“RuPaul’s Drag Race: U.K. Versus The World” will be the centerpiece of the opening night on BBC Three, the U.K. digital platform that is being relaunched as a linear channel.
The commission is one of three revealed by BBC Three on Tuesday. In “RuPaul’s Drag Race: U.K. Versus The World,” the U.K. will be the host nation and nine international members of “RuPaul’s Drag Race Royal” alumni will compete for the title of Drag Race Superstar. Michelle Visage, Graham Norton and Alan Carr will join RuPaul as judges. It is produced by World of Wonder.
Also commissioned is “Santa Claus the Serial Killer” (working title), a six-part true-crime series where journalist Mobeen Azhar heads to Toronto, Canada, to explore the case of serial killer Bruce McArthur, a story which has thrown themes of race, faith, culture and sexuality into focus. It is produced by Forest.
“Flight Club,” a ten-part series commissioned with BBC Scotland and Screen Scotland, follows the young staff and crew of Loganair as they lift the lid on what a career high in the clouds is all about
Fiona Campbell, controller, BBC Three, said: “As we gear up for launch, we’re excited to start talking about what will be on the new channel. As a destination for young audiences on the BBC, BBC Three will provide a true multi-genre offering with these commissions serving up some world class entertainment with ‘RuPaul Versus,’ award-winning true-crime with Mobeen and sky-high ambition with ‘Flight Club.’”
BBC Three goes live in early February, and shows will also be available on on iPlayer, Freeview, Sky, Virgin and Freesat.