Sky today announced a slate of nine new Sky original documentaries and factual shows ahead of the launch of its new factual channels, Sky Documentaries and Sky Nature, reinforcing its ambition to provide customers with a destination for world class, premium factual TV. The new feature length documentaries and series include definitive biographies of Stephen Hawking with unrivalled access to his friends and family and Tina Turner with exclusive access to the star herself, alongside a look at Hollywood legend Steve McQueen. Two powerful sports documentaries include The United Way about Manchester United, led by legend Eric Cantona and Tyson Bruno, a feature length film charting the sensational highs and lows of two of boxing's biggest icons
In Lancaster we see the story of the legendary Lancaster Bomber, synonymous with the Dambusters, and the brave servicemen that flew them. And from the world of music there is The Go-Gos which looks at the pioneering female punk band and Look Away, a bold documentary which looks at the darker side of rock and a subject that has been glossed over for decades: statutory rape.
In a landmark natural history series, Sky Nature introduces Shark with Steve Backshall, a series committed to dispelling the myth of sharks as cold-blooded killers, showing the misunderstood predator in a brand-new light.
Sky's Managing Director of Content, Zai Bennett, said: These new commissions showcase Sky's investment in world-class original content and the breadth and range of factual shows our customers will be able to find on Sky Documentaries and Sky Nature. With the launch of these two new services and Sky HISTORY, we want to provide viewers with compelling, engaging and informative TV, a place where nature and documentary fans can gravitate to.
Sky Documentaries and Sky Nature, alongside the rebranded Sky HISTORY launch on Wednesday 27th May, and will be available to all Sky and NOW TV customers at no extra cost. The services will offer on demand libraries with hundreds of hours of factual programming, providing an unmissable mix of premium, original commissions and acquired content.
The new shows are currently in production and will air at the end of 2020 and into 2021. The shows have been commissioned by Zai Bennett, MD of Content at Sky UK & Ireland, and Jamie Morris, Director of Programme Strategy. Tina Turner, The Go-Gos and Lancaster were also negotiated by Jack Oliver, Head of Co-Productions, Sky Entertainment.
Further information on new shows
Biographical Documentaries
Hawking (1 x 90')
Sky Documentaries and NOW TV. A Sky original documentary, produced by Atlantic Productions, in association with Sky Studios.
Hawking is a new 90-minute feature documentary about the life of Professor Stephen Hawking. The film produced by multi-Bafta winning Atlantic Productions, explores the remarkable human story of the man who became one of the most iconic physicists of the 20th Century. It draws on private family archive - footage and stills - and includes interviews with his family, friends and colleagues.
McQueen: The Lost Movie (1 x 90')
Sky Documentaries and NOW TV. A Sky original documentary, produced by Associated Rediffusion Productions, in association with Sky Studios.
Hollywood icon Steve McQueen would have been 90 years old in 2020. Tragically, he never made it past 50, but in a short career reached global superstar status as the male lead of many of the most memorable films of the 1960s and 70s, such as The Great Escape, Bullitt and The Towering Inferno. One film from his prime mid-1960s era was started but never completed, and all materials from it were thought to have been long-lost or destroyed. But the fate of these missing reels only tells part of this tale, and the full behind-the-screens story - which plays like something out of Once Upon A Time in Hollywood - will have to be seen to be believed.
Tina Turner
Sky Documentaries and NOW TV. A Sky original documentary produced by Lightbox.
The story of an icon from the Oscar-winning filmmakers behind UNDEFEATED and SEARCHING FOR SUGAR MAN. With over 200 million record sales worldwide, 12 Grammy Awards and the holder of the Guinness World Record for selling more concert tickets than any solo performer in history, Tina Turner's road to global superstardom is an undeniable story of triumph over adversity. As this documentary with exclusive access to the star will show you, it is the ultimate story of survival.
Culture and Current Affairs Documentaries
The Go-Go's (1 x 90')
Sky Documentaries and NOW TV. A Sky original documentary produced by Fine Point Films and Fadoo Productions in association with Polygram Entertainment, Universal Music Publishing Group and Interscope Films.
With candid interviews from the band themselves and other industry insiders, The Go-Go's examines how an all-female punk band in the 80s changed perceptions, broke down barriers and made history, paving the way for future musicians, particularly women. This documentary digs deep into the annals of Go-Go's history and how, despite the pressure of fame and painful consequences of success, the group became a global phenomenon.
Look Away (1 x 90')
Sky Documentaries and NOW TV. A Sky original documentary produced by Top Hat Productions.
This documentary takes a stark look at the darker side of rock and a subject society has glossed over for years: statutory rape. For the first time, women who were groomed in their early teenage years open up about their experiences and offer a genuine and unfiltered insight into their conflicting emotions. As the power imbalance surrounding their experiences is highlighted, this documentary explores the lengths the music industry went to in order to protect its own.
Sports Documentaries
Tyson Bruno (1 x 90')
Sky Documen
