BBC One and iPlayer have announced a one-off Christmas special that will “take the rom-com somewhere it has never been before – into the wild.”
Love Naturally is a new one-hour Christmas special narrated by actor Bill Nighy, revealing the love lives of animals around the world and “asking what they might teach us about that most mysterious of human emotions: love.”
Made by Bristol-based Plimsoll Studios, part of ITV Studios, and co-written and executive produced by Love Actually writer and director Richard Curtis, Love Naturally combines “spectacular natural history with the wit, warmth and emotional storytelling of a classic Christmas rom-com.”
Richard Curtis said: “I have always loved animal documentaries, and this was a wonderful opportunity to dive into the word of animals and romance at Christmas and around the world. I was amazed at the variety and humour and passion that we found – from Antarctica to the North Pole, it turns out that, in the animal kingdom, love actually may be all around.”
Jack Bootle, Head of Commissioning, Specialist Factual, BBC, said: “Christmas on BBC One is all about bringing people together, and Love Naturally feels like a great way to celebrate something that connects us all. It has spectacular wildlife, extraordinary behaviour, warmth, humour and some genuinely great love stories.
“Working with Richard Curtis and Plimsoll, we’re bringing the language of the romantic comedy to natural history and discovering that first dates, grand gestures, jealous rivals, family dramas and heartbreak certainly aren’t unique to humans. It’s funny, surprising and full of heart.”
Love Naturally is a 1 x 60′ special for BBC One and iPlayer, made by Plimsoll Studios in Bristol. Richard Curtis is Executive Producer, and it was written by Richard and Bill Markham. Mark Brownlow and Martha Holmes are Executive Producers for Plimsoll Studios. It was commissioned for the BBC by Jack Bootle, Head of Commissioning, Specialist Factual. The Commissioning Editor is Tom Watt-Smith, Head of Natural History Commissioning. ITV Studios will handle international distribution.
Love Naturally will air on BBC One and iPlayer this Christmas.
(Image: BBC/Plimsoll Studios/Ondrej Prosicky/Adobe Stock). Supplied by BBC Media Centre
Jon Creamer
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