BBC to go inside the British Army in new documentary series Soldier

The BBC is to go inside the British Army in a brand new documentary series.

Titled simply Soldier, the five-part series will see exclusive behind-the-scenes insight into the Infantry Training Centre in Catterick, North Yorkshire.

Cameras will accompany a group of newly enlisted infantry recruits as they embark on an arduous six-month training program. This intensive course will test their physical and mental endurance, determining if they possess the necessary qualities to serve on the front lines of the British Army.

The series will capture the transformation of recruits as they bid farewell to their familiar lives, leaving behind friends and family. They trade in their nine-to-five jobs and video games for real-life weapons and the uniform of the army.

Among the recruits, there’s a 20-year-old whose mother is a pacifist, a 17-year-old former fast-food restaurant worker, a 21-year-old former aspiring footballer from Middlesbrough, and an 18-year-old woman from a military family, eager to follow in her father’s footsteps.

Throughout their journey, the 45 recruits will confront gruelling obstacle courses, master the handling and firing of weapons, endure rigorous inspections, and, crucially, acquire the skills to engage in close-quarters combat using only a bayonet.

Soldierwill launch on BBC One and BBC iPlayer on Thursday, 5 October at 9PM.

Jack Bootle, Head of Specialist Factual commissioning at the BBC said: “Soldier takes viewers behind the scenes at ITC Catterick and into the heart of the British Army. I’m delighted to bring this revelatory series to BBC One and iPlayer, and looking forward to viewers watching our new recruits transform from kids to close combat warriors.”

Lorraine Charker-Phillips, CEO and co-founder of programme makers Label1 CEO and co-founder added: “Capturing the recruits’ transformations across the series from civilian to front line soldiers in just 6 months was extraordinary. We are incredibly grateful for the exclusive access we were given and for the commitment that the trainers and recruits gave to the series that allowed us to tell their stories.”