BBC2 reveals content ambitions

UK pubcaster BBC2’s controller Patrick Holland has unveiled a variety of new factual entertainment shows he says demonstrate the “scale and depth” he is looking for.

Patrick Holland

The Claim sees six couples competing to win a remote home deep in the Alaskan wilderness and requires contestants to retrace the steps of a man who was the last person to claim five acres of virgin land under the American Homestead Act.

After living there for 35 years with his wife, he is looking for an heir to take over the property. The 6×60′ series requires couples to prove they have what it takes to thrive in the wild. TwoFour produces with David Clews, Andrew Mackenzie, Nic Patten and Dan Adamson exec producing.

Twofour is also behind Who Should Get a British Passport? (working title), which explores the UK immigration system. The show features interviews with an array of experts to find out who deserves a passport and how the system works.

Also on the slate is The Family Brain Games (8×60′) from Label 1, which sees eight families competing against each other in a series of cognitive tests to determine which is the most intelligent.

Holland said the shows “demonstrate our ambitions in terms of the scale and depth of storytelling on the channel.”

“The Claim and Family Brain Games continue the rejuvenation of factual entertainment on the channel, following the recent successes of Sewing Bee and the launch of Race Across the World. Who should get a British Passport? shows our unparalleled commitment to the most important timely stories in peak, asking challenging questions about the biggest issues,” he added.