Two New BBC Factual Commissions

Two brand-new commissions have been revealed for BBC Two and iPlayer, including Big Cats 24/7 from BBC Studios Natural History Unit.

The 6×1-hour series Big Cats 24/7 sees an elite camera team follow a group of African big cats, day and night, for six months. Filmed using the latest technology, the series will give viewers an unprecedented insight into the lives of the lions, leopards and cheetahs of Botswana’s Okavango Delta.

Big Cats 24/7, for BBC Two, iPlayer and PBS, is made by BBC Studios Natural History Unit and co-produced by PBS.

Roger Webb, executive producer, said: “Being able to go deeper into the lives of Africa’s big cats than ever before is a mouth-watering prospect. Expect the unexpected and to witness things you’ve never seen before in an African wilderness that’s almost as dynamic as the cats. It’s sure to be a rollercoaster of drama and emotion, and it’s why we’re so excited to be making Big Cats 24/7.”

Additionally, Orphan has been commissioned from Hello Halo. Filmed over three years, it tells the story of Toto, a baby Kenyan elephant whose life is irreversibly changed when his mother is killed. Just a few days old, he is brought to Sheldrick Wildlife Trust’s neo-natal unit by other elephants who know that the orphanage is a safe place for him to be raised.

The project is supported by Screen Scotland and The Chantecaille Conservation Foundation.

Executive Producer Wendy Rattray said: “Toto is a delightful little elephant who will melt even the hardest of hearts as he fights for his survival against the odds, makes new elephant friends that will eventually become his family, and navigates the complexities of elephant behaviors. Through him, we’ll see the most astonishing events unfold that will make us look at elephants in a whole new light.”