BBC unveils two new factual commissions for BBC Two and iPlayer

BBC has secured two new commissions for BBC Two and iPlayer: "Big Cats 24/7" from BBC Studios Natural History Unit and "Orphan," from Hello Halo. The news was announced today at Wildscreen Nairobi, Sreya Biswas, BBC Head of Natural History. "We are incredibly proud to be announcing these two fantastic projects at Wildscreen Nairobi. Both are ambitious attempts to document African wildlife and landscapes, involving amazing African talent both on and offscreen,"  Sreya Biswas, BBC Head of Natural History, said.

"Big Cats 24/7,"a six-part series for BBC Two, iPlayer and PBS, made by BBC Studios Natural History Unit and co-produced by PBS. It was commissioned by Jack Bootle, Head of Commissioning, Specialist Factual. The Executive Producers are Roger Webb and Tom Jarvis, the Series Producer is Rowan Crawford and the Production Manager is Gillian Goodlet. The Commissioning Editor is Sreya Biswas. The Executive in Charge for PBS is Bill Gardner.

"Big Cats 24/7" will give viewers an unprecedented insight into the lives of the lions, leopards and cheetahs of Botswana’s awe-inspiring Okavango Delta, a place described as one of Africa’s last great natural sanctuaries. Behind-the-scenes production photo of Gordan Buchanan and a big cat In this series, a camera team follow a group of African big cats, day and night, for six months. Filmed using the very latest technology. "Big Cats 24/7" will shows its audience to a wild arena in the Okavango Delta, Botswana: a land displaying big cat behavior that is almost entirely free from human influence. And with extraordinary access to the Sheldrick’s Wildlife Trust’s neo-natal orphanage in Kenya, Orphan is a three-year project looking at the intimate relationship between a young elephant and its keeper." 

The team of camera experts, which includes wildlife cinematographers Gordon Buchanan, Vianet Djenguet and Anna Dimitriadis, and an award-winning local Botswanan camera crew lead by Brad Bestelink, must track the cats across unforgiving terrain, keeping their cameras rolling 24/7. It’s a mission that will push them to their limit, as they deal with wildfire and extreme weather in one of the wildest places on the planet.

The tracking technology allows the team can follow the cats’ movements more closely than ever before, and state-of-the-art low-light cameras allow them to capture previously unseen nocturnal behavior for the very first time. Charting all the action in the Okavango over six months, over two extreme seasons of flood and drought, this six-part series aims to show big cats from a never-been-seen angle.“Being able to go deeper into the lives of Africa’s big cats than ever before is a mouth-watering prospect," Roger Webb, Executive Producer, said. "Expect the unexpected and to witness things you’ve never seen before in an African wilderness that’s almost as dynamic as the cats. It’s sure to be a rollercoaster of drama and emotion and it’s why we’re so excited to be making Big Cats 24/7.”