• From Antidote Productions, Professor Green: Sleeping Rough (working title) and Dangerous Dogs (working title) will be available on BBC Three in 2016, supplemented by short form and interactive digital content
• New commissions follow the success of BBC Three’s Professor Green: Suicide And Me

Damian Kavanagh, Controller of BBC Three, has announced two new documentaries with Professor Green, aka Stephen Manderson, on youth homelessness and dangerous dogs.

In Professor Green: Sleeping Rough (working title) and Dangerous Dogs (working title), Stephen will immerse himself in the dark underbelly of British life, experiencing what it's like to be homeless and exploring the truth about dangerous dogs in youth culture.

With youth homelessness reaching epidemic levels* and dog attacks at an all-time high,** these new commissions will see Stephen highlight the hard realities that lie beneath these problems and raise awareness around two issues that affect an increasing number of young people in the UK. Both documentaries will take an intelligent look at these sometimes controversial topics, aiming to be counterintuitive and to challenge perceptions.

Stephen’s first BBC Three documentary, Professor Green: Suicide And Me, which aired in October 2015, highlighted the shockingly high male suicides rates in the UK and helped raise the issue to national attention. Yesterday, Luciana Berger, Shadow Mental Health Secretary, hosted a screening of Suicide And Me in parliament.

Stephen Manderson (Professor Green) said: “The documentary on suicide I made for BBC Three has really cut through and I’m so proud of the meaningful impact the film has had - and to see what it is still achieving. People are finally talking and realising that we need a change in attitudes to take on the biggest killer of men under 45.”

Stephen added: “I want to do more to explore the issues that we often don’t know enough about, which is why I can’t wait for everyone to see these new projects I’m working on for BBC Three. The difficult subjects that we’re bringing attention to this time will take me on another eye-opening journey and I hope to raise awareness around two big social problems that will only continue to grow unless we tackle them head on.”

Damian Kavanagh, Controller of BBC Three, said: “Suicide And Me was exactly the kind of thought-provoking film I want on BBC Three and we aim to have a similar impact with Stephen’s films on homelessness and dangerous dogs. Stephen has a natural rapport with people and I know he can bring this skill to highlight issues that matter to young people and bring them to wider attention. Highlighting issues like these are exactly what BBC Three will be doing in the future. I’m proud Stephen wants to be part of new BBC Three.”

Professor Green: Sleeping Rough (working title) and Dangerous Dogs (working title) are currently in production and will be available on BBC Three in 2016. Both are produced by Antidote Productions and executive produced by Laura Jones and Leila Monks from Antidote. Commissioned and executive produced for the BBC by Danny Horan, Commissioning Editor, Documentaries.

* 30,000 Homeless Young People Turned Away By Councils - source here. 

** Hospital admissions for injuries caused by dogs up 76 per cent in 10 years - source here.