Sky grows original factual slate with six new commissions

Sky today unveils three new titles for Sky Documentaries and a series each for Sky Crime, Sky Nature and Sky HISTORY. The six new commissions, which will also air on streaming service NOW, reaffirms Sky’s commitment to bringing customers world-class and unmissable factual content.

The newly commissioned titles for Sky Documentaries include The Assassination of Olof Palme, a thriller-esque four-part series set in Cold War Sweden about one of Europe’s most high-profile assassinations of a Prime Minister. Italia 90’ will be the definitive story of the World Cup that forever changed football, told by an international roster of iconic interviewees, including Paul Gascoigne, Roger Milla and Lothar Matthäus. The Essex Murders (w/t) chronicles the shooting of the notorious Essex Boys and the major role they played in the ecstasy trade, fuelling Britain’s booming rave scene.

On Sky Crime, three-part series Libby Are You Home Yet? tells the story of Libby Squire, a 21-year-old student, who was abducted and murdered walking home from a club in her university city of Hull in 2019. Libby's disappearance sparked the largest manhunt in Humberside Police history, which culminated in the arrest of a local man who had been leading a double life.

The Sky Nature series, Arctic From Above with Liz Bonnin, follows the wildlife biologist as she travels to one of Earth’s last great wildernesses to reveal fresh insights about its animals. The series documents a new aerial approach to wildlife research that is helping scientists study the Arctic’s magnificent creatures in new and innovative ways.

In an epic drama-documentary series for Sky History, The Royal Mob recounts the story of the extended royal family that once ruled the whole of Europe. Told through the eyes of Queen Victoria’s granddaughters, the series will combine premium scripted drama with a host of expert historians to tell the tale of one of the most compelling, powerful yet dysfunctional families in history.

Sky’s Director of Documentaries and Factual, Poppy Dixon, said: “We’re incredibly proud to announce new additions to our slate ahead of our UP NEXT event. From uncovering the truth behind mysterious deaths in the UK and Europe, highlighting a sporting event that shaped football as we know it, to dramatic retellings of a history we all think we think we know - the new additions display the extraordinary breadth of content across our factual portfolio.”

The newly announced titles are currently in production and will air in late 2022 and early 2023 across Sky and NOW.

For further information please contact:

Hephzibah Kwakye-Saka - hephzibah.kwakyesaka@sky.uk
Patricia Deveer – patricia.deveer@sky.uk

Notes to editors

Show information and credits:

Libby Are You Home Yet? (3x60’)

Sky Crime and streaming service NOW. A Sky Originals documentary series produced by Candour TV, in association with Sky Studios

TX: October 2022

Three-part series, Libby Are You Home Yet? tells the story of Libby Squire, a 21-year-old student, who was abducted and murdered walking home from a club in her university city of Hull in 2019. Libby's disappearance sparked the largest manhunt in Humberside Police history, which culminated in the arrest of local man, Pawel Relowicz, who had been leading a sick double life in which he stalked and sexually assaulted young women. 

  With access to Libby’s family, friends and the Police, this series chronicles her life, the hours that led to her death and the exhaustive investigation that followed. This is not your average true crime story. In a society still prone to victim-blaming - where women seem to be solely responsible for their own personal safety - this series challenges that narrative. 

Italia 90’ (3X60’)

Sky Documentaries and streaming service NOW. A Sky Original documentary series produced by Blast! Films and Sky Studios

TX: November 2022

Told by an international roster of iconic interviewees, including Paul Gascoigne, Roger Milla and Lothar Matthäus, this will be the definitive story of the World Cup that forever changed football. Following the journey of five of the most memorable teams, this series will combine edge–of-the-seat drama on the pitch with the momentous social history that was happening beyond it. From the fall of the Berlin Wall to the civil wars of Yugoslavia; English hooliganism of 1980s to the rise of a new culture of football in the 1990s, we will discover how Italia 90 was a tournament played in the crucible of a changing world.

The Royal Mob (4x60’)

Sky HISTORY and streaming service NOW. A Sky Original documentary series produced by Nutopia

TX: November 2022

The Royal Mob tells the saga of the extended royal family that once ruled the whole of Europe, and how their loves, marriages and feuds dragged the continent into the world’s first total war and violent revolution.

Told through the eyes of Queen Victoria’s granddaughters – the Hesse sisters, and their passionate and doomed love affairs across Europe's Royal courts– – the series lifts the lid on the family tensions which set cousin against cousin and saw millions plunged into the bloodiest war the world had ever known: a world in which the chink of champagne glasses gives way to the blast of bombs, war and murder.

The epic Sky HISTORY original drama-documentary from Nutopia combines premium scripted drama with expert historians to tell the tale of one of the most compelling, powerful yet dysfunctional families in history.

