Hello Deer Studios has made Battlefield Healers, a new pilot commission for Sky History, with finance from Creative Wales.
The new 60’ pilot episode will be broadcast on Sky HISTORY on 2nd February. Commissioned by Dan Korn, the network executive producer is Sam Pearson, and the show has been produced with the support of the Welsh Government via Creative Wales.
In Battlefield Healers, comedian and actor Omid Djalili and “metaphysical and spiritual sleuth” Konstantin Pavlidis explore famous battles which shaped British history with the help of academic experts, archaeologists, and local historians. Using alternative, new-age methods and tapping into the energy and atmosphere of the field of battle, “the objective is to achieve a deeper, more experiential understanding of each conflict, its impact, and consequences.”
In the pilot episode, Omid and Konstantin investigate the Battle of Bosworth of 1485, where Richard III (the last of the Plantagenets) was slain, paving the way for a new era, led by a new Royal dynasty: the Welsh Tudors under Henry VII. “But was Richard III the deformed villain he’s been made out to be, or was he demonised by those who killed and succeeded him?”
The Battlefield Healers format was created by Jasper Warry, and exec produced by Warry, Joel Atley, and Gavin Henderson. It was produced by Gavin Henderson, line produced by Katy Daykin, directed by Luke Pavey and Nathan Mackintosh, and edited by Nathan Mackintosh.
Jasper Warry comments: “I am absolutely thrilled that Dan, Sam and Sky HISTORY have backed Battlefield Healers, a true passion project for us in every respect, based a profound and incredible experience I had filming with Konstantin at the Battle of Hastings site in 2017.
Omid and Konstantin have done an incredible job bringing it to life… it’s a genuinely original format that will offer a new perspective on our rich and fascinating history.
I’m also hugely grateful to the Welsh Government and Creative Wales for making it possible… being a Welsh producer right now is made far easier with a supportive and forward-thinking Government in place, who really understand the screen industries.”
Sam Pearson comments: “With our mission of bringing history to life, we were struck by the originality of Hello Deer’s approach of bringing in an enthusiastic modern-day spiritualist to try and unlock the battlefield horror and the enduring mystery of these iconic events in a new and vivid way.”
Jon Creamer
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