TV Programmes

TV programmes

1. Panorama: The Secret Letters of Pope John Paul II TX: 15/02/2016 Dur: 29'00" Broadcaster: BBC 1 Production Company: Blakeway

This film – for the BBC, Arte and PBS - made headlines in newspapers around the world. It was the result of a 4-year investigation by journalist Edward Stourton. He discovered hundreds of letters and photographs that revealed an intense emotional relationship between Pope John Paul 11 and a married woman, Polish born American philosopher, Anna Teresa Tymieniecka, which spanned 30 years (from his time as a Cardinal until his death as Pope). The letters had been acquired for a six figure sum by the Polish National Library, and were then hidden away while the process of securing sainthood for John Paul was in progress. The revelations turned what might have been a history programme into a current affairs investigation. It would seem there was a cover-up.

Following a tip-off that the letters existed, it took two years to track them down and another year to gain access to them. It was clear Anna Teresa had fallen in love with John Paul and had declared that love. There is no evidence that the relationship was physical, but the prudent course would have been to end it. John Paul was determined it should continue, and even tried to justify it in religious terms.

The letters had been sold to the Polish Library by Anna Teresa after the death of her husband, and Stourton assumed that the archive consisted simply of John Paul’s letters to her. But during the making of the film, he discovered that HER letters to him were also part of the sale (she had kept copies of everything). The Library refused to grant access to those letters, and even refused to reveal their whereabouts. Its lawyer confirmed the Library owned the copyright to Anna-Teresa’s letters, and threatened to sue if the film quoted any part of them via a different source. What are they scared of? Friends of Anna Teresa say she felt that the Catholic hierarchy wanted to write her out of history; it seems some in the Vatican saw her friendship and influence on John Paul as a threat to the Church’s position on the role of women and the doctrine of papal infallibility. Traditionally popes were not supposed to need the companionship of a woman, far less to be influenced by one.

During the making of the film, the government in Poland changed. The new government is Right- wing, nationalist, and closely allied with the Catholic Church; since its election a climate of fear pervades many areas of Polish public life. The National Library, having granted access, suddenly withdrew consent for broadcast and threatened legal action.

Broadcast went ahead despite the threats and triggered a storm in the Catholic world. It started a debate about celibacy, and when Pope Francis was asked about the programme he conceded ` women are still not considered so well, we have not understood the good that a woman can do for the life of the priest and the Church in the sense of counsel and healthy friendship.’

2. The Hunt for Classroom Extremists TX: 21/11/2016 Dur: 30'00" Broadcaster: BBC 1 Production Company: BBC Birmingham

This documentary from BBC Birmingham raises fresh questions about the role of Islam in British schools.

Two years ago Government investigators found evidence of a plot by governors to introduce a strict Islamic ethos in non-faith schools in Birmingham. It became known as the 'Trojan Horse plot'. But with exclusive interviews from former governors, teachers and Government inspectors, The Hunt for Classroom Extremists questions the official account of what happened and explores the implications for the teaching of religion in all schools.

The programme was first broadcast on BBC One in the West Midlands and then subsequently on the BBC News Channel.

3. My Mediterranean with Adrian Chiles (Part 1) TX: 05/01/2016 Dur: 60’00” Broadcaster: BBC 2 Production Company: StoryVault Films

Adrian Chiles believes in God. Brought up by atheist parents, he converted to Catholicism just before his fortieth birthday. In this two-part series he travels to the Mediterranean where Jews, Christians and Muslims have lived cheek by jowl for millennia. Adrian sets out to discover whether away from headlines about fundamentalism and religious fervour, the three Abrahamic faiths have more to unite them than divides them?

4. My Mediterranean with Adrian Chiles (Part 2) TX: 12/01/2016 Dur: 60’00” Broadcaster: BBC 2 Production Company: StoryVault Films

5. Children Saved by the Nazis: The Story of Sir Nicholas Winton TX: 27/01/2016 Dur: 60’00” Broadcaster: BBC 1 Production Company: W.I.P / Trigon Production / BBC One

Our company TRANSMEDIA INTERNATIONAL RELEASING, are the UK Rights Holders & Distributors. We worked closely in association with the BBC to bring this wonderful Documentary to viewers last Holocaust Memorial Day (January 2016).

6. A Timewatch Guide: The Crusades TX: 03/02/2016 Dur: 59’00” Broadcaster: BBC Four Production Company: 360 Production Ltd.

No additional information provided.

7. The Girl who Forgave the Nazis TX: 21/01/2016 Dur: 47’00” Broadcaster: Channel 4 Production Company: Testimony Films This is a heart-breaking and thought provoking film about some of the last survivors of Auschwitz - and one that challenges us to consider our own views on forgiveness. In 2015, a 93 year old ex Nazi called Oskar Groening was brought to trial, accused of being an accessory to the murder of over 300,000 Hungarian Jews at Auschwitz. Survivors were called upon to tell their stories. Still haunted by the Holocaust, this was their last chance for justice.

But during the trial, one survivor shocked everyone. In court, Eva Kor hugged Groening, and forgave him for what he'd done. The other survivors were outraged.

So who is Eva Kor, and why has she chosen to do the unthinkable, and forgive the Nazis? In a candid interview, Eva recalls the tragic events of her life that led her on the path to forgiveness - from the murder of her family at Auschwitz, to the sinister experiments carried out on her and her twin sister Miriam, by the notorious Nazi doctor, Josef Mengele. Intercut with Eva's personal testimony, we tell the story of the trial of Oskar Groening through one of the Nazi hunters who brought him to trial.

And we contrast Eva's views on forgiveness with those of the other witnesses, who each lost parents and siblings at Auschwitz. Unlike Eva, they can never forgive.

"A brave and important film." The Times "An extraordinary film." The Observer "An incredibly moving documentary." The Independent

8. A World Without Down's Syndrome TX: 15/10/2016 Dur: 59’00” Broadcaster: BBC 2 Production Company: Dragonfly Film and Television

Actress and writer Sally Phillips is a mother to three boys, all of whom like swimming, cricket, ice- cream and Barcelona football club. Olly, the eldest, also has Down’s Syndrome.

Following the announcement that a new screening test is said to detect Down’s Syndrome in pregnancies with 99% accuracy, Sally examines this emotionally charged subject and asks what effect the test could have on our society.

While some welcome this test, others believe it will have a catastrophic impact on the Down’s Syndrome population. There are no prenatal treatments for Down’s Syndrome except termination and currently 9 out of 10 British women terminate after receiving a positive diagnosis. Statistics are disputed, but some argue that in the last ten years, the number of terminations has gone up by 40%[1] and since the NIPT has been available in the private sector, terminations have gone up by a third.

