Louis Theroux’s Next Documentary Could Be His Most Controversial Yet

By :
BBC

Louis Theroux has been delving into the darkest secrets our society holds, prying into criminal minds and coaxing stories from victims with his softly-spoken, awkward approach since the nineties. 

Much to the delight of his avid watchers, the curious Brit will be back on our screens in no time at all, with a new one-off special for BBC Two.

The filmmaker will be travelling to America once more, after his popular three-part series Altered States in which he examined adoption, polyamory and euthanasia in the US.

This time, however, the topic is of a darker tone which looks at consent and the regular misunderstanding of the word ‘no’ on college campuses.

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Theroux will be exploring the ongoing consent debate at American universities as he and his team travel to the US for the one-off BBC Two special, titled The Night in Question.

In the last several years, top universities have put in line stringent guidelines meant to protect students from being assaulted — but some argue individuals have been punished for offences which wouldn’t constitute a criminal offence outside the walls of university.

So the documentary maker will be speaking with alleged perpetrators who feel their reputations have been tarnished by overreactions.

He will also meet survivors of assault who will bravely offer their stories to justify their believe these guidelines are much-needed on campuses.

There will also be interviews with the university officials whose job it is to sift through allegations of assault and make judgments on if offences rise to the level of expulsion, reports the Guardian.

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In light of movements such as MeToo, it’s become frightfully apparent that the lines of consent are still blurred for too many.

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According to researchers, there’s an epidemic sweeping American colleges with an estimated one in four students subjected to a serious sexual assault before they’ve graduated.

Announcing other offerings, including a new show from David Attenborough, Alison Kirkham, Controller of factual commissioning at the BBC, pointed out:

Plenty of other broadcasters are now following our lead, but we’re determined to keep moving the conversation forwards.

That’s what makes the BBC special: the desire to anticipate and stimulate the national conversation, not motivated by commercial imperatives or what’s in fashion.

The BBC has a unique commitment to factual programming. I don’t believe any other broadcaster in British television has such an extraordinary breadth of output in factual.

Louis Theroux’s The Night In Question is expected to air on the BBC this year.

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