The commissions include a new series from the award-winning team behind Once Upon a Time in Northern Ireland that hears personal stories from different sides of the conflict in Once Upon a Time in the Middle East.

Three new feature length films, all from female directors, shine a light on British stories. Documentary maker Molly Dineen explores the social history of Britain through 40 years of her unseen archive in Molly Dineen: Our People; Poison Water, directed by Hannah Lowes, tells the true story of one of Britain’s worst mass water poisonings; and Taken: Britain’s Forced Adoption Scandal, a co-commission with BBC Scotland, directed by Kate Scholefield, uncovers the full story of Britain’s forced adoption scandal for the first time.

In addition, journalist Mobeen Azhar returns to investigate what’s really going on inside the UK prison system in new BBC Three series, Coerced or Corrupted: Inside Prisons.

Clare Sillery says: “In our increasingly polarised world, where algorithms feed us the voices and opinions which chime with our own, documentaries have an ever more important role to play, bringing us perspectives and stories that have previously remained unheard.

“I hope James Bluemel’s latest series will offer viewers a rare and precious opportunity. From the Iraq war to the conflict in Northern Ireland, in his Once Upon a Time series of documentaries James has been fearless in tackling the most complex of subjects. His ability to draw out and connect intimate unheard stories, combined with unseen archive is truly remarkable, helping us experience events through the eyes of others, even those with whom we may profoundly disagree. This next series will focus that approach on the most challenging of conflicts.

“The other documentaries announced today reveal big, complex and uniquely British stories which explore who we are and the values that underpin us a nation, from the forced adoption scandal to mass water poisoning in North Cornwall and an insight into the UK’s prison system. In addition, one of our most acclaimed film-makers, Molly Dineen, shares her extensive personal archive to present a very personal portrait of Britain from the 1980s to now.”

Once Upon a Time in the Middle East

Once Upon a Time in the Middle East (w/t), is from the team behind the multi award-winning Once Upon a Time in Northern Ireland, Once Upon a Time in Iraq and the upcoming Once Upon a Time in Space, for BBC Two and iPlayer.

The political and military consequences of the deadly Hamas-led attacks on 7 October 2023 are still unfolding – both in Gaza, where more than fifty thousand are now said to have been killed, and across the Middle East, confirming its place as the most fought over land on the planet.

While the world waits to see how the new map of the region might unfold, Once Upon the Time in the Middle East brings us the personal stories of people caught up in a never-ending conflict across a sweep of history.

This series will take a long-term view, looking at how the situation in the Middle East has evolved, the roots of the conflict that has affected both Israelis and Palestinians and its ripple effect across the region, focussing on the personal cost of a war that has raged on and off for decades. By interviewing ordinary men and women from all sides of the conflict, who have multiple points of view on the history of the Middle East, and showing rare and unseen archive footage alongside UGC, the series will tell the human stories of those who have lived through this complex history.

James Bluemel says: “Our Once Upon a Time documentary strand gives regular people the space to share their experience of historical events without judgement and seeks empathy and understanding from all sides. We have told the stories of people who experienced the war in Iraq, lived through the conflict in Northern Ireland and even those who have been pioneers in outer space. Once Upon a Time in the Middle East is our most ambitious project yet.”

Once Upon a Time in the Middle East (w/t), a 5×60’ for BBC Two and iPlayer, is made by Keo Films. It was commissioned by Clare Sillery, Head of Commissioning, Documentaries, the Executive Producers are Will Anderson and Andrew Palmer and the director is multi award winner James Bluemel. The BBC Commissioning Editor is Fran Baker.

Coerced or Corrupted: Inside Prisons

One of our most unique documentarians, Molly Dineen has been filming all her life, sometimes for broadcast, often just for herself – and crucially always in Britain.

Her work has taken us into communities, workplaces and institutions and shown us how our country has been shaped by the past and adapted to the present. Using her extensive archive of hitherto unseen footage, Our People will present a very personal portrait of Britain from the 1980s to now.

We’ll meet an extraordinary diversity of people, from Black Rod to Blacker Dread, from road diggers to Tony Blair, in a series of behind the scenes encounters with shot over 40 years.

