We are England is the BBC’s new current affairs show for England. Each week, the programme takes a subject and produces six different regional viewpoints, redrawing the BBC’s regional TV structure in the process.
From Wednesday 26th January, We Are England will broadcast at 7:30pm each Wednesday through late winter/early spring and again in the autumn.
The new programme has far fewer regional editions, compared to its predecessor Inside Out, following cutbacks.
Notably the London edition sees regional boundaries being re-drawn radically, with viewers in the South region sharing a programme with London, Oxfordshire and the South East.
In the Midlands, the clock is being turned back decades, with a show shared by East and West Midlands viewers. Pan-regional shows were originally phased out as regional current affairs programmes switched from BBC Two to BBC One twenty years ago. Viewers in the North West will share the Leeds edition with viewers from Yorkshire and Lincolnshire.
Only the North East & Cumbria region will enjoy a standalone programme, just for its area.
Mental health: six different films
For the first edition, mental health is in the spotlight. Which report you’ll see, depends on where you live.
In the East and Cambridgeshire TV regions, there’s a report on Caroline Flack’s former performing arts school tackling mental health.
The Leeds hub has produced a film on veterans and mental health for viewers in the North West, Yorkshire and Lincolnshire.
The Birmingham hub has sent its cameras to a boxing ring in Coventry for viewers in both the East and West Midlands.
Bristol’s team is reporting from Somerset, showing how some are using the power of nature to deal with mental health issues on BBC One in the Channel Islands, West and South West regions.
Mental health support for Dads is the topic from London in the London, Oxfordshire, South and South East regions, while the Newcastle hub has been to Tynemouth for some cold water swimming for viewers in the North East & Cumbria region.
The North East & Cumbria edition is also being shown on the England-wide BBC One HD channel on Freeview, Freesat and Sky satellite this week. Each week, a different regional edition will be selected for the HD channel. Virgin Media viewers will automatically see their correct edition of the programme on BBC One HD.
BBC One England: which version of We Are England will you see?
| Hub | BBC One Regions |
|---|---|
| Birmingham | East Midlands, West Midlands |
| Bristol | Channel Islands, South West and West |
| Leeds | North West, Yorkshire, E Yorkshire and Lincolnshire |
| London | London, Oxfordshire, South East, South |
| Newcastle | North East & Cumbria |
| Norwich | East & Cambridgeshire* |
| Various | BBC One HD**: each week a different regional edition is selected |