JAMES ROUTH DOCUMENTARY DIRECTOR
JAMES ROUTH DOCUMENTARY DIRECTOR
DOCUMENTARIES / CURRENT AFFAIRS
Formula One: Drive to Survive Season 3
Netflix / Box To Box Films, 03/21
10 x 40’. ***Winner of the Emmy Award for Outstanding Documentary Series***. Season 3 of the hit Netflix series, shot during the pandemic. #1 Netflix show globally on launch.
Endurance (feature)
Porsche / Hochkant Film
1 x 90 mins. Feature documentary with privileged access behind the scenes during the Porsche endurance racing team’s campaign at the Le Mans and Nürburgring 24 hour races.
Formula One: Drive To Survive Season 1
Netflix / Box To Box Films
10 x 40 mins. Observational series with privileged access behind the scenes during the 2018 Formula One seasons, from the makers of ‘Senna’ and ‘Amy’.
Panorama - Brexit: Who’s In Charge?
BBC Current Affairs/BBC1
1 x 30 mins. Fast turnaround documentary (made in 2 weeks) on Brexit and the role of backbench MPs during an
unprecedented time in British politics. Presented by Adrian Chiles.
BBC Two/BBC Studios
6 x 30 mins. Observational series following clergy as they battle to stay relevant in 21st century England. ***Winner of the 2019 Radio Times Readers’ Award***
Frontline Doctors: Winter Migrant Crisis
BBC1/Little Gem
1 x 1hr. Observational documentary following doctors Chris and Xand van Tulleken as they travel the refugee route from Greece through Europe.
Camps to Champs: The Power of Sport for the Displaced
The Olympic Channel/ITN Productions
1x1hour, 4x30 mins, 16x5 mins.
BBC2/Fresh One Productions
2x1 hour. Polemical economics series presented by journalist and filmmaker Jacques Peretti.
BBC One/Renegade Pictures
3 x 40 mins. Observational series following the work of the Coroners’ Service.
‘A wonderful, absorbing, three-part documentary series’ – Sunday Telegraph
‘Moving, intimate and at times very funny…a powerful glimpse of ordinary people dealing with extraordinary circumstances.’ – Sunday Times
‘…balances procedure with empathy to perfection and ends up packing a real emotional punch’ – Time Out
‘Fantastic characters, great storytelling and beautifully crafted which is such a rare pleasure these days. We're all delighted at this end with the reviews and figures.’ – Charlotte Moore, Controller of TV Channels
BBC2/KEO Films
2x1 hour. Observational/constructed series exploring entrepreneurship and immigration.
‘…one of the best TV surprises of 2013. A life-enhancing portrait that delves beneath the cliché and flips Bradford’s image on its head…it’s all done with such joy and verve and laughter and general enthusiasm for the great game of life that there’s no resisting it.’ – Gerard O’Donovan, Daily Telegraph
‘…ripped apart lazy stereotypes of racism, riots and deprivation to reveal the wonder that lies beneath.’ – Saima Mir, The Guardian
7/7 – The Man Who Should Be Dead
Channel 5/North One TV
1 x 50 mins for ‘Extraordinary People’. The dramatised story of bomb victim Danny Biddle, injured in the 7th July attacks.
‘An outstanding film that makes you shudder at the fragility of life’ – Time Out
‘Excellent documentary’ – Radio Times
‘A deeply moving film’ – The Guardian
‘Pick of the Day...Everything else pales beside’ – Financial Times
‘A documentary that had you pinned to the sofa in astonished admiration’ – Daily Telegraph
Battered Men
Channel 5/North One TV
1 x 50 mins dramatised documentary on male domestic abuse.
‘Featuring that rarest of birds, the convincing dramatic reconstruction, the centrepiece was the tragic tale of Peter McBride…worthy of a full drama on its own…This was an admirably even-handed attempt to tackle a subject that remains a taboo.’ – Keith Watson, Metro
‘Very revealing documentary’ – Daily Telegraph
‘Five is to be applauded for tackling a difficult and often ignored subject with this strong documentary’ – The Observer
‘A harrowing documentary that may well inspire domestic violence victims to speak out’ – Daily Mirror
Hostage
Channel 4/Firefly
4 x 50mins. Director of two films about modern day hostage situations. Archive, reconstruction and interview.
HUMAN INTEREST DOCUMENTARIES / FACTUAL ENTERTAINMENT
Cutting Edge: King of Christmas Lights
Channel 4/Nutopia
1 x 50 mins. Observational documentary on some of Britain’s most obsessive Christmas decorators.
‘…a Cutting Edge documentary so joyous and funny, it should be replayed year after year just like Margo cancelling Christmas on The Good Life or Bill Murray being thwacked by a toaster in Scrooged.’ – Grace Dent, The Guardian
‘…consistently amusing, occasionally mildly deranged film…happily, the tone is fond rather than snarky.’ – Time Out
‘James Routh’s nicely offbeat Cutting Edge documentary’ – Evening Standard
‘It was wonderfully gentle and warm and the audience obviously loved it. Thank you.’ – Jay Hunt, Director of Programmes, Channel 4
Channel 4/Dragonfly, 09/14
8x1 hr. Observational series set in an eccentric Chelsea auction house.