This comes at a stage when for the first time in history people with Down’s Syndrome can expect better health, life expectancy, wellbeing and employment opportunities.

In A World Without Down’s Syndrome? Sally meets key players on both sides of this emotionally charged debate and ponders some of the ethical questions around future scientific developments. What we will be able to screen for next and what do our screening choices reveal about us, and what we really value? How inclusive are we really?

Sally meets advocates for those with Down’s Syndrome including Professor Sue Buckley, whose pioneering research has enabled thousands of children with Down’s syndrome around the world to be educated alongside their peers; wild swimmer, special Olympian and Down’s Syndrome self- advocate Karen Gaffney, blogger Hayley Goleniowska; 32 year old Halldora who is one of the few people in Iceland with Down’s Syndrome; and Liam Bairstow, the 28 year old actor from ‘Coronation Street’.

To discover more about screening Sally meets professionals including Kypros Nicolaides, a world expert on maternal fetal medicine; Lyn Chitty, the only professor of genetics and foetal medicine in the UK and Jane Fisher who runs a charity supporting women through pre-testing and diagnosis as well as a women who chose to terminate.

At a time when where pre-natal genetic screening is predicted to become routine, the Government is making important decisions about the Down’s Syndrome Screening Pathway and the Nuffield Council for Bioethics are debating this very issue, this documentary hopes to bring these difficult questions into the public arena so we can all be part of the debates that shape our society’s future.

The one hour documentary is presented and co-written by Sally Phillips and is produced by Dragonfly, part of Endemol Shine Group. The Executive Producer is Emma Loach and the Producer/ Director is Clare Richards. It was commissioned by Maxine Watson, Commissioning Editor, Documentaries.

9. Older Than Ireland TX: 31/08/2016 Dur: 1hr17m.38s Broadcaster: RTÉ 1 Production Company: Atom Films

Reviews/press: http://atomfilms.ie/press/

10. Ross Kemp The Fight Against ISIS TX: 14/07/2016 Dur: 65’00” Broadcaster: Sky 1 Production Company: Freshwater Films

No additional information provided.

11. The Forgotten Children TX: 04/10/2016 Dur: 60’00” Broadcaster: ITV 1 Production Company: Wild Pictures / ITV

No additional information provided.

12. Jesus Code: The Turin Shroud TX: 20/03/2016 Dur: 45’00” Broadcaster: Discovery UK Production Company: Nutopia Ltd.

There is no record of what Jesus looked like in the New Testament. There are no contemporary descriptions at all. However, the Bible does record how Joseph of Arimathea, a member of the Jewish council, and a sympathiser with Jesus, wrapped his dead body in expensive linen, and buried it in his own family tomb. In the 14th Century a shroud, bearing the image of crucified man, surfaces in France, before eventually finding a home in Turin. Is this the very shroud that Joseph wrapped Jesus in? Is the image of the man Jesus Christ? The shroud appears to tell the whole story of Jesus’ Passion in one image – the scourging; the Crown of Thorns; carrying the cross; the Crucifixion; the spear in his side.

For centuries, the shroud is a source of great controversy – many Christians believe it is genuine, but others have their doubts.

In 1978 a team of scientists lead by former US Navy physicist Dr John Jackson spend five days intensively studying the shroud, before ultimately concluding that the shroud is genuine. It isn’t a forgery or the work of an artist. But a decade later, in 1988, the shroud is subject to Radiocarbon 14 dating – scientists at three separate laboratories date the samples of the Shroud to some point between AD1260–1390.

Strongly suggesting, the shroud is a medieval fake after all.

In a final twist, the film visits the Cathedral of San Salvador, in Oviedo, Spain, where there is another burial cloth venerated as having covered the face of Jesus. Could it undermine the carbon dating of the Turin Shroud and throw current popular thinking back in to doubt?

13. Jesus Code: The True Cross TX: 17/04/2016 Dur: 45’00” Broadcaster: Discovery UK Production Company: Nutopia Ltd.

This episode investigates the incredible legend of the True Cross, the actual cross Jesus died on. Considered by many to be the greatest relic in Christianity it boasts an amazing back-story. According to Church Tradition, the mother of the Roman Emperor travels to the Holy Land three hundred years after Jesus’ death. Empress Helena, as she is known, and her son Constantine are the first openly Christian rulers of the Roman Empire. On the site of Christ’s crucifixion she discovers the remains of three wooden crosses. News of the discovery spreads across the Empire and the legend will help turn Christianity from an underground cult into a global religion. But how much of this legend is true?

In drama, we reconstruct Helena’s epic quest. At the age of almost 80 she sets off on an arduous journey to walk in the footsteps of Christ but we’ll reveal an incredible tale of murder and deceit that could turn her pilgrimage into an act of penance. Helena arrives in Jerusalem only to discover that all traces of Jesus appear to have been eradicated. Using the Gospels, she painstakingly reconstructs his final moments but what happens on the site of Jesus’s crucifixion? We know that Helena was in the Holy Land and we learn that pieces of the True Cross were being traded around the world shortly after her trip, but could she possibly have found the cross Jesus died on?

In documentary sequences, we follow archaeologist Dr. Georges Kazan as he travels around the world searching for a piece of the True Cross that he can carbon-date. This will be the first time a piece of the True Cross itself will be tested in this way. Will it date back to the time of Helena or even to the time of Christ himself?

14. The Sikhs of Smethwick TX: 01/12/2016 Dur: 60’00” Broadcaster: BBC 4 Production Company: Blakeway Productions

Producer - Billy Dosanjh Executive Producer - Denys Blakeway

Midlands filmmaker Billy Dosanjh celebrates 50 years of the Sikhs in his hometown of Smethwick, from their arrival in the late 1950s and early 60s to the present day. Using rare archive and the frank personal testimony of different generations of Smethwick's Sikhs, he explores the experiences of the changing traditions and the challenges to centuries old traditions - especially in love and marriage - that life in modern Britain brings.

Using rare and unseen archive Billy goes on a moving journey through space and time - from farm life in northern India to the searing heat of work in the steel factories of Britain's Black Country; from extreme rural poverty to the have-it-all consumer culture of today; from strict traditions to a world of tolerance and the modern permissive society.

Billy tells of the hostility and tough working conditions the first Sikhs experienced when they arrived in Smethwick. He shows the old customs that they tried to keep from their impoverished villages in the Punjab. Examining the challenges of the modern world and how their traditions have evolved, especially when it comes to love and marriage, Billy gives a personal insight to the world of his community, and the way its culture has adapted across the generations to the challenges of life in modern Britain.

