Channel 4 unveils Jay Slater disappearance doc as YouTube brand adds to line-up

The Disappearance of Jay Slater comes from Candour Productions

UK public broadcaster Channel 4 has announced a slate of new programming, including three factual projects and three commissions for YouTube-first digital brand Channel 4.0.

One-off documentary The Disappearance of Jay Slater, produced by UK indie Candour Productions (The Push: Murder on the Cliff), tells the story of a young Lancashire bricklayer who vanished while attending a music festival on holiday in Tenerife. His disappearance prompted a barrage of conspiracy theories from amateur detectives on social media before his body was found last July.

Rita Daniel, commissioning editor at Channel 4, said: “It is appalling what has happened to Jay’s family and we hope this film will help to bring awareness of the real-life consequences of online speculation. It is an unmonitored world where fake news runs rife and this film shows the devastating impact this has had on one grieving family.”

Channel 4 has also ordered documentary The Nottingham Attacks (working title) which details the events of June 13, 2023, when Barney Webber, Grace Kumar-O’Malley and Ian Coates were all killed in knife attacks. Produced by Banijay-owned unscripted label DSP Films, it follows the three grieving families’ campaign for justice in the run-up to next year’s public inquiry into the incident.

The final factual commission will see Passion Pictures produce a documentary about UK barrister and serial child abuser John Smyth, whose crimes resulted in a major scandal that shook the Church of England.

Channel 4.0, meanwhile, has commissioned new dating prank show format called Find the Catfish.

Channel 4.0 commission Family Face-Off

Each episode of the six-part series, to be coproduced by Bakers Dozen Studios and After Party Studios, sees one content creator go on five dates in an attempt to find romance.

What they don’t know is that two of their fellow creators will be pranking them, using voice changing tech to disguise and convince their friend they are the one.

Scheduled to premiere this summer, the show was ordered by Evie Buckley, digital commissioning editor and Channel 4.0 lead.

Entertainment show The Intern, produced by Millennial- and Gen-Z-focused outfit Cowshed Studios, has also been ordered by Channel 4.0. It offers 80 wannabe YouTube stars the chance to secure a career-making internship with four of the UK’s biggest digital content creators.

Finally, Family Face-Off is another Channel 4.0 commission. The format, produced by Acclaimed Content, sees two equally competitive and unfiltered families answer a series of questions to prove who knows their relatives best.