates on a 24-hour cycle so the ‘24 Hours’ format established by 24 Hours in A&E and which achieved major critical acclaim is a perfect fit for this series.”

The series goes into production next month with Simon Ford (Coppers, The Secret History of Our Streets and 999: What’s Your Emergency) Emma Tutty (One Born Every Minute, 24 Hours in A&E) and Jonathan Smith (The Family, One Born Every Minute) as executive producers. The series director is Alisa Pomeroy (Iceland) and the series producer is Flavia Taylor.

The series will be managed by Channel 4 Documentaries Commissioning Editor Amy Flanagan .

Ford says: "We chose Luton because of the incredibly tight-knit working relationships and camaraderie which exists between the officers and because Luton is a small town station that now faces big city problems. Everything comes through the door, from repeat small time offenders to stabbings, murder and terrorism issues."