Phoenix Rise returns to Coventry
16 August 2023
School drama returns as production starts in Coventry
Billy (Alex Draper), Leila (Imogen Baker), Summer (Lauren Corah), Rani (Tara Webb), Darcy (Jayden Hanley) and Khaled (Krish Bassi) (Image: BBC Studios/Gary Moyes/Sinking Ship)
After a successful first series on BBC iPlayer and ahead of the release of series two, critically acclaimed series Phoenix Rise is back filming 20 new episodes in the West Midlands for a third and fourth series.
Filming has started this week, once again on location in and around Coventry, including some of the city’s iconic landmarks and at former Further Education campus, Henley College. It underlines the BBC's commitment to make more programmes across the UK.
Created by Perrie Balthazar and Matt Evans, Phoenix Rise follows a group of young outsiders who have been excluded from school as they return to mainstream education, form unlikely friendships and learn to navigate school life. The coming-of-age drama centres on six students who meet regularly in a disused boiler room at their school, an abandoned space which becomes their sanctuary.
The majority of the cast from series one and two are returning to the show, including ‘the boiler room six’. Joining them are a group of new young characters who become a key part of compelling new stories.
Sarah Muller, Senior Head of BBC Children’s Commissioning 7+ says: "Phoenix Rise is strongly rooted in the West Midlands and so we’re delighted to see the team return to their Coventry production base. It’s a drama which is not afraid to tackle some of the difficult issues that teens face today whilst also capturing the friendships and humour of teen life."
Create Central Member Mark Hughes-Webb has been supporting the project at one of his LOCATIONZ™ production bases in Coventry, he said "We have been involved in this project from the very beginning and helped bring the production to Coventry for Series 1 & 2 providing pre-production support and guidance to our partners in securing the initial production base and main school location. The production delivers such a fresh and compelling drama for the teen market due to the brilliant concept and writing of Perrie and Matt and the fantastic cast and crew. This series has deserved the critical acclaim and is well-deserving of its returning series status.
This time around we're even more excited as now that we are hosting the new series, we'll be working in partnership with the production team to not only ensure that we deliver above and beyond the required BAFTA's Albert certification but that we showcase new sustainable products, practices and services to make this one of the most sustainable productions ever shot in the West Midlands.
Moreover, this commitment from the BBC reinforces the impact that Create Central has had in ensuring that the West Midlands secures its fair share of regional production but more than that - Phoenix Rise is a new genre of original production inspired by and delivered by talent from the region and in the region. Perhaps more importantly though this production delivers employment for local and regional cast and crew and helps challenge the media perception that only cars are #madeinCoventry...stories, TV and futures are too!”