the lions tour documentary

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Living with Lions

Documentary covering the British & Irish Lions' rugby team's successful tour to South Africa in 1997. Documentary covering the British & Irish Lions' rugby team's successful tour to South Africa in 1997. Documentary covering the British & Irish Lions' rugby team's successful tour to South Africa in 1997.

• Duncan Humphreys
• Allan Bateman
• 2 User reviews

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• Aug 6, 2021
• November 29, 1997 (United Kingdom)
• United Kingdom
• Cape Town, Western Cape, South Africa
• See more company credits at IMDbPro

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• Runtime 2 hours 47 minutes

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Two Sides documentary nominated for an Emmy

Two Sides, a critically acclaimed three-part behind-the-scenes documentary series on the historic 2021 British & Irish Lions tour, has been nominated for an International Emmy.

A co-production between South African production company T+W and Wales-based Whisper Cymru, the series ‘Two Sides’ has been shortlisted for Best Sports Documentary against just three other international nominations. The documentary was commissioned by, and made in conjunction with, the British & Irish Lions and the South Africa Rugby Union.

The documentary series ‘Two Sides’ explores what transpired in the Springbok and Lions camps during the 2021 Tour of South Africa. Stepping away from the traditional Lions doc format, ‘Two Sides’ tells the story of both the Lions and Springboks during the first Tour to South Africa since 2009. The documentary features fly-on-the-wall footage of both camps as they took part in a fascinating series of games that were successfully completed against the hugely challenging backdrop of a global pandemic.

GLOWING REVIEWS

In May 2022, Two Sides was broadcast across M-Net and SuperSport in South Africa, followed by ITV, UK and Virgin One, Ireland in June. The series attracted much social media interest and media attention. Reviews included:

“Quite simply the best documentary I have ever seen about rugby and indeed all sport... A masterpiece of documentary making." - Martin Hannan, The Herald

“Emotion, levity and turmoil, the latest Lions documentary is compelling viewing… a breath of fresh air.” - Ben Coles, The Telegraph

The British & Irish Lions, The South Africa Rugby Union and SuperSport funded and supported the series.

Rian Oberholzer, South African Rugby Union CEO: “Rugby fans will find this documentary fascinating and entertaining in equal measure, with the added twist this time of getting a fly-on-the-wall view of both camps involved in this unique tour. Two Sides will act as a wonderful archive for rugby fans to look back upon for decades to come.”

Rendani Ramovha, SuperSport CEO: “As a broadcaster, we constantly strive to tell the greatest stories in Africa, and from a sporting front there’s no exceptions. Two Sides showcases two world-class teams and gave us the opportunity to take viewers behind the scenes of a Lions tour that took place during the most difficult time for sport in recent memory. The nomination is testament to the hard work, planning, and execution from the production teams from both continents.”

Gareth Whittaker, T&W CEO: “An Emmy nomination is not something that comes around very often, much like the possibility of filming a once-in-a-lifetime tour. We pride ourselves on telling great stories, and the Springboks’ rivalry with the British and Irish Lions will always provide a brilliant first draft. Add the layer of Covid-19, empty stadiums, and a tour in jeopardy on top of that, and our work was cut out to ensure that no page was left unturned. Two Sides ranks as one of our greatest achievements, and the Emmy nomination is something we’ll not only treasure but hope to convert into a win!”

2021 BRITISH & IRISH LIONS TOUR DOCUMENTARY TO BE AIRED ON ITV1

The British & Irish Lions in conjunction with The South African Rugby Union will release a much-anticipated three-part behind-the-scenes documentary of the 2021 British & Irish Lions Series.

Co-produced by Whisper and T + W, the documentary series ‘Two Sides’ explores what transpired in the Springbok and Lions camps during the 2021 Tour of South Africa.

Stepping away from the traditional format, ‘Two Sides’ tells the story of both the Lions and Springboks during the first Tour to South Africa since 2009. The documentary features fly-on-the-wall footage of both camps as they took part in a fascinating series of games, which was successfully completed against the hugely challenging backdrop of a global pandemic.

This is the latest in a long and critically acclaimed series of Lions Tour documentaries that includes the mould-breaking ‘Living with Lions’ released 25 years ago.

