In 1999 BBC presenter Jill Dando was sadly shot dead outside her home in west London, her murder led to a high profile and complex investigation. A suspect, Barry George was convicted and imprisoned for eight years, but was later acquitted following an appeal and a retrial. After his release, he took libel action against the News of the World and The Sun which suggested he was guilty of murdering Jill in articles published following his acquittal. In 2009, Barry was paid substantial damages by the newspapers after a High Court case. Jill Dando’s death remains unsolved. This documentary series directed by Marcus Plowright (creator of Fred and Rose West: Reopened) uses archive footage as well as new research and insightful interviews to explore Dando’s life, career, legacy, and her death. It’s the first time a documentary has covered the whole story in terms of everyone involved. It has interviews from the police, media, Jill’s family as well as wrongly accused Barry George and his family.
Abraham edited episode three and said it was probably one of his best editing experiences he’s had. Quite a statement Abraham!
He told us; “it was tough at the beginning as I was cutting archive and interviews with placeholders as the drama recon hadn’t been shot yet. The production ended up shooting the drama recons almost identical to the placements I had used and in the end they used music very similar to the guide tracks that I had used too”.
Once the Drama reconstructions were in Abs really enjoyed working with Emma and the team at Empress Films to unfold the story properly. They took the approach of a thriller “ We were telling the tale as if it’s unfolding in real time. This made cutting the interviews really challenging but it all came together really well”Abs also mentioned that he loved having creative freedom, to be able to have the documentary “stay in the moment” at times of drama. “One last challenge was Barry George agreeing to be interviewed late on in the process, but Abs explained that it bought so much to the documentary it was well worth it!”
All three episodes of Who Killed Jill Dando? will be released on 26th September on Netflix
Gordon Ramsay, Fred Sirieix and Gino D’Acampo are at it again, this time they’re road tripping in Spain battling it out for supremacy in everything from driving to cooking to some of their most extreme high adrenaline activities yet. They visit Andalusia, where they taste tapas in Malaga. They then head to the ancient town Ronda and finish in Jerez to sample sherry, whilst seeing if they’ve got the Flamenco flair.
Executive Producers: James Gay-Rees, Martin Conway, Paul Martin
Box to Box for Apple TV+
This Four-part docu-series charts the extraordinary rise and fall of former Nissan and Renault boss turned disgraced international fugitive Carlos Ghosn. He was arrested in Japan for financial misdeeds. After being held there in what he called unjust conditions, he escaped — in a trunk on a private plane.
Franco helped out editing across the series and was also the Finishing editor, he said “It was a great team and everyone really believed in the project. It’s a great story and they had the conviction to tell it in an interesting way, so it was nice to work on something that has that gravitas”.
It’s had some brilliant reviews so far. Rolling Stone has stated it “Wanted is a gripping take on a wild story that provides generous helpings of rich context, a necessary if sometimes overlooked ingredient in nonfiction filmmaking. It turns out Wanted isn’t just an investigation; it’s also a caper, depicted in reenactments that boast the editing and cinematography chops of an Ocean’s Eleven movie. The series has its cake and eats it, too, blending high-stakes, shoe-leather reporting with thriller sizzle.”
We’re looking forward to watching this one!
Wanted: The Escape of Carlos Ghosn is available now on Apple TV
The observational medical documentary series is back on BBC One with a new instalment, produced by Dragonfly and following ambulance services in real time throughout the UK.
Ben Burgess is no stranger to blue light and was very excited to join the editing team on this series. He cut episode 3 which follows the night shift facing an infectious disease outbreak at Fairfield General Hospital. Ben told us he had a good experience working on the show: ‘It was definitely a challenge, because the possible combinations of stories is seemingly infinite and the USP of the show – in which you create ‘islands of real time’ – provides a restriction which is both useful and challenging. But we ended up with an episode which everyone was happy with and which we were told is a little bit different from your ‘average’ episode of Ambulance.’
Follow the drama as it unfolds, tonight on BBC One at 9pm.
