‘Disco Inferno’: PBS and BBC tell the story of musical and cultural heritage as BBC unveils Christmas programme

PBS and the BBC are collaborating on a landmark documentary series about the rise and fall of disco, while the BBC has unveiled its Christmas plan, including new natural history quests.

Disco Inferno: The Sound of the Subway (w/t) is the latest joint venture for US and UK publishers and is produced by BBC Studios.

The three-piece group explore disco’s enduring musical and cultural legacy and, according to the BBC, will “bring together the overlooked pioneers to tell a powerful new revisionist story of the disco era”.

The show begins in the 1970s, when the pioneering social movement began, and continues through the years, with archival footage and clips from decades ago.

This is the first revealed assignment for Jonathan Rothery, who has appointed Channel 4’s BBC as its first head of Pop Music TV, Rothery said Disco Inferno will “highlight many new or untold stories in the genre.” Bill Gardner is responsible and BBC Studios handles worldwide distribution.

Christmas plan

The document was launched at the BBC’s Christmas party, attended by BBC executives, producers and journalists, and with a presentation by Chief Content Officer Charlotte Moore.

As usual, she hosted the BBC’s Christmas programme, which featured a duo of unannounced natural history programmes: Snow Dogs: Into the Wilddirected by Gordon Buchanan and Frozen Planet II: Wonder Worlds.

The latter, also from BBC Studios, will combine highlights from David Attenborough’s recent blue chip.

The script features a number of previously announced big-budget shows, including the return of happy valley, the Martin Compston Star mayflies, a Jack Whitehall’s 10th Anniversary Special Bad education and the latest adaptation by Robert Galbraiths Hit titled Turbid blood.