Sky Arts Orders Two Composer Documentaries: 'The Handel Scandal' and 'Dangerous Debussy'
Sky Arts has ordered two new documentaries about classical composers George Frideric Handel and Claude Debussy, both set to launch on Sky and its streaming service Now this autumn, free to UK households. Deadline
Both films centre on a shared theme: the women whose inspiration, influence and support were crucial to the success of each composer's most celebrated works.
'The Handel Scandal', produced by Factory Films, examines Handel's oratorio Messiah and its connection to Susannah Cibber, an English actress and singer whose career had been derailed by a sex scandal. Cibber's revered opening night performance in Messiah was her first time singing in public since the scandal broke. Operatic soprano Dianelle de Niese, who is due to star in the West End production of Hadestown, presents the film.
'Dangerous Debussy', produced by David Harewood's Section 52 Films, tells the composer's story through his relationships with the women who loved and supported him. Actor Adeel Akhtar reads letters from the period, while Debussy scholars Professor Barbara L. Kelly and Professor Caroline Rae provide commentary. The film is directed by Sabina Emrit Harper, with Harewood and Bill Hobbins serving as executive producers. Pianists Pascal Rogé and Cyrill Ibrahim and soprano Eyra Norman perform specially arranged pieces of Debussy's music on screen.
On the commissioning side, Phil Edgar-Jones, Sky's Executive Director of Unscripted, commissioned both documentaries for Cécile Frot-Coutaz, who holds the roles of Chief Advertising and Content Officer at Sky and CEO of Sky Studios. Benedetta Pinelli, Sky's Commissioning Editor, executive produces both films for Sky Arts.
The announcement arrived at the start of a notable week for British television. The Edinburgh TV Festival, a 51-year-old industry event, was set to begin the following day for the final time in its current form. The festival transfers to Greater Manchester next year.
What gives the two documentaries their hook is the angle on biography. Rather than tracing a composer's life from birth to death, each film narrows in on the people around the music — the woman stepping back onto a public stage after disgrace, the lovers and supporters whose letters and labour shaped what audiences still hear today. Sky Arts, which broadcasts free to air in the UK, has built its identity around exactly this kind of arts programming.
Both documentaries launch this autumn on Sky Arts, Sky and Now.
