BBC3 has ordered three new shows for the relaunch of the BBC3 linear channel.

The centre-piece of the schedule on opening night will be the first-ever RuPaul’s Drag Race: UK Versus The World. With the UK as the host nation, for the first time in Drag Race Herstory, nine International members of RuPaul’s Drag Race Royal alumni will compete to become the ultimate Drag Race Superstar.

Also coming to BBC Three next year is Santa Claus The Serial Killer (w/t), a six-part series from award-winning journalist Mobeen Azhar. In his next true-crime exploration following Hometown: A Killing, Mobeen heads to Toronto, Canada, to explore the case of serial killer Bruce McArthur, a story which has thrown themes of race, faith, culture and sexuality into sharp focus.

And BBC Three will take to the skies in Flight Club (w/t) , a new ten-part series commissioned with BBC Scotland and Screen Scotland. This access-all-areas observations series follows the young staff and crew of Loganair as they lift the lid on what a career high in the clouds is all about

Fiona Campbell, Controller BBC Three says: “As we gear up for launch, we’re excited to start talking about what will be on the new channel. As a destination for young audiences on the BBC, BBC Three will provide a true multi-genre offering with these commissions serving up some World Class entertainment with RuPaul Versus, award-winning true-crime with Mobeen and sky-high ambition with Flight Club.”

Once the channel goes live in early February, shows will premiere on BBC Three and will be made available on BBC iPlayer – BBC Three will be available on Freeview, Sky, Virgin and Freesat.

RuPaul’s Drag Race: UK Versus The World

In a global first, RuPaul takes Drag Race UK on to the next level of competition as he opens up the battle to Drag Race queens from around the world.

Nine international members of RuPaul’s Drag Race Royal alumni will battle it out for the crown in the brand new series: RuPaul’s Drag Race UK Versus The World.

With the UK as the host nation, for the first time in Drag Race Herstory, renowned queens from different franchises and cultures will compete in an international arena showcasing their country’s finest drag in their bid to become the ultimate Drag Race Superstar.

The stakes have never been higher.

The series will begin during BBC Three’s launch night on television and will be available on BBC iPlayer.

Michelle Visage, Graham Norton, Alan Carr and a sparkling array of superstar guest judges will join RuPaul to help him decide… Who will be queen of the world and named the first Global Drag Race Superstar?! Let the battle commence…

More information about the competing queens and the extra special guest judges will be revealed in due course.

The RuPaul’s Drag Race franchise is produced of World of Wonder.

RuPaul’s Drag Race: UK Versus The World is a BBC Three series. It is commissioned by Fiona Campbell, Controller BBC Three and Kate Phillips, Controller, BBC Entertainment, as BBC Three exclusively brings the global phenomenon RuPaul’s Drag Race UK to British screens. The BBC Commissioning Editor is Ruby Kuraishe, and the Executive Producers are RuPaul, Fenton Bailey, Randy Barbato, Tom Campbell, Sally Miles and Bruce McCoy. All episodes of RuPaul’s Drag Race UK are now streaming on BBC iPlayer.

Santa Claus the Serial Killer (w/t)

British journalist Mobeen Azhar travels to Toronto, Canada, to explore the case of a serial killer which has thrown themes of race, faith, culture and sexuality into sharp focus.

It was nearly three years ago, when a shocking discovery was made in the back garden of a quaint house in suburban Toronto. Hidden within plant pots were the body parts of seven men. An eighth man was found buried close by. The person responsible for these murders? The unsuspecting gardener: Bruce McArthur.

McArthur, who was also a shopping mall Santa Claus, confessed to eight counts of murder in and around the Gay Village district of Toronto. His guilty plea, which saw him given eight concurrent life sentences, meant that he avoided a lengthy trial leaving many questions unanswered.

During his seven year killing spree, people in Toronto’s gay village wondered if a serial killer was on the loose. When McArthur was finally arrested in 2018 many asked why it took so long? Raising important questions about how marginalised people are treated by authorities, and by those within their own communities, this is a story that has relevance way beyond Canada.

Mobeen Azhar, who won an RTS Award for his previous series, Hometown: A Killing, heads to Toronto to spend time with local communities to find out more in a very personal quest to uncover the real story behind this notorious murder case.

Mobeen says: “I set off to Toronto to try to understand how and why so many men lost their lives but what quickly became clear was that this was not just a story about a serial killer but about policing, the immigrant experience and how our communities take care of each other. “

Santa Claus the Serial Killer (w/t), a 6×30′ series, is produced by Forest for BBC Three and iPlayer. It was commissioned by Fiona Campbell, Controller, BBC Three and Clare Sillery, Head of Commissioning, Documentaries, History and Religion. The Executive Producer is Jeremy Lee and the BBC Commissioning Editor is Emma Loach. It will be distributed by Beyond Rights.

Flight Club

BBC Three, BBC Scotland and Screen Scotland have announced a new 10×30 series commission in response to the launch of a new, creative partnership for local production companies.

The scheme invited local Scottish Independent production companies to pitch innovative, factual entertainment format ideas that reflect the life experiences of 16-24 year olds with the promise of a guaranteed series commission. The scheme received a range of high-quality ideas which resulted in the commission of Flight Club (w/t) from Mentorn Scotland.

In Flight Club (w/t), Mentorn Scotland will take the audience on a journey across Scotland and beyond with their access-all-areas observational series looking under the wings and inside the lives of those working for a busy airline. It follows the young staff and crew of Loganair as they lift the lid on what a career high in the clouds is all about. It’s an aspirational series that will show that there is more to the job than just flying passengers from A to B.

Fiona Campbell, Controller BBC Three, says: “Flight Club is a brilliant first commission from our partnership with BBC Scotland and Screen Scotland. With great characters being their authentic selves doing something they love and regional voices and stories, it has all the ingredients we love in a show.”

Louise Thornton, Head of Commissioning, BBC Scotland says: “We got some fantastic programme ideas from the indies who pitched to us and that led us to go beyond our original commitment and commission a fantastic new character-based factual series, Flight Club, which has the potential to become a returning series. The collaboration between BBC Three, BBC Scotland and Screen Scotland has allowed us to do this and we hope the results will prove a hit with our viewers,”

Dani Carlaw, Head of Unscripted for Screen Scotland says: “We are delighted at Screen Scotland to be part of such a dynamic initiative with BBC Three and BBC Scotland. To see a great variety of Scotland based indies pitch in so many fantastic ideas, open out new relationships with commissioners, and galvanise already held ones – is such an important element of a creative collaboration such as this one. We are thrilled with Flight Club, and the potential it has to be a hit with audiences across Scotland and beyond.”

Jon Creamer

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