BBC Unveils New Natural-History Titles, Ellie Simmonds-Led Doc

The BBC has unveiled a lineup of brand-new natural-history programming for BBC One, BBC Two and iPlayer, as well as a documentary with Paralympian Ellie Simmonds.

“When it comes to science and natural-history programming, the BBC leads the way—and this raft of fascinating ideas proves it,” said Jack Bootle, head of commissioning, science and natural history. “From Asia to the Masai Mara, from Ice Age excavations to modern-day environmental thrillers, no other broadcaster is as committed to telling stories about the state of our planet today and the science of life on earth.”

Tentatively titled Asia, the seven-part series produced by BBC Studios Natural History Unit for BBC One and iPlayer will show the beauty and wonder of the continent. Attenborough and the Mammoth Graveyard, from Windfall Films for BBC One and iPlayer, sees Sir David Attenborough join an archaeological dig into a gravel quarry, where two amateur fossil hunters found a cache of Ice Age mammoth remains and a stone “hand axe” made by a Neanderthal.

The feature-length documentary Operation Satanic: The Sinking of the Rainbow Warrior (w/t), from Oxford Scientific Films for BBC Two and iPlayer, tells the story of the fatal bombing of Greenpeace’s flagship Rainbow Warrior by a team of French Secret Service agents in New Zealand in 1985. The Pride follows the renowned Marsh Pride of lions in Africa, which has been documented for the last 30 years by the BBC and other broadcasters around the world. It is made by BBC Studios Natural History Unit for BBC Two and iPlayer.

Flicker Productions has been commissioned to produce a documentary for the BBC with Simmonds that will examine a new drug that promises to help children born with Achondroplasia increase the rate of growth. Achondroplasia is a genetic condition that is the most common type of dwarfism in the U.K. The new treatment raises the question of whether or not cutting-edge medicine that can stop a disability in its tracks should be used. Simmonds will travel around the U.K. and the U.S. to explore all sides of the debate.

Simmonds said: “This is a subject close to my heart. Growing up, these drugs weren’t available to me and had they been, I don’t know what my parents would have done. But I wouldn’t change myself. I love who I am and I am glad that I have dwarfism because I think my body is strong and beautiful.”

Bootle added: “Ellie isn’t just a brilliant athlete, she’s also a charismatic and passionate speaker, and I’m delighted we are showing this documentary on the BBC. It promises to be a fascinating film that confronts a modern medical dilemma head-on.”