Extraordinary People
Extraordinary People
Five's acclaimed documentary strand returns for a new run of programmes exploring tales of human experience from across the globe. Sometimes heartbreaking, sometimes inspiring, each thought-provoking film tells the story of a person whose unusual condition, ability or power challenges scientific understanding.
The boys joined at the head
Wednesday 20th February, 9.00pm
The series opens with an inspiring new film about conjoined twins. Mohammed and Ahmed Ibrahim, featuring exclusive medical scenes and candid archive footage of their journey towards separation.
Hope for Hayley
Wednesday 27th February, 9.00pm
This film catches up with progeria sufferer Hayley Okines, who has been the subject of two Five documentaries in the past.
The fastest man on no legs
Wednesday 5th March, 9.00pm
Oscar Pistorius, was born with a rare condition that meant both of his legs had to be amputated. With the help of state-of-the-art artificial legs, he has become one of the fastest disabled runners in the world, capable of challenging able-bodied athletes. This film follows Oscar as he fights for the right to compete at the highest level.
The girls with too much skin
Wednesday 19th March, 9.00pm
The fourth documentary in the current series of Extraordinary People explores the lives of two sets of sisters who suffer from one of the most extreme skin diseases in the world. Lucy and Hannah Betts and Dana and Lara Bowen have harlequin ichthyosis, a painful and incurable condition that brings with it the constant threat of fatal infection.
The man with no face
Wednesday 26th March, 9.00pm
For the past 35 years, Jose Metre's face has been gradually smothered by a massive tumour. Now, only his eye remains. The Man with No Face follows Jose on his journey through Europe to explore the chances of removing one of the most extreme cases of an haemangioma ever seen by the medical world.
The world's heaviest man
Wednesday 2nd April, 9.00pm
This film follows the story of Mexican Manuel Uribe – the world's heaviest man – as he battles to lose weight and save his own life.
Half man half tree
Monday 14th April, 9.00pm
The series exploring remarkable tales of human experience continues with a profile of Dede, an Indonesian man suffering from a skin condition that has left him with tree-like growths on his hands and feet. Unable to work and forced to appear in a demeaning circus troupe, Dede's only hope lies in the visit of a dermatology specialist who may be able to diagnose his condition.