C4 signs up for The Academy

South Shore’s Royal Marines Commando School

UK pubcaster Channel 4 has commissioned a documentary series that goes behind the scenes of Premier League youth football academy Crystal Palace FC Academy.

The Academy (working title) will follow the relationships between the staff, players and their families at the South London club to reveal the work that goes into developing the next generation of footballing talent.

Filmed over 12 months, the six-part series will document the journeys of the players, aged between eight and 18, as they strive to transition from grassroots football to Premier League stars.

The Academy is produced by South Shore, the prodco behind Channel 4’s Educating Yorkshire and Royal Marines Commando School. Exec producing is Andrew Mackenzie.

The news comes after Amazon Prime Video last week announced the launch of When Eagles Dare, a docuseries about the rise of Crystal Palace from the brink of bankruptcy to the Premier League.