Guardian review at https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2016/dec/02/the-sikhs-of- smethwick-review-making-the-black-country-a-better-place

15. How To Die: Simon's Choice TX: 10/02/2016 Dur: 90’00” Broadcaster: BBC 2 Production Company: Minnow Films

Simon is a successful businessman with a loving family and large circle of friends whose world falls apart when he is diagnosed with an aggressive form of motor neurone disease and given two years to live. Within weeks of the diagnosis the disease causes Simon to lose the use of his voice. Faced with the prospect of a rapid physical decline, Simon tells his family that he is considering ending his life at a Swiss suicide clinic.

Filmed and directed by award-winning filmmaker Rowan Deacon, and made in partnership with The Open University, this intimate and deeply moving film follows Simon and his family and friends as they grapple with the huge moral, emotional and legal dilemmas around Simon's choice. Their conflicting perspectives unearth difficult questions for Simon which means that his heart-wrenching decision is hanging in the balance until the very end.

Shot against the backdrop of the 2015 parliamentary debate on the Assisted Dying Bill, Simon’s remarkable story explores the complex human questions at the heart of this deeply divisive issue.

“An intimate and deeply affecting film, a landmark documentary” The Telegraph

“As an intelligent, passionate debate, the film was first class” The Times

“This film should be compulsory viewing” The Independent

16. The Boy With No Brain TX: 12/10/2016 Dur: 60’00” Broadcaster: Channel 5 Production Company: markthree media

No additional information provided.

17. America's Hate Preachers TX: 11/10/2016 Dur: 42’40” Broadcaster: BBC 3 Production Company: BBC3 Current Affairs

The vimeo link is from when the film was shown on BBC One, and can be viewed/downloaded anytime in a low-res format. The password for this is: HatePreachers2016

However, the original BBC3 programme will be available on Iplayer for the next two months. This version is higher resolution and a more pleasant way of viewing the documentary. http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/p049v0dm/americas-hate-preachers?suggid=p049v0dm

America's Hate Preachers was the first documentary I made. I filmed, directed and scripted it on my own, often spending long periods of time with my contributors as they travelled across the United States. It was both mentally and physically tough, and often unnerving, but ultimately enlightening.

I wrote an article about my time with some of the contributors here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/bbcthree/item/2e465c60-cdd3-48f5-8944-e9b2786e3ce9

The film was the second-highest watched programme on Iplayer in the two days after its online release in October. It was subsequently broadcast on BBC One after the news on 21st November where it got 1.44m viewers – the highest share for that slot.

I followed Steven Anderson and Ruben Israel in an interesting and turbulent time for Evangelical Christians in America. Each man's group is on the extreme edges of the Christian faith, but their dissatisfaction with current politics and yearning for a figure who in some ways embodies their ideals hinted at some of the bigger reasons why Evangelicals overwhelmingly voted for Trump in the US elections.

Homosexuality, the role of women, abortion and race are still very controversial topics in America. More than many people in the UK realise. The right to freedom of speech means that lies and falsehoods can and are spread about people from different religions and backgrounds in quite a shocking way.

What I hope my film achieved was to show how the price of freedom of speech is a great public duty to challenge falsehood, prejudice and xenophobia where it arises.

18. Breaking the Silence: Britain's Adoption Scandal TX: 09/11/2016 Dur: 47’30” Broadcaster: ITV Production Company: Ronachan Films

In the three decades following the Second World War, half a million women had a child adopted – most were babies born to young unmarried mothers. Told in their own words, this documentary special in the Exposure strand featured the stories of some of the many thousands of women who were pressured by Church and State into giving up their babies for adoption. Decades later, the film reveals how young women were coerced, denied their rights to financial support and at times subjected to punishing and degrading treatment by the professionals who had a duty to protect them. The programme led the Archbishop of Westminster to issue an apology – for the first time – for the “hurt caused” by agencies acting in the name of the Catholic Church.

The Church of England too expressed its “great regret” for the “great hurt” caused.

The programme prompted a legal call for a public inquiry into historical adoption practices. On the morning following its broadcast, a delegation of birth parents, represented by lawyers from Bhatt Murphy and Matrix Chambers, submitted a formal request to the Home Secretary for a public inquiry.

Since transmission, the number of birth mothers, fathers and adopted adults contributing statements to the call for an inquiry has swelled to 100.

The documentary generated widespread news coverage in the broadsheet and tabloid press, including a double-page spread in the Daily Mirror. The film’s contributors were interviewed on Radio 4’s Today programme, BBC Breakfast News, ITV National News bulletins, BBC Radio 2 Jeremy Vine Show and numerous other broadcast outlets.

It trended on Twitter, its finding were reported in The Washington Post, and it prompted The Guardian to launch its own investigation into historical forced adoption practices. The film received strong reviews in The Daily Telegraph, The Times and Daily Mail, among many.

According to the Daily Mail, the film “built to a devastating emotional pitch and delivered a seismic shock at the end…One tale of heartbreak makes moving television; the same tale repeated over and over becomes a national travesty.”

Director & Producer: Alice Perman Assistant Producer: Rory Toher Film Editor: Jake Martin Production Manager: Roxana Portase Executive Producer: Sam Collyns

19. Stacey on The Frontline: Girls, Guns and ISIS TX: 17/11/2016 Dur: 45’00” Broadcaster: BBC 3 Production Company: Insight TWI

Link to BBC Media Centre synopsis: http://www.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre/proginfo/2016/46/stacey- on-the-frontline

Reviews: http://www.spiked-online.com/newsite/article/stacey-dooley-an-antidote-to-compassion- fatigue/19112#.WH-GYbaLR-U

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-4130308/Christopher-Stevens-reviews-night-s- TV.html

20. Muslims Like Us TX: 12/12/2016 Dur: 59’00” Broadcaster: BBC 2 Production Company: BBC/Love Productions

No additional information supplied.

21. Christmas Celebration TX: 24/12/2016 Dur: 44’00” Broadcaster: BBC One Scotland Production Company: Tern Television Productions

This programme won a 16% share compared to network's equivalent - 9%, so it clearly had a strong appeal to the audience. It is not a documentary, so narrative will, we hope, be judged by criteria appropriate to the genre. The balance of music and words gave an emotional insight into the Christmas message described by one atheist 80 year old viewer, who told us he had been moved to tears, as the best telling of the story he had ever heard. The programme contained several specially commissioned original musical arrangements intended to take well known carols a stage forward from the Willcocks arrangements which have been around for decades, and for this, as well as for craft skills of directing, camera, editing and sound, we hope this may be considered.