As well as illuminating insights into the teams’ preparations and what went on during the matches, the documentary will also give fans a rare glimpse into the workings of a unique and memorable sporting event.

The British & Irish Lions and The South African Rugby Union are delighted to bring this three-part series to supporters with our broadcast partner ITV and broadcast sponsor Vodafone. Details on where the documentary will be shown in all other territories will be announced in due course.

The three hour-long episodes of Two Sides, produced by Whisper and T + W, will be shown on Sunday 19 June (10.20pm BST); Monday 20 June (10.45pm); and Tuesday 21 June (10.45pm). The first episode airs on ITV1 at 10.20pm this Sunday (19 June).

Speaking on the new documentary, Ben Calveley, British & Irish Lions Managing Director, said: “The British & Irish Lions and documentaries are inextricably linked. Going back to 1997 with the unforgettable ‘Living with Lions’, the Lions have produced a documentary capturing behind-the-scenes moments of every subsequent Tour. This particular documentary shows how both sides rose to the unprecedented challenge of hosting a major sporting event during a global pandemic.”

South African Rugby Union CEO Jurie Roux added: “I know rugby fans are going to find this documentary fascinating and entertaining in equal measure, with the added twist this time of getting a fly-on-the-wall view of both camps involved in this unique tour. We are delighted to partner with The British & Irish Lions on Two Sides, which will act as a wonderful archive for rugby fans to look back upon for decades to come.”

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Living With The Pride: British & Irish Lions 2009 tour documentary forgotten moments

Sky Sports is showing all of the documentaries covering the British & Irish Lions tours from 1997 to 2017. This week, we take a closer look at the 2009 documentary covering the tour to South Africa

By Sky Sports Rugby Union

Thursday 28 January 2021 06:00, UK

The British & Irish Lions returned to South Africa in 2009 seeking to restore their reputation following the whitewash against New Zealand four years earlier.

Ian McGeechan was back to oversee the team on this occasion, having done so 12 years earlier when the Lions scored a memorable triumph over the Springboks.

There would be no repeat this time around as the hosts took a 2-1 win in the Test series, but the tourists won acclaim in defeat, being narrowly denied a share of the spoils in the second Test by a last-second penalty and triumphing 28-9 in the third.

'Living With The Lions' forgotten moments

'Up Close And Personal' forgotten moments

'Inside the Lions Den' forgotten moments

What went on behind the scenes was captured in the documentary 'Living With The Pride' and we take a look at some of the key moments you may have forgotten…

1. O'Connell's captaincy call

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Being called up to a Lions squad is an honour reserved for a select few in its own right and being chosen as the man who will captain the team is a privilege even fewer players get to experience in their careers.

Ireland international Paul O'Connell was picked to lead the team in South Africa in 2009, although the second row revealed it took several attempts for head coach McGeechan to get hold of him to inform him of the good news.

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2. Choosing a squad

Narrowing down a longlist of contenders to the final squad for a tour is never an easy task and 'Living With The Pride' gave an insight into how the 37-man squad for the series against South Africa was selected.

Cameras were allowed into the final selection meeting as McGeechan, tour manager Gerald Davies and the rest of the coaching staff discussed the attributes they were looking for and what would be needed if the 2009 Lions were to defeat the Springboks.

3. The ultimate Lion

Who would be the person who best epitomises everything about the British & Irish Lions? Many would say Willie John McBride, while McGeechan himself would undoubtedly be in the discussion as well for his achievements with the team as a player and coach.

The former Scotland international had his own ideas about who was his ultimate Lion though, revealing who that was and explaining why as he spoke to his squad about his expectations of them while on tour.

4. Monye meets a fan

The Lions always attract plenty of interest wherever they tour and in 2009 that proved to be the case when they held an open training session shortly after arriving in South Africa.

Ugo Monye in particular had a young fan who admired him, although he was surprised when he found out how much the youngster's hoodie with Monye's name and number on it cost him.

5. The Bobby Cup

Strength and conditioning coach Paul 'Bobby' Stridgeon has become something of a cult hero to viewers of the more recent Lions documentaries and it was during the 2009 tour his unique sense of humour first came to light.

