The Handel Scandal and Dangerous Debussy will both air on Sky Arts this AutumnMonday 24 August 2026
Sky Arts Confirms Double Classical Documentary Showcase Ahead of Edinburgh TV Festival
The Handel Scandal
JPEG (611KB)
Dangerous Debussy
JPEG (743KB)
This autumn, Sky Arts unveils The Handel Scandal and Dangerous Debussy, two landmark documentaries, available on Sky Arts, streaming service NOW, and free to all UK households via Freeview.
Exploring two titans of classical music and the extraordinary women whose inspiration, influence and support were crucial to the success of their most celebrated works, these films offer a fresh and unexpected perspective on their legacies and immense contribution to the arts.
Rich in drama, intrigue and discovery, both films go beyond the mythology to reveal the brilliant, flawed and fiercely human figures behind some of the greatest music ever written. Together, they showcase Sky Arts at its most ambitious, bringing surprising revelations and emotional depth to the stories of Handel and Debussy, and restoring to the spotlight the forgotten women whose contributions helped shape some of classical music's enduring masterpieces.
Produced by Brighton's Factory Films, directed by Lisa Fairbank and executive produced by Julie Heathcote, The Handel Scandal explores the controversial genesis of George Frideric Handel's sacred oratorio Messiah and its connection to disgraced English performer Susannah Cibber.
When Handel's Messiah was premiered in Dublin in 1742, it was a sell-out. Performing that night was a young actress and singer who brought the house down, singing in front of an audience for the first time since she had been shamed by a sordid sex scandal that had made headlines and shocked the public.
Presented by Olivier-Award-winning opera operatic soprano Danielle de Niese, due to star in the West End show Hadestown this Autumn, The Handel Scandal reveals how the renowned and widely respected Handel - admired by classical titans including Mozart and Beethoven and a composer to British royalty - and Cibber - a talented but infamous West End star and actress, in hiding with her lover and illegitimate child - came together and put Messiah on the map.
Dangerous Debussy is produced by London's Section 52 Films, directed by Sabina Emrit Harper and executive produced by David Harewood and Bill Hobbins, and explores the complicated man who created some of the world's most beautiful music. Behind Claude Debussy's revolutionary compositions was a turbulent private life of passion, betrayal and scandal. Told through Debussys relationships with the women who loved, supported and inspired him, the documentary brings their stories out of the shadows and illuminates the complex human relationships behind his extraordinary musical legacy.
Debussy's letters are brought to life through readings by BAFTA-winning actor Adeel Akhtar, while leading Debussy scholars Professor Barbara L. Kelly and Professor Caroline Rae provide expert insight throughout the documentary. Internationally renowned pianists Pascal Rog and Cyrill Ibrahim, soprano Eyra Norman and specially arranged performances by Her Ensemble provide viewers with a visceral reminder of the power of Debussy's work.
Phil Edgar-Jones OBE, Executive Director, Unscripted, Sky, said: These two additions to our autumn slate demonstrate Sky's commitment to showcasing high-calibre and culturally enriching arts storytelling. We're proud to be championing two diverse independent UK production companies with heartfelt programming which will be free to all audiences via the Sky Arts Freeview channel.
Both series are commissioned by Phil Edgar-Jones, Executive Director, Unscripted Originals at Sky for C cile Frot-Coutaz, Chief Advertising and Content Officer, Sky, CEO Sky Studios. The Commissioning Editor for Sky is Benedetta Pinelli, who also executive produces both documentaries for Sky Arts.
Sky Arts' bold line-up of Sky Originals and Exclusives include gripping dramas and films to big entertainment and compelling documentaries. Sky continues to champion distinctive storytelling alongside world-class talent - delivering the must-watch moments set to define the rest of the year.
The Handel Scandal and Dangerous Debussy will air on Sky Arts, Freeview and streaming service NOW in autumn 2026.
For more information, please contact:
SkyEntertainmentDesk@PremierComms.com
Latest news
Most recent headlines
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
09/10/2026
September 10 2026, 06:00 (PDT) Dolby Expands Dolby OptiView Platform with New Capabilities at IBC 2026
New Sports Intelligence helps providers better unders...
08/10/2026
Modern venues have come a long way since the tinny, echoing audio of the mid 20t...
08/10/2026
ESPN's first Super Bowl production will stream in English and Spanish on Disney+, while the ESPN App carries the full slate of game, ManningCast, studio, an...
08/10/2026
From high-school videoboards to War Eagle Productions, the Opelika native is learning how to lead shows and capture big moments
The future of live sports produ...
