BBC Worldwide Channels Makes Factual Commissions

LONDON: BBC Worldwide Channels has commissioned two new factual titles, Free Rein and The Kangaroo Gang: Thieves by Appointment.

Free Rein, a 50-minute special for BBC Knowledge, is a Lonely Planet TV and Freehand production for BBC Knowledge. It will launch on BBC Knowledge in 2011 and also air on BBC HD and BBC Entertainment. The specials sees Bryan Brown and Rachel Ward (The Thorn Birds) go in search of the spirit of Australia on the ultimate horseback adventure across The Kimberley, the Outback’s last frontier. Sue Norton, executive producer at Lonely Planet TV, commented: “This is a fantastic project—we’re heading to Australia’s wild west and taking a step back in time to give audiences a true grit Lonely Planet experience.”

The dramatized documentary The Kangaroo Gang: Thieves by Appointment is produced by The Full Box Productions for UKTV in Australia and BBC Knowledge globally. Based on the book King of Thieves from Adam Shand, the program looks at a brazen band of Australian thieves who ran riot in London for more than a decade. “Free Rein and The Kangaroo Gang: Thieves by Appointment are two superb Australian programs that will have huge appeal to our local audiences,” added Deirdre Brennan, BBC Worldwide Australia’s director of television. “In Free Rein, we share a remarkable experience with two fascinating Australians as they journey through the breathtaking landscapes of the Outback. And The Kangaroo Gang: Thieves by Appointment is an innovative recreation of a famous chapter in Australian and U.K. crime history; it will be a world premiere highlight of our cross-channel Crime & Justice event in October.”

Jana Bennett, the president of worldwide networks and Global iPlayer, said, “It remains an important part of our strategy to increase our commitment to local commissions. These titles represent a fraction of the rich plethora of stories across our markets just waiting to be told and I’m delighted that our international audiences will get to experience them through our channels.”