BBC One announces new drama about Grenfell Tower fire

The BBC has announced a new factual drama about the Grenfell Tower fire.

The three part series, titled simply Grenfell, draws upon over five years of research to give a comprehensive account of the events leading up to, during, and after the devastating fire which took place on 14 June 2017.

The tragedy killed 72 people, impacted the lives of thousands more, and left a community grieving in its wake.

The BBC share: “Told from multiple perspectives, the three-part series will shine a light on 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 Grenfell were felt all over the country. This drama will ask not only how this terrible tragedy was able to occur, but also what we can learn to ensure that the events at Grenfell can never happen again elsewhere.”

Writer and director Peter 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.”

Associate producer Ahmed 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 honour their experiences without the time and trust they have given us.”

Lindsay Salt, Director of BBC Drama commented: “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 utilise 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.”

Further information about the drama will be announced in due course.