JOSH SYKES

An all-new 10-episode season of the epic motorcycle adventure series starring and executive produced by Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman, which reunites the best friends for their next great motorbike tour, this time a little closer to home.

The new season follows Ewan and Charley as they ride lovingly refurbished vintage motorbikes from Ewan’s home in Scotland to Charley’s in England — but rather than take the shortest route, they go the long way! They head across the North Sea to Scandinavia, all the way up to the Arctic Circle and then down to the Baltics and through continental Europe, before eventually hopping back over the English Channel two months later.

A deep dive into the international motorcycle club the Hells Angels, with access to former chapter presidents, undercover agents who risked their lives to infiltrate the group and others who witnessed the criminal activities.

Production Company: Voltage TV, London (2022/3)

The Fake Sheikh tells the story of maverick British reporter Mazher Mahmood, whose exposés generated headlines by his use of false identities to ensnare royals, sports stars, politicians, celebrities and members of the public. The three-part documentary series will track his meteoric rise (he was twice winning Reporter of The Year at The British Press Awards) and subsequent downfall and imprisonment.

Members of Mahmood’s inner circle are among the interviewees and will give those who were affected by his stings th chance to their side of the story.

Each episode of the six-part series will spotlight one of the most brazen and well-planned heists of the past 25 years, and will include insights from ex-criminals and law enforcement along with criminologists, security specialists and legal experts. The series will also employ reconstructions, extensive security footage, and news and police archive to examine the intricate planning and execution of each of the heists.

● PD and Edit Producer on Swedish helicopter heist ep.

● Directing interviews, working with archive, and scripting drama recon.

Narco Wars: Chasing the Dragon reveals how the world got hooked on opioids through shocking stories from the frontline of the global heroin trade. We follow the heroin smugglers of the Vietnam War and Afghanistan’s Taliban, through to the Sicilian Mafia, the government approved ‘pill mills’ of Big Pharma, and the explosion in fentanyl created by one of the Mexico’s deadliest cartels.

● P/Ding Ep 1 (Kuhn Sa - Burma’s Opium Kingpin) and Ep 2 (Frank Lucas & Ike Atkinson - Heroin in Harlem).

● Gained unique access to family members & associates; directed shoot in NYC, Ohio, North Carolina & Thailand.

● Edit Producer on Ep 2.

Production Company: Nutopia (2021)

Rob Lowe revisits the most memorable aspects of ‘80s pop culture as he counts down the top ten toys, commercials, gadgets, fast food, streetwear and watercooler moments of the decade. From the launch of MTV and the Apple Macintosh, to the death of Teddy Ruxpin and Wendy’s Super Bar, 80s Top Ten relives the sights, sounds and tastes of this most iconic and impactful era.

● Edit Producer on ‘Gadgets’ ep, overseeing 10 x social history VTs on the Walkman, Apple Mac, Boombox, etc.

Production Company: Fremantle (2021)

Ranvir Singh explores how Ghislaine Maxwell sank into disgrace through her friendship with paedophile Jeffrey Epstein, and the pair's links to Prince Andrew.

● Setting up major doc presented by Ranvir Sangh on socialite and convicted sex trafficker Ghislaine Maxwell.

● Gaining extremely sensitive access to victims and attorneys, as well as Maxwell’s friends, associates and inner circle.

● 3 million overnight broadcast audience views – 20% audience share.

Production Company: Wall to Wall Media, London (2021)

Landmark series charting the role of the Italian American Mafia in the US narcotics trade.

● P/Ding two eps focusing on heroin kingpin Carmine Galante and meth kingpin Long John Martorano.

● Gaining exclusive access to family members, hitmen, undercover agents – including never-before-seen archive.

● Taking meth episode through the edit.

Production Company: Wall to Wall Media, London (2020)

An epic, landmark history series for National Geographic looking at the history of Latin America’s drug cartels.

I story produced and structured three episodes of the Colombia mini-series; gained access to former cartel members, law enforcement and government officials in the USA and Colombia; directed interviews on location in Miami, New York, Washington DC, San Diego and Buenos Aires; and Edit Produced the second episode, dealing with the rise and fall of Pablo Escobar.

Major interviews include William Rodriguez (Cali cartel), Maria Isabel Santos Caballero (Escobar’s widow), Michael Corleone Blanco (son of Griselda Blanco) and George Jung (played by Johnny Depp ‘Blow’).

Production company: Brook Lapping, London (2019)

Landmark documentary for Smithsonian Channel charting the unknown battle between the USA and the Soviet Union to launch a person of African origin into space.

I story produced with Emmy-winning director Laurens Grant; produced sensitive location shoots with astronauts in Cuba, USA, Russia; produced never-before-seen archive material from global sources; and oversaw final weeks of edit in London with Exec Producer Roy Ackerman.

Production company: Brook Lapping, London (2019)

Landmark TV history for BBC and Arte charting Cuba's role on the world stage since Castro took power in 1959.

Our team gained access to top level political figures in US, Latin America and Cuba, including President Bill Clinton, President Juan Manual Santos (Colombia) and President Carlos Salinas de Gortari (Mexico); I conducted all lead interviews on Cuba shoot in Spanish; produced all archive, and managed £80k budget.

Production company: Lion Television, London (2018)

Award-winning science documentary for PBS Nova and Arte examining Naples’ little known caldera volcano of Campi Flegrei - and its potential for eruption.

I used my Italian language skills to negotiate complex access to sensitive areas of Pompeii and other archaeological sites in Naples, including the Vesuvius Observatory, Mount Vesuvius and Naples Underground.

I researched archaeology and geology for script (in Italian), cast expert contributors and produced shoot on location in Naples.

Production Company: Blakeway Productions, London (2018)

Fast turnaround historical doc series for Channel 5, examining the extraordinary story of Queen Victoria and her relationship with her 9 children.

