Irish production company, beActive is currently in pre-production with ‘Yes I Can’, a new 4 part series examining the lives of four disabled people as they undertake extreme sports. Commissioned by Setanta Sports’ Tony Whelan, the series will shoot around Ireland and will be presented by blind adventurer Mark Pollock.
‘Yes I Can’ will feature stories from people with muscular dystrophy, spina bifida, hereditary spastic paraplegics and blindness and follow them as they participate in a range of extreme sports, including water skiing and zip lining. Shooting on location around Ireland from this week onwards, the series is directed by David Freyne (Passing).
The production marks beActive’s second leap into factual programming, having previously produced the on-line magazine series ‘Beat Generation’. ‘Yes I Can’ series producer, Triona Campbell commented on the upcoming series, saying; “the programme looks not only at the preconceptions we as a society put on the disabled but also on the preconceptions both able bodied and disabled people have about their own personal limitations. We would challenge anyone who watches the series not to feel a little bit more ‘Yes I Can’ about the obstacles and challenges they face in their own lives after having seen it.”
The show received €120,000 funding from the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland’s latest Sound and Vision round and is also supported by Setanta Sports.
The series will air on Setanta Sports across the UK, Ireland, Australia, South Africa and New Zealand with TX dates yet to be confirmed. International sales of ‘Yes I Can’ will be handled by beActive which will premier clips from the series at MIPCOM in Cannes this October.
