BBC Three launches autumn slate

BBC Three, the digital terrestrial broadcaster operated by the British public broadcaster, has commissioned a raft of new factual and comedy series including fast turnaround doc The Batman Shootings and a full series of Warner Bros’ format Impractical Jokers.

The network has ordered nine new documentaries and a number of new comedy formats as part of its autumn schedule.

It has commissioned The Batman Shootings, a one-off doc about the tragedy in Aurora, Colorado produced by Mentorn; three part series Stacey Dooley in the USA produced by BBC Productions and Unsafe In The City, about sexually transmitted diseases, produced by Firecracker Films.

BBC Three is also launching a new season of programmes called The Body Beautiful with docs including Firecracker Films’ I Want To Change My Body, Renegade’s Jackie Green Transsexual Beauty Queen, Mentorn Media’s Dying For Clear Skin, Pioneer Productions’ How Your Body Works, RDF’s Pumping Up, Pumping Down and Mentorn’s Free Speech.

In comedy, it has ordered a new season of Greg James and Russell Kane’s Unzipped; the eight part quizshow-meets-talkshow is produced by Talkback, a full series of Warner Bros’ Impractical Jokers, which started out as an online pilot.

BBC Three controller Zai Bennett said: “We’re experiencing an historic moment on BBC Three right now – transmitting all hours to co-host the biggest sporting event on earth. With this raft of new commissions, alongside all the fantastic new shows which are launching straight off the back of the Olympics, viewers will see what a rich, diverse, surprising and engaging channel BBC Three is.”