BBC Slates Five-Part Margaret Thatcher Doc

BBC Studios is producing a new five-part documentary on Margaret Thatcher that is set to air on BBC Two to mark 40 years since Britain installed its first female prime minister.

The legacy of Thatcher, who was prime minister from 1979 to 1990, will be explored across five hours in the tentatively titled Thatcher. The series also charts the social history of modern Britain. Archive footage from the time will provide viewers with a personal glimpse of the politician and illustrate some of the most important formative events in Britain’s recent past.

It is being produced by BBC Studios’ The Documentary Unit.

Patrick Holland, controller of BBC Two, said: “Margaret Thatcher defined her age like no other leader since the war. This series promises to be not just the story of her extraordinary political journey, but also an exploration of the age that produced so much of the world we live in today. I am thrilled we will be bringing this most compelling, and divisive, of histories to BBC Two.”

Aysha Rafaele, creative director for The Documentary Unit at BBC Studios, added: “Whether we love it or hate it we all live in a world created by Margaret Thatcher. This new BBC Two series will explore how the ideology that she espoused and embodied came to be the defining narrative of the last 40 years and will take a forensic look at her impact and legacy on all corners and all aspects of British life.”