Sky announces an array of new unscripted original and exclusive commissions, coming to Sky Documentaries and Sky Arts across the next year.

Coming to Sky Documentaries later this year, Klitschko: The Fight of his Life (w/t) directed by Kevin Macdonald offers viewers unprecedented access to former heavyweight boxing world champion Vitali Klitschko, along with his brother Wladimir, who together dominated the sport for more than a decade. Now the longest serving Mayor of Kyiv, this feature-length Sky Original documentary charts Vitali’s journey from the ring to political office, ultimately leading the defence of the capital when it was attacked by Russian forces in February 2022.

Following the critical acclaim of Liverpool Narcos and Dublin Narcos comes Ibiza Narcos, the third instalment of the Narcos strand, presenting the story of how a tiny, sleepy Mediterranean Island was transformed into one the world’s most vibrant party capitals, fuelled by a dangerous and lucrative drugs trade which drew as many criminals to its shores as it did party animals.

Also coming this year to Sky Documentaries, Black Widow follows the decade-long police investigation into one of Britain’s most dangerous female murderers. Over 20 years, Dena Thompson who was known as ‘The Black Widow’, carried out a sustained campaign of fraud, deception, bigamy, and murder. Using Lonely Hearts columns to lure a succession of husbands and dozens of lovers into her life, she was able to coerce them into giving up their life’s savings, their homes, their families, and their freedom based on her bizarre but convincing stories.

Sky Arts will be going Backstage with the London Philharmonic Orchestra giving audiences unrivalled access behind the scenes in this new four-part series following the London Philharmonic Orchestra as they open their new season with Mahler’s epic Symphony No. 2, ‘Resurrection’. LPO Principal Conductor Edward Gardner, plus key players from the percussion, woodwind, string, and brass sections, accompany us through three full rehearsals and give their own insight on Mahler’s detailed score ahead of their sell-out first performance at the Southbank Centre’s Royal Festival Hall in London, where the Orchestra is Resident. The series spotlights the meticulous preparation and routines of each section of the orchestra as well as the final full performance, getting under the skin of the talented musicians and processes which combine to create an orchestral masterpiece.

Art historian and curator Kate Bryan fully immerses herself in the life and work of Maggi Hambling, an iconic tour de force known as much for her acerbic wit as her artistic genius. My Week with Maggi Hambling sees Kate, who filmed many of her experiences on her iPhone, spending long days with Maggi at home and in her studio, where the artist rises daily at 5am, and sets to work despite her recent near-fatal heart attack. Discussing everything from her creative processes and her muses to speeding tickets, cinnamon buns and being a reluctant queer icon, this one-off film draws an intimate portrait of an artist usually out of the limelight and explores her acclaimed body of work.

The Pilgrimage of Gilbert & George is a timely and immersive Sky Arts feature documentary that weaves together a body of multiple new interviews with a rich tapestry of historic and rare archive, to create an engrossing reflection on their journey: from their very first public work as ‘living sculptures’, they have never failed to attract fascination and controversy, admiration, and shock.

The titles announced today are just some of a raft of new original and exclusive titles coming UP NEXT on Sky in 2024. Powerful stories centred around incredible characters that get the nation talking; you won’t want to miss this incredible line up on Sky this year.

All titles are commissioned for Zai Bennett, Managing Director of Content for Sky UK and Ireland. Sky Documentaries titles are commissioned by Poppy Dixon, Director of Documentaries and Factual. Sky Arts titles are commissioned by Phil Edgar-Jones, Director of Sky Arts and Entertainment. Commissioning Editors for factual are Tom Barry and Hayley Reynolds and Commissioning Editors for arts are Barbara Lee and Benedetta Pinelli.

Notes to Editors:

SKY DOCUMENTARIES: Klitschko: The Fight of his Life (w/t)

1 x 90’’

Sky Original Klitschko: The Fight of his Life (W/T) offers viewers unprecedented access to former heavyweight boxing world champion Vitali Klitschko, along with his brother Wladimir, who together dominated the sport for more than a decade. Now the longest serving Mayor of Kyiv, this feature-length documentary charts Vitali’s journey from the ring to political office, ultimately leading the defence of the capital when it was attacked by Russian forces in February 2022.

Academy Award winner Kevin Macdonald (One Day in September, Touching the Void, Bruno v Tyson) directs, delving into exclusive personal archives, combining the retrospective story of the Klitschko brothers’ Soviet childhood and their incredible sporting career, with the present-day footage shot in Ukraine, the US and Germany by award-winning Director of Photography Edgar Dubrovskiy (Tinder Swindler), capturing what it takes to hold the city and country together during wartime.

While Wladimir uses his celebrity status and popularity to help raise funds and military support for the defence of Ukraine, the heart of the story is the remarkable transformation of Vitali from sporting hero to political figurehead. From the face of the opposition in the 2014 Maidan Revolution to the mayor running on an anti-corruption card, Vitali tests his leadership capabilities as he’s put in charge of the safety of millions of Kyiv citizens, with the eyes of the world watching.

Klitschko: The Fight of his Life is directed by Kevin Macdonald and the Producer is Lawrence Elman. The documentary is produced by Docsville Studios and Sky Studios for Sky. Executive Producers are Poppy Dixon and Hayley Reynolds for Sky, Vesna Cudic for Sky Studios, Christian Asanger and Felix Kempter for Sky Deutschland. Nick Fraser, Duncan Heath, and Kevin Macdonald are Executive Producers for Docsville Studios and Leopold Hoesch is Executive Producer for Broadview Pictures.

