Children who struggle to make friends are at the heart of a new TV series.
The show, titled "Will You Be My Friend?", is being made by Five Mile Films and will air on BBC One and iPlayer.
The series follows children aged five to eight who find it hard to form friendships, exploring the challenges they face with support from trained psychologists at a specially created 'Friendship Centre.'
Children are paired with a potential new friend from their local area, and the series checks back six weeks later to see how their confidence has grown—at school, on the playground, and beyond.
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Emma Loach, interim head of commissioning, documentaries at the BBC, said: "The longing to connect, to be seen, and to belong is universal.
"Whether you're five or fifty-five, I defy anyone to watch these children without seeing a little bit of themselves reflected.
"In a world that can feel increasingly disconnected, this series shows that the simplest gestures – a smile, a shared joke, a tentative 'will you be my friend?' – still have the power to change everything.
"Five Mile Films has brought us something very special, and we couldn't be prouder to give it a home on the BBC."
The series aims to remind audiences that even a single friendship can make a life-changing difference.
Nick Mirsky, CEO of Five Mile Films, said: "I don't think there's a commission I could be more thrilled to bring to Five Mile.
"Will You Be My Friend? will be joyful, warm, and funny, but it also does something genuinely new – inviting us to look closely at the challenge and art of making friends."
The show is produced by Five Mile Films and executive produced by Nick Mirsky, Adam Chapman, and Jordan Maloy.
It was commissioned by Clare Sillery, who served as head of commissioning, documentaries at the time, and the commissioning editor is Beejal-Maya Patel.
All3Media International is the programme’s international partner.
The team behind the show previously worked on Channel 4’s The Dog House and includes one of the BAFTA-winning producers of First Dates.
To apply for this show, visit the Be My Friend TV website.
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