NEWS
CRITICAL INCIDENT
A GLIMPSE BEHIND THE SCENES
The rapid rise in the number of real-life, emergency services-related TV shows no sign of slowing down.
P
rogrammes such as Crimewatch Live, Critical Incident, Police Code Zero: Officer Under Attack and 24 Hours
in Police Custody have all taken their own slice of the audience – including a sizeable number of police officers who regularly tune in to see how the service is portrayed. While many of these shows attract
criticism from those on the frontline, very few have earned praise for their accuracy. But one of these is Critical Incident, the BBC show which factually highlights individual acts of bravery. Series 3 comes out in spring next year and, since the first episode in 2019, producers on the show have worked closely with the Federation. One of the programme’s original aims
was to focus on the Police Federation of England and Wales (PFEW) influential “Protect The Protectors” campaign. This sought to safeguard the physical and mental wellbeing of police officers and obtain tougher sentences for those who assault police officers and other emergency service workers. The series uses bodycam and CCTV
footage to tell the stories of brave 999ers assaulted in the line of duty.
Factual
Factual TV specialist Lucy Wedlock
TV specialist Lucy Wedlock, who is based in Belfast, is the series producer, and best placed to give a glimpse of what really goes on behind the scenes of Critical
Incident as she is employed by independent producers Tern TV – the company commissioned by the BBC to produce the 15-episode series. She said: “What we do is tell true
stories of police officers, paramedics and firefighters who have been attacked and injured in the line of duty. There is a real emphasis on their recovery and return to work. “We try to have a positive ending and,
although we want to tell a story which is quite often harrowing, we focus on the positives, for instance, how the individual involved in the incident has progressed, and how they’ve managed to get back to work or recover. “Although the focus is on assaults – we
want to tell the story of officers who have put their lives on the line in the line of duty.” Each episode of Critical Incident
involves three short films featuring individual storylines and, almost uniquely, the subject of the film is the person who decides what airs. Lucy added: “Usually we film for
between one and two days, depending on the story. Sometimes if an officer has been injured, and their family life has been affected, we might film with their family and this could take another day. “Before filming, we’ll send clips of
previous shows to participants so that straight away individuals feel reassured. “Then, on the day of filming, we make
sure they understand they are in control. We don’t go in and say ‘we want you to do this, or this’. We’ll simply ask them what they are happy to do. “This is really important because some of the officers have been through extremely harrowing incidents and are clearly still affected. They are in control of what is being filmed and they are in control of what they say.” To emphasise the trust element, edited
footage is often shared before it goes out to ensure all parties are happy with the outcome. The high level of cooperation between
the service and the production company over the previous two series has certainly paid off. Almost uniquely, there has been no negative feedback – which Lucy admitted was “very rare for any series”. Currently shooting the third series,
Lucy and her colleagues at Tern TV have developed a huge respect for those who put their lives on the line to help others. She continued: “The show is very
pro-policing. When you see the body- worn camera footage and officers telling their story, you realise officers are human like everyone else. It really makes people realise what police officers do for a living and develops understanding. “We want the audience to understand the human face of policing and that’s why the fundamental part of the story is the interview. What we want to do is hear from the officer in their own words, and show they are like the rest of us. “And with this in mind, we’re still
looking for case studies and would love to hear from other forces or individuals who would like us to tell their story.”
EMAIL CONTACT:
belfast@terntv.com
John Apter, National Chair, being interviewed 45 I POLICE I OCTOBER 2021
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