Films
Mark has made over 20 films for major broadcasters including BBC1, BBC2, ITV, Channel 4, Channel Five, Discovery, National Geographic, History Channel, PBS and Smithsonian Networks.
Information and clips for some of the films below. More clips on Mark’s Vimeo page.
GameStop: The Wall Street Hijack
The story of the GameStop trading frenzy, told by Jordan Belfort, the former multimillionaire investor known as the Wolf of Wall Street. He wrote the book that inspired the Scorsese movie – the one starring Leonardo DiCaprio.
In January 2021 the share price of struggling video game retailer GameStop surged dramatically – driven by a bunch of amateur traders, who used social media to work together to disrupt the stock market – and beat the Wall Street pros at their own game.
Producer/Director, ITN Productions for Discovery+
His Royal Highness The Duke of Edinburgh
A special, filmic obituary of Prince Philip, presented by Matt Frei, which went out on Channel 4 the day that the Duke of Edinburgh died.
Producer/Director, ITN Productions for Channel 4
“The only decent tribute… excellent portrayal of a multifaceted and complex individual… a much-needed dose of realism; frank, yet sympathetic… quite brilliant and very informative…” (selected reaction on Twitter)
Who Do You Think You Are - Liz Carr
Silent Witness actor Liz Carr gets forensic about her family history. She investigates whether her paternal great-great-great-grandfather was involved in the attempted murder of a prominent landlord in rural Northern Ireland in the 1850s. While on her mother's side, she learns about her grandfather, who died when her mother was just two.
Producer/Director, Wall to Wall Media for BBC1
“(Liz Carr is)… a dogged investigator and an extremely likeable guide…” - The Times
“We’ve witnessed all sorts of surprising revelations during this show, but cases of attempted murder have been pretty rare!” - TV Times
“A rare episode that keeps sentiment and storytelling in balance…” - Sunday Times
The Umbrella Assassin - Revealed
Developed from my original idea, a fresh telling of the notorious ‘Umbrella Murder’ of Georgi Markov in 1978, one of the Cold War’s most intriguing stories..
Producer/Director, Windfall Films for Channel 5/PBS
NOMINATED for Emmy (Outstanding Historical Programming)
“Who needs James Bond and his fictional spies when there are first-class factual programmes like this being made?” – Victor Lewis-Smith, Evening Standard
“Crisply and urgently done, diligent in its pursuit of leads and with an enormously wide range of contributors, this was the best investigative documentary I have seen in at least a year – a model of how to tell a complicated story in a manner that was as gripping as it was comprehensible…” – Sunday Telegraph
“Usually, the presence of “revealed” in a title means precisely the opposite; here, though, it more than lived up to its promise.” – Daily Telegraph
“Excellent documentary… A terrific Le Carré-esque Cold War thriller..” – The Guardian
The First World War From Above
Fergal Keane tells the story of how the First World War was filmed, photographed and fought in the skies. The documentary featured the story of Jacques Trolley de Prévaux, a French Navy pilot who captured some incredible footage of the trenches shortly after the War. Fergal meets his daughter, Aude, and shows her footage of her father for the first time.
Producer/Director, BBC Wales for BBC1
NOMINATED for a BAFTA Cymru (Single Documentary)
“Stunning… sublime… this brilliant documentary yanks [World War I] right back inside our horizon. It’s evocative, visceral and, in its own way, as affecting as anything by Blunden or Sassoon.” – Time Out, Pick of the Day (5 stars)
Scotland and the Battle for Britain
Writer, journalist and the BBC’s former political editor Andrew Marr presents a two-parter on Scotland’s modern political history, filmed before and after the EU Referendum. Includes interviews with Nicola Sturgeon, Alex Salmond and Tony Blair.
Producer/Director, STV Productions for BBC2
WINNER – RTS Scotland Award 2017 – News and Current Affairs: Current Affairs
“Overflowed with intriguing argument and evidence” - Daily Telegraph
“Handsomely presented” - The Guardian
“Absolutely brilliant” - Ewan McGregor, @mcgregor_ewan on Twitter
Obama: The President Who Inspired the World
70min film about President Obama, presented by Matt Frei.
Producer/Director, ITN Productions for Channel 4
“…skillful retrospective…“ - The Times
“…conscientious, comprehensive and solidly made…” - The Guardian
Andrew Marr’s History of the World
Conceived, scripted and directed two episodes for this landmark series. Lots of international filming, including Mongolia, Mali, Turkey, Italy and Germany.
