Hot Picks: Rain: The Untold Story

The average person doesn’t think much about rain, unless it’s pouring down on them. It feels like one of life’s “banalities”, according to TVF International head of acquisitions and partnerships Will Stapley. But, he says, this three-part series from Welsh indie Cwmni Da TV covers a subject that is “universally relevant and of-the-moment”. 

Each part focuses on how rain has impacted humanity, through the lenses of science, culture and environmental issues.

In episode one, Cwmni Da explains the birth and development of rain and rainfall prediction, and how its unpredictability has been minimised to such an extent by scientific advancements that global rainfall patterns are accessible at the click of a mouse.

The second part takes a more societal approach, digging into the idiosyncratic way people relate to rain: as a gentle soother to aid sleep, its employment by artists or its culinary uses in Asia. 

Striking a more sombre tone, the final part explores the challenges of drought and floods, exacerbated by climate change, and how they are combining to cause a global lack of fresh, drinkable water. The episode looks at whether the water collection methods used by our ancestors could provide the key for future survival. 

“The series is tapping into the zeitgeist of climate change and environmental conservation, but through the prism of something that everyone takes for granted, almost,” Stapley says. “This fits into science, history, culture, even arts. “Civilisations have been shaped and destroyed by rain, or lack of it, and that continues, probably in a more drastic form than it ever has, due to climate change. Each episode could stand alone, should we wish.”

Though aware of TVFI’s reputation for “high-brow science docs” and specialist factual, Stapley does not see this as a niche doc for “nerdy viewers”, given the everyday nature of its subject matter.

“It’s accessible science, told in an epic way. If you have a story that gives easy access into science, history, culture, that’s a great vehicle for being a bit nerdy but not losing your audience,” he says. “There’s intrigue, too. You think you know everything about rain, but actually you don’t know anything about rain.”

Its round-the-world journey – episode one travels to Ireland, the US, China, India, UAE and Scotland – broadens the story further, and Stapley says the BBC Alba co-pro with Irish public broadcaster TG4 and China’s LIC, adds a furtherstamp of quality. While the series is in Irish and Scottish-Gaelic, TVFI is offering an exclusive English-language version for international sale.

Stapley is confident of Rain’s potential in the market, with linear broadcasters, educational channels as well as “more specialist, high-brow streamers” in mind. “Solution-based climate stories, which aren’t too preachy, have been some of the best-selling content in our catalogue for the past 18 months,” he says. “It’s not going to date either. It’s the kind of show that’s going to sell for 10 years.”