I helped flesh out the episodes with research; cast expert contributors; assisted with drama reconstruction shoot, including an on screen role as Queen Victoria’s youngest son Leopold (for which I had to learn and play a piano duet!); and produced, sourced and cleared all archive material, managing £40k budget.

Production company: Locomotive Films, London (2017)

A fantastic travel mini-series for Channel 4, showcasing the most exciting new international destinations - sticking to a budget of £1000 for a week’s holiday. Fronted by presenters Morland Sanders and Lucy Hedges.

I set up and produced four segments - in Morocco, Costa Rica, Mexico and the Azores; I devised the episode structures and location activities, including swimming with dolphins in the Azores, ziplines in the jungle in Costa Rica, mountain trekking in Morocco and dancing and mezcal tasting in Mexico…

Production company: Channel 5 Productions, London (2017)

Fast turnaround two part history series for Channel 5, looking at the stories behind two of Britain’s most iconic ships: RMS Queen Mary and Royal Yacht Britannia.

I sourced key contributors, including a 90-year old GI, an 87-year old Austrian refugee, a GI bride in her 80s and former crew members. I shot second camera for Queen Mary episode on location in Long Beach, California, on Sony FS7, with presenter Rob Bell.

Production company: Darlow Smithson Productions, London (2016-7)

I worked across two episodes of fourth series of popular National Geographic history/engineering series - focusing on the Luftwaffe and the Italian campaign.

I gained access to and wrote research briefs for abandoned Nazi factories, defences and testing grounds across Germany, Belgium, Poland and Italy.

I produced shoots on location with crew, including spectacular filming of former testing site ‘Torpedownia’, in the gulf of Gdansk.

Production company: Twenty Twenty, London (2016)

An ambitious and unique project for BBC2 - choreographer Steve Elias wants to bring four Yorkshire towns together through a huge public dance route - what could go wrong….?!

• Casting key stories and contributors.

• Carried out multiple recces to Huddersfield, York, Whitby and Skipton; shot and cut taster tapes on Sony PWM-200.

• Worked as AP on location for Skipton episode, wrangling 200+ contributors for public dance performance in town.

Production company: Media Trust, London (2016)

A five part series for the Community Channel, showcasing inspirational food pioneers across the UK.

I identified and gained speedy access to sustainable food projects across the UK for 5 x 30’ episodes; developed episode concepts and sequences, cast contributors, worked on location with presenter Natalie Savona; oversaw all logistical aspects of shoots and worked on two episodes in the edit.

Production company: BBC Newsnight (2015)

I secured a commission to make 6 minute film for the BBC’s prestigious Newsnight programme - about Turner Prize-winning architectural collective ASSEMBLE and their social projects in Liverpool.

I gained access to ASSEMBLE, developed storyline and sequences, cast contributors and worked on location with BBC arts correspondent Stephen Smith. I oversaw all logistical aspects of the Liverpool shoot, sourced archive and assisted in the edit.

Production Company: Triptick Films, London (2015)

A reflective short film for Christies.com about Peter Doig’s celebrated painting ‘Cabin Essence’.

I helped develop concept & script, sourced all archive, and assisted with shoot, edit and delivery.

‘Cabin Essence’ would go on to sell for $14.8 million at Christie’s London in October 2015.

Production Company: Triptick Films, London (2015)

A short documentary for Christies.com exploring Lucian Freud’s celebrated painting ‘The Brigadier’ - featuring archive and interviews with the subject (Andrew Parker Bowles) and Freud’s longtime assistant (David Dawson).

I helped develop concept & script, sourced all archive, and assisted with shoot, edit and delivery.

‘The Brigadier’ would go on to sell for nearly $35 million at Christie’s New York in November 2015.

Production company: Wingspan Productions, London (2015)

Part TED talk, part current affairs film, this was a one-off documentary for BBC2 in which the late, inimitable Professor Hans Rosling examined the progress made globally in the fight against extreme poverty - and what might be done over the next 15 years.

I set up two character-based segments in Malawi and Cambodia: focused on farmers and pregnant mums respectively.

Part of the This World strand.

Production company: Greystone Television, London (2015)

Major 8 part series for Sky Arts - looking at all aspects of the global art world.

I found stories and developed narratives for 12 x 10’ films on art crime - and secured access to art recovery specialists, victims of art crime, forgers, museums and a research centre for looted art in Berlin.

Production company: Me & You Productions, London (2014-5)

Series 2 of Karl Pilkington’s popular comedy doc series ‘The Moaning of Life’ for Sky 1.

I found extraordinary stories from across the world, principally for the ‘Art’ episode - including elderly paintboxes in New York and extreme body artists in Switzerland.

I recce’d contributors and locations in Holland and Switzerland; secured access on the ground; shot taster footage for team.

Production company: Quicksilver Media, Oxford (2014)

I cut my teeth working as Series AP on Channel 4’s award-winning foreign affairs strand Unreported World - helping find 8 extraordinary and unreported documentary subjects around the world on a very fast turnaround.

I helped set up presenter-led documentaries on topics as diverse as supermodels in Siberia, ebola in Sierra Leone, gangs targeting schoolkids in Honduras, the refugee crisis in Lebanon, dog snatchers in Vietnam and electricity in India.

Production company: BBC Newsnight, London (2014)

I won a commission to produce a short film for BBC Newsnight about a hospital for FGM victims - run by a religious sect called the Raelians, who believe in UFOs - in Burkina Faso, west Africa.

I secured all access with the Raelians, cast characters, developed storylines on location, managed all logistics and budget.

I worked on location with the late Sue Lloyd-Roberts - Newsnight’s intrepid, brilliant and award-winning Special Correspondent.