Throughout the footage, there is a clear thread, both in the endless ways we separate but also in the ways we come together, how our connections and alliances define our way of life, and how our identity and sense of belonging – behind the scenes in the House of Lords, embedded in the Brixton Jamaican community, or in the East Sussex village where her mother ran the local Post Office — can lead us into the future.

Working closely with award winning editor, Ollie Huddleston, this feature documentary will help us understand the profound changes in the psychology of the country during a period of political, economic and demographic ferment – a privileged insight into how Britain works and how we got here.

Our People will be broadcast on BBC Two and iPlayer in 2026, preceded by a release in selected UK cinemas.

Molly Dineen: Our People, 1×90, was commissioned by Clare Sillery, Head of Commissioning, Documentaries. It is being made by RTO Pictures, the Director is Molly Dineen, the Editor is Ollie Huddlestone, the Associate Producer is Lisa Ubsdell, the Producer is Melanie Fall and the Executive Producer is Kevin Loader. The BBC Commissioning Editor is Emma Loach.

Poison Water

Poison Water (w/t) is a documentary co-production between Button Down and Keo Films, which tells the true story of one of Britain’s worst mass poisonings.

On a summer afternoon in North Cornwall, 1988, 20 tonnes of aluminium sulphate were accidentally poured into the drinking water supply. An estimated 20,000 homes were served a toxic cocktail with aluminium levels up to 3,000 times the EU limit. As taps ran black, skin blistered and hair changed colour, the public was told it was safe to drink. Little did anyone realise that, years later, questions would still be unanswered about the consequences of consuming that poisoned water, and the actions of those responsible for supplying it.

With Britain’s troubled water networks rarely out of the news, Poison Water rewinds the story of water privatisation to its very beginning. While Margaret Thatcher was preparing to launch her flagship policy in Westminster, in North Cornwall a population was kept in the dark about the nature of the water in their homes. Exploring accusations of greed and cover-up, Poison Water tells the story of shattered public trust, safety compromised and a community’s search for the truth.

Poison Water 1×90 for BBC Two and iPlayer was commissioned by Clare Sillery, Head of Commissioning, Documentaries. The film will be directed by Hannah Lowes and the Executive Producers are Louis Bamber (Button Down) and Will Anderson (Keo Films). The BBC Commissioning Editor is Anna Dickeson.

 

Taken: Britain’s Forced Adoption Scandal

Taken: Britain’s Forced Adoption Scandal (w/t) is a new documentary by Finestripe Productions that will uncover the full story of Britain’s forced adoption scandal for the first time.

Between the 1940s and the early 1980s, nearly 300,000 unmarried women in the UK had their babies forcibly taken for adoption by the state. Institutions – including social services, government agencies, and the NHS – which appeared to be working together in a system seemingly driven by deep-rooted prejudice against women based on their class, race, and marital status.

This documentary centres on the powerful firsthand testimonies of the mothers and their families, revealing how these communities continue to live with the trauma decades later. Woven together with rich archive material, these voices paint a vivid and deeply personal portrait of a shameful and hidden chapter in British history – one that inflicted lasting pain and divided families.

Now, those affected are seeking long-overdue justice. In Scotland, the film follows a team of distinguished lawyers pursuing government redress, while in England, calls for an official apology from the British government are growing. We have exclusive access to the lawyers leading these efforts.

Alongside these stories, the film explores ongoing investigations into the British government’s role in the policy of forced adoption and the lasting multigenerational impact of a hormone-blocking drug administered to many of these women – uncovering a potential medical scandal that still affects these communities today.

Parts of this story have been told before, but never in its entirety. Until now.

Taken: Britain’s Forced Adoption Scandal 1×90 for BBC Two, BBC Scotland and iPlayer was commissioned by Clare Sillery, Head of Commissioning, Documentaries and Louise Thornton, Head of commissioning, BBC Scotland. The film will be directed by Kate Scholefield and the Executive Producer is Lorraine McKechnie for Finestripe Productions. The BBC Commissioning Editor is Anna Dickeson and David Harron for BBC Scotland.