BBC Factual has ordered Will You Be My Friend?, a new six-part series for BBC One and iPlayer from Five Mile Films.
Will You Be My Friend? explores the world of friendship through children aged 5 to 8 who are struggling socially. “Some are shy, some feel like they don’t fit in, others simply haven’t found “their tribe” yet. They want to make a friend – but don’t know where to start.”
In the series, a team of psychologists at The Friendship Centre help children build the confidence and social skills to form real, lasting connections with other kids. Each child is then sensitively matched on a play date with a potential new friend from their local area.
Six weeks later, the series returns home to see how their new-found courage has helped at school, in the playground and beyond.
Emma Loach, Interim Head of Commissioning, Documentaries says: “The longing to connect, to be seen, and to belong is universal. Whether you’re five or fifty-five, I defy anyone to watch these children without seeing a little bit of themselves reflected.
“In a world that can feel increasingly disconnected, this series shows that the simplest gestures – a smile, a shared joke, a tentative ‘will you be my friend?’ – still have the power to change everything. Five Mile Films has brought us something very special, and we couldn’t be prouder to give it a home on the BBC.”
Nick Mirsky, CEO of Five Mile Films says: “I don’t think there’s a commission I could be more thrilled to bring to Five Mile. Will You Be My Friend? will be joyful, warm and funny, but it also does something genuinely new – inviting us to look closely at the challenge and art of making friends.”
Will You Be My Friend?, a 6×60’ for BBC One and iPlayer, is a Five Mile Films production. The Executive Producers are Nick Mirsky, Adam Chapman and Jordan Maloy. It was commissioned by Clare Sillery, former Head of Commissioning, Documentaries and the Commissioning Editor is Beejal-Maya Patel. All3Media International acts as international partner.
Filming takes place this July and August.
Jon Creamer
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