BBC3 orders six Fresh docs

BBC3 has commissioned a raft of youth-skewing factual shows for its Fresh strand of programming, which aims to give new directors a break into primetime filmmaking.

Six new films have been greenlit to premiere in early 2014 including Growing Up Down’s (working title), about a theatre group for young adults with Down’s syndrome from producer and director Will Jessop. Paul Woolf from Maverick Television and Christo Hird from Dartmouth Films are the executive producers.

Webcam Girls (wt) is being produced and directed by Matthew Carter with Ravinder Chahal from Special Edition Films as executive producer. The one-off doc looks into the lives of three girls who perform for money on their webcams.

The effects of strong types of cannabis on young people is explored in Does Skunk Make You Crazy (wt), which is fronted by journalist Jake Hanrahan, who himself suffered from cannabis-induced psychosis as a teenager. Charlotte Rodrigues directs and produces with Jaimie D’Cruz from Acme Films executive producing.

School of Rock (wt) from director Kieran Carruthers and producer Pete Kirtley follows students at the Academy of Contemporary Music, which turns young adults into rock stars. Southan Morris from Storyvault Films executive produces.

Producer and director Matt Ralph, along with Endemol exec producer Andy Rowe, are working on Knight Club, which follows a group of modern-day English knights as they enter an international Battle of the Nations tournament in France.

And, finally, Underage & Over the Limit (wt) journeys to the north east of England, which has the highest number of underage drinkers in the UK. Louis Grover produces and directs, and Mira King from Special Edition Films is the executive producer.

All six films were commissioned by Elliot Reed, commissioning executive producer for features and formats at BBC3.