Dirty
War drama goes into production for BBC ONE
The
BBC's Drama and Current Affairs departments are to co-produce Dirty
War, a 90-minute drama for BBC ONE which presents a hypothetical
scenario of a radiological 'dirty' bomb attack on London.
Co-written
by Daniel Percival and Lizzie Mickery, the story focuses on the
experiences of a fireman, two anti-terrorist squad police officers
and the international terrorists they are tracking both before and
after the attack.
Dirty
War is a fictional drama based on extensive research into the preparations
made by the UK's emergency planners, government and the emergency
services to deal with this threat.
"The
War on Terror is the defining issue of our time. We have to confront
the reality of the situation we now face," says director Daniel
Percival, who made the acclaimed Smallpox 2002.
"In
June of last year the Head of MI5 herself, Eliza Manningham-Buller,
said, 'It is only a matter of time before a crude version of a chemical,
biological, radiological or nuclear attack is launched on a western
city'.
"While
the film presents a hypothetical scenario of a terrorist attack
on London that could potentially happen, the focus of this film
will be the reaction to it – particularly by the emergency
services and government agencies – and the characters caught
up in the unfolding drama.
"Dirty
War blends drama and documentary techniques to offer a very human
and realistic insight into a fictional scenario."
Executive
producer and Head of BBC Films David Thompson, said: "Dirty
War follows the traditions of responsible, challenging films such
as War Game and Smallpox 2002 which explore potential threats to
our society.
"This
film examines the plans in place for the UK to respond to the detonation
of a dirty bomb."
Controller
of BBC Drama Commissioning, Jane Tranter, added: "This is a
powerful drama on a subject that affects all of us living in Britain
today.
"It's
not about scaremongering: the intention is to raise the debate about
the reality of the terrorist threat we face, the state of our national
security in a post 9/11 world, and the UK's preparedness to deal
with an attack.
"In
so doing, it aims to serve the public interest and, by taking drama
firmly into documentary territory, I hope that we will be engaging
the mainstream BBC ONE audience with current affairs in a new and
innovative way."
Dirty
War is written by Dan Percival and Lizzie Mickery, directed
by Dan Percival and produced by Luke Alkin.
The
executive producers are Liza Marshall, Peter Horrocks and David
Thompson. The research producer is Stephen Barrett.
All
the BBC's digital services are now available on Freeview,
the new free-to-view digital terrestrial television service, as well
as on satellite and cable. Freeview
offers the BBC's eight television channels, interactive services
from BBCi, as well as 11 national BBC radio networks.
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