08/10/2026
The Television Academy and Prime Video have announced a six-year agreement making Prime Video the exclusive global home of the Emmy Awards beginning with the 20...
08/10/2026
Techex will exhibit at NAB Show New York 2026 (Booth 623, Javits Center, October...
08/10/2026
X Games has announced the appointment of Steve Rogers as Chief Operating Officer. Rogers previously served as COO of World Supercross and spent nearly a decade ...
08/10/2026
Fonn Group has appointed Trevor Spielmann as Sales Director for Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. Spielmann joins from EVS, where he held sales and business de...
08/10/2026
The flagship program will originate from major PG events with a four-camera production, live distribution across PGTV, social platforms
Perfect Game is bringin...
08/10/2026
Innovation rarely happens in a vacuum. More often, it happens at the point of collision: when worlds that have run on separate tracks begin to converge. That is...
08/10/2026
For decades, the production and broadcast services business has run on a familia...
08/10/2026
Uplynk, Zixi, BroadView Software, and Grass Valley have published The IP Converg...
08/10/2026
The NFL has announced the return of the Big Data Bowl, the league's analytics competition, now in its ninth year and again powered by AWS. Registration is o...
08/10/2026
Eutelsat has renewed its partnership with T l diffusion d'Alg rie (TDA), Algeria's national broadcasting network operator, for continued distribution of...
08/10/2026
Disney will livestream Super Bowl LXI on February 14, 2027, alongside the game's broadcast on ESPN and ABC. All Disney subscribers in the United States wi...
08/10/2026
RHStv and Red House Streaming have announced an expansion of their partnership w...
08/10/2026
Gray Media has announced a distribution agreement with TEGNA and DAZN to simulca...
08/10/2026
SVG readers can save 10% on registration and receive a complimentary Solutions H...
08/10/2026
PROTON Camera Innovations GmbH has been named a recipient of a 2026 Technology a...
08/10/2026
Industry leaders discuss real-world cloud workflows for live game production, pl...
08/10/2026
The next-gen audio technology joins Dolby Vision as part of Apple TV's immersive F1 experience...
08/10/2026
David France, Jesse Short Bull, Mato Wayuhi, N. Bird Runningwater, Jodi Archambau, Jhane Myers, Paul McGuire, Amber Morning Star Byars, Holly Macarro, Nick Tils...
08/10/2026
Dynamic panning plug-ins get an upgrade
Sound Particles have just announced major updates for two of their popular dynamic panning plug-ins. Energy Panner 2...
08/10/2026
New expandable instrument boasts full DMNO engine
UDO Audio have just announced the upcoming release of a new, expandable synth that packs the power of the ...
08/10/2026
Two new subwoofers added to monitoring line-up
ADAM Audio's monitoring range has just been expanded with two new DSP-equipped subwoofers, the Sub8 PRO a...
08/10/2026
eds3_5_jq(document).ready(function($) { $(#eds_sliderM519).chameleonSlider_2_1({ content_source:......
08/10/2026
Calrec gives broadcasters freedom of choice at NAB Show New York We're looking forward to meeting up with you all at NAB New York on 21st-22nd October.
Cal...
08/10/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
08/10/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
08/10/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
08/10/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
08/10/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
08/10/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
08/10/2026
Globecast, a leading provider of broadcast, media and entertainment managed services, will showcase its next generation of media orchestration services at NAB S...
08/10/2026
Clear-Com played a critical role in the production communications infrastructure for Rock in Rio 2026, one of the world's largest and most recognized music...
08/10/2026
Sohonet Launches ClearView Rush: A Leap Forward in Studio Review, Built for Crea...
08/10/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
08/10/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
08/10/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
08/10/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
08/10/2026
Ikegami announces a major expansion to its range of broadcast-quality live production cameras. Scheduled for introduction on Ikegami booth 708 at NAB New York, ...
08/10/2026
Calrec will be located at Booth 444.
Freedom to choose
The media landscape is evolving quickly, and the broadcasters best placed for what comes next will be...
08/10/2026
LiveU has announced that CRD Audiovisuel relied on LiveUs LU900Q intelligent production unit, with built-in native LiveU IQ (LIQ ) connectivity, to deliver live...
08/10/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
08/10/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
08/10/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
08/10/2026
Marshall Electronics, a globally recognized provider of high-performance video solutions for broadcast, streaming, AV and professional production, will exhibit ...
08/10/2026
14-hour package also includes A Remarkable Place to Die season 2 as well as libr...
The Handel Scandal and Dangerous Debussy will both air on Sky Arts this AutumnMonday 24 August 2026