On this occasion, Stridgeon introduced the Bobby Cup, which was handed out to a man of the week from a winning team. First up to get this honour was Mike Blair, who was treated to a 'Through The Keyhole' video shown to all of his team-mates.

6. Geech's final speech

After suffering defeats in the first two Tests, particularly the agonising end to the second, the Lions arrived in Johannesburg for the final match of the series with the intention of ending on a high.

McGeechan urged his team pre-match to ensure they give everyone something positive to hold onto before the next tour to Australia commenced four years later, with the emotion of the occasion getting to the man himself.

Watch all of the documentaries covering the British & Irish Lions tours from 1997 to 2017 on Sky Sports over the coming weeks. Up next is 'Lions Raw', covering the 2013 tour of Australia, on Sky Sports Arena on Tuesday, February 2 at 10pm.

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Lions roar with Whisper in content production expansion

T he British and Irish Lions composite rugby union touring organization has today unveiled a multi-year partnership with UK sports and TV production firm Whisper.

Through the deal, the duo have created the Lions Productions arm, which will produce a documentary covering the men's team’s tour of Australia in mid-2025. In addition, Lions Productions will produce an array of in-house and behind-the-scenes content for the Lions’ women’s team, which launched in January and will tour New Zealand in 2027.

The deal builds on - and formalizes - an original deal between the Lions and Whisper which was struck in advance of the team’s tour of South Africa in 2021. Out of that trip, the documentary Two Sides was created by Whisper.

As was the case with that tour, Whisper will film the entire array of in-camp content that is produced in Australia - for broadcast, digital platforms, and highlights clips and packages.

The production firm will also act in an official capacity for the range of sponsors which will activate with the Lions in Australia, across the three tests in July and August next year.

That stable of commercial partners - at the moment - includes Fanatics, Canterbury, and Howden  (front-of-shirt sponsor).

Whisper adds this contract to its extensive rugby union content portfolio, having been a multi-year production partner for the World Rugby governing body, and having produced a show for the New Zealand Rugby official streaming platform, NZR+, during the men’s Rugby World Cup last year.

In addition, the company is a production partner for the Welsh Rugby Union, and broadcaster S4C in Wales , as well as for the BBC (the UK public-service broadcaster) for the Women’s Six Nations competition.

Ben Calveley, the British and Irish Lions chief executive, said: “The formation of Lions Productions with Whisper presents a milestone moment … For the first time the Lions now has an exclusive, in-house content offering which will allow us to bring fans premium and engaging content throughout our tour cycle.”

In March, the Lions - alongside Rugby Australia - entered into an exclusive tie-up with the Pitch International sports marketing agency .

The two organizations have appointed Pitch as the sole international media rights distribution partner for the tour of Australia.

Carys Owens, managing director at Whisper Cymru (its Welsh division), added: “Our last partnership brought great success and we will once again draw on the expertise of our documentary, digital, entertainment, and broadcast teams to produce exciting content for this groundbreaking agreement.”

The Australia tour marks the first time since 2013 that the country will play host to the Lions, which as a side is made up of players from England, Wales, Scotland, and Ireland.

The three tests are set for July 18 (Brisbane), July 26 (Melbourne), and August 2 (Sydney).

In mid-October, the Lions unveiled IMG, the global sports and entertainment agency,  as their worldwide licensing agency through 2027 .

In early 2023, meanwhile, the Lions and Rugby Australia launched a joint venture to combine their respective commercial offerings for the tour and brought in CSM as the tour’s exclusive sponsorship agent .

"Lions roar with Whisper in content production expansion" was originally created and published by Sportcal , a GlobalData owned brand.

The information on this site has been included in good faith for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to amount to advice on which you should rely, and we give no representation, warranty or guarantee, whether express or implied as to its accuracy or completeness. You must obtain professional or specialist advice before taking, or refraining from, any action on the basis of the content on our site.

Lions tour documentary review: Two Sides moves stale concept into professional era

The Lions 2021 tour documentary is a different beast and is better for it

• 14:39, 18 JUN 2022

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For the Lions tour unlike any other, it's fitting the documentary that follows is suitably unique.

