BBC Factual Adds New History, Science Docs

BBC Factual has ordered Britain’s Nuclear Test Veterans (w.t.) and OceanGate (w.t.) for BBC Two and iPlayer.

The hour-long Britain’s Nuclear Test Veterans, from Hardcash Productions, tells the story of Britain’s postwar atomic weapons program and the consequences for the service personnel who took part. The film raises questions about the legacy and human costs of Britain’s race to become a global nuclear power.

Also an hour long, OceanGate examines what exactly went wrong with the submersible that caused it to implode. From Discovery Channel (U.S.), CBC (Canada) and ZDF (Germany), it is a U.K.-Canada treaty co-production of Renegade Stories in the U.K. and Galafilm in Quebec, Canada.

Jack Bootle, head of commissioning for specialist factual, said: “These are two hugely exciting films for specialist factual at the BBC. I was stunned when I read the treatment for Britain’s Nuclear Test Veterans, which explores the extraordinary legacy of Britain’s nuclear testing program in the ’50s. It’s a film that should shock the nation. And with incredible access to the ongoing coastguard investigation, OceanGate tells the inside story of how the Titan submersible disaster unfolded. It’s complex, moving and horribly gripping.”