New Channel 4 series Evacuation (w/t) reveals the untold, inside story of the British military campaign to evacuate Kabul airport in 2021, through raw, intimate, never-heard-before testimony from the British servicemen and women who found themselves at the epicentre of an unfolding crisis as the Taliban closed in.

Channel 4 has commissioned Wonderhood Studios to produce a 3-part landmark documentary series, Evacuation (w/t). With top-to-toe access to the British military, and never-seen-before MOD footage shot by combat camera teams and personal footage, Evacuation (w/t) reveals how Operation Pitting became Britain’s biggest airlift since WW2 and an incredibly complex and perilous military operation.

This series goes beyond the headlines and parliamentary debates of the time, focusing instead on the personal stories of the British servicemen and women who found themselves dealing with a humanitarian crisis on a scale they’d never experienced before.  Some 15,000 British nationals and eligible Afghans were flown out in a matter of days, but the human dilemmas on the ground for the armed forces – sent to extract them – play out like drama in this gripping series.

At the same time, the series will reflect how the military’s work affected people on the ground by unpacking the personal stories of British Nationals and Afghan citizens caught up in the onslaught of chaos and terror while desperately trying to flee their homeland, as the government fell and the Taliban took over the capital city.

Alisa Pomeroy, Head of Documentaries at Channel 4 and Commissioning Editor, Sacha Mirzoeff said: “This series allows us to see the human evacuation of Kabul through a brand-new lens. Wonderhood Studios have forged such a strong relationship with the British Armed Forces that the interviewees, almost all of whom are still serving, are able to talk in an honest, sensitive way rarely seen on TV. The resulting series plays out like an emotional drama complete with revelation and nail-biting suspense.”

Samantha Anstiss, Chief Creative Officer, Wonderhood Studios added: “With compelling testimonies, visceral footage and unparalleled access to the British military in a way we’ve never seen before along with those trying to flee the chaos of Kabul, this series will give Channel 4 viewers a unique insight into what it feels like to face down the Taliban in one of the largest peacetime military operations, and where split-second losses of concentration can lead to death and tragedy.”

Major General Eldon Millar MBE said: “We are excited to be working with Channel 4 and Wonderhood Studios on this important project that will, in a compelling and compassionate manner, bring to light the first-hand accounts of both the people of Afghanistan and those from across Defence and the British Armed Forces who worked round the clock to evacuate them in such challenging conditions during the historic summer of 2021.”

Evacuation (w/t) is executive produced by Wonderhood Studios Head of Factual, Katharine Patrick, (Devil’s Advocate: The mostly true story of Giovanni di StefanoBaby Surgeons: Delivering Miracles), edited by Sam Santana (In the Shadow of 9/11, Rise of the Murdoch Dynasty), Adam Robinson (Baby Surgeons: Delivering Miracles, Dementia & Us) and Series Directed by BAFTA and Grierson- nominated James W Newton (Baby Surgeons: Delivering Miracles). The Head of Production is Lianne Hickey, and Casey McConnell is Production Manager. It was commissioned by Commissioning Editor, Sacha Mirzoeff and Head of Documentaries, Alisa Pomeroy for Channel 4.

Fremantle will distribute internationally.

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