For starters, this isn't the usual feature-length one-and-done documentary that has followed previous tours - starting with the superlative Living with the Lions that chronicled the 1997 tour. Instead, it takes the form of a three-parter.

In South Africa, those three episodes aired weekly. When it is broadcast on ITV from Sunday night, it will be nightly - aired over three consecutive nights.

Read more: Lions tour 2021 documentary to finally air in UK this weekend

The other novelty for this series is, as the title Two Sides suggests, it's not just pulling the curtains back on the tourists, but the hosts as well. For the first time, we see into the Springbok camp.

And, while this series doesn't have the same humour as those earlier documentaries, that decision alone to look at both sides breathes life into a concept which, in recent outings, had become a bit stale. This format, coupled with the drama that unfolded due to the unprecedented challenges of Covid-19, makes for interesting, if slightly different, viewing.

If the original documentary was borne out of the amateur era, with what followed simply trying to recapture that magic, then this one certainly feels like the first properly tailored for the professional era.

There's no clips of kangaroo courts or raucous drinking sessions. Instead, there's moments of genuine intensity and high stakes mixed with family features that only serve to illuminate the sacrifices it takes to be on a Lions tour.

"We're going to win the f*****g tour," Warren Gatland says enthusiastically before the journey has begun. "The challenge is about us fronting up physically, about us seeking those sorts of challenges, about expectations that we have in this squad about winning the series."

There are nice pieces with Josh Adams' partner and Liam Williams' family and friends, with the former elaborating on the birth of daughter Lottie that became a plotline throughout the tour. The latter is interspersed with an interview with the mother of Springbok centre Lukhanyo Am, demonstrating the varied paths both have taken to the top.

However, perhaps the most revealing part of the first episode is simply how close the plug was to being pulled on the whole tour.

With Covid having ripped through their squad, Director of rugby Rassie Erasmus said at one stage the players and management held a meeting with SA Rugby CEO Jurie Roux where they felt they couldn't go ahead with the tour.

"Then we basically gave up," Erasmus says. "I called the players together and said: 'Guys, I'm going to call these guys and say the tour's off... if we've got stay here again and miss that SA A game. We would basically have played one match against Georgia'.

"I'm going to f*****g phone Jurie now and ask him, because we can't do it man. We're playing in two days' time."

There's little insights into a fraught Zoom call between Lions and Springbok management over the future of the tour, with Gatland revealing "he (Rassie) was saying his players were going to walk out of the squad".

Obviously, a resolution was found, but it's fascinating to see just how dramatic some of these moments were. So too the effect of positive Covid tests in camp.

While it certainly seemed dramatic last year when players were dropping out of squads at the last minute, the reality of the situation in camp didn't always shine through. It does here, especially with the Boks.

We get a closer look into what quarantining in their rooms looked like weeks out from their biggest Test series in over a decade. Assistant coach Mzwandile Stick calls it the "closest thing [to] being in jail".

The first episode builds to the Lions' sobering defeat to South Africa 'A', made up largely of Springbok stars. It is, of course, the game that set the Test series up nicely and there's nice, little moments of dressing room talk that hint at what's to come.

"Boys, they are s**t scared," declares Erasmus.

In the Lions huddle, stand-in captain Conor Murray gives his own impassioned speech. "They'll f*****g go away if we f*****g attack them in the first 10 minutes, yeah? They won't want to f*****g know about it.

"We f*****g go violent in that f*****g breakdown."

The end of the first episode is something reminiscent of a Bond film. Having seen tour captain Alun Wyn Jones a broken man after his seemingly tour-ending injury against Japan, with one shot just lingering on a solitary Jones with his head in his one good hand after requesting to be alone, the episode ends with news reports on his startling recovery.

And then, a simple shot of the Wales lock letting out a grin. Not a bad way to end an episode.

With the return of Jones and Rassiegate, there's more than enough for this documentary to get its teeth into in episodes two and three.

• 'Two Sides', produced by Whisper and T + W, will be shown on Sunday 19 June (10.20pm BST); Monday 20 June (10.45pm); and Tuesday 21 June (10.45pm) on ITV1
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Lions Productions formed with Whisper

The British & Irish Lions have partnered with entertainment production company Whisper to create Lions Productions ahead of the 2025 Tour to Australia.

