The BBC has commissioned“Grenfell,” a three-part drama about the devastating 2017 fire at Grenfell Tower in West London that killed 72 people.
The drama will draw on some five years of research, including public sources, the inquiry hearings, and extensive interviews conducted by BAFTA-winning writer-director Peter Kosminsky (“The Undeclared War”) and associate producer Ahmed Peerbux, to provide a comprehensive account of the events leading up to, during, and after the fire which took place on June 14, 2017.
Told from multiple perspectives, the series will explore the human stories of those caught up in the tragedy, exploring the profound impact of Grenfell on survivors, the families and loved ones of those whose lives were lost, the firefighters on duty that night, and the wider community. The shockwaves of the incident were felt all over the U.K. and the drama will ask not only how the tragedy occurred, but also the look at the learnings to ensure that the events at Grenfell can never happen again elsewhere.
Kosminsky said:“Occasionally, events occur in our national story which touch us all. The fire at Grenfell Tower is such an event. We remember what we were doing when we heard about it, remember the pictures, the saturation coverage. And yet, despite this, despite the many newspaper pages and TV hours devoted to the story, we may be left with a less than clear sense of exactly what happened, what went wrong. In our drama, we attempt to pick our way through hours of public testimony, as well as original interviews conducted by our team, to reach the heart of this catastrophe: how such a thing can have happened; how we can avoid it ever happening again.”
Peerbux added: “We have been working on this drama for more than five years now, and it is only right that such a terrible event, seared into the national psyche, should be approached with rigour and not rushed. We are immensely grateful to the men and women who have shared their stories with us, and let us into their lives – we couldn’t possibly hope to honor their experiences without the time and trust they have given us.”
Lindsay Salt, director of BBC Drama said:“Grenfell was a tragedy that touched the entire nation, and is one of the most significant and devastating events in our recent history. In the trusted hands of Peter, Ahmed, and their dedicated team,‘Grenfell’will utilize drama’s unique ability to sensitively and respectfully show the human side of what happened, and to offer a response to some of the many unanswered questions that remain.”
“Grenfell”(3×60’) will be made by The Forge for BBC One and iPlayer, and is written and directed by the Kosminsky. Executive producers are Kosminsky, Mark Pybus for The Forge and Lucy Richer for the BBC.
Pybus said: “I can think of no better combination to make this essential drama than Peter Kosminsky and the BBC.Peter, with his peerless reputation for truth telling, will honour the lives of those impacted by the fire but also will draw out the vital lessons that need to be learned if a further tragedy is to be avoided.”
