BBC - British Broadcasting Corporation

09/25/2021 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 09/25/2021 07:20

Documentary series The Earthshot Prize: Repairing Our Planet to launch Sunday 3 October on BBC One and BBC iPlayer

Published: 2:00 pm, 25 September 2021
Updated: 2:04 pm, 25 September 2021
In the run up to COP 26, there couldn't be a more critical time to air this landmark series, and celebrate the amazing ingenuity of people across the world. Each of the recently announced finalists have devised creative and extraordinary solutions to combat environmental problems, and we are proud to support Prince William and The Royal Foundation in this uplifting and inspirational initiative.- Charlotte Moore, BBC Chief Content Officer

The Earthshot Prize: Repairing Our Planet is part of the BBC's continued commitment to bringing environmental and natural history programming to audiences over the next 10 years. The series will run from the beginning of October over two weeks on BBC One and iPlayer, kickstarting a month of programming in the run up to COP 26.

This beautiful and inspiring five-part landmark documentary series will give us reason to hope for a brighter future on Planet Earth. BBC One and BBC iPlayer will show the first-ever Earthshot Prize awards ceremony which will take place on 17 October at Alexandra Palace in London.

Led by Prince William, founder of The Earthshot Prize, and featuring Sir David Attenborough and other members of the Earthshot Prize Council including singer Shakira Mebarak and footballer Dani Alves, The Earthshot Prize: Repairing Our Planet looks past the problems we face and onto the solutions that promise to deliver us all a sustainable world in which both nature and humanity can thrive.

The Earthshot Prize itself is an urgent call to action to the world and aims to turn the current pessimism surrounding environmental issues into optimism, by championing inspiring leadership and helping to scale incredible cutting-edge solutions.

Charlotte Moore, BBC Chief Content Officer, says: "I am delighted that the BBC is the broadcast partner with The Duke of Cambridge and The Royal Foundation for The Earthshot Prize. Ahead of the awards ceremony on 17th October, BBC One and iPlayer will broadcast the five part series, The Earthshot Prize: Repairing Our Planet, across two weeks, demonstrating our unprecedented commitment to placing this subject at the centre of our schedule.

"In the run up to COP 26, there couldn't be a more critical time to air this landmark series, and celebrate the amazing ingenuity of people across the world. Each of the recently announced finalists have devised creative and extraordinary solutions to combat environmental problems, and we are proud to support Prince William and The Royal Foundation in this uplifting and inspirational initiative."

The five great missions of the prize - the five Earthshots - are investigated, one by one, in the five episodes and the work of the 15 Earthshot Prize Finalists celebrated across the series. We will discover the depth of the challenge we face, hear the stories of inspiring people around the world who are already finding incredible solutions, and Prince William will introduce us to the remarkable Finalists for this, the first ever year of the Earthshot Prize.

While the scale of our environmental challenges can be difficult to face, the optimistic promise of the Earthshot Prize will give us all a new insight into the coming sustainable revolution, and new energy to move forward into a better, more stable world together.

In addition to the BBC One series, a Radio 4 series, Costing The Earth: Earthshot, will also be broadcast in October. In this three part series, Chhavi Sachdev looks at the practical work of the prize Finalists, and profiles their solutions on a range of subjects; protecting nature, cleaning the air, ocean revival, climate change and waste.

The series will also be broadcast on BBC World Service.

In addition, The Earthshot Prize will be featured on BBC One's The One Show in the forthcoming weeks

Jason Knauf, CEO The Royal Foundation says: "The BBC is the most powerful storyteller in the world and The Royal Foundation could have no better partner for The Earthshot Prize. Over an unprecedented two-week period, television and radio audiences will be inspired by what we believe is some of the most innovative environmental programming that has ever been created. The television and radio series along with the awards ceremony will celebrate the incredible Earthshot Prize Finalists, while inspiring and challenging all of us to play our part in this decisive decade for the planet."

The Earthshot Prize Finalists were publicly announced by Prince William on Friday, 17 September. The incredible group includes a 14-year-old innovator and activist whose solar-powered ironing cart could help reduce air pollution across India, the City of Milan and its food waste hub initiative which is cutting waste and tackling hunger as well as the China's first public environmental database.

The Earthshot Prize: Repairing Our Planet has been developed and produced by renowned natural history filmmakers Silverback Films.

Notes to Editors

Launched by Prince William and The Royal Foundation in October 2020, The Earthshot Prize has been inspired by President John F. Kennedy's 'Moonshot' programme in the 1960's, which united millions of people around the goal of reaching the moon, The Earthshot Prize aims to inspire collective action around our unique ability to innovate, problem solve and ultimately repair our planet. Five £1 million prizes will be awarded each year for the next 10 years, providing at least 50 solutions to the world's greatest environmental problems by 2030.

FS