Channel 4 Orders Super Surgeons: A Chance at Life

Channel 4 has commissioned Wonderhood Studios to produce the new three-part series Super Surgeons: A Chance at Life.

Super Surgeons: A Chance at Life follows some of the world’s leading surgical oncologists as they use new technology to try to save or prolong the lives of their patients. The series is being made in partnership with Macmillan Cancer Support.

The three-part series has exclusive access to The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust, where surgeons undertake high-stakes operations, working at the forefront of what is medically possible and often on incredibly rare cancers. The series follows the stories of the patients who put their trust in the hands of the surgeons, revealing the impact cancer has on the individuals and their loved ones.

Super Surgeons: A Chance at Life is being distributed internationally by BBC Studios.

James W. Newton and Katharine Patrick, executive producers for Wonderhood Studios, said: “Super Surgeons: A Chance at Life will give us profound insight into the lives of patients requiring life-saving surgery and a unique perspective on cancer from the consultants treating them. It will show the courageous decision-making by both patients and surgeons and reveal the courage and hope that carry patients through their treatment at such a difficult time in their lives.”

Jonah Weston, commissioning editor for Channel 4, added: “Everyone will be touched by cancer at some stage in their lives. But with the Marsden team constantly pioneering new treatments, this series is about the positive, as we watch surgeons save lives with ground-breaking procedures that, until recently, would have been impossible.”

Anthony Newman, brand and marketing director at Macmillan, said: “Someone is diagnosed with cancer every 90 seconds, and every diagnosis comes with questions, worry and uncertainty. We are in collaboration with this groundbreaking series to help more people understand how cancer can disrupt your life, and to show the army of people, from super surgeons to the Macmillan team, who will do whatever it takes to help you through it. It is vital that people get a realistic look into the different ways cancer affects people, and the stories of people living with cancer will take center stage in this important docuseries.”

Dame Cally Palmer, chief executive of The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust, said: “We are delighted the Super Surgeons series will showcase the innovative work The Royal Marsden’s surgical team performs every day to achieve the best results for our cancer patients. Our surgical team builds strong relationships with patients while planning for complex operations that are often U.K. firsts. The desire to offer the most advanced procedures is always driven by what is best for our patients and their quality of life.”