Channel 4

Channel 4 commissions new coming of age series Home Free

Home Free (w/t) follows a group of young people with learning disabilities as they leave home and move into supported living apartments.

Living independently for the first the time, the new housemates will take a major leap in their lives with extraordinary access from the families.

The observational documentary promises joy, laughter, new friendships, blossoming relationships and even tears and heartache.

Jimmy Doherty generates buzz to save bees

Jimmy Doherty (Credit: Channel 4)

Can Jimmy Save the Bees? (w/t) sees Doherty explore the declining bee population in the UK and try to understand how the alarming trend can impact entire ecosystems that rely on natural pollination.

The former entomologist will attempt to revive the bee population to reduce the threat towards the viability of agriculture.

Based in Peterborough, Doherty will look at what can be done to solve the problem with local farmers, businesses, government officials and viewers.

Joe Lycett to become new Travel Man

After exploring over 40 cities across nine series, Richard Ayoade (The Crystal Maze) will pass the baton to Joe Lycett as presenter of Travel Man: 48 hours in... next year.

The series sees Ayoade explore some of the world’s most popular holiday destinations for 48 hours, each journey with a different famous companion to join him on his trip.

Channel 4 commissions new factual programmes

David Lammy (Credit: Channel 4)

The new commissions include a documentary examining if neuroscience can explain the making of murderers, a documentary that follows the journey of an Olympic gold medallist embarking on a daring cycle across the English Channel, and an exploration into the untold stories of the Black Africans who died fighting for Britain in the First World War.

“These are programmes with impact at their core - the power to challenge and provoke, shock and inspire,” said Fatima Salaria, Head of Specialist Factual at Channel 4.

How to uncover the truth in investigative journalism

All the President's Men (Credit: Warner Bros)

Arguably, the world has rarely been more in need of investigative journalism. Corrupt politicians; election meddling, state repression, business shenanigans, cheating in sport.… the list is endless. An RTS Futures event in May was therefore timely, with leading journalists discussing how they seek to right wrongs and bring the powerful to justice. 

Truth seeking is not for the faint-hearted: it requires exhaustive research and dogged patience – and, for those journalists investigating the world’s most oppressive regimes, bravery. In truth, it’s probably a young person’s game. 

Writers share the need for drama in good comedy

Back to Life (Credit: BBC)

Comedy, the late, great Tony Hancock would often tell his dinner guests, was simply “frustration, misery, boredom, worry – all the things people suffer from”.

This may go some way to explaining the success of a crop of deceptively simple, single-camera comedy-dramas that have all but replaced our more traditional idea of the sitcom in the television schedules.