Channel 4 commissions Rachel Nickell; My Mother’s Murder

Channel 4 has commissioned Monumental Pictures, Angel Station & Hatchling Films to make the 1x60 min documentary Rachel Nickell:  My Mother's Murder. This deeply personal authored film looks at the high profile murder of Rachel Nickell from her son Alex Hanscombe's  perspective and will also reveal the impact on the adults around him.  For the first time on television Alex revisits the events around his mother's murder, considering how this shaped the man he is today.

Alex was just two years old when he was the sole witness to his mother's brutal murder on Wimbledon Common.  After Rachel's death in July 1992, press and public alike became obsessed with the 'tragic tot' who witnessed his mother's murder just weeks before his third birthday.  Family, friends and professionals involved in the investigation worried about the impact it had on the young child, and many have not seen him since.

Months after Rachel's death, Alex and his father Andre fled the country to escape the public gaze.  Now, for the first time, they return to the UK and to Wimbledon common together.  Alex revisits this period of his life as he meets key people from the time, some of them friends of the family and relatives, others professionals involved in the case.

Whilst revisiting incredible trauma experienced by a young boy, we get to know Alex Hanscombe the man, offering hope that a life after unimaginable loss is possible.

"Diana" and "Diana’s Decades" - a definitive portrait of the princess from 72 Films

ITV has commissioned from 72 Films a new feature-length film "Diana" marking what would have been Princess Diana's 60th birthday, aiming to tell the definitive story of the most famous woman in the world.

ITV also announced a second commission Diana's Decades, a 3x60 series, from Spun Gold, taking in each stage of the princess's life as it played out against and influenced the spirit of the times.  

Told in the present tense, the 1x90 film Diana draws on never-heard-before testimony and rarely-seen archive footage to immerse viewers in the most iconic moments of the Princess's life.  

Using a rich tapestry of footage, photos and letters from those who were closest to the Princess, it pieces together her incredible journey from being a teenage Pimlico nursery assistant to finding her voice as the Princess of Wales.

The epic documentary, directed by the Bafta award winning Jemma Chisnall, also goes behind the scenes to provide a vivid insight into the complex woman behind the media image, who was by turns a global superstar, tabloid obsession, a wife in a tumultuous marriage, a devoted mother, a humanitarian icon and arguably the world's most hunted person.

Executive Producer for 72 Films, David Glover, says:  

"There is something a bit magical about Princess Diana – and despite the difficulties in her personal life she managed to use her connection with people to do huge amounts of good. Her 60th birthday feels like the perfect time to re-examine her life and legacy and explore just how she went from a relatively unknown teenager to the most mourned person who ever lived."

The programme is commissioned for ITV by Jo Clinton-Davis, Controller of Factual Entertainment, who says: 

"This year would have been Diana's 60th birthday, and the intention with this landmark documentary is to offer the definitive account of her life - both in front of the cameras and behind the scenes. It is a difficult undertaking to shed new light on the most emotional, dramatic and pivotal elements of the life of Diana, when that light still burns brightly. But by delving deep into her relationships with friends, colleagues and staff, our aim is to provide a vivid portrayal of the woman who became known as the Queen Of Hearts."

Diana's Decades will take a fresh approach to the princess's life – showing how she channelled as well as influenced the zeitgeist at the end of the 20th Century.  Each episode highlights how an era of her life encapsulated the spirit of the age and inspired profound social change. The series tracks down people – some who have never given interviews before - who met her or whose lives intersected hers in some way from her early Royal life as a shy bride, through her high-profile work for HIV charities and much publicised contact with Hollywood and pop royalty in the 1980s, through to her becoming the 'People's Princess' and emblem of a new public emotional candour in the changing face of Britain under New Labour in the 1990s.

The series includes extraordinary, rarely seen archive footage from the Princess's life alongside iconic scenes from the changing social, fashion and economic cultures Diana lived through during the 1980s and 90s – from the "big bang" in the City, the transition from Thatcherism to the Blair era and changing attitudes to sexuality, 24-hour news channels and the confessional TV of Oprah Winfrey, to the rise of the Spice Girls during "Cool Britannia".

