Making the moment: an inspiring year in British television

Our Chief Creative Officer Mark Linsey takes a look back at how BBC Studios and its indie partners delivered some of the most remarkable TV moments of 2021.?

What do a silent dance… the world’s wildlife in lockdown … a princess in a pre-loved dress… and a Hollywood star-Banksy mash-up have in common? All were remarkable TV moments in 2021, which pushed the boundaries of creativity and practicality and won awards.?They told stories that moved and inspired us during a global pandemic; and they were amongst the thousands of hours of television produced and distributed by the talented teams at BBC Studios and our indie partners.?Here are some of the highlights.?

Stories that stir

Whether the gripping realism of Jimmy McGovern’s critically acclaimed Time on BBC One, ?which was filmed on location in Liverpool during lockdown by BBC Studios Drama Productions and watched by 9.3m viewers; Steve McQueen’s ground-breaking five-part anthology series Small Axe for BBC One, which was distributed by BBC Studios internationally; or the climax of ?EastEnders’ powerful child abuse storyline, which featured the square’s first deaf character (played by Rose Ayling-Ellis - more on her to come) these were stories that demanded we sit up and pay attention.

?In real life

While we all stayed at home BBC Studios shows and events kept us entertained. One-off film The Year Earth Changed for AppleTV+ looked at the impact of lockdown on the global ecosystem. It was made in record time by local teams in each location with no international travel – a first for a natural history programme. The Surgeon’s Cut for Netflix, which followed four visionary surgeons pioneering new approaches to the most difficult operations, captivated audiences and won multiple awards, including an Emmy, BAFTA and RTS award. And in the wake of COP26, BBC Studios was the broadcast and event partner for The Earthshot Prize on BBC One. Launched by HRH Prince William and The Royal Foundation, the new annual prize looks for innovations to help clean our air, and protect oceans and nature. With vegan food and pre-loved clothing for those attending, the awards ceremony was a powerful and positive move towards finding solutions for climate change.

Humour and heart

There was escapism for those who needed it: Trying, BBC Studios’ first commission for Apple tackled the thorny issue of becoming a parent, following a chaotic couple in the ups and downs on their journey to adoption. The first season was such a hit that two more have series already been commissioned. Set in Bristol and written by Stephen Merchant for BBC One and Amazon, comedy thriller Outlaws features a motley crew of petty criminals carrying out community service and getting?into deeper trouble as they go. Starring Christopher Walken, who paints over a Banksy original in the show, it blends humour, action and epic plot twists, with another series ordered for us to distribute worldwide.

A much-needed bit of sparkle

We ended the year with some seriously good entertainment, both new and established. Fresh dating-and-dancing format I Like The Way U Move launched on BBC Three, and in the year it reached 60 countries worldwide, Strictly Come Dancing – known as Dancing with the Stars overseas – reached two inspiring new firsts. All-male couple John Whaite and Johannes Radebe gave us possibly the snakiest hips of any series to date, and the dances of the UK’s first deaf celebrity contestant Rose Ayling-Ellis and her partner Giovanni Pernice resulted in a staggering 488% increase in searches online for sign language. Their couples’ choice dance, featuring a silent section as a tribute to the deaf community, was voted the TV moment of the year. And what a moment it was!

Coming up…

And there are lots more treats in store for 2022. From our indie partners, Baby Cow’s Chivalry written by – and starring – Steve Coogan and Sarah Solemani, comes to Channel 4, season two of Gentleman Jack from Lookout Point arrives on BBC One and HBO; Life After Life from Kate Atkinson’s bestselling novel by House Productions is also scheduled for BBC One; while Nicole Lecky’s Mood (formerly Superhoe) is scheduled to appear on?BBC Three. BBC Studios is distributing all these shows ?internationally.?

Meanwhile, BBC Studios’ world-renowned Natural History Unit is producing for BBC One and PBS in America The Green Planet, a five-part landmark series on plants , narrated by the one and only Sir David Attenborough. Michael Sheen and David Tennant have reprised their other-worldly friendship for a new series of Good Omens for Amazon Prime Video. And Silent Witness, the longest running crime drama anywhere in the world, celebrates its 25th?series next year with the return of Amanda Burton as Sam?Ryan on BBC One.

These are just a handful of titles that we can look forward to next year,?when BBC Studios continues its mission to make and take bold British content to UK audiences and showcase British creativity to the rest of the world.