‘Yorkshire Ripper: The Secret Murders’ Producer Behind History Shows For BBC & Channel 5

EXCLUSIVE: Yorkshire Ripper: The Secret Murders producer Impossible Factual has secured greenlights from the BBC and Channel 5 for shows on the Cambridgeshire Crucifixion and Vesuvius respectively.

The Cambridgeshire Crucifixion will also air on PBS, Arte and SBS, telling the story of the best-preserved example of Roman Crucifixion ever found. Discovered in the fenlands of Cambridgeshire, it represents only the second case ever confirmed anywhere in the world, uncovered via experts and a virtual autopsy.

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In Channel 5’s The Lost Scrolls of Vesuvius with Alice Roberts, four years worth of exclusive access to the work of Professor Brent Seales of the University of Kentucky will be put on display. Seale’s work has recently made global headlines, as he used technology to become the first person in 2000 years to read inside the only library to survive from the ancient world: a cache of hundreds of closed, carbonized papyrus scrolls discovered at the archaeological site of Herculaneum, which was buried in the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in the year 79 that also preserved Pompeii.

Distributed by ZDF Studios, international versions of The Lost Scrolls have also been produced for PBS, France Télévisions and SBS.

“These documentaries showcase how breakthroughs in modern tech are shedding new light on the past,” said Impossible Head of Documentary Luria, who directed both projects.

“It’s been hugely rewarding to bring these stories to life on screen and bringing to light new revelations that change the way we understand history.”

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