UKTV Original produced by Air TV to return to screen in April 2021.

26 FEBRUARY, 2021

UKTV has commissioned a second series of Warbird Workshop (4x60') for its leading factual channel, Yesterday. The UKTV Original series is produced by Air TV. The series follows planes that have all played a significant part in military history but are now in need of drastic repairs, engineering expertise and time-consuming and costly restoration, from the workshop to the runway and, hopefully, back into the air.

The first series of Warbird Workshop featured the likes of a Spitfire (right), a Douglas C47 and a Westland Wessex that all challenged their mechanics, owners and pilots to their limits in order to get airborne again. The first episode of series one reached over one million viewers*. The new series features a Hawker Hurricane that (along with the Spitfire) helped to win the Battle of Britain, a US Navy N3N Biplane in which a former US president learnt to fly, a Waterbird Seaplane that is the exact replica of a plane personally championed by Winston Churchill, and a Westland Sea King helicopter that has saved thousands of lives. But will these magnificent warbirds make it back into the skies? The series is once again voiced by Martin Shaw.

Warbird Workshop has been recommissioned for UKTV by deputy director of commissioning Hilary Rosen and ordered by Yesterday channel director, Gerald Casey. Kirsty Hanson is the executive producer for UKTV. The series is produced by Air TV and the executive producer is Ian Cundall and the series producer is Matt Richards.

UKTV's Kirsty Hanson said,

The fascinating history, the dramatic stories and the skilled and passionate people behind these machines and their journey back to life are just wonderful. These are the stories we look to tell in a Yesterday commission and I'm so pleased Air TV have brought us more of them.

Air TV's Ian Cundall added,

We're excited to be bringing some more amazing old warplanes back to life on Yesterday. From the iconic Hurricane to the extraordinary Waterbird Seaplane these aircraft have helped to write history. Several of the production team are pilots ourselves and we hope our passion shines through in the show.

Yesterday's Gerald Casey said,

The engineering and perseverance that goes into putting these astonishing machines back into the air is incredible. I'm thrilled Air TV can bring us more of these stories and I'm sure the Yesterday viewers are going to love them.

Warbird Workshop has completed filming and will air on Yesterday in April 2021 and will also be available to catch-up on UKTV Play. Other recent UKTV Original commissions for Yesterday include, The Architecture The Railways Built, Restoration Workshop, and two further series of Bangers & Cash, which is also produced by Air TV.

For more information please contact:

Dave Barnsby, Senior Press Office Manager
PressOffice@uktv.co.uk.

Notes to Editors:

*Total consumption for S1E1 was 1.02m (including four same week repeats). Total consumption of the series averaged 516k (including two same week repeats). The consolidated 7-day 16+ figure was 301k/1.4% share, up +47% on benchmark.

About Yesterday

Fascinating factual stories from the world around us.

Yesterday showcases original series such as Abandoned Engineering, Secrets of the Railways and Underground Worlds as well as new and exclusive observational documentaries including Bangers & Cash, The Architecture The Railways Built and Train Truckers.

The channel also features stunning nature and science programming including David Attenborough's Natural Curiosities and Planet Earth 2, plus seminal war documentaries such as The World at War.

About UKTV

UKTV has been at the forefront of branded television for over 25 years, entertaining the nation with programmes they love. Its leading brands - Dave, Gold, W, Drama, Alibi, Eden and Yesterday - span comedy, entertainment, natural history, factual and drama, and are delivered to audiences through UKTV Play, Freeview, Sky, Virgin Media, BT, TalkTalk, YouView, Freesat and Amazon Fire. The broadcaster is a significant investor in British creativity and is committed to working with new and established writers, directors and programme-makers.

UKTV is part of BBC Studios, the UK's most-awarded production company, a world-class distributor with international branded services, and a commercial subsidiary of the world's leading public service broadcaster, the BBC.

About Air TV

Air TV is an award-winning independent production company based in York. Founded in 2015 by ex-BBC staffers Ian Cundall, Andy Joynson and Matt Richards, in three years it's produced more than 100 hours of programming, all of it set in the North of England.

The company created Helicopter ER for Really and 999: Rescue Squad for W and is one of UKTV's biggest suppliers of original programming by hour.

Air TV has won several prestigious Royal Television Society awards and also works for Discovery and the BBC.