Buried with Michael Sheen is a two-part BBC Two investigative documentary in which actor Michael Sheen examines allegations surrounding the historic dumping of toxic industrial chemicals in Wales. The series follows the work of environmental campaigner and farming consultant Douglas Gowan, who spent decades investigating claims that large quantities of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) were buried near farms and communities across South Wales. Sheen revisits Gowan’s evidence and attempts to establish what happened to the chemicals and whether their legacy continues to affect local communities.
At the centre of the investigation are PCBs, industrial chemicals that were once widely used because of their durability and resistance to heat. They have since been recognised as highly hazardous and are classified as Group 1 carcinogens, with their persistence allowing them to remain in the environment for decades. The documentary explores how these chemicals were produced at a former Monsanto facility in Newport and examines allegations that industrial waste containing PCBs was subsequently buried at sites around Wales.
Sheen’s investigation begins with Gowan’s extraordinary personal story. Gowan became concerned about chemical contamination after investigating livestock abnormalities near a suspected dumping site in the 1960s and subsequently spent more than five decades attempting to bring attention to the issue. Before his death, Gowan recorded an extensive interview with Sheen, providing testimony that becomes an important starting point for the television investigation.
Working alongside investigative journalists Dan Ashby and Lucy Taylor, Sheen retraces Gowan’s footsteps and examines documentary evidence, historical records and testimony from people connected to the affected areas. The team visits former quarry and landfill sites, speaks with local residents and consults environmental experts and forensic scientists. Their investigation also considers allegations of corporate and governmental failures and asks why concerns surrounding the suspected contamination have remained unresolved for so many years.
The host, Michael Sheen, is a celebrated Welsh actor, producer and activist whose personal connection to the story adds an additional dimension to the investigation. In the documentary, he moves beyond his familiar role as an actor to become an engaged investigator, interviewing witnesses, examining evidence, visiting suspected contamination sites and challenging experts and institutions in his search for answers. His passionate but measured approach gives the programme a strong sense of personal investment while maintaining the investigative focus of the series.
