Award-winning Newry-based television company Big Mountain Productions is marking 21 years of programme making with the launch of a major new BBC One series exploring one of the most important issues facing families across the UK today – care.
Natalie Cassidy: Caring Together begins on Monday 25 May on BBC One at 1.30pm and again at 7pm, with the first four episodes available on iPlayer from May 25, and the remaining four available from June 1.
The rest of the series will be shown on BBC One across the week at 2pm, and follows Natalie Cassidy as she goes back to college to train as a carer, offering viewers an honest, emotional and uplifting insight into the realities of caring, both professionally and within families.
Produced by Big Mountain Productions for BBC Daytime in co-production with BBC Northern Ireland, and supported by Northern Ireland Screen, the series shines a light on the compassion, resilience and humanity at the heart of care.
At a time when technology is reshaping so many industries, the series highlights a simple truth: care is built on human connection. Empathy, presence and trust remain irreplaceable.
While the series travels across a range of care settings in both Northern Ireland and England, Northern Ireland becomes its emotional heart, showcasing inspiring organisations, carers and communities making a real difference in people’s lives every day.
In Belfast, Natalie visits a unique intergenerational project bringing together children from Knockbreda Primary School and residents at Annadale Care Home. What begins as a simple shared activity grows into meaningful friendships that reduce isolation and build understanding across generations.
In Moira, viewers meet Sharon Warnock and her dog Henry through Wee Wheels, where therapy support helps children facing complex challenges. One particularly moving story follows Mollie, a young girl navigating both cancer treatment and selective mutism, whose growing bond with Henry helps her gradually find her voice again.
The series also visits ASpace2 in Eglinton, where young adults with severe learning disabilities are supported in a working environment designed to build confidence, independence and identity.
At Templemore Baths in Belfast, Natalie joins a Parkinson’s aquasize class where participants and carers exercise side by side with physiotherapy support, highlighting the importance of community, movement and shared experience in long-term care.
Recovery and well-being are explored further at the Spinal Injury Unit at Musgrave Park Hospital, where Horatio’s Garden uses horticultural therapy to help patients reconnect with nature as part of their rehabilitation journey.
In Newtownabbey, the cameras spend time at a Men’s Shed group tackling loneliness and social isolation through practical projects, conversation and peer support, often helping men long before they require formal intervention.
The series also meets Lenny the Barber in Carrickfergus, whose vintage 1950s-style barbershop experience is specially designed for people living with dementia. Through familiar music, scents and surroundings, he creates moments of comfort, dignity and connection for residents and families alike.
The final episode sees Natalie join the Rock Choir and participants from the Mental Health Arts Festival as they prepare for a special performance at Parliament Buildings, demonstrating the powerful role creativity and music can play in supporting mental health and emotional wellbeing.
For Big Mountain Productions, the series represents another milestone in a 21-year journey creating impactful factual programming with broad audience appeal. The company has built a reputation for combining strong journalism with accessible storytelling across current affairs, factual entertainment and documentary programming.
The majority of the production team behind Natalie Cassidy: Caring Together, led by Senior Producer Ally Thompson, is based in Northern Ireland, reflecting the company’s ongoing commitment to regional production and developing local creative talent.
Natalie Cassidy said: “I cannot tell you how important this series has been for me. It’s a subject I care about very deeply. Working with the team at Big Mountain Productions, they brought so much care, integrity and heart to the project.
“I’m incredibly grateful to the people who allowed us to bring cameras into their homes, hospitals, care homes and college. That level of openness and trust is something I’ll never take for granted.
“What really struck me was how passionate the team are, not just about making great television, but about doing justice to the people and communities at the centre of these stories. I’m incredibly proud of what we’ve created together.”
Jane Kelly, Joint CEO of Big Mountain Productions, said: “As we celebrate 21 years of programme making, we’re proud to be bringing a series like this to audiences across the UK.
“Caring touches so many lives, whether at home or at work, yet it is rarely explored in all its complexity on mainstream television. This series has authenticity and heart at its core, helped by a production team with both outstanding creative expertise and lived experience of the care sector.
“We cannot wait for viewers to join Natalie on this journey and meet the communities and characters at the heart of these stories.”
Eddie Doyle, Head of Content Commissioning at BBC Northern Ireland, added: “It’s great that the series has been made for audiences across the UK by a Northern Ireland independent production company, demonstrating how the creative sector here can tell important and universal stories that resonate everywhere.”
Natalie Cassidy: Caring Together begins on Monday 25 May on BBC One at 1.30pm and 7pm, and on iPlayer.
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