The BBC has announced two new factual commissions at Wales Screen Summit, both from South Shore and to be produced out of Cardiff.
Andi Oliver’s Big Bash and The Hairy Bikers Go West are both eight-part series.
Catherine Catton, BBC Head of Commissioning, Factual Entertainment & Events, says: “These two new shows showcase the food, passion and creativity of people all across the UK and I’m very excited to be bringing them to BBC viewers. Andi Oliver is renowned for her legendary parties so what better person to help communities across the country celebrate in the most joyful way possible. And I’m so pleased that the Hairy Bikers are back on the road once again, this time discovering what makes our western shores, from Bute Island to Devon, so special.”
Andi Oliver’s Big Bash, for BBC Two and iPlayer, sees the chef and restauranteur bring her party organising skills to towns and cities across the UK, galvanizing communities with her belief in the power of delicious food, good vibes and great music to bring people together and lift the soul.
Known for her legendary warehouse parties back in the 80s to her ground-breaking pop-up restaurants, Andi Oliver is now coming to the aid of people up and down the country to celebrate their towns and communities.
Each episode will see Oliver devising unique themed dishes to serve up on the day. For inspiration, she’ll meet local chefs and suppliers, getting to grips with the regional produce and recipes that make the area special.
It’s not just food. As a singer in the 80s punk band Rip Rig and Panic, her life has always been filled with music and art, so she’ll also be digging into local culture, discovering performers and artists to bring each event to life.
Oliver will unearth the personal stories and the rich social history that makes Britain’s towns, cities, and communities.
Andi Oliver’s Big Bash executive producers for South Shore are Andrew Mackenzie, Melanie Leach and James Hedge. The BBC commissioning editor is Patrick McMahon.
The Hairy Bikers Go West, also for BBC Two and iPlayer celebrates the food producers, cuisine and vista of Britain’s west shores.
The series sees the return of friends Si and Dave as they travel from north to south discovering the producers, farmers and chefs that are contributing to a modern British culinary revolution.
Each week they’ll ride across one part of the west coast and explore the changing area through restaurants, recipes, producers and inventive new food entrepreneurs.
Starting in Scotland and riding all the way to Devon, the Bikers will revisit places that are meaningful to their past, special locations where their friendship was forged, and locations linked to their family history. But it won’t all be familiar territory as they meet new friends and explore new scenery to cook recipes inspired by the diversity of the West coast.
Their journey begins on Bute Island and travels through Dumfries & Galloway, Lancashire, Merseyside & the Isle of Man, North Wales, The Severn Estuary and Somerset, ending in Devon.
Along the way, they’ll meet some artisan food producers in the UK alongside award winning chefs and an incredible array of locals keen to share their passion for local produce.
The Hairy Bikers Go West Executive Producers for South Shore are Andrew Mackenzie & Melanie Leach. The BBC Commissioning Editor is Jasmyn McGuile and the Series Editor is Francois Gandolfi.
Pippa Considine
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