S4C, NHK build The Body

MIPTV: Public service broadcasters NHK Japan and S4C in Wales have paired up for a new science series about the human body, marking their first content partnership in more than 20 years.

Described as a ground-breaking series, The Body promises to “overturn conventional thinking” on how the body works via cutting-edge science and the latest UHD imaging technology on how cells interact with each other.

The show, which is due to be completed by spring 2018, will initially be produced in Japan. NHK will air an eight-part version, with Welsh-language pubcaster S4C opting for a three-parter. The project is now also seeking more coproduction partners.

“We are delighted to announce our coproduction with NHK, one of the world’s most respected public service broadcasters,” said S4C’s head of content distribution, Llion Iwan. “ We believe the series will draw worldwide interest, presenting breakthrough medical and scientific knowledge in an entertaining, innovative way.”

Takehiro Asai, NHK senior producer, who created and is exec producing the project, added: “Shooting is going well. We’ve used an NHK-developed 8K microscope and a 3D electron microscope to get unprecedented images at a microscopic level. Our full-4K CGI of the inside of the human body is also stunning.”