History orders death series from ITV Studios

UK pay TV broadcaster History has ordered a six part documentary series from ITV Studios following a funeral business.

The broadcaster, which is a joint venture between A+E Networks and BSkyB, has ordered Grave Trade, which will feature long running funeral business T Cribbs & Sons.

The show will aim to explore the culture of burial and death in British history and will also follow archaeologists as they work on Roman, Saxon, medieval and post-medieval burial sites.

Grave Trade is currently in production and will air in autumn 2012.

The series is the latest commission from the British version of History following Mud Men, which launched its second season last month.

Rachel Job, head of acquisitions and commissioning, History, said: “We’re very excited about this commission as ITV Studios have found a really original way to tackle this sensitive subject matter, one that is rarely seen on television.  Death is a hugely important and ritualistic part of any society and the archaeologists’ discoveries, contrasting with the busy contemporary funeral trade, will capture a revealing insight into how our perceptions of death have changed throughout history.”