BBC’s Storyville to launch on iPlayer ahead of TV

The latest programmes from UK net BBC Four’s flagship documentary series Storyville will launch on VOD player iPlayer before launching on linear TV.

The Modern Outlaws Season, which comprises Pussy Riot: A Punk Prayer, Smash And Grab: The Story Of The Pink Panthers and The Great Hip-Hop Hoax, will each premiere online on Saturday, October 12 and then on digital channel BBC Four nine days later.

Nick Fraser, series editor, Storyville, said: “This is a bold experiment. Storyville has been doing very well on BBC iPlayer and we want to see how our films do when they are premiered there. It’s another step on the way to making documentaries freely available in any medium through the BBC.”

The move is part of a BBC trial to put launch 40 hours of programming on the successful iPlayer before linear debut to test the viewing habits of consumers. Youth-skewed net BBC Three has already launched several comedies online before their TV bow.