Producer/Director, BBC London Factual for BBC1
“The series is every bit as grand and impressive as its subject demands, with gorgeous photography and rich, filmic reconstructions…” - Time Out
“…another rollercoaster episode… fascinating.” - What’s on TV
Dispatches: Puppetmasters - The Men Who Really Run Britain
Profiles of Dominic Cummings and Seumas Milne, the controversial political advisors to Boris Johnson and Jeremy Corbyn.
Producer/Director, ITN Productions for Channel 4
Channel 4’s Alternative Christmas Message
Five children who survived the Grenfell Tower fire deliver an alternative Christmas message in 2017.
Producer/Director, ITN Productions for Channel 4
“…inspiring…heartbreaking…moving…powerful…touching…beautiful…there won’t be a more important piece of TV on Christmas Day…” - selected reaction on Twitter
The Great Escape - Revealed
Developed from my original idea, a 60 min documentary about the search for ‘Dick’, the escape tunnel the Germans never found – combining archaeology, first-hand testimony and drama reconstructions.
Producer/Director, Windfall Films for Channel 5/PBS
NOMINATED for Grierson Award (Best Historical Documentary)
“Mark Radice’s neatly crafted film…” – Independent
“A rewarding documentary which tells the story of the breakout from prisoner-of-war camp Stalag Luft 3” – The Observer
The Making of Merkel
In a film broadcast on the night before the German Elections, Andrew Marr pulls aside the veil to reveal Angela Merkel, the most powerful woman in the world.
Producer/Director, BBC Television for BBC2 and BBC Worldwide
“There’s plenty about this timely documentary which feels slightly unexpected... A crucial early twenty-first-century story, engagingly told.” – Time Out
Prince Harry & Meghan: Truly, Madly, Deeply
Documentary about Prince Harry and Meghan Markle – 3.7m viewers, sold to over 100 countries
Producer/Director, ITN Productions for ITV1
“If you’re still not sufficiently informed on the match of the moment’s love story, then new ITV documentary Prince Harry and Meghan: Truly, Madly, Deeply well get you clued-up in time for any Kensington Palace update that may or may not be on the horizon.” – Evening Standard
The Hunt for Hitler’s Scientists
Developed from my original idea, a 60 min documentary using first-hand testimony and drama reconstructions (shot on 16mm film) to tell the story of the race to capture Nazi scientists at the end of World War Two.
Producer/Director, Windfall Films for Five/NGCI/PBS
"... intriguing tales of astonishing weapons, of the roots of the Cold War and of the surprising futures of the men responsible for the earliest weapons of mass destruction." - Daily Telegraph
Headhunters of World War II
60 min documentary about a crew of American airmen downed over Borneo. Hunted by Japanese patrols, they find shelter – and friendship – with a tribe of former headhunters in the heart of the jungle before they are rescued by a team of commandos led by an eccentric British major.
Producer/Director, Icon Films for Channel 4/WNET/National Geographic
WINNER, Gold Plaque, Documentary: History/Biography, 2010 Hugo Television Awards
NOMINATED for RTS West of England Award (Best Specialist Factual) 2011
“Stranger than fiction and grimly gripping stuff…” – Daily Telegraph
Meet The Trumps: From Immigrant to President
Fast turnaround 60 min documentary about Donald Trump’s family history. I directed filming in Germany (in Trump’s grandfather’s hometown of Kallstadt) and also in London.
Producer/Director, 72 Films for Channel 4/Netflix
“In a week of Trump overload, Meet the Trumps was, astonishingly, fresh and interesting. […] At first, the Trumps seemed like a classic, admirable American success story, their good name now tragically tarnished (I know this sounds odd) by the boy who became president. Gradually, though, Frei made you realise that they'd been sort of horrible forever.” - The Times
Meet the Elephant Man
60 min documentary about Joseph Merrick the Elephant Man which also told the story of a modern day sufferer of the same condition. The film was an unusual hybrid, where I deliberately mixed personal documentary with a scientific investigation.
Writer/Director, Windfall Films for Channel 4/ Discovery
“This was a very modern sort of documentary… Never veering into simplistic sensationalism, this was a studied, and studious programme, and the bravery of Richards made it every bit as enthralling as film director David Lynch's take on the tragicu tale.” – Virgin Media, Star Rating 5/5
Curse of the Hope Diamond.
Glossy dramadoc exploring the science and legend of the world’s most valuable diamond. Featured filming in India and Washington – and also several drama scenes.
Director, Blink Films for Smithsonian Networks/Channel 4
“A polished insight into the lengths we’ll go to for baubles…” – Daily Telegraph