The partnership will see Lions Productions produce the documentary for the 2025 Tour as well as all in-house content production and exclusive behind-the-scenes content including for the newly formed Lions Women’s Team.

The formation of Lions Productions formalises a partnership which for the 2021 Tour delivered the Emmy-nominated all-access documentary Two Sides . This built on a heritage of iconic British & Irish Lions Tour documentaries and also told the story from within the South African camp for the first time.

This longer-term agreement will mean that as in 2021 Whisper will film all in-camp content incorporating broadcast, highlight packages and official digital content.

As well as being the exclusive provider of Lions content, Lions Productions will also act as the in-Tour production company for The British & Irish Lions partners, who together with the Lions and Whisper are focused on leveraging the reach and appeal of the Tour through ambitious and creative storytelling.

Whisper has been a multi-year production partner for World Rugby and produced the Front Row Daily Show for the All Blacks’ streaming platform NZR+ during the 2023 Rugby World Cup. Whisper Cymru produced the Rugby World Cup for S4C, and it is production partner for the Welsh Rugby Union as well as producing the Women’s Six Nations for the BBC.

Ben Calveley, CEO, British & Irish Lions said, “We are delighted to announce the formation of Lions Productions with Whisper which presents a milestone moment for The British & Irish Lions. For the first time the Lions now has an exclusive, in-house content offering which will allow us to bring fans premium and engaging content throughout our Tour cycle. We know how important connecting with our fans is and Lions Productions will allow us to do so like never before as well as providing greater value for our partners.”

Carys Owens, Managing Director, Whisper Cymru : “Delivering sport as entertainment and telling great stories is what we do at Whisper, so to join forces with a formidable sporting brand like The British & Irish Lions and its partners, who are bursting with stories waiting to be told, is beyond exciting. Our last partnership brought great success and we will once again draw on the expertise of our documentary, digital, entertainment and broadcast teams to produce exciting content for this groundbreaking agreement.”

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New Matthew Stafford documentary shows return and loss to Detroit Lions in playoffs

Matthew Stafford knew what was coming when he returned to face the Detroit Lions in the first round of the 2023 playoffs.

In a documentary feature produced by the Los Angeles Rams titled "Matthew Stafford: Locked In," the former Lions franchise quarterback for 12 seasons said he wasn't expecting a warm welcome coming back to Detroit because he knew the fanbase's passion and desire to win in the playoffs. The documentary will air on Rams’ channels and NFL Network on Thursday at 8 p.m.

"People are like, 'Oh they are going to give you an ovation or a video on the board,'" Stafford said in the documentary. "I'm like, 'Guys I know what I'm about to get from these people. They love their football, they love their Lions.'"

The 43-minute documentary focuses on Stafford's life as an NFL quarterback while balancing being a father of four and a husband. It goes through Rams' strong finish to the season, where they finished 7-1 over the last two months to secure a wild-card spot and a chance to square off with the Lions and Jared Goff, the other quarterback involved in the trade in 2021.

The documentary mainly focuses on the Rams' season from Week 15 onward, showing the Rams' final push to the playoffs and the feelings about a looming matchup with the Lions.

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The movie builds to a climax of the Stafford family returning to Detroit for the first time for the playoff matchup. Matthew Stafford and his wife Kelly talked about what the city of Detroit meant to them as a couple who started a family there and were involved in the community through things like philanthropic efforts with organizations like SAY Detroit .

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"It was 12 years in Detroit where I felt like we made a lasting impact on the community," Matthew Stafford said. "Definitely did some stuff that we're really proud of and it is still there and still ongoing."

Kelly Stafford said: "Being back in a place where you spent 12 years and you had all your children and we had a lot of big things happen there, including my surgery, where I felt like that city really rallied behind me. The feelings of being back in a place like that are hard to control."

The Lions-Rams playoff matchup was the first time Matthew Stafford or his family have been at Ford Field since his last game before the trade. Matthew Stafford described the feeling of walking into the familiar building as a visitor as odd, from using the visitor's entrance and having to do security required for the road team.