Daniela Neumann, MD of Spun Gold TV says: 

"Nearly 25 years on from her tragic death, Diana, Princess of Wales continues to lead our news bulletins and conversations not just in Britain but around the world. Diana's Decades takes a fresh approach to recounting her life and legacy by looking at how she was shaped by the changing world around her and as a result transformed not just the monarchy but also society more widely as her legacy."

Diana's Decades is a Spun Gold TV production for ITV. The series is filmed and directed by Nick Angel, produced by Jim Boyers and executive produced by Teresa Watkins. It was commissioned by Jo Clinton-Davis.

Pop Up Screens - London's Outdoor Cinema returns for Summer Screenings

Pop Up Screens have announced their return to London with an enormous season of outdoor cinema packed with feel good movies, guilty pleasures, and cult classics that will make you feel all warm and fuzzy inside.

 

A great time for you and your family to indulge in an evening that you won't forget with your loved ones. Its 'relaxed atmosphere and friendly vibe', praised by critics across the country will have you coming back year after year.

 

This year, Pop Up Screens will span across eight London parks and open spaces over three months, launching on 9th July at Coram's Fields with the fan favourite, The Craft.

 

There will be films for fans of all genres; including smash hit musical dramas such as The Greatest Showman, A Star Is Born, Bohemian Rhapsody and Rocketman. For audiences wanting nostalgia, fans will be able to revisit fan favourites Back To The Future, The Goonies and Dirty Dancing and many more.

 

Check it out and you'll find a great environment, along with a bar, and some of London's best street food traders.

 

Pop Up Screenings Full Listings

9 July – Corams Fields – The Craft

10 July – Corams Fields – The Greatest Showman

11 July – Corams Fields – Bill & Ted Face the Music

16 July – Bishops Park, Fulham – 10 Things I Hate About You

17 July – Bishops Park, Fulham - Dirty Dancing

18 July – Bishops Park, Fulham – The Goonies

23 July – North Greenwich – 500 Days of Summer

24 July – North Greenwich - Grease

25 July – North Greenwich – Back to the Future

30 July – Hillyfields, Brockley – The Goonies

31 July – Hillyfields, Brockley – Dirty Dancing

1 Aug – Hillyfields, Brockley – Greatest Showman

6 Aug – Corams Fields – JoJo Rabbit

6 Aug – Corams Fields - Pretty Woman

6 Aug – Corams Fields - Ghostbusters

13 Aug – Ravenscourt Park, Hammersmith – Jaws

14 Aug – Ravenscourt Park, Hammersmith – Bohemian Rhapsody

15 Aug – Ravenscourt Park, Hammersmith – The Greatest Showman

16 Aug – Guildhall, City of London – The Greatest Showman

17 Aug – Guildhall, City of London - Moonlight

18 Aug – Guildhall, City of London - Philadelphia

19 Aug – Guildhall, City of London – The Beach

20 Aug – Guildhall, City of London - Dreamgirls

21 Aug – Guildhall, City of London – Priscilla Queen of the Desert

27 Aug – Manor House Gardens, Hither Green – Bohemian Rhapsody

28 Aug – Manor House Gardens, Hither Green – The Greatest Showman

29 Aug – Manor House Gardens, Hither Green – A Star is Born

3 Sept - Bishops Park, Fulham – Rocket Man

4 Sept - Bishops Park, Fulham – A Star is Born

5 Sept - Bishops Park, Fulham – The Greatest Showman

10 Sept - Ravenscourt Park, Hammersmith – Dirty Dancing

11 Sept - Ravenscourt Park, Hammersmith – Jurassic Park

12 Sept - Ravenscourt Park, Hammersmith – Rocket Man

17 Sept – Kennington Park, Oval – The Greatest Showman

18 Sept – Kennington Park, Oval – Notting Hill

19 Sept – Kennington Park, Oval – A Star is Born

 

Tickets for Pop Up Screens can be bought at popupscreens.co.uk