Sky Commissions Six New Factual Series

Sky has made a slew of new commissions for its factual slate, with three new titles for Sky Documentaries and a series each for Sky Crime, Sky Nature and Sky HISTORY.

Among the newly commissioned titles for Sky Documentaries is The Essex Murders (working title), chronicling the major role the Essex Boys played in the ecstasy trade in the ’90s and their subsequent murders. Even when two men are convicted for their deaths, questions surrounding the case remain.

The Essex Murders is produced by Expectation TV in association with Sky Studios and is set to premiere in early 2023.

Additional programs for Sky Documentaries are The Assassination of Olof Palme and Italia ’90. The Assassination of Olof Palme, produced by Raw in association with Discovery, is a four-part series about one of Europe’s most high-profile assassinations. It is set to air in early 2023. Italia ’90, meanwhile, tells the story of the World Cup that forever changed football, featuring interviews with Paul Gascoigne, Roger Milla and Lothar Matthäus. It is produced by Blast! Films and Sky Studios and is slated to debut in November this year.

For Sky Crime, the three-part series Libby Are You Home Yet? has been greenlit. It tells the story of Libby Squire, a 21-year-old student who was abducted and murdered while walking home from a club in her university city in 2019. Her disappearance sparked the largest manhunt in Humberside Police history, which led to the arrest of a local man who had been leading a double life. Candour TV is producing the series in association with Sky Studios, and it will air in October.

Arctic from Above with Liz Bonnin has been commissioned for Sky Nature. Produced by Lion TV in association with Sky Studios, the docuseries follows the titular wildlife biologist as she travels to one of Earth’s last great wildernesses to reveal fresh insights about its animals. It is set to bow in early 2023.

The sixth new commission is The Royal Mob, for Sky HISTORY. Told through the eyes of Queen Victoria’s granddaughters, it recounts the story of the extended royal family that once ruled all of Europe. The Utopia-produced series is slated to premiere in November.

“From uncovering the truth behind mysterious deaths in the U.K. and Europe, highlighting a sporting event that shaped football as we know it, to dramatic retellings of a history we all think we know, the new additions display the extraordinary breadth of content across our factual portfolio,” said Poppy Dixon, director of documentaries and factual for Sky.