S4C Boards NHK’s The Body Series

The Japanese public broadcaster NHK is working with the Welsh-language public-service broadcaster S4C on a new science series, The Body.

The Body promises to provide fresh and far-reaching insight into how the human body works. Due for completion in spring 2018, the series combines cutting-edge science and the latest UHD imaging technology to show how our organs and cells interact with each other in a dynamic way through mutual communication. The show will initially be produced in Japanese. The Body will air in eight parts on NHK and in three parts on S4C. The two broadcasters are also looking for more co-production partners to come on board.

S4C’s head of content distribution, Llion Iwan, said, “We are delighted to announce our first ever co-production with NHK, one of the world’s most respected public service broadcasters. We believe that the series will draw worldwide interest, presenting breakthrough medical and scientific knowledge in an entertaining, innovative way. There is no better place to launch this series than the world’s premier television and digital content market in Cannes.”

NHK’s Takehiro Asai, who conceived the project and is the executive producer of the series, commented, “A huge and mysterious network exists inside our bodies, and we are excited to be able to share that with the world. Shooting is going well. We’ve used an NHK-developed 8K microscope and a 3D electron microscope to get unprecedented images at a microscopic level. Our full-4K CGI of the inside of the human body are also stunning. We’re delighted that S4C has come on board as our first co-production partner on this major series. We look forward to working together with them to show viewers the body’s inner workings in ways that will overturn conventional thinking.”