New Documentary & Format Commissions for Channel 4

Channel 4 has commissioned a new documentary, Marine A (w.t.) from Two Rivers Media, and a format from Crackit Productions.

Marine A details one of the most controversial events of the war in Afghanistan, when an unarmed and wounded Taliban insurgent was shot by a British Royal Marine, who then told his men that he broke the Geneva Convention. The documentary will include never-before-seen, recently recovered combat footage, an exclusive interview with the soldier and more.

The documentary is a Two Rivers Media and Uppercut Films co-production.

“Alexander Blackman was the first British serviceman since the Second World War to be found guilty of a battlefield murder committed overseas,” said Alan Clements, managing director of Two Rivers Media. “Many have tried to get access to him, to hear his story in his own words. We are honored and proud that he has chosen to share it with us. This unique access allows us to explore the real events surrounding this devastating event, to bring the full story to the screen in the way that we did with Killing Escobar and Cassius X. The premium documentary space is central to our growth as a company, and we are delighted to be working on Marine A and have more projects coming through.”

Anna Miralis, commissioning editor at Channel 4, added, “This is one of the darkest moments in modern British warfare, yet despite the intense media and political interest, much about this story remains unknown. This film will bring together testimonies of Blackman and others involved, as well as footage from that day in Helmand, to give us the most complete picture of what happened that day and the ensuing fallout.”

Stephen Bennett, director of the film, said, “With powerful, candid testimony from Alexander Blackman, Marine A takes viewers into the crosshairs of the moral, legal and personal battles of an unlawful killing in Helmand, which was uniquely filmed on camera. Was Blackman, as some suggest, a cold-blooded murder or was he a Marine psychologically damaged by war?”

Channel 4 has also commissioned Key to a Fortune from Crackit Productions. Each year in the U.K., millions of pounds worth of vacant homes sit unclaimed. They belong to ordinary people who are unknowing inheritors to estates that were once owned by a distant relative who left no will. Hosted by TV presenter Jean Johansson, the series reunites families with these homes and relatives they didn’t know they had.

Johansson will be joined each episode by Tayo Oguntonade, property investor and mortgage broker; Kunle Barker, designer and property expert; Raphael Meade, carpenter and construction expert; and Stuart Douglas, property developer.

Elaine Hackett, CEO of Crackit, said, “Who wouldn’t want that surprise call to say you’ve just been left a property worth hundreds of thousands of pounds? Then once the windfall settles to find out you must share it with family you didn’t know you had! This format takes big life-changing game-show beats and sets them on an authentic stage. I’m hopeful that I might just get a call.”

Kate Thomas, commissioning editor of daytime and features at Channel 4, added, “In Key to a Fortune, we are going to make dreams come true as we surprise members of the public with unexpected windfalls, whilst also taking them on an emotional journey to meet relatives they never knew they had. I am thrilled to commission this distinctive new format, which I am confident will be a big hit with our viewers.”