A time for tea

"Tea is an unsung hero. It provides calm, refreshment, community and enjoyment for billions of people across the globe. It has an influence on history and the evolution of cultures. For many people it is part of a daily ritual. We wanted to explore this rich world of tea culture and its impact on people's lives around the world," Springford says.

Other stories reflecting tea's impact include a martial artist achieving inner peace－a key element of his practice－in Mount Emei in Sichuan province; the wedding ceremony of a young couple in Malaysia where serving tea is an important way of expressing gratitude to parents; and a family in Fuzhou, Fujian province, that is dedicated to producing jasmine tea.

Tea has become more popular, with consumption increasing 25 percent in the last decade, according to the documentary, and various drinking methods are enjoyed by billions of people across the world.

The documentary is a fully funded commission to BBC Studios by Migu, the digital content subsidiary of China Mobile.

"We recognize that tea is a subject close to both Chinese and British people's hearts, since we are all committed tea drinkers with a long history of social tea drinking, so it is an ideal subject on which to collaborate," says Springford.

Tom McDonald, managing director of Factual program at BBC Studios, says the documentary was filmed during an unprecedented challenge during the COVID-19 pandemic, but it also pushed the BBC to shift its traditional working method－assigning British teams to fly across the world－to the alternative plan of seeking local talent to film most content.