22. Why Are We Here episode 2 TX: 01/11/2016 Dur: 48’00” Broadcaster: Curiosity Stream https://app.curiositystream.com/video/1646#! Production Company: Tern Television Productions

This is the second programme of a series of four which in turn are part of a four year project undertaken by Tern and funded by the Templeton World Charity Foundation. The project consists of this series, a website http://www.whyarewehere.tv/ and, coming in 2017, a feature documentary for cinema exhibition. It asks the question - Is it possible to reconcile meaning, purpose, moral truths and perhaps even God with the workings of a purely material universe? The project has engaged with distinguished chemists, physicists, biologists, neurologists and primatologists all over the UK and US, allowing them time to reflect on camera rather than deliver sound bites which conform with a producer's narrow agenda. The aim of the project is to reclaim the centre ground which has been eroded by a sterile conflict between scientism and certain kinds of religion, and affirm the value of questioning and honest uncertainty. Programme two examines the remarkable links between truth and beauty.

23. Why Are We Here episode 4 TX: 01/11/2016 Dur: 48’00” Broadcaster: Curiosity Stream https://app.curiositystream.com/video/1649 Production Company: Tern Television Productions

This is the final programme of a series of four which in turn are part of a four year project undertaken by Tern and funded by the Templeton World Charity Foundation. The project consists of this series, a website http://www.whyarewehere.tv/ and, coming in 2017, a feature documentary for cinema exhibition. It asks the question - Is it possible to reconcile meaning, purpose, moral truths and perhaps even God with the workings of a purely material universe? The project has engaged with distinguished chemists, physicists, biologists, neurologists and primatologists all over the UK and US, allowing them time to reflect on camera rather than deliver sound bites which conform with a producer's narrow agenda. The aim of the project is to reclaim the centre ground which has been eroded by a sterile conflict between scientism and certain kinds of religion, and affirm the value of questioning and honest uncertainty.

This programme asks - If there is a moral compass, what are the magnetic North and South which determine our values?

24. Children On The Frontline: The Escape TX: 10/05/2016 Dur: 48’00” Broadcaster: Channel 4 Production Company: ITN Productions

There’ve been several powerful films about The Syrian Civil War, the destruction of Aleppo and the massive refugee crisis which resulted but only this film captures the entire span of these tragic events.

“Children on the Frontline – The Escape” was filmed and edited between 2013 and 2016. It follows the plight of one family – Hala, her daughters Sara, Farah and Helen and son Mohammed from Aleppo via Turkey to new lives in Germany.

The film is a record of their experience but also explores the inner psychological impact of being a homeless and stateless person.

The programme has already has a significant impact internationally. Last August a special screening was held at the UN General Assembly to mark World Humanitarian day.

25. What British Muslims Really Think TX: 13/04/2016 Dur: 49’36” Broadcaster: Channel 4 Production Company: Juniper Communications

Here is a list of all the press coverage surrounding the program http://www.junipertv.co.uk/television/What%20British%20Muslims%20really%20think.html

26. The Family TX: 29/11/2016 Dur: 59’00” Broadcaster: BBC 4 Production Company: Big Stories Co.

SHORT SYNOPSIS An incendiary, heartbreaking investigation into one of Australia's most notorious cults, and the scars its survivors still bear today. Anne Hamilton-Byrne was beautiful, charismatic, delusional and damaged. She was also incredibly dangerous. Convinced she was a living god, Hamilton-Byrne headed an apocalyptic Australian sect called The Family, which was prominent in Melbourne from the 1960s to the 1990s. With her husband Bill, she acquired numerous children – some through adoption scams, some born to cult members – and raised them as her own. Isolated from the outside world, the children were dressed in matching outfits, had identically dyed blonde hair, and were allegedly beaten, starved and injected with LSD. Taught that Hamilton-Byrne was both their mother and the messiah, the children were eventually rescued during a police raid in 1987, but their trauma had only just begun. With survivors and cult members telling their stories alongside the Australian and international police who worked the case, this confronting documentary asks important questions about the nature of love, trust, betrayal and family.

Reviews:

The Family - Screen Daily

Audiences Everywhere_The Family is Heartbreaking and Excellent

27. United States of Hate TX: 05/07/2016 Dur: 56’00” Broadcaster: BBC 3 / 1 Production Company: Pulse Films

No additional information provided.

28. In the footsteps of Judas TX: 25/03/2016 Dur: 60'00" Broadcaster: BBC 1 Production Company: BBC Studios Religion and Ethics

To mark Good Friday this one-hour documentary saw one of Britain’s best-loved vicars, Kate Bottley, (pictured) re-open the case against the Bible’s most notorious villain - Judas Iscariot.

Kate’s journey took her from her parish in Nottingham to Jerusalem, where she pieced together the events leading up to the Crucifixion. Why did Judas betray his Master at his most desperate hour? And on a day when we remember that Jesus died for all our sins, is Judas excluded from that forgiveness?

A number of leading theological experts contribute to Kate’s investigation, as she visits the Upper Room of the Last Supper; Gethsemane - the scene of Judas’ treacherous kiss; and the Field of Blood, where, according to Christian tradition, Judas hanged himself.

Ultimately, Kate demonstrates why Judas matters and why he is central to our understanding of the Christian message today.

29. Life and Death the Pentecostal Way TX: 20/11/2016 Dur: 60'00" Broadcaster: BBC 2 Production Company: BBC Studios Religion and Ethics

Life and Death the Pentecostal Way is a one-hour observational documentary broadcast as part of the BBC’s Black & British season. Pentecostalism is now the largest Christian faith in London .

With unprecedented access, the film tells the powerful and moving stories of worshippers at one of London's oldest black majority Pentecostal churches.

Intimately following three stories of members of the congregation at defining moments, the film explores the role the church plays in their lives and the wider community. One of the strong themes that emerges is how the church offers a haven from the social and emotional troubles that disproportionately affect many young black people.

Through personal stories and testimonies of others in the congregation, the film offers a rare insight into what draws people to this growing faith.

“Tanya Stephan’s thoughtful and eye-opening documentary” – The Telegraph

“Tanya Stephan’s intimate, vibrant film has full access to the Brixton New Testament Church of God to try to find out why the religion is such a success. Charismatic preachers inspire passionate worship, and with family members of all ages involved, it is an inclusive, bonding experience in a fractured world.” - The Times

30. Never Again: Fear and Faith in Paris TX: 26/04/2016 Dur: 30'00" Broadcaster: BBC 1 Production Company: BBC Studios Religion and Ethics

The end of April marked the Jewish Passover festival, when Jews remember the Israelites escaping slavery in ancient Egypt. This documentary explores a much more recent phenomenon, the decision of 8,000 Jews to leave France in 2014, concerned about terror attacks and rising anti-Semitism in the country.

We hear from the families most affected, and explore the reasons behind the rise in anti-Semitism. With insight from those who live in the notorious Paris suburbs, often accused of being a breeding ground for anti-Semitism, and from Lassana Bathily, a Muslim from the suburbs who saved Jewish lives during the kosher supermarket attack in 2015.

