Amazon Prime Video unveiled a quartet of new UK unscripted titles on Thursday (May 19) during its Prime Video Presents event in London, touting its commitment to British production, which the streamer states represents an investment of more than £1 billion since 2018.
“It was important to bring people together at Prime Video Presents to not only showcase our brilliant upcoming shows and movies, but [also] to demonstrate how committed we are to the UK in the long term,” commented Chris Bird, managing director of Prime Video UK.
“We have invested more than £1 billion on TV series, movies and live sport since 2018. But it’s just as important that we’re investing in the UK’s world-leading production and creative industries with a growing number of UK Originals, [a] £10 million commitment to training and skills schemes, [and] by taking a long-term lease at Shepperton Studios.”
The new unscripted UK Originals begin with a pair of true-crime titles. The Disappearance of Patricia Hall (w/t) covers the case of a married woman from Leeds who vanished without a trace in January 1992, and whose husband was ultimately put on trial for her murder — but whose alleged on-tape confession became a legal sticking point. The doc is produced by ITN Productions, with Sam Hobkinson directing, Vivienne Perry producing, and Nathaniel Lippiett and Ian Rumsey serving as executive producers.
Scottish indie Firecrest Films is behind the second title, Three Mothers (w/t), a three-part docuseries set in “the Wild West days of the infancy of the internet” that promises to employ firsthand testimony and extensive archive material to tell the tale of “three women who all found themselves in the middle of an unbelievable series of events that captured the world’s attention.” Alice McMahon-Major directs, with Zehra Yas serving as producer, and Nicole Kleeman and Vari Innes as executive producers.
Sports represents the other half of the new UK unscripted slate, with two big names from the entertainment world attached. Created by Academy Award winner and devoted cricket fan Sam Mendes, Ben Stokes: Phoenix from the Ashes (pictured) features the current captain of the England Test team speaking at length with Mendes about both his triumphant career on the pitch, and the personal struggles that compelled him to take time away from the game. The doc is produced by London-based Whisper, with Mendes serving as executive producer. It will launch worldwide exclusively on Prime Video later this year.
Lastly, Oscar- and BAFTA-winning actor Daniel Kaluuya has been confirmed as the narrator of the latest entry in Prime Video’s ‘All or Nothing’ docuseries strand, which was announced last summer. All or Nothing: Arsenal follows the Premier League club through its 2021-22 season as it fights to return to European competition, capturing both the on-field drama and the personal journeys of the players. The series is produced by 72 Films, with Mark Raphael, Clare Cameron and John Douglas as executive producers.
Monica has a BA in Journalism and English from the University of Massachusetts and an MS in Journalism and Communications from Quinnipiac University. Monica has worked as a journalist for over 20 years covering all things entertainment. She has covered everything from San Diego Comic-Con, The SAG Awards, Academy Awards, and more. Monica has been published in Variety, Swagger Magazine, Emmy Magazine, CNN, AP, Hidden Remote, and more. For the past 10 years, she has added PR and marketing to her list of talents as the president of Prime Entertainment Publicity, LLC. Monica is ready for anything and is proudly obsessed with pop culture.
