Head of BBC Daytime and Early Peak Carla-Maria Lawson has ordered a variety of new factual commissions for BBC One Daytime and BBC iPlayer, to ensure audiences are informed, educated and entertained through lockdown and beyond.

Ross Kemp: Britain’s Volunteer Army is a heartwarming series which will celebrate the heroic efforts of some of the country’s 750,000 volunteers during the coronavirus crisis. The programme will be an uplifting celebration of the nation coming together to help one another in a time of uncertainty and fear, as Ross gets stuck in and volunteers in his own neighbourhood.

Even before the current crisis the NHS was facing a huge challenge, with over a third of nurses looking for new roles. Saving Our Nurses follows a new revolutionary scheme designed to reverse this trend. In the days before we applauded them in the streets, could this scheme help to save our nurses and help to save the lives of the most vulnerable?

Voiced by Sophie Raworth, Our Finest Hours will take a look at other times in history when the nation has pulled together in a crisis. The programme will combine wartime archive and contemporary news footage from across the UK to illustrate our response to extraordinary times.

HealthCheck UK Live will be returning with a mix of expert guidance and some surprise guests, all helping to guide viewers through the mental and physical challenges of lockdown. Dr Xand van Tulleken and Michelle Ackerley will host, with Angela Rippon and some unmissable lockdown moves from Mr Motivator.

Finally, The One Show will continue to reflect how people around the UK are dealing with life during the coronavirus crisis, telling the compelling and incredible stories of our everyday heroes, alongside celebrity guests entertaining us and keeping us company.

Carla-Maria Lawson Head of Daytime and Early Peak, says: “Viewers look to BBC One Daytime programming to offer reassurance and trustworthy content which also entertains, especially in times of heightened uncertainty. We can bring the nation together through storytelling which has integrity, heart and humanity at its core.”

Ross Kemp says: “It makes me immensely proud to see the British public mobilising in their thousands to come to the assistance of the vulnerable in our society, and the NHS, in their time of need. This pandemic has produced all sorts of unlikely heroes and it will be a real privilege to meet some of them and celebrate their selfless work.”

Ross Kemp: Britain’s Volunteer Army (5x45’)

Ross Kemp: Britain’s Volunteer Army is an uplifting celebration of the nation coming together to help one another, in a time of uncertainty and fear. The heartwarming series will celebrates the generosity and kindness of people up and down the country volunteering as part of initiatives, large and small.

Ross seeks out life-affirming and heartwarming stories of human kindness and tenacity, revealing that this army of volunteers come from all walks of life and showing how we have pulled together in the crisis.

Setting their own personal safety aside, the volunteers are shown supporting some of the most vulnerable people - those who have been advised by the Government or healthcare professionals to self-isolate - as well as helping to support NHS workers with everything from stitching gowns to making masks.

While the majority of people do their bit by shielding themselves from coronavirus behind closed doors, Ross joins the volunteers as they work for the citizens most in need, all while following social distancing guidelines. The volunteers provide support in everything from going to a local shop for essential groceries to brightening people’s days with a chat on the phone, driving recovered patients home and transporting life-saving equipment to hospitals.

Ross is tremendously proud of this huge mobilisation by the British public to help others in their hour of need. And viewers will see him acting on his admiration by embarking on some volunteering of his own within his local community.

Ross Kemp: Britain’s Volunteer Army is made by Curve Wales and was commissioned for BBC One by Carla-Maria Lawson. The Commissioning Editor for BBC Daytime is Julie Shaw. The Executive Producers for Curve Wales are Charlie Bunce and Sarah Swingler.
Saving Our Nurses (5x45')

Even before the current crisis the NHS was facing the biggest challenge to healthcare since wartime, with over a third of nurses looking for new roles. To fight back against this nursing crisis, one NHS trust has come up with a unique scheme that helps guide new nurses so that they don’t leave the profession. In Saving Our Nurses cameras follow the scheme’s elite team of experienced nurses in the crucial weeks before coronavirus hit our shores and engulfed the NHS.

The scheme from Barking, Havering and Redbridge University Hospitals NHS Trust, which runs Queen’s and King George Hospitals, offers a unique solution - a trailblazing Senior Intern Scheme that pairs up new recruits with staff who have a lifetime of experience and the ability to navigate even the most unprecedented of medical circumstances.

The aim is to support the newbies through their first and toughest year on the wards and secure their skills and care for the long haul. Now more than ever, this hero squad of super-nurses are setting out to ensure the next generation isn't overwhelmed by the tough and extreme realities of hospital life.

In the days before we applauded them in the streets, could this revolutionary new scheme give the much-needed support to help to save our nurses and help save the lives of the most vulnerable?

Saving Our Nurses is made by Betty/OMG North and was commissioned for BBC One by Carla-Maria Lawson, the Commissioning Editor for BBC Daytime is Lindsay Bradbury. The Executive Producers for Betty/OMG are Pam Cavannagh, Dympna Jackson and Alex Menzies. The Series Producer is Steve McConville.

Our Finest Hours (5x30’)

The nation is facing its biggest challenge since World War II. Back then, we stepped up with Blitz spirit and now, once again, our darkest hours have become our finest hours.

Using a combination of wartime archive and contemporary news footage from right across the UK with a voice over from Sophie Raworth, Our Finest Hours takes a look at how ordinary Brits from all walks of life have responded to extraordinary times with kindness and resilience.

Each programme will look at the impact of Covid-19 on families, communities and businesses and compare how the nation has responded to crisis now, and then.

Our Finest Hours is made by Tomos TV and was commissioned for BBC One by Carla-Maria Lawson, the Commissioning Editor for BBC Daytime is Julie Shaw. The Executive Producer for Tomos TV is Gerard Melling and the Series Producer is David Warren.