Channel 4/Twenty Twenty Television
1 x 50 mins. Observational documentary on a 13-year-old nicotine addict, filmed over six months.
The News at 8
Channel 4/Liberty Bell
1 x 30 mins. Pilot for a new series in which kids offer their take on weekly news events.
MEDICAL DOCUMENTARIES
Hayley, The 96-Year-Old Schoolgirl
Channel 5/Rabbit
1 x 50 mins. First in new run of ‘Extraordinary People’ films, continuing the long-term documentary project on Progeria sufferer Hayley Okines. First production through James’ own production company, Rabbit.
‘Pick of the Day’ in: The Independent, The Sun, Time Out, The Daily Mail, The Daily Telegraph, The Observer, Mail on Sunday.
BBC One/North One TV
1 x 50 mins. Ratings-winning observational film following the work of London’s elite Air Ambulance trauma team.
‘Such a well-crafted film’ – Charlotte Moore, Commissioning Editor, BBC Documentaries
‘Breathlessly dramatic’ – Evening Standard
Discovery/Summer Films
1 x 50 mins. The inside story of pioneering surgery at a military hospital in China.
The Fastest Man On No Legs – Oscar Pistorius
Channel 5/Arte/October Films
1 x 50 mins. Observational and biographical film on the now notorious amputee sprinter, following his controversial bid to compete with able bodied athletes at the Olympics.
The Child Who’s Older Than Her Grandmother
Channel 5/Twenty Twenty Television
1x50 min. observational film. Part of an ongoing personal commitment to this story (see below).
‘Very moving…absolutely choking’ - Sam Wollaston, The Guardian
‘This excellent documentary offers a moving portrait of one amazing little girl and her loving family. By turns heartbreaking and heart-warming, it’s certainly one not to miss’ – Daily Mirror
The Child Who’s Older Than Her Mother
Channel 5/Discovery/Uden Associates
1x30 min. observational film about a four-year-old girl with a rare genetic condition – Progeria – which results in premature ageing. Part of ‘Extraordinary People’.
‘A sweet and touching film… James Routh’s film was, for an essentially hopeless documentary, really remarkably joyful.’ – Gareth McLean, The Guardian
SPECIALIST FACTUAL
Amazing Hotels: Life Beyond The Lobby
BBC2 / BBC Studios
6 x 1hr. Travel documentary series presented by Giles Coren and Monica Galetti, revealing the inner workings of some of the World’s most extraordinary hotel properties. Directed episode on the Royal Mansour, Marrakech.
Channel 4/Twenty Twenty Television
4 x 50 mins. Light-hearted reality/history format placing modern families in a 1960s holiday camp. Running a multi-camera team on location and responsible for celebrity interview/archive sections.
ITV1/Twenty Twenty Television
8 x 50 mins. Light-hearted reality/history format. Responsible for history sections, featuring celebrity interviews and archive, and part of a multi-camera directing team on location.
Supersonic: The Concorde Story
Channel 5/Uden Associates
1x50 min. archive and interview. The extraordinary story of the World’s only supersonic airliner, presented by Sir Richard Branson.
‘Fascinating and often inspiring documentary….James Routh’s cleverly constructed film juxtaposed the life of Concorde with that of another colourful child of grey post-war Britain, presenter Richard Branson.’ – Victor Lewis-Smith, Evening Standard
‘A fascinating and instructive account…James Routh’s film was a dream journey’ – Christopher Matthew, Daily Mail
‘A terrific show’ – Dan Chambers, Five
Where Do We Come From?
Channel 5/History Channel/Uden Associates
6x50 min. presenter-led travelogue series on human evolution and the prehistoric colonisation of the planet. Filmed on location in Africa, Asia, Australasia, Polynesia the Americas and five European countries.
Return of the Routemaster
ITV1/Uden Associates
1 x 30 min. documentary on the story of London’s iconic red bus, the Routemaster.
BRANDED CONTENT
Formula E Meets Voestalpine: One Step Ahead
Voestalpine/PSB Films
90” branded film using live action and CGI to showcase Voestalpine’s sponsorship of Formula E.
Rolex Awards: Topher White
Rolex / Proudfoot
1 x 5 mins. Profile of the Rolex Award Laureate Topher White, whose ingenious listening devices are helping to protect endangered rainforest around the World. Shot on location in Ecuador.
Ford AWD: From Mountain to Beach
Proudfoot/Mansfields for Ford Motor Company
1 x 3 mins. Short brand film for the Ford exhibition at the Frankfurt Motor Show/online portals.
Ford Focus RS
Short film on the testing of the new Focus RS at Ford's Lommel Proving Ground in Belgium.
Swarovski: Prima
Short film commissioned by Swarovski to celebrate their collaboration with World-renowned architect, Zaha Hadid.
New Moon for Leo Pharmaceuticals
1 x 30 mins. Award-winning documentary on the skin condition psoriasis. IVCA Gold 2011 for Best Educational Film.
Meltin’ Pot: Love The Difference
Dazed Film and TV for Meltin’ Pot
1 x 5 mins. Documentary following photographer Rankin’s L.A shoot for a new jeanswear campaign.