The air date has been confirmed for Idris Elba's new hour-long documentary Our Knife Crime Crisis, in which the Luther actor is seen on a mission to confront the issue.
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The film, which has been described as "a raw exploration of one of the UK’s most pressing issues", will air at 9pm on Wednesday 29th January on BBC One.
The synopsis for the documentary notes that growing up in east London, violence "was a constant threat" to Elba, and that he is "aware of how easily his own path could have gone in a different direction".
The synopsis continues: "Idris speaks with victims, offenders, police and grieving families, uncovering harsh truths and challenging stereotypes."
Idris Elba and Yemi Hughes attend a knife crime summit with Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and Home Secretary Yvette Cooper at 10 Downing Street. WPA Pool/Getty Images
The film will see Elba meeting perpetrators, victims and victims' families, and features Pooja Kanda, whose son Ronan was murdered in a case of mistaken identity.
It will also detail the discussions Elba has had about possible solutions with King Charles and Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, advocating earlier interventions and pointing to successful initiatives.
His requests culminated in a knife crime summit at 10 Downing Street, bringing together those directly affected to influence policy and inspire change.
When the documentary was first announced, Elba said in a statement: "So many people dismiss knife crime as something that doesn’t affect them, assuming it’s a black and brown urban and gang-related problem - but this couldn’t be further from the truth.
"White, middle class and rural areas are also affected, perpetrators are getting younger and fear is spreading.
"I hope our film goes some way towards changing these stereotypes and getting everyone to engage with one of the biggest challenges of our time. For me, it’s been a tough year - but I’m hopeful."
Our Knife Crime Crisis will air at 9pm on Wednesday 29th January on BBC One.
James Hibbs is a Drama Writer for Radio Times, covering programmes across both streaming platforms and linear channels. He previously worked in PR, first for a B2B agency and subsequently for international TV production company Fremantle. He possesses a BA in English and Theatre Studies and an NCTJ Level 5 Diploma in Journalism.
