Rare TV in production on "Hold The Front Page" for BBC iPlayer and BBC Northern Ireland

Rare TV’s Belfast production hub is in production for BBC iPlayer and BBC Northern Ireland on a new three-part series, "Hold The Front Page", which talks to the journalists who have broken news stories which made headlines around the world. 

The title is a Rare TV production for BBC Northern Ireland and BBC iPlayer. The series director is Ben Jamieson, the series producer Brittny Heinrich and executive producers are Edward Hart for Rare TV and Mary McKeagney for BBC Northern Ireland.  It was commissioned by Eddie Doyle.

"Hold The Front Page" (3x60’) goes behind the scenes of the breaking news story of one of Ireland’s biggest ever sporting upsets – football legend Roy Keane’s sensational exit from Ireland’s 2002 World Cup Squad. It tells how reporters chased down Anne Darwin, the 'Canoe Widow,' to expose the truth behind her husband's faked death as they fought to beat their competitors to a sensational scoop. And it reveals how journalists exposed a financial scandal tying the former MP wife of Northern Ireland’s First Minister, Iris Robinson, to an extramarital affair with a man 40 years her junior.

Edward Hart, Executive Producer, Rare TV reflected on the theme that the series delves into: “When it comes to big news events, the story behind the story is a fascinating aspect of press coverage. 'Hold The Front Page' provides the inside track on how journalists follow up on tips, track down sources and stand up their information in a hard-fought competitive race to be first to break the news," expressed.

Meanwhile, Eddie Doyle, BBC Northern Ireland’s Head of Content Commissioning assured that the audiences will be challenged by the material: “This insightful series is sure to captivate audiences with its twists and turns as it takes a deep dive behind the headlines of these memorable breaking news stories," noted.

Also, Rare TV was recently commissioned to produce a 15-part series, "Trace, Track, Get My Car Back!" for BBC Daytime and BBC iPlayer, through its Belfast office. Other current productions include long-running brands "Ice Airport Alaska" (Smithsonian Networks), "Expert Witness" (BBC One), "The Crime I Can’t Forget" (BBC / RTÉ), "Futureville" (RTÉ), and "Crimecall" (RTÉ).