ITV marks fifth anniversary of Manchester Arena bombing with new documentary

ITV is to mark five years on from the Manchester Arena bombing with a two-part special.

Worlds Collide: The Manchester Bombing will feature emotional contributions from the families of those who lost their lives in an attack that shocked the nation to its core.

The two-part special uses new revelations to piece together the chilling timeline of that day and explores how, five years on, the truth of what happened that night is finally emerging.

ITV share: “On 22nd May 2017, a British-born terrorist detonated a home-made bomb in the foyer of the Manchester Arena, killing twenty-two people and wounding hundreds more.

“In-line with the on-going public inquiry, two special films airing across two nights on ITV and made by Label1, the makers of twice BAFTA nominated and RTS Award winning series Hospital, reveal how multiple opportunities to stop the bomber in his tracks were tragically missed.

“The films present two polarising worlds that tragically collided, one of innocent young fans attending a concert by American pop superstar Ariana Grande and the other of a radical Islamic extremist who had grown up just miles from his eventual victims.

“Providing wider context to the attack, the programmes delve into the role of MI5 and the emergency services, hearing directly from those there on the night and examining why decisions taken left victims helpless inside.”

Worlds Collide: The Manchester Bombing will air on Monday, 11 April and Thursday, 14 April at 9PM on ITV and ITV Hub.

The films are directed by BAFTA nominee Marcus Plowright (Football, Prince William and Mental Health; The Murder of Jill Dando; In Cold Blood; Generation Gifted).

Tom Giles, Controller, Current Affairs at ITV, said: “As we approach the fifth anniversary of the devastating attack at the Manchester Arena, we’re pleased to be working with Label 1 on this series, which aims to provide fresh insight into what happened and ask what lessons can be learned.”

Creative Director, Label1, Simon Dickson, added: “The programmes will sensitively piece together the timeline leading up to the bombing and its aftermath, as well as exploring the evidence that has been presented to the Public Inquiry”.