Many French Jews are coming to London, and one synagogue has been transformed recently by French arrivals, with their congregation in a few years becoming 90 percent French. Is the climate for Jews any better in Britain?

31. The Selfless Sikh: Faith on the Frontline TX: 13/11/2016 Dur: 30'00" Broadcaster: BBC 1 Production Company: BBC Studios Religion and Ethics

This documentary demonstrates faith and action on the frontline, through the principle of selfless service that lies at the heart of the Sikh faith. Every day in every Sikh temple across the world, doors are opened to all for free food or ‘langar’ - regardless of creed, colour, faith or background. It’s a principle that goes back 500 years to the founding Father of Sikhism, Guru Nanak, and is known as ‘seva’ or selfless service.

This powerful and poignant film follows British Sikh Ravi Singh as he makes the extraordinary journey to northern Iraq, a month before the battle for Mosul. Not content with feeding those in his local Temple or people caught up in strife, he regularly risks his own life to take aid to those most in need in some of the most dangerous places on the planet. Since 2014 he’s been providing a lifeline to 400 Yazidi families forced from their homes by the war against so called Islamic State group. We’ll reveal why he puts his life on the line for the Sikh teachings at the heart of his faith.

As the battle of Mosul unfolds and Iraq faces a further humanitarian crisis, with thousands expecting to lose their homes, this film gives a fascinating and unexpected glimpse of the world of those who have already suffered in this war, and whose relatives are still being held by so-called Islamic State group.

For Ravi, it’s the courage and bravery of these survivors in the face of such loss that inspires him to put his own life on the line to help them. And through Ravi’s work and the moving stories of those he has fought to help, the film reveals the powerful Sikh principle at the heart of Guru Nanak’s teachings: the belief that all Sikhs must serve humanity, regardless of race or religion.

The documentary was broadcast on BBC One and received strong response from viewers and reviewers who made it “Pick of The Day’ across publications– gaining 1.7 million viewers in 10.35pm slot.

Powerful storytelling, an inspiring central character and an insight into faith in action are the hallmarks of this thought provoking documentary

32. The Battle for Christianity TX: 22/03/2016 Dur: 60'00" Broadcaster: BBC 1 Production Company: BBC Studios Religion and Ethics

The Battle For Christianity is about a more confident, assertive faith replacing traditional churches in the UK.

Radical social action, conservative morality and charismatic worship are all transforming the face of the faith, and asks what that might mean for the future in an increasingly secular society.

Some academics are warning that popular churches who take a firm line on issues like gay marriage, abortion and euthanasia are pushing Christianity farther away from the attitudes of mainstream society. Others believe that the fervour of charismatic faith is attracting large numbers, but ignoring a quiet exodus out of the back door. Robert Beckford speaks to church leaders in the UK, including the Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby, about how they see the future.

At Easter - the holiest festival in the Christian calendar - this revealing film gets to the heart of what’s changing within Christianity in the UK. It illustrates how the faithful are kicking back against the steady decline in church attendance, and provide evidence of a more committed, but potentially divided, future.

33. WYB: Beyond Redemption TX: 20/10/2016 Dur: 68'00" Broadcaster: RTÉ 1 Production Company: RTÉ, Irish National Broadcaster

BEYOND REDEMPTION? A Would You Believe? Special

They are people we know. They live in our neighbourhood. We share the same seat on the train, queue at the Post Office with them, offer them the sign of peace at church. In fact, many of them are our children. After over twenty years giving voice to the voiceless victims of sexual abuse, often in the context of clerical crimes and cover-ups, reporter Mick Peelo turns his attention to the sexual offenders in our midst. What should we do with them? Are they Beyond Redemption?

Through interviews with sex offenders and those that work with them, this special, investigative Would You Believe? documentary, a year in the making, lifts the lid on Ireland’s sex offenders to discover a number of unpalatable truths: most are not priests, most are not even paedophiles, most are never caught or convicted and almost 40% of them are children under 18; most sexual abuse happens within families and is kept secret. Demonising the few sex offenders who are convicted is understandable, perhaps, but takes the focus away from the majority, who continue to operate undetected. In fact, it endangers, rather than protects, our children and our society.

So, what's the alternative? In Canada, Peelo discovers a church-run initiative that, by treating sex offenders with humanity, has massively reduced recidivism. In Ireland, he finds that the Catholic Church, after years of ineptitude and cover-up, is now following a "zero tolerance" herd instinct to hound sex offenders from communities. Ironically, it is the civil agencies - prisons, probation officers, police and social workers, who are quietly pursuing a more compassionate approach out of a belief that very few people are beyond redemption.

Below is all the press coverage this programme received:

Today With Sean O'Rourke panel discussion - http://radio.rte.ie/radio1highlights/michael-byrne- psychopathic-monster-hes-beyond-redemption/

'Michael Byrne is a psychopathic monster. He’s beyond ... radio.rte.ie Could demonising sex offenders, pushing them out to the margins of society, do more harm than good? It’s a weighty – possibly the weightiest – of questions. And ...

Broadsheet – http://www.broadsheet.ie/2016/10/20/grooming-the-nation/ Grooming The Nation | Broadsheet.ie www.broadsheet.ie Donal October 20, 2016 at 5:16 pm. This isn’t about softening the punishment. If a convicted offender is released after serving the specified sentence ... Soul Waves Radio - http://www.soulwavesradio.ie/2016/11/03/beyond-redemption/

Beyond Redemption | Soul Waves Radio www.soulwavesradio.ie Journalist Mick Peelo recently presented a Would You Believe documentary called Beyond Redemption? He looked at sex offenders in Ireland and discovered a number of ...

The Sun - https://www.thesun.ie/archives/irish-news/234471/irish-mum-tells-of-heartbreak-at- finding-her-13-year-old-son-abusing-his-little-sister/

The Mirror - http://www.irishmirror.ie/news/irish-news/sex-offenders-released-jail-being-9055128 Controversial new rehabilitation scheme introduces ... www.irishmirror.ie Sex offenders released from jail are being introduced to a new network of friends and brought on days out in a controversial new rehabilitation scheme.

Association of Catholic Priests - http://www.associationofcatholicpriests.ie/2016/10/would-you- believe-programme-on-child-sexual-abuse/ Would You Believe programme on Child Sexual Abuse ... www.associationofcatholicpriests.ie BEYOND REDEMPTION? A WOULD YOU BELIEVE? SPECIAL Involving Dr Marie Keenan, Forensic Psychotherapist, UCD Would you believe. 20 October. 10.15 pm

One in Four - http://www.oneinfour.ie/blog/post/welcoming-a-national-conversation-on-sex- offenders/ Welcoming a National Conversation on Sex Offenders - News ... www.oneinfour.ie Executive Director Maeve Lewis says “This is the beginning of an important national conversation on managing sex offenders in the community”.