SKY DOCUMENTARIES: Black Widow (w/t)

3 x 60”

Black Widow follows the decade-long police investigation into one of Britain’s most dangerous female murderers. Over 20 years, Dena Thompson who was known as ‘The Black Widow’, carried out a sustained campaign of fraud, deception, bigamy and murder. Using Lonely Hearts columns to lure a succession of husbands and dozens of lovers into her life, she was able to coerce them into giving up their life’s savings, their homes, their families and their freedom based on her bizarre but convincing stories.

Dena was finally caught in 2003 and convicted for murder, but after 19 years behind bars, she has been released from prison, and her victims are still struggling to understand what happened to them. This 3 x 60” series includes first-hand testimony from those affected, with exclusive access to her first husband – who ended up homeless believing he was on the run from the mafia.

Black Widow is produced by Blast! Films in association with Sky Studios and has been commissioned for Sky Documentaries by Zai Bennett, Managing Director of Content and Poppy Dixon, Director of Documentaries and Factual. The series is directed by Paula Wittig. Executive producers for Blast! Films are Danny Horan and Tanya Winston and the Series Producer is Rachel Heywood. Gilberte Phanor is Senior Producer and Hayley Reynolds is Executive Producer for Sky.

SKY DOCUMENTARIES: Ibiza Narcos

3 x 60”

Ibiza Narcos tells the story of how a tiny, sleepy Mediterranean Island was transformed into one the world’s most vibrant party capitals, fuelled by a dangerous and lucrative drugs trade which drew as many criminals to its shores as it did party animals. Ibiza Narcos is the third instalment of the popular Narcos strand on Sky Documentaries, following on from BAFTA award winning Liverpool Narcos, and Dublin Narcos.

Fusing documentary and drama, the series charts the rise and fall of some of the opportunistic smugglers and dealers who brought LSD, ecstasy, and cocaine to Ibiza during the 1980’s, 90’s and 2000’s, and the police attempts to stem the tide of narcotics flowing in with the clubbers. And it tells the stories of those for whom the non-stop party got out of hand.

Ibiza Narcos is produced by Blast! Films in association with Sky Studios, and has been commissioned for Sky Documentaries by Zai Bennett, Managing Director of Content and Poppy Dixon, Director of Documentaries and Factual. The series is directed by Luke Korzun Martin. Executive producers for Blast! Films are Sacha Baveystock and Tanya Winston and the Series Producer is Annie Tetchner.

SKY ARTS: Backstage with the London Philharmonic Orchestra

3 x 60”, 1 x 120”

How does one of the most famous orchestras in the world ready itself for opening night? Gain unrivalled access behind the scenes in this new four-part series following the London Philharmonic Orchestra as they open their new season with Mahler’s epic 2nd Symphony, ‘Resurrection’. LPO Principal Conductor Edward Gardner, plus key players from the percussion, woodwind, string and brass sections, accompany us through three full rehearsals and give their own insight on Mahler’s detailed score ahead of their sell-out first performance at London’s Royal Festival Hall. The series spotlights the meticulous preparation and routines of each section of the orchestra as well as the final full performance, getting under the skin of the talented musicians and processes which combine to create an orchestral masterpiece.

Backstage with the London Philharmonic Orchestra was commissioned by Phil Edgar-Jones, Director of Sky Arts and Entertainment, for Zai Bennett, Managing Director of Content for Sky UK and Ireland. The Commissioning Editor for Sky is Barbara Lee. The series is produced by Love Monday; Executive Producers are Kerene Barefield and Naveed Chowdhary-Flatt.

SKY ARTS: My Week with Maggi Hambling

1 x 60″

A brand-new encounter with one of our greatest living artists, Maggi Hambling. Join art historian and curator, Kate Bryan, as she fully immerses herself in the life and work of this iconic tour de force, known as much for her acerbic wit as her artistic genius. Filming many of her experiences on her iPhone, Kate spends long days with Maggi at home and in her studio, where the artist rises daily at 5am, and sets to work despite her recent near-fatal heart attack. Discussing everything from her creative processes and her muses to speeding tickets, cinnamon buns and being a reluctant queer icon, this one-off film draws an intimate portrait of an artist usually out of the limelight, and explores her acclaimed body of work.

My Week with Maggi Hambling was commissioned by Phil Edgar-Jones, Director of Sky Arts and Entertainment, for Zai Bennett, Managing Director of Content for Sky UK and Ireland. The Commissioning Editor for Sky is Benedetta Pinelli. The film is produced by Factory Films; Executive Producers are Lisa Fairbank and Julie Heathcote.

SKY ARTS: The Pilgrimage of Gilbert & George

1 x 90”

From their iconic house and studio in London’s Brick Lane, Gilbert & George have been at the forefront of British art for over half a century. Their unmistakable art is stark, urban, poetic, profoundly romantic, brutally realistic, and wholly visionary. It has captivated mainstream audiences around the globe.

The Pilgrimage of Gilbert & George is a timely, and immersive feature documentary that weaves together a body of multiple new interviews, with a rich tapestry of historic and rare archive, to create an engrossing reflection on their journey: from their very first public work as ‘living sculptures’, they have never failed to attract fascination and controversy, admiration, and shock.

By unpacking their long and literal walk through life – repeatedly likened to a Pilgrimage – substantially with their voices, and few other commentators, the film offers a rare, deep, and captivating insight into their personal philosophy. Like their art, this is a film made for the many, not the few: It’s an incredibly vivid, honest, and human, first-hand reflection that embraces the Gilbert & George mantra of ‘art for all’.

Gilbert & George – two-people-one-artist – have been at the forefront of British art for over half a century.

The Pilgrimage of Gilbert & George is a Supercollider / Zinc TV production directed by Mike Christie.