The documentary shows Matthew Stafford going through his normal pre-game routine and making the walk out of the tunnel, where he was met with a wave of resounding boos. Matthew Stafford, who was mic'd up during the game, expected it.

"Yeah c'mon, bring that s—" Matthew Stafford said as he ran out of the tunnel listening to the boos.

It then cut to a sitdown interview with him, where he said, "They booed the s— out of me which was cool."

Kelly said that hearing the boos gave her final closure in the trade and move and Matthew Stafford felt motivated to put on a show to disappoint the crowd.

"It fired me up to go out there and try to go for 400 and a bunch of touchdowns and let them know what they're missing," Matthew Stafford said.

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The documentary briefly flashed Goff while NBC announcers were billing the matchup as the two former No. 1 overall picks traded for each other now facing off. Rams head coach Sean McVay said he was "tremendously grateful" for Goff's time in L.A., but is happy with Matthew Stafford.

After the buildup, the highlights of the game began. The Lions jumped out to a 14-3 lead in the first half and a 21-17 lead at half. Detroit added a field goal on the first possession of the second half but didn't score again. The defense held the Rams to two field goals in the final 20 minutes to win 24-23 for the franchise's first postseason win in 32 years .

Matthew Stafford is the focus, however, so it showed the magnificent throws he pulled off and the injuries he suffered throughout the game. He cut his throwing hand on Alim McNeill's helmet and re-injured his ribs, a nagging injury for him, after he fell on top of the ball and when Aidan Hutchinson flattened him. Through it all, cameras show Kelly and the Stafford family's reaction as he took the beating and still delivered 367 yards and two touchdowns.

The final moments of the documentary show Matthew Stafford shaking hands with Goff and saying the Lions had a great team, before he walks off into the Ford Field tunnel to hug Frank Ragnow, where they say they missed each other. The former Lions quarterback ends by saying he still has plenty left he wants to accomplish, mainly winning another Super Bowl.

U.K. Monarchy Documentary ‘2024: A Hundred Days That Rocked the Royals’ Boarded by Keshet International (EXCLUSIVE)

The doc, which explores the cancer diagnoses of King Charles and Kate Middleton, premieres Saturday on Channel 5

By Ellise Shafer

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Keshet International has acquired exclusive worldwide distribution rights to the feature-length documentary “2024: A Hundred Days That Rocked the Royals” from Oscar-nominated banner ITN Productions.

Commissioned by Channel 5, where it will premiere in the U.K. on Saturday at 1 p.m., the documentary “retells the unprecedented series of crises faced by the royal family in the first three months of 2024 — crises that threatened the very fabric of the monarchy,” according to its synopsis. “A king fighting cancer, a princess undergoing preventative chemotherapy and an heir torn between privacy and duty are just some of the struggles the royal family had to endure.”

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“We are very happy to be partnering with ITN Productions for the very first time on this timely feature doc,” said Anke Stoll, Keshet’s SVP of acquisitions and co-productions. “Their world-leading reputation in producing fast-turnaround documentaries combined with their enviable archive and journalistic skills ensure they’re perfectly placed to produce a topical but sensitive one-off about the Royal Family.”

ITN Productions most recently received a best feature documentary Oscar nomination in 2020 for “For Sama,” which follows journalist Waad Al-Kateab throughout the Syrian uprising. Its first Oscar nomination came in 2017 for “Watani: My Homeland” in the documentary short subject category.

“Global interest in the British monarchy remains extremely high, and we are delighted to be working with Keshet International to take this story into the international market,” said Ian Russell, ITN Productions’ head of international programs. “ITN Productions is known for our ability to react quickly to current events and produce rigorous, high-quality documentaries and this commission for Channel 5 in the U.K. is an excellent example of that.”

Keshet’s upcoming spring unscripted slate includes “Earthbound,” a docuseries narrated by Orlando Bloom; “SAS: Catching the Criminals,” a crime series presented by ex-SAS leader Billy Billingham for BBC One; and “Arctic Wildlife in Lapland,” a natural history docuseries focusing on Fennoscandia’s landscape.

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