BBC3′s upcoming slate focuses on birth

August 24, 2012 by Kelly Anderson

BBC3

A season dedicated to birthing, a factual series on Jack Osbourne’s Multiple Sclerosis diagnosis, and a follow-up to BBC1 doc Poor Kids are among the titles on BBC3′s factual slate, revealed by channel controller Zai Bennett at the Edinburgh International Television Festival.

In the spring, BBC3 will launch a Birthing Britain Season, with five series and specials dedicated to life as a young parent living in Britain today.

The season includes New Kids On The Block (w/t), a 4 x one-hour series from Firecracker Films about four sets of parents facing first-time parenthood; and Prison Dads (w/t), a one-off from Minnow Films on young offenders who cope with becoming fathers behind bars.

Firecracker is also making the 90-minute film We’re Having A Baby (w/t), which gives young parents the cameras as they film themselves over six months capturing the twists and turns of pregnancy all the way to the delivery room.

Elsewhere, Stacey Solomon: Teenage Mums (w/t) is an Exclusive TV one-hour special following the X Factor finalist as she opens up about her post-natal depression, while meeting other young mothers also going through PND.

Dads In The Delivery Room (w/t), meanwhile, takes up the challenge of becoming ‘super dads’ in the delivery room, based on a recent report from the Royal College of Midwives that fathers should take on more of a role in maternity care. The 6 x one-hour series is executive produced by Elliot Reed for BBC Productions.

The pubcaster also revealed other factual series, which include Jack Osbourne: Beating MS, a one-hour special following Jack Osbourne’s quest to learn what his future holds as a 26-year-old recently diagnosed with the degenerative disease Multiple Sclerosis. It is a Schweet/Alleycats coproduction.

Poor Teens is a follow-up to the BBC1 documentary Poor Kids, shown last year. The two-part series from True Vision will examine life through the eyes of UK teenagers struggling to make ends meet.

“At BBC3 we’re never afraid to try new things, and we’re the only channel that brings such a rich and diverse offering specifically to young audiences in the UK,” said BBC3 controller Zai Bennett.

Tags: BBC, BBC3, Birthing Britain Season, Dads in the Delivery Room, Firecracker Films, Jack Osbourne: Beating MS, Media Guardian Edinburgh International Television Festival, Minnow Films, New Kids on the Block, Prison Dads, Stacey Solomon: Teenage Mums, Zai Bennett