Irish Catholic - http://irishcatholic.ie/article/dark-moments-and-shots-redemption Dark moments and shots at redemption | The Irish Catholic irishcatholic.ie ‘Challenging’ was the description that most came to mind as I watched Beyond Redemption? A Would You Believe? Special, last Thursday night on RTÉ 1.

Irish Times preview - http://www.irishtimes.com/culture/tv-radio-web/tv-preview-paying-for-sex- reality-bites-brendan-o-connor-and-more-1.2831845

TV preview: Paying For Sex: Reality Bites, Brendan O ... www.irishtimes.com Paying For Sex: Reality Bites Monday, RTÉ Two, 10pm It may be the oldest profession in the world, but debate still rages on whether people who offer sex for sale ...

34. The Story of China: Ancestors (Episode 1) TX: 21/01/2016 Dur: 55’00” Broadcaster: BBC 2 Production Company: Maya Vision International

A series on the civilisation of China may not at first sight seem an obvious entry for a Prize for religious broadcasting. But Chinese civilisation, though different in fundamental ways from that of the Judeo-Christian West, has been no less driven by spiritual or ethical themes. Indeed China perhaps is the civilisation which has most strongly foregrounded the ethical in its culture. In addition, China adopted foreign religions earlier and more far-reachingly than any other civilisation. With those thoughts in mind, we put forward two episodes of the Story of China. First is the introductory programme, which looks at the roots of Chinese civilisation in the Bronze and Iron Ages. This shows the spiritual/religious life of today’s Chinese people reviving as their freedoms grow after the persecutions under Mao. We see a millennia-old ceremony for the ancestors with the Qin family of Wuxi; the revival of an ancient cult in the countryside where a million country people gather for a festival to China’s primordial deities (never before filmed by outsiders); we glimpse the ceremonies of the indigenous mystical faith of Daoism; there is a lengthy sequence about the ethical ideas of Confucius which will form the backbone to Chinese culture - and in some ways still do; finally we return to Zhoukou to experience a moving attempt to revive the old spirituality tied to ancestor worship: part of a widespread tale of spiritual retrieval in response to the market-driven forces of 21st c China.

The Second film looks at the Tang dynasty (605-907AD) when a confident China went out to the world and welcomed an Indian faith, Buddhism; an Arabian faith, Islam; and a Near Eastern faith, Christianity; all of which have existed continuously in China since that day. The film first tells the tale of the Buddhist Missions to India in the 7th c, initiating one of the great civilisational exchanges in history: in Xi'an the monks show us a surviving fragment of a palm leaf manuscript brought back at that time. The film then tells the tale of the arrival of Islam in China in the 7th c with testimony by local Muslim worshippers in the Great Mosque in Xi'an. The coming of Christianity in 635 AD is described at the famous stele in Xi'an, one of China’s greatest treasures; then the emperor Taizong had the Gospels translated into Chinese and allowed churches to be built; as Michael Wood observes, something inconceivable in the medieval West. All these stories are testimonies to a traditional civilisation driven (if not by the theological imperatives of the West) by broadly ethical and spiritual ideals, which the series argues, still exist.

The series was very well received – it was one of the Telegraph’s choices for best TV shows of 2016 – “breathless yet thoughtful, oblique yet lucid, fiery yet balanced – and steered by an immensely knowledgeable and congenial expert in Michael Wood”. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/tv/2016/06/10/the-best-tv-shows-of-2016-so-far/the-story-of-china- bbc-two/

It was also very popular in China. The Chinese state news agency, Xinhua News, in an article on 19/02/16 said: (Translated from the Chinese) “It has transcended the differences in ethnicity and belief, and brought something inexplicably powerful and touching to the audience.” “Through an approach of explaining profound concepts in simple language, he tells the stories of China to the western audience in a true and objective way.”

35. The Story of China: Silk Roads & China Ships (Episode 2) TX: 28/01/2016 Dur: 55’00” Broadcaster: BBC 2 Production Company: Maya Vision International

With those thoughts in mind, we put forward two episodes of the Story of China. First is the introductory programme, which looks at the roots of Chinese civilisation in the Bronze and Iron Ages. This shows the spiritual/religious life of today’s Chinese people reviving as their freedoms grow after the persecutions under Mao. We see a millennia-old ceremony for the ancestors with the Qin family of Wuxi; the revival of an ancient cult in the countryside where a million country people gather for a festival to China’s primordial deities (never before filmed by outsiders); we glimpse the ceremonies of the indigenous mystical faith of Daoism; there is a lengthy sequence about the ethical ideas of Confucius which will form the backbone to Chinese culture - and in some ways still do; finally we return to Zhoukou to experience a moving attempt to revive the old spirituality tied to ancestor worship: part of a widespread tale of spiritual retrieval in response to the market-driven forces of 21st c China.

36. Grayson Perry: All Man episode 1 TX: 05/05/2016 Dur: 60'00" Broadcaster: Channel 4 Production Company: Swan Films

Perry’s a terrific presenter: incisive and emotionally open…From a relatively simple premise – man meets people, man makes something – Perry and his team have fashioned something warm, wise and uplifting. Bafta could well beckon again.” Five stars in The Telegraph

“The best documentaries are those that deliver the unexpected and this was one. It was beautifully judged, containing not a moment that patronised the viewer but plenty that will have moved them to tears…This is how factual television should be.” The Times

“Perry’s great gift is to be at ease anywhere. An outsider to the art world by virtue of his class, an outsider to most other demographics by virtue of his transvestism, he is securely and unchangingly himself: a fixed point from which he can view all comers. Allied to a quick mind, compassionate spirit and unending curiosity, it makes him the perfect interviewer in every situation. So far, every documentary he has done has been one to treasure, and All Man is shaping up as no exception.” The Guardian

“Perry works with the applied crafts of tapestry and pottery, which question the line between masculine and feminine disciplines. But there is nothing fey about his eye or sensibility. This looks set to be an estimable, original series.” AA Gill in The Sunday Times

“Perry’s artworks, in reaction to his visit, were a labour intent on heartfelt tribute. They were also quietly brilliant. A miners’ banner, and an urn, representing “a folk-art requiem for a certain type of man”. They were unveiled after the miners’ gala in Durham Cathedral; a sombre and male affair, and this cross-dressing potter was accorded the fiercest of welcomes. Unusually poignant, and Perry makes a great companion: lucid and unafraid to show his intelligence, nor to expect the same of his interviewees.” The Observer “Another incredible series: Perry, always able to cut through to truth with ease, has found a niche as the nation’s commentator-in-chief.” The Guardian