Celebrating David Hockney covers several eras and aspects of Hockney’s work through interviews and archive footage . The programme will explore his early days in Bradford, his time at the RCA in London and his move to Los Angeles in the 1960s. It was at this time he produced some of his most famous pieces, including the swimming pool series. The legendary artist sits down with Melvyn Bragg for a definitive interview.
Andreas worked on the film and he said “It was a real pleasure and honour to work on this. Possibly David Hockney’s last documentary – an amazing man and artist – so much amazing archive as well as beautifully shot new material to pick from. It was also Melvyn Bragg’s final Southbank Show – a man who has been a champion for the creative industries in the UK for almost 50 years. There have been many films made about Hockney throughout his career so it was important to us that it didn’t feel repetitive – hopefully we got it right!” I’m sure you did Andreas!
Celebrating David Hockney will be shown on Monday 28th August 9pm Sky Arts
A group of ex-footballers who have been rejected from football clubs have 7 weeks at a unique football academy, giving them the opportunity to train and play games in a bid they maybe scouted for full time professional football again. Presented by Roman Kemp and filmed with multiple camera’s/fix rig, the real challenge for each player is to look a little deeper in themselves than they may have done before. A team of coaches is on hand to help them with their struggles, both on and off the pitch. Leading the coaches is ex-Watford, Stoke and Burnley striker Gifton Noel-Williams. Other high-profile footballers will coach the team too, including England captain Millie Bright and Manchester United legend Bruno Fernandes.
Mohsin Bhattiwho worked on Episode 5 said “I stepped in to do 6 weeks, it was a challenge to pick up stories which needed a lot of work to create an interesting narrative arch for featured players of that episode. Look forward to watching the series with kids!”
All six episodes of Boot Dreams are available now on BBC iPlayer
This four part fly on the wall docuseries delves into the life of Amritpal Singh Dhillon, the self-made superstar known globally as AP Dhillon. He is known for his tracks such as “Brown Munde”, “Insane” and “Excuses”. The series features a combination of Dhillon’s personal accounts and interviews with his close-knit circle of family and friends. It follows his journey from Gurdaspur, a small village in the Punjab, to the mountains of British Columbia, Canada, where he has become a global music sensation and Icon of our time.
Sarjit Bains worked on episode’s 3 and 4. He explained that “As one of the editors working on Amazon Prime’s AP Dhillon documentary, the key challenges included reviewing hundreds of hours of raw footage, identifying the most compelling narrative arcs, seamlessly interweaving visuals and interviews, maintaining pacing and rhythm, and crafting a cohesive story that captured the essence of this iconic Punjabi singer’s meteoric rise to fame. My fluency in Punjabi proved invaluable, enabling me to pick up on subtle linguistic cues and understand cultural references that enriched the storytelling. Our goal was to craft an inspiring narrative that did justice to this talented musician’s journey from anonymity to stardom.” It sounds like a brilliant project.Sarjit went on to say that “It was a privilege to help bring his powerful story to life on screen”.
It’s going to be a popular series with the trailer already having 13 Million views! The series will be available across 240+ countries and territories.
AP Dhillon: First of a Kind will be streaming on Amazon Prime Video from 18th August.
Dan Walker and Helen Skelton in Pennine Road Trip. (Image credit: Channel 5)
This four-part travelogue finds Strictly alumni Dan Walker and Helen Skelton swapping their dancing shoes for hiking boots. They explore Britain’s first long-distance trail, the Pennine Way, travelling from Dan’s home in Sheffield up to Helen’s home in Cumbria. They explore beautiful countryside meeting different communities and business owners and getting stuck into challenging local activities.
Simon Bennett did the Pre-titles and edited the final episode, episode 4. He said that “Dan and Helen were really brilliant and funny together, it was a pleasure to work on the series and the team at Wag TV was great”.
The series starts Tuesday 15th August 9pm on Channel 5.
We Are Newcastle United is one of the most anticipated football documentaries of the year. Narrated by club legend Alan Shearer, this four part access-all-areas series promises to show behind the scenes after the controversial takeover by the Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia. It follows the Magpies’ ongoing 2022/23 season from close quarters, with the club reaching its first cup final in 24 years. It also delves into Newcastle United’s history, explores the club’s unique bond with its passionate supporters and gives a unique insight into how a major Premier League club operates.
