Jimmy's Big Bee Rescue

With Britain's bees disappearing fast, Jimmy Doherty shows us that we can all help reverse the decline, as he confronts the crisis and asks us to join him in the battle to rescue Britain's bees.

Year: 2019-20

Producer/Directors: Anabelle Marshall, Declan Healy

Series Producer: Paul Bithrey

Edit producers: Emma Slack, Katy Bird, Findlay McCrae

Editors: Alastair Auld, Semeon Ogryzko, James Charkow, Adam Mitchell

Executive Producer: Ross Harper

Presented by: Jimmy Doherty

Screen Scotland Support: £300,000 Production Growth Fund

Synopsis

Bees have been declared the most important species on Earth. They’re vital for pollinating the crops we rely on for food – but they are under serious threat. 46% of bee species have declined in the last ten years.

Farmer Jimmy Doherty - who studied entomology as a graduate student - is on a mission to prove that we can all help reverse the decline. In a year-long project, Jimmy confronts the crisis and recruits farmers, council planners and residents of a typical city to join him in the battle to rescue Britain’s bees. Having organised a mass bee count across the area, Jimmy sets about transforming bee deserts into bee havens - but a year on, will his efforts have made a difference?

More information

Jimmy’s Big Bee Rescue was developed and produced by Glasgow factual indie Red Sky.

Production began in summer 2019, with the results of the transformations filmed in 2020. Post production was by Serious at Film City, Glasgow.

Broadcast

The two-part series begins at 8pm, Saturday 29 August on Channel 4. Available on All4.