Everyone on the Isle of Wight knows the tragic story of Damien Nettles.
The 16 year old who vanished one night in Cowes in 1996 and has never been located, traced or found, despite the best efforts of his family and their friends.
‘Unsolved: The boy who disappeared’
With ‘Unsolved: The boy who disappeared’, the working title for the programme, the BBC have been producing what they call a ‘forensic serialised investigation’, which re-examines the facts and interviews those connected with the case. In their words,
“The team piece together clues, knock on doors, interrogate rumours and cultivate sources. [They] hear from the boy’s loved ones, search rumoured burial sites and encounter convicted criminals.”
OnTheWight has been aware of this for sometime, but has respectfully held off revealing it until the information became public.
Featured in BBC Three online launch promo video
With the launch of BBC Three – their channel focused at 16 to 35 year olds – moving Online, they’ve highlighted the programme about Damien in their opening promotional video (below).
The programme has been created by Alys Harte and Bronagh Munro – both who have worked as producers on Panorama.
Damien’s mother, Valerie Nettles, told OnTheWight,
“I am excited by this programme, the team have been relentless in scrutinising every inch of this case possible.
“It’s a massive task and they have been diligent. I am not sure it will solve the case, but I am hopeful this may well lay some rumors to rest.”
Programming for the Internet era
It’s being seen as a new way to create programming in the Internet era, escaping the restrictions of a TV programme that takes you on a fixed journey from the start of the programme to the end. The BBC say, “the story will be told using a variety of formats, including video.”
As well as the evidence, the programme will feature the team’s ‘behind the scenes’ discussions, frustrations, revelations and questions – giving viewers an inside gaze into the process of carrying such a journalistic investigation.
‘Unsolved: The boy who disappeared’ is being compared to ‘Serial’, the highly-regarded US podcast that drew in audiences and awards with its weekly-released episodes – slowly and thoroughly exposing the story.
The date of the first programme hasn’t, as yet, been released by the BBC, but OnTheWight has been told that it’s likely to be ‘late March’.