“This is the right time for this series – gender stereotyping doesn’t just apply to women; suicide is the largest killer for men under 45 – and Perry is exactly the right person to make it. He possesses both an artist’s relentless curiosity and an endlessly affable manner. Men who don’t talk about stuff talk about stuff to him. Here he was as alive to social history as he was to modern psychology.” The Telegraph

37. Sister Rita to the Rescue Ep1 TX: 31/10/2016 Dur: 45'00" Broadcaster: BBC 1 Production Company: BBC Studios Topical and Live

An inspirational example of faith in action, this uplifting observational series followed the work of the inimitable Sister Rita Lee – known to some as the Formidable Sister Rita, others as Attila the Nun – as she sought to transform the lives and fortunes of the people in Collyhurst, one of the poorest parts of Manchester. Stripped across weekday mornings on BBC One Daytime, the series was rooted in the drop-in centre and food bank that the nun runs with a team of volunteers, and its positive tone and unique central character provided an accessible way into some of the biggest current affairs stories of the day – from benefits and poverty, to unemployment, alcoholism, and mental health. A real-life “Call the Midwife” meets “Benefits Street”, each episode saw the redoubtable nun tackle the problems of individuals who came to see her, as well as hatching plans for larger-scale projects that would benefit the community as a whole (such as the allotment she opened at the end of the second series). Throughout the programmes, Sister Rita is very clear that her work is motivated by her faith, and as such, the series presents a clear demonstration of not simply the continued relevance of faith in contemporary Britain – but how it can be practically applied as a force for positive change. Its message and proactive tone clearly struck a chord with viewers, as the series was a huge hit, winning audience shares of 27%, and audience appreciation figures of 87. Despite its low budget, the series very much punched above its weight: it comfortably trounced Jeremy Kyle in the ratings, and social media was full of comments from people touched, humbled and inspired by what they had seen. Indeed many viewers - entirely unsolicited – went on to send donations to the centre to enable Sister Rita to carry on her work.

38. Sister Rita to the Rescue Ep5 TX: 04/11/2016 Dur: 45'00" Broadcaster: BBC 1 Production Company: BBC Studios Topical and Live

39. The Refugee Camp: Our Desert Home (Episode 2) TX: 28/07/2016 Dur: 59'15" Broadcaster: BBC 1 Production Company: Twenty Twenty

What do a professional wrestler, a midwife, a baker, a wedding shop owner, one day old twins and a teenage journalist have in common? They are all residents of a unique desert city in Jordan called Zaatari. But Zaatari is no ordinary city, it’s a refugee camp and home to some 80,000 Syrians who have fled the bombs and bullets of Syria’s civil war. The Refugee Camp: Our Desert Home gets under the skin of this incredible and surprising metropolis – a place of huge logistical challenges and extraordinary human stories. In part two of this series, presenters Anita Rani, A&E Doctor Javid Abdelmoneim and hostile environment expert Ben Timberlake discover how as a new generation is born here, what was once temporary will have to become permanent. Anita investigates how Zaatari is building a new infrastructure and also meets some of the 11 babies that are born here every single week. With over half of Zaatari’s population under the age of 18, Ben finds the remarkable Syrians who are determined to inspire their next generation. Whilst Javid follows the families making heart breaking decisions about whether to leave Zaatari and return home or start a new life abroad.

40. Strange Occurrences in a Small Irish Village TX: 26/08/2016 Dur: 59'15" Broadcaster: RTÉ 1 Production Company: Underground Films

No additional info supplied.

41. The Art of Dying Well TX: 01/11/2016 Dur: 03’34” Broadcaster: RTÉ 1 Production Company: Underground Films

The animation features the Ferguson family living through the initial diagnosis and death of ‘Dad’. The narrator -Vanessa Redgrave- describes how everyone reacted, and how they ‘made the most of their remaining time’, with their last trip to the sea, and made up the differences between them. In the attempt to ‘show not tell’ it portrays how the Catholic ‘Last Rites’ are lived out at the end of a person’s life, the film ends with a beautiful prayer.

Comments about the Art of Dying Well: "The Art of Dying is a positive contribution to society’s communal wellbeing..." https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2016/nov/02/art-dying-well-catholic-church-guide

Readers’ Voices

I am so pleased and grateful to have heard about this site. I have survived Stage III cancer so far, but never know when it may return, and to have all this advice, assistance and "accompanying" in one place is wonderful. Also, I was so weak that physically holding a book to read it, even a small book, was impossible, as I had no strength in my hands at all. But I can prop my iPad on my lap and just tap it lightly, to read what I want. Very grateful.

Karen Thomas Thank you for this wonderful resource. We will certainly direct people to it because caring for those who are ill is, thankfully, an increasing part of what we do. Allan Doyle, Funeral Director Congratulations on a brilliant and very useful website. I am a palliative care physician in the US and I am eager to share this resource with our staff, patients and families. Thank you for your hard work and adherence to the teachings of the magisterium. Bravo, well done!

Cecilia L. May Dear authors of The Art of Dying Well, This morning I picked up information on this website on Malaysian Christian News - and I live in Dublin! What a brilliant contribution to the world of death and dying you have made here. In this era of the Culture of Death this is so positive and hopeful. Your website and the report from the Catholic Herald should be spread far and wide. I hope that it is publicized in every hospice and every available place where death is being faced. Well done! Certainly it is "lighting a candle instead of cursing the darkness" and I'm proud that Hospitaller Order of Saint John of God is associated with The Art of Dying. God bless.

Finnian Gallagher OH Well done on creating such a sensitive and helpful space. Thank you. Baroness Nuala O’Loan

Thank you for this beautiful site. My dad is 95 and suffered a paralyzing stroke three years ago. He has been home with us for two years. It is at times difficult to take care of him but there are many blessings. He receives Jesus in the Eucharist daily as was his custom before getting ill. He often thinks of people who wouldn't normally come to mind and he prays for them. We believe the Holy Spirit is reminding him of these individuals as they are in need of prayer. Many times we have gotten confirmation of that when we have shared with someone that dad was interceding for them they immediately share a story of a need they had at the same time he was praying. Unfortunately dad does not feel Gods presence... almost like the dark night of the soul, but he carries on anyway. His only dream is to get to church again. Please keep him in your prayers. His name is Patrick Connolly ( from America) God bless you! Breeda Connolly I have just read your new site on The Art if Dying Well. It has given me great solace as I journey to my own death. It was wonderful to hear Dr Mannix, speak so lovingly about the very end of our earthly life. I had read some of her articles previously and was so relieved to find someone who had views similar to mine. A wonderful resource. Thank you. Margaret Starr

