Monday 16 May 2016
W, UKTV's flagship pay entertainment channel, has commissioned a new fixed-rig documentary series following the heart-pounding action and human stories of the frontline paramedics of one of Britain's busiest ambulance services.
Inside The Ambulance (10x60') will use GoPro cameras mounted inside an ambulance and on the teams to give a unique perspective of the nation's first response emergency workers.
From the friendships the ambulance staff forge to the ways they cope with life and death situations they deal with on a daily basis, as well as the lighter moments of working with the great British public, Inside the Ambulance promises to be life-affirming and engaging television.
Inside The Ambulance is the network's first fixed-rig documentary series, as newly launched entertainment channel W expands its investment in factual programming. Produced by Brown Bob Productions, the show has unrivalled access to the West Midlands Ambulance Service. The series gives an intimate perspective on what it's like to respond to emergency calls, with paramedics wearing GoPro cameras to get viewers to the heart of the action combined with multiple cameras throughout the ambulance. As well as getting up close and personal with patients, ranging from life-threatening traumas to everyday emergencies, the series will focus on the hard-working paramedics.
Ordered by UKTV's deputy director of commissioning, Hilary Rosen and Steve North, general manager for W. Hilary will executive produce for UKTV with Jacqueline Hewer for Brown Bob Productions alongside head of production Nicki Gottlieb.
Hilary Rosen said,
This series really gets to the heart of the action and gives viewers an exclusive birds eye view of the life-saving work. We are thrilled to be working with Brown Bob Productions on our first ever fixed-rig series which allows us an emotional insight into the precious minutes between the home and hospital.
Steve North added,
Documentaries are a rich territory for W, we launched the channel with our own strand of authored documentaries, ON, and we carefully curate award-winning documentaries. Real life medical drama that is incredibly well made with moments of humour and lightness is very much on our wish list for W. This series promises to deliver an exceptional piece of film-making using the latest technology and superb access.
Jacqueline Hewer, creative director at Brown Bob Productions said,
We're delighted to be working with W and UKTV on this new series. We wanted to create a fresh take on the work of the emergency services, and shooting the entire series on GoPros allows us to do just that. We'll be able to show what it's like to be on the fronline of an emergency ambulance service from a unique point of view - the cameras take us right to the heart of what they're doing and how they're doing it, and give a real insight in to their relationships with their patients.
Inside The Ambulance joins the slate of recently announced UKTV Originals set to air in the Autumn on W, including John Bishop: In Conversation With... and I've Got Something To Tell You, fronted by Amanda Holden.
W, a premium entertainment channel from UKTV can be enjoyed on Sky 109/245, Virgin 124/191, BT and TalkTalk 407.
ENDS
For more information please contact
Gemma Pinkney, Publicity Manager
Kerry Parker, Head of Network Communications
About W
Sky 109/245, Virgin 124/191, BT & TalkTalk 407
On demand on Sky and Virgin
W is UKTV's premium entertainment channel, offering audiences a dazzling mix of original factual entertainment formats - ON, Get Me To The Church, Honey I Bought the House - alongside the gold standard of shows from the US including Code Black, Criminal Minds: Beyond Borders, CSI:NY, Grimm and The Strain plus jewels from the very best of the BBC and Channel 4.
About UKTV
UKTV is the biggest multichannel broadcaster in the UK.
The award-winning independent has eleven imaginative brands - UKTV Play, Dave, W, Gold, Alibi, Yesterday, Drama, Really, Home, Eden and Good Food. These include the two most popular non-PSB channels in the UK and account for 9.31% of the British commercial TV market. The company's most recent financial results showed record-breaking year-end revenue of £319m and EBITDA of £82m. It invested £148m in programming and related launches last year, and is becoming an increasingly significant investor in UK creativity.
UKTV has a truly innovative model, curating brand-defining commissions, high-profile acquisitions and the very best of BBC, alongside programmes originally shown on ITV and Channel 4. The network embraces technology to deliver inspired channels to audiences through Freeview, Sky, Virgin Media, BT, TalkTalk, YouView, Freesat, Amazon Fire and UKTV Play, and distributes its highly valued original programmes to 200 territories.
Now celebrating its 23rd year at the forefront of digital television, UKTV - an independent commercial joint venture between BBC Worldwide and Scripps Networks Interactive, Inc. (SNI) - is proud to be the only British television broadcaster in The Sunday Times top 100 companies list.
corporate.uktv.co.uk / press.uktv.co.uk / @uktv_press
Brown Bob Productions
Brown Bob Productions was launched by Jacqueline Hewer, Nicki Gottlieb and Yasmin Pasha in November 2013.
We are a creative and business partnership - working with all the major broadcasters to deliver high quality factual programmes. We have a track record working with top level talent, and for finding innovative ways of creating exceptional television.
Two of us have brown bobs. We're working on the third.