Reposted from BBC Media Centre
BBC Three has announced new documentary series commissions from two of the channel’s original and highly acclaimed investigative presenters – Stacey Dooley and Reggie Yates – which will see them embark on their most immersive experiences yet.
- Brainwashing Stacey Dooley will see Stacey Dooley immerse herself among different groups with extreme ideologies and beliefs, including the sports hunting community.
- Reggie Yates: Worst Weeks will see Reggie Yates spend time behind bars in a Texan jail and go on patrol with the Mexican army.
Patrick Holland, Head of Commissioning for BBC Documentaries, says: "Both of these new series will push Reggie and Stacey further than ever before. Through Reggie living as an inmate in a US jail, and going on patrol with the Mexican Army, the audience will gain a very visceral insight into American justice and the War on Drugs. Stacey’s immersion will take us to the heart of some of the most controversial groups around the world, gaining a fresh insight into the psychologies and behaviours that lie at the heart of these movements."
Damian Kavanagh, Controller of BBC Three, says: "I’m incredibly proud of what Stacey and Reggie have achieved with BBC Three and I know that these two series will be as distinctive, courageous and informative as their previous work with BBC Three."
Brainwashing Stacey Dooley (working title), 3×60, BBC Creative Label
What happens when Stacey Dooley lives and trains with alternative groups whose extreme ideologies feel at odds with her own? Can she ever think like they think?
In a daring new three-part series, Stacey steps away from her traditional investigative role and immerses herself fully in worlds with extreme views. To enter the mindset of people whose views and activities are perceived as highly controversial – from the sports hunting community to the pro-life youth training camps – Stacey will sign up to live, breathe and train 24/7 under the watchful eye of experts and leaders within these intense ideological worlds.
Brainwashing Stacey Dooley (working title), will see Stacey join the sports hunting community in the US and Africa to find out what is takes to kill, and to understand the mindset of those who take part in a sport which is considered abhorrent to many. In India, she will undergo training to become a member of the Gulabi Gang, who use direct and physical action to campaign for women's rights. In America, she will join an anti-abortion bootcamp, embedding herself in the pro-life movement.
Reggie Yates: Worst Weeks, 2×60, K2 Productions
Fresh from winning Best Presenter at the RTS Awards, Reggie Yates returns to BBC Three for an immersive new documentary series where he will spend intense periods of time asking questions from the inside – spending a week in jail and another in the Mexican army.
Entering Bexar County Jail in Texas for one brutal week, where around a quarter of the inmates have a diagnosed mental illness, we will see Reggie experience what it’s like to be an inmate in the American criminal justice system as he attempts to understand how prisoners with mental health problems are treated behind bars.
Reggie will also join the army in Acapulco, a city once known as Mexico’s premium beach resort, but now considered one of the most violent cities on Earth. Sent in to try and win back control, Mexican soldiers are at the front line of the drug war in Acapulco, and Reggie will be embedded with the troops as they fight to restore law and order in this violence-stricken city.
As tensions between crime groups increase and Reggie’s posting coincides with Acapulco’s busiest tourist season, he will see first-hand the extent of the city’s problems, and experience the difficulties involved in trying to combat them.
Reggie Yates says: “This immersive series has pushed me to challenge myself in ways I’d never imagined. The weeks I’ve spent living as an inmate in Texas and going on patrol in Acapulco have taken me on a whole journey of discovery and I can’t wait for people to see what we’ve made. After these experiences, I’ll think twice about saying I’ve had a tough week again!”