The parishes have been distributing [the prayer cards and postcards] to residents throughout Cardiff. They’ve asked that the receiver returns the card to the church with a note if they wish for someone or something to be prayed for. Archdiocese of Cardiff

As well as parish priest I am chaplain to a major hospital, A + E Department and the adjoining Cancer Hospice, I am most grateful for this resource. Fr Jason Jones

An excellent uplifting website which, hopefully, may help many to face the inevitable encounter with Sister Death. Lawrence Farrugia

Although I am not a catholic and I live in Holland, I wanted to let you know that I find this new website The Art of Dying Well, really wonderful and comforting. How good of you to have set it up. I also love the web design and the spoken messages! A really great job! Thank you. Fidelia W

Lovely and helpful site with a lot of good points. It seems to be made particularly for lapsed Catholics, which is very important! Reddit user: caelestisbeneficium

This is a good website addressing important topics about a taboo subject in a clear, kind and Catholic manner. I'm glad they made it, especially with the ageing population and with discussion around assisted suicide. Reddit user: wednesdayinautumn Ends

Newspaper reviews of the Art of Dying Well: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/nov/01/catholic-church-releases-art-of-dying-well https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2016/nov/02/art-dying-well-catholic-church-guide

http://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/nuns-pray-for-the-dead-just-tweet-a-picture-3fntxvlpf

Online news: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-37803305 http://www.christiantoday.com/article/is.it.possible.to.have.a.good.death.catholic.church.launches. new.site.the.art.of.dying.well/99411.htm

http://www.news.va/en/news/uk-bishops-present-new-website-on-the-art-of-dying

https://cruxnow.com/global-church/2016/11/01/help-people-deal-death-english-bishops-turn- instagram/

http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/youve-got-questions-about-death-the-church-has- answers-65612/

http://www.catholicherald.co.uk/news/2016/11/01/catholic-church-turns-to-instagram-to-help- people-face/

http://www.premier.org.uk/News/UK/Catholic-Church-encourages-Christians-to-learn-the-art-of- dying-well

http://www.romereports.com/2016/11/26/british-bishops-launch-websites-to-remember-the- deceased

Radio: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p04ftl32

42. Life and Death Row TX: 23/02/2016 Dur: 60'00" Broadcaster: BBC 1 Production Company: BBC Studios

Life and Death Row is BBC Three’s most acclaimed crime series. This thought-provoking original documentary follows the lives of young people who are awaiting capital punishment in the USA. With unprecedented access inside prison walls and tackling difficult subject matter, each episode focuses on different aspects of the system – execution, punishment and the complex truth.

“A powerful piece of television” and “Highly charged and beautifully constructed – Telegraph

43. Songs of Praise - Aberfan TX: 23/10/2016 Dur: 33'00" Broadcaster: BBC 1 Production Company: BBC Studios Religion and Ethics

A Songs of Praise, presented by Aled Jones, to mark the 50th anniversary of the Aberfan disaster. On 21 October 1966, after a period of heavy rain, the spoil from a colliery tip collapsed and engulfed a farm, a row of houses and a primary school in the small mining village of Aberfan. 116 children and 28 adults were killed. Aled meets two people, both speaking for the first time about the day that changed their lives and shocked the world. Mother of three, Sheila Roberts lived in Aberfan with her family and on the day of the disaster, the last day of school before half term, her eldest daughter Sharon was lost when her classroom was buried in the landslide. The Rev. Irving Penberthy was the Minister of Zion Methodist Church in Aberfan. He was interviewed by the BBC hours after the disaster and recalls his experience coping with the bereaved as they identified their children in the temporary Chapel mortuary. Even 50 years on, he struggles to cope with what he saw. Music for the programme comes from across Wales including a performance by Treorchy Male Voice Choir of the Aberfan Hymn, written by Irving Penberthy's son in law.

44. Christmas Nationwide TX: 21/12/2016 Dur: 96'00" Broadcaster: Estuary TV Production Company: CTVC

We produced Christmas Nationwide because we believed there was not enough religious programming of this kind, or perhaps of any kind, on any of the traditional broadcasters. We teamed up with the Local Television Network to fill this gap.

Working with such talent as actor David Suchet and The Priests, alongside a fantastic selection of religious figures including Cardinal Vincent Nichols, Rev. Rose Hudson Wilkins, Rev. Kate Bottley and Bishop Libby Lane made this programme come to life.

Christmas Nationwide turned out to be a wonder mixture of professional choirs and our wonderful schools singing traditional songs, a series of captivating readings and some thoughtful and well produced reports about how Christmas is celebrated within different communities all over the country.

We hope this is a rallying cry to those traditional broadcaster, we want them to take note and realise this programming is entertaining, and most importantly wanted.

45. Thailand Asylum Crackdown TX: 27/02/2016 Dur: 23’00” Broadcaster: BBC News Channel Production Company: BBC TV Current Affairs

In Thailand Asylum Crackdown the Our World team went undercover in Bangkok to document routine arrest and indefinite detention amongst asylum seekers - many of whom were Pakistani Christians fleeing religious persecution. Some were children. Pakistani Christians were held by Thai authorities - in some cases stripped and shackled in prisons - despite being UN-registered asylum seekers whom the UN were under a duty to protect. Following the transmission of the film Thailand was called into the Ambassador at the Hague to explain its treatment of asylum seekers. The BBC was informed by the office of The Holy See that the documentary had caught the attention of Pope Francis, and that he had raised his concerns over the lack of help for persecuted Christians in Pakistan with the country's Prime Minister. The men, women and children featured in the BBC investigation were eventually released from their cells and reunited with their families. In January 2017, the Thai government announced a new asylum system that was in line with international law, that would not allow the detention of those seeking asylum, and by working with and creating new agreements with foreign governments and the UNHCR - it would investigate asylum claims quickly and relocate refugees and asylum seekers within months of arrival in Thailand. The UNHCR thanked the BBC for highlighting the issue in a statement announcing the new proposed system.

46. Getting High for God? Ayahuasca in Rio TX: 23/08/2016 Dur 29'15" Broadcaster: BBC 3 Online (and then BBC 1 22/11/2016) Production Company: BBC

In this two part immersive documentary series, presenter Mawaan Rizwan travels to the Americas meeting congregations and experiencing first-hand how different religions use powerful drugs to have spiritual encounters with God.

In this second episode he travels to Rio, Brazil to join the congregations who use the ancient Amazonian the hallucinogenic substance Ayahuasca in their Church services to enhance the worship. As he learns more he'll see first hand if this ancient medicine – which has been linked to deaths when used unsupervised - can bring him closer to the Almighty.

47. The Big Food Rescue - Episode 2 TX: 29/11/2016 Dur: 43'45" Broadcaster: BBC 1 Production Company: Wiretap

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