BBC Factual Commissions Five History Programs

BBC Factual has made four brand-new history commissions and renewed A House Through Time for BBC Two and iPlayer.

“The titles we are announcing today show the incredible richness of BBC History,” said Simon Young, head of commissioning for history at BBC. “There is something here for everyone: startling tales from Georgian Edinburgh and Victorian London; modern history through the prism of a controversial pop superstar; hard lessons drawn from a ’70s migration crisis and a vital message about the risks that journalists take reporting from the world’s most dangerous places.”

“These documentaries demonstrate that the future–and the present—are firmly rooted in the past,” he continued. “And if you want to know why the world is the way it is now, there is no better place to begin than by watching history on the BBC.”

The titles include Escaping Idi Amin (w.t.); Legacy: Michael Jackson (w.t.); Captured By IS (w.t.); and Lucy Worsley’s Victorian Murder Club. A House Through Time was renewed for a sixth season.

In Lucy Worsley’s Victorian Murder Club, Worsley takes on the case of a forgotten Victorian serial killer, dubbed the “Thames Torso Murderer,” who was never caught. It is produced by Wall to Wall Media.

“By turns exciting, chilling and distressing, this was a project that sucked me in deep,” said Worsley. “I hope viewers will feel the same way! And I really hope they’ll also share my satisfaction at coming up with a convincing solution to a terrible mystery.”

Escaping Idi Amin (w.t.) details the story of the days after Idi Amin declared all Asians had 90 days to leave Uganda, through the eyes of those who lived it. It is made by Dragonfly Film & TV, a Banijay UK company,

Captured By IS (w.t.) is a co-production between Story Films and Basement Films. It tells the story of British photojournalist John Cantlie and American James Foley, who were kidnapped in Syria.

Legacy: Michael Jackson (w.t.) is a three-part documentary series made by 72 Films, a Fremantle company. Fremantle is distributing the series internationally.

In a sixth season of A House Through Time, David Olusoga returns to guide viewers through Edinburgh’s transformation during periods of political upheaval, industrial revolution, war and urban renewal. The series comes from Twenty Twenty Productions.

Olusoga said, “I’m delighted that we are bringing A House Through Time to Edinburgh, a city I adore and that is bursting with history.”