Abraham Teweldebrhan who edited episode 4 said that it was a very organised and efficient project. He said “The main challenge we had was how to make board meetings or transfers and marketing interesting and captivating TV. This episode had the running of the club at board level as the A story with the football the as B story. Luckily Newcastle did have an amazing season so we were able to use the success on pitch to bridge to how the club adjusted to success and new expectations at board level!”.
The series premieres Friday 11th August on Amazon Prime.
A new series of the legendary Japanese obstacle course Takeshi’s Castle is being released on Amazon Prime on 30th August.
David Abramsky worked on four episodes which has new commentators, British comedians; Romesh Ranganathan and Tom Davis. Davis and Ranganathan will guide viewers through the hilarious, dramatic, and baffling world of Takeshi’s Castle with their much loved blend of enthusiasm and scepticism. Recapturing the essence of the 90’s mayhem, 100 contestants, the ‘attacking army’ attempt to storm the impenetrable Castle, fighting off guards, devils, and giant foam mushrooms along the way! Only the bravest and luckiest will make it through to take on Takeshi himself, and potentially bank 1 million yen.
Editor David Abramsky speaks very highly of the project “Takeshi’s Castle was such a fun project to work on. There were so many talented funny people on it, from the writers and presenters to the producers and other editors who I worked with closely throughout the edit. I’m not sure I’ve laughed as much on another project. It’s also something I watched and enjoyed as a kid, which always makes something feel more special”.
David explained that “The biggest challenge was also the most fun: finding that sweet spot where you’re celebrating the chaotic nostalgic joy of this unique iconic show, while also picking the right moments to undercut it with Romesh and Tom’s great double-act of scepticism and fanaticism. There’s so many tools in the toolbox: pratfalls, bizarre format points, brilliant writing and great ad-libs. It felt like edit jazz, very free but also totally clear and focussed. From our first notes session, Amazon really encouraged that spirit of experimentation and instinctiveness, which made it even more enjoyable. The most unexpected part of it was the duration of the original shows – some episodes were originally over 60 minutes! So crafting that down to 30-40 minutes of tight, well-scripted dubbed comedy left a lot of space for crafting our own callbacks, running jokes and weird internal logic for each episode”.
Catch Takeshi’s Castle from the 30th August on Amazon Prime. Let those 90’s memories come flooding back!
Congratulations to the 2024 Shortlist! We are proud to see lots of familiar names and projects in the shortlist. Congratulations to the 2024 Shortlist! We are proud to see lots of familiar names and projects in the shortlist. – Lockerbie: Mindhouse Productions for Sky Documentaries & NOW… Read More
Director: Sam Collins Exec Producers: David Gardner, Kerstin Emhoff, Nicola Howson & Scott Melvin Ventureland, Studio 99 and Buzz16 for Amazon Prime Lead Editor: Graham Taylor This compelling documentary tells the remarkable story of Manchester United’s unprecedented triumph in 1999, when the team made football history by clinching the… Read More
Editor: Charlie Hawryliw Exec Producer: Colin Barr. Expectation for Channel 4 Monday 29th April on Channel 4 Miriam: Death of a Reality Star is a hard-hitting documentary about Miriam Rivera, recognised as the world’s first transgender reality TV star. The documentary series chronicles the Mexican model’s groundbreaking… Read More
Photo: BAFTA. We’re bursting with excitement and pride here at Satusfaction as some familiar faces have worked their magic on shows that are making waves in the 2024 BAFTA Craft nominations! Let’s dive right into the lineup: Celebrity Race Across the World ( Studio Lambert / BBC One) has… Read More
Exciting news! The 2024 Grierson Awards are now open for entries and hold onto your popcorn, Satusfaction, are absolutely thrilled to announce that we’re teaming up with the legendary 2024 Grierson Awards as a proud sponsor! For all you documentary buffs out there, you know the Grierson Awards… Read More
