BossaNova Media has officially announced the global launch of its newest factual series, “Days That Shocked the World,” produced by UK factual producer BriteSpark Films, part of the Argonon Group. The announcement comes as the company prepares for a milestone 10th edition of its Development Day pitching event, which has become one of the industry’s most recognized incubators for high-impact factual programming.
Paul Heaney, CEO of BossaNova Media, said: “Our Development Days, which we originally saw as a ‘nice to have’ bit of window dressing, have become the engine room of BossaNova’s entire business. This year we’re celebrating the 10th anniversary of the concept, which has now proved its worth across two different companies, unlocking and unblocking a stream of fresh and topical projects that have gone on to perform well for all concerned. ‘Days That Shocked the World’ is a prime example of the calibre of shows that we have helped our partners realise over the past 10 years — and that’s a great feeling, as well as great business.”
“Days That Shocked the World” revisits some of the most catastrophic events of the last four decades, exploring their human and historical dimensions through survivor testimonies and archival footage. The anthology series, originally pitched during BossaNova’s 2024 Development Day, features one- and two-part episodes that coincide with key anniversaries of these defining global events. The episodes include the Challenger Space Shuttle explosion in 1986 (1x60’), the Chernobyl nuclear disaster of the same year (2x60’), the 2000 Air France Concorde crash (1x60’), the 9/11 terrorist attacks in 2001 (2x60’), and the 2011 Fukushima earthquake and tsunami (2x60’).
The series joins a roster of successful titles that originated through BossaNova’s Development Day initiative, including “The Killer Clown: Murder on the Doorstep,” “Con Girl,” “The Flight Attendant Murders,” “The Infinite Deep: Stories of Lost Submarines,” “The Chameleon: The Killing of Ronald Platt,” “Searching for Michael Jackson’s Zoo,” and the “By Train” series. These projects have collectively become key examples of BossaNova’s ability to connect producers and buyers to deliver commercially viable factual storytelling.
A record number of buyers and commissioners are confirmed to attend Development Day 2025, which takes place in central London ahead of Mipcom Cannes. The event is curated by Claire Runham, BossaNova’s head of acquisitions, and will feature pitches from 27 independent producers, including several first-time participants. Together, they will present approximately 50 projects, selected from over 200 submissions.
Confirmed attendees include leading global platforms and broadcasters such as National Geographic and Warner Bros. Discovery (US), BBC Studios, ITV Studios, Channel 4, Channel 5, Sky, UKTV and Paramount+ (UK), Hearst Networks (EMEA), SBS (Australia), RTL and WELT (Germany), and Viasat World.
Development Day 2025 is sponsored by Getty Images, which continues its partnership with BossaNova to support archive-driven content creation. For the first time, Welsh broadcaster S4C joins as a sponsor through its Commercial Content Fund, launched in 2023 to support projects that showcase Welsh culture and enhance the nation’s creative footprint in international markets.
Now in its 10th year, Development Day continues to serve as a vital catalyst for content innovation, fostering partnerships that generate globally relevant factual programming — and “Days That Shocked the World” stands as its latest example of commercial success born from collaboration.