C4 boards the Nordic Train at Christmas, branded series with Chris Ramsey

Nordic Train at Christmas is narrated by Downton Abbey star Hugh Bonneville.

UK broadcaster Channel 4 (C4) has commissioned festive-themed travel special Nordic Train at Christmas, to be narrated by Downton Abbey star Hugh Bonneville.

The 1×60′ film, produced by Salford-based indie King of Sunshine Productions with WPP Media’s Motion Entertainment, follows the Bergen Oslo railway as it traverses from Norway’s coast to the capital city.

Along the way, viewers will meet staff, passengers and witness a spectacular winter wonderland of fjords and mountains.

The one-off was financed by the C4 and Motion Entertainment’s Diverse Indies Fund. The initiative was set up to support small and medium-sized ethnically diverse-owned indie prodcos to produce new projects.

Jasper Hone, C4’s commissioning executive, lifestyle, said the show followed the success of King of Sunshine’s Alpine Train at Christmas, which aired last year.

In related news, C4 has partnered with supermarket chain Sainsbury’s for festive-themed entertainment series, Chris Ramsey’s Alternative Christmas Guide.

Produced by Birmingham-based Acclaimed Content, the three-parter sees comedian Ramsey host three Christmas get-togethers. From prepping canapés to decking the halls and keeping guests entertained, he’s on a mission to prove that anyone can throw a proper Yuletide bash without the stress.

Scheduled to premiere on Channel 4’s YouTube channels from December 1, it will air on C4 from December 15. Series highlights will also be uploaded to C4’s social accounts on Instagram, Facebook and TikTok.

The series is the latest project to arise from C4’s Partner Lab, its in-house creative partnerships team built to partner with brands.

Other shows to have come out of the initiative include branded entertainment series Filtered Interiors, with furniture company Wayfair, and observational docuseries Cancer Detectives: Finding the Cures.

Emma Hopkins, Partner Lab leader, C4, said: “By creating content that will sit on Channel 4’s social platforms, be available to stream, and has a contextual advert on linear, the brand can reach new audiences wherever they choose to watch.”