BBC Orders Coronavirus-Themed Access Docs ‘Fighting The Virus’ On UCLH & ‘Keeping Britain Fed’ About Supermarkets
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BBC Factual has ordered coronavirus-themed doc Fighting The Virus (w/t), which sees doctors and twin brothers Chris and Xand van Tulleken tell the story of the pandemic from a personal and medical perspective, and Keeping Britain Fed (w/t), in which Sara Cox and Ade Adepitan explore the work going on behind the scenes at supermarkets as they deal with a surge in customers.
Dr Chris van Tulleken is an infectious diseases doctor at UCLH in central London, the epicentre of treating the UK outbreak. With special access to UCLH, the film will chart what’s happening on the medical frontline, filmed over the last six weeks. Xand will also reveal the impact of the virus on the communities around the hospital – from the homeless on the streets of Westminster to a large family living high up in a London tower block.
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The standalone (1×60’) for BBC One is made by Little Gem. It was commissioned by Charlotte Moore, Director, Content and Jack Bootle, Head of Commissioning, Science and Natural History. Executive producers are Ben Gale and Helen Littleboy.
In the second doc, presenters Cox and Adepitan get access to some of Britain’s biggest supermarkets and their suppliers to see how their systems have stood up to the most testing time in their history.
The 1×60’ program for BBC Two is made by BBC Studios’ Science Unit. It was commissioned by Patrick Holland, Controller, BBC Two and Bootle. The commissioning editor is Abigail Priddle. Executive producer is Paul Overton
Bootle said: “Chris and Xand Van Tulleken aren’t just TV presenters – they’re highly-qualified doctors whose skills have been called upon during the current crisis. By following their work over six grueling weeks, Fighting The Virus will give us an intimate insight into the UK’s medical and humanitarian response to Covid-19. Keeping Britain Fed meets a different kind of hero: the people who keep our supermarkets stocked and our supply chains running. Without their work and commitment in the face of genuine peril, we’d all be lost.”
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