{{Short description|2015 documentary film}} {{italic title}} {{Use dmy dates|date=July 2024}} {{Use British English|date=July 2024}} '''''The Stranger on the Bridge''''' is a 2015 documentary film, produced and directed by Sam Forsdike and Richard Bentley of Postcard Productions. It was shown on [[Channel 4]] on 4 May 2014. It is an adaptation of a promotional film made in 2014 for the charity [[Rethink Mental Illness]] called ''Finding Mike''.
==Synopsis== The documentary follows the then 26-year-old Jonny Benjamin as he tries to find the man who dissuaded him from taking his own life by jumping from [[Waterloo Bridge]] in London in 2008. Benjamin had nicknamed the man 'Mike', since he was not able to remember his actual name.
== Reception == The reception for ''Stranger on the Bridge'' was largely positive receiving reviews in ''[[The Guardian]]'', ''[[The Daily Telegraph]]'' and ''[[The Independent]]''.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Ferguson|first1=Euan|title=The week in TV: The C Word, The Stranger on the Bridge, No Offence, Shark, BBC4 Goes Slow|url=https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2015/may/10/the-c-word-stranger-on-the-bridge-no-offence-shark-bbc4-goes-slow|accessdate=25 Nov 2016|work=The Guardian|date=10 May 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=The Stranger on the Bridge, review: a moving reunion and tale of mental health|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/tvandradio/tv-and-radio-reviews/11582011/The-Stranger-on-the-Bridge-jonny-benjamin-review.html|website=Telegraph.co.uk |date=4 May 2015 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=The Stranger on the Bridge, Channel 4 - TV review: Jonny Benjamin|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/tv/reviews/the-stranger-on-the-bridge-channel-4-tv-review-jonny-benjamin-looked-for-the-stranger-who-saved-his-10224246.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220618/https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/tv/reviews/the-stranger-on-the-bridge-channel-4-tv-review-jonny-benjamin-looked-for-the-stranger-who-saved-his-10224246.html |archive-date=2022-06-18 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live|website=The Independent|date=4 May 2015}}</ref>
The ''[[Radio Times]]'' called it a "remarkable, joyous, painful and ultimately life-affirming film<ref>{{cite web|last1=Graham|first1=Alison|title=The Stranger on the Bridge - what time is it on TV? Episode 0 Series 0 cast list and preview.|url=http://www.radiotimes.com/tv-programme/e/dkqjfg/the-stranger-on-the-bridge|website=RadioTimes|accessdate=25 Nov 2016}}</ref>".
The combination of the documentary and preceding campaign is estimated to have reached 319 million<ref>{{cite news|last1=Howse|first1=Christopher|title=The Stranger on the Bridge, review: a moving reunion and tale of mental health|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/tvandradio/tv-and-radio-reviews/11582011/The-Stranger-on-the-Bridge-jonny-benjamin-review.html|accessdate=25 November 2016|work=Telegraph.co.uk}}</ref> people worldwide.
==Adaptations== The story of Benjamin's search was rumoured to be considered for a Hollywood film.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Sherwin|first1=Adam|title=Finding Mike might be made into a Hollywood film|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/news/finding-mike-film-real-life-story-of-jonny-benjamins-search-for-stranger-who-stopped-him-committing-10179678.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220618/https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/news/finding-mike-film-real-life-story-of-jonny-benjamins-search-for-stranger-who-stopped-him-committing-10179678.html |archive-date=2022-06-18 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live|accessdate=25 Nov 2016|work=The Independent|date=15 April 2015}}</ref> The rights have also been acquired by [[Pan Macmillan]]'s wellness and lifestyle imprint Bluebird as part of a two-book deal.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Cowdrey|first1=Katherine|title=Bluebird acquires Benjamin's memoir The Stranger on the Bridge {{!}} The Bookseller|url=http://www.thebookseller.com/news/bluebird-acquires-jonny-benjamins-memoir-stranger-bridge-388276|accessdate=25 Nov 2016|work=www.thebookseller.com}}</ref>
== Awards == * Win - Best Single Documentary - Televisual Bulldog Awards<ref>{{cite web|title=Televisual|url=http://www.televisual.com/bulldogs/132/documentarysingle.html|website=www.televisual.com}}</ref> * Nominated - Best Newcomer Award Sam Forsdike - [[The Grierson Trust]] British Documentary Award<ref>{{cite web|title=The Grierson Trust - Nominations|url=http://www.griersontrust.org/grierson-awards/past-awards/2015/nominations/|website=www.griersontrust.org}}</ref> * Nominated - Documentary Awards - [[The Grierson Trust]] British Documentary Award<ref>{{cite web|title=The Grierson Trust - Nominations|url=http://www.griersontrust.org/grierson-awards/past-awards/2015/nominations/|website=www.griersontrust.org}}</ref> * Nominated - Breakthrough Award - Behind the Screen - [[Royal Television Society|Royal Televisual Society]]<ref>{{cite web|title=RTS Programme Awards 2016 {{!}} Royal Television Society|url=https://rts.org.uk/award/rts-programme-awards-2016|website=rts.org.uk |date=19 October 2015 }}</ref>
== References == <!-- Inline citations added to your article will automatically display here. See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WP:REFB for instructions on how to add citations. --> {{reflist}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Stranger on the Bridge}} [[Category:Channel 4 documentaries]] [[Category:2015 biographical films]] [[Category:2015 British films]] {{documentary-tv-film-stub}}