Arctic From Above with Liz Bonnin (3x60’)

Sky Nature and streaming service NOW. A Sky Original series produced by Lion TV, in association with Sky Studios

TX: Early 2023

In Arctic From Above with Liz Bonnin, wildlife biologist, Liz Bonnin, travels to one of Earth’s last great wildernesses to reveal fresh insights about its animals. From polar bears to arctic foxes, and walruses to wolves, a new aerial approach to wildlife research is helping scientists to study the Arctic’s magnificent creatures in innovative ways. Liz joins scientists in helicopters, using drones, satellite trackers and imagery, to make new discoveries about the region’s iconic species.

The series will combine stunning archive with dynamic sequences on water, ice, and snow, across tundra and boreal forest to bring audiences front and centre in the action while Liz interacts with animals from across the entire Arctic.

The Assassination of Olof Palme (4x60’)

Sky Documentaries and streaming service NOW. A Sky Original documentary produced by Raw in association with Discovery

TX: Early 2023

The Assassination of Olof Palme is an endlessly twisting thriller-esque four-part series set in the Scandi Noir world of Cold War Sweden. The 1986 shooting of Swedish prime minister, Olof Palme, on the snowy streets of Stockholm, starts a 36-year search for the killer. It’s a constantly shifting search that has consumed many, including the late best-selling novelist, Stieg Larsson, author of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, whose personal files form the heart of this investigation.  This is the shocking true story of Europe’s most high-profile assassination – and the people determined to finally get to the truth. 

The Essex Murders (3x60’)

Sky Documentaries and streaming service NOW. A Sky Originals documentary series produced by Expectation TV, in association with Sky Studios

TX: Early 2023

On December 6th 1995, police are called to a country lane in Essex, to find three men shot dead in a Range Rover. The victims are identified as the notorious Essex Boys, major players in the ecstasy trade fuelling Britain’s booming rave scene. The murders come just three weeks after the death of 18-year-old Leah Betts, who died taking a pill bought from one of their clubs. It creates a media storm. 

When two men are finally convicted of the murders, the case appears to be closed. But the questions surrounding the case never go away and the two men jailed for life, Jack Whomes and Mick Steele, continue to maintain their innocence. The Essex Murders (w/t) goes behind the headlines of a case that has become part of Essex folklore and the subject of countless films and books. The three-part series will shed new light on the story, taking viewers deep into the heart of the 90s rave scene, the Essex underworld and one of Britain’s most infamous gangs.  

About Sky 

Sky is Europe’s leading media and entertainment company and is proud to be part of Comcast Corporation, a global media and technology company that connects people to moments that matter. Across six countries, Sky connects 23 million customers to the best entertainment, sports, news, arts and to our own award-winning original content.   

Following the launch of Sky Glass, we now offer customers our strongest ever line-up of products and services. As well as the new streaming TV with Sky inside and everything integrated, customers can enjoy the award-winning Sky Q with all your favourite channels and apps in one place, and with Sky Go you can now access an even better experience on your devices. Sky TV has new channels, new shows and new deals with Peacock, Paramount+ and more. Sky Mobile was voted Best Pay Monthly and Best Value Pay Monthly network by Uswitch, and with Sky Broadband we’re offering our fastest speeds yet.  

Building on the success of Sky Originals like Chernobyl, Gangs of London and Brassic, we are doubling our investment in original content by 2024 through Sky Studios. Our new TV and movie studio, Sky Studios Elstree, is expected to create over 2,000 new jobs and generate an additional £3 billion of production investment in the UK over the first five years alone. Sky News provides impartial and trustworthy journalism for free, Sky Arts is the UK’s only dedicated free-to-air arts channel making the arts accessible for everyone and Sky Sports, our leading sports broadcasting service, brings customers some of the biggest and best global sporting events from the Premier League to Formula 1 and everything in-between. Sky Cinema is the home of Sky Original films with brand new films launching every month alongside an unrivalled range of the latest cinema releases and on demand library.  

We believe that we can be a force for good in the communities in which we operate. We’re committed to being Europe’s first net zero carbon entertainment company by 2030 and we’re proud to be a Principal Partner and Media Partner of COP26 – the UN Climate Change Conference. We take pride in our approach to diversity and inclusion: we’ve been recognised by The Times and Stonewall for our commitment to diversity, and we’ve set ambitious 2025 targets to continue to increase diversity and representation.  We’re also committed to investing £30million across our markets over the next three years to improve our approach to diversity and inclusion, and to tackle racial injustice. 

About NOW  

NOW is the home of brilliant entertainment. We’re one of the UK’s leading streaming services with critically acclaimed shows, new and exclusive movies, unmissable sport and epic kids TV – all with no contract. Join in with an Entertainment, Cinema, Sports, or hayu Membership to stream instantly across TV, mobile, desktop and over 60 other devices. Watch on the go and even offline with our app by downloading shows and movies.  

Entertainment Members can enjoy critically acclaimed dramas, documentaries and comedies, Emmy award-winning shows, the best of HBO and exclusive Sky Originals. Cinema Members can discover over 1000 brilliant movies, from the latest blockbusters and classic favourites and a new premiere every day. Sports Members cheer on unmissable Premier League, international cricket, F1, golf and more – all live, across 11 Sky Sports channels.  

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