The BBC’s controversial Jimmy Savile drama The Reckoning will be handed its long-awaited premiere in the autumn, while it has unveiled more cast and a first-look image.
Joining Coogan are BAFTA-winner Gemma Jones (Marvellous), Siobhan Finneran (Happy Valley), Mark Lewis Jones (Outlander) and Mark Stanley (Happy Valley).
The BBC has also unveiled a first-look image (top), in which Coogan portraying the posthumously-outed serial sex offender can be seen smoking one of his famous cigars ponderously staring out the window.
Produced by ITV Studios, penned by Neil McKay and EP’d by Jeff Pope, the four-part series will trace Savile’s life through the decades. He was one of the BBC’s most popular presenters when alive but in death was outed as using his involvement in multiple organizations, such as the BBC, hospitals, prisons, and charities, to legitimise himself, forging friendships in showbusiness, politics, journalism, the Catholic Church and...
Joining Coogan are BAFTA-winner Gemma Jones (Marvellous), Siobhan Finneran (Happy Valley), Mark Lewis Jones (Outlander) and Mark Stanley (Happy Valley).
The BBC has also unveiled a first-look image (top), in which Coogan portraying the posthumously-outed serial sex offender can be seen smoking one of his famous cigars ponderously staring out the window.
Produced by ITV Studios, penned by Neil McKay and EP’d by Jeff Pope, the four-part series will trace Savile’s life through the decades. He was one of the BBC’s most popular presenters when alive but in death was outed as using his involvement in multiple organizations, such as the BBC, hospitals, prisons, and charities, to legitimise himself, forging friendships in showbusiness, politics, journalism, the Catholic Church and...
- 8/17/2023
- by Max Goldbart
- Deadline Film + TV
Nordic Networks Team For ITV Studios Drama Deal
Five Nordic public broadcasters have pooled resources to strike a multi-title drama deal with distributor ITV Studios. Svt in Sweden, Nrk in Norway, Yle in Finland, Dr in Denmark and Ruv in Iceland unified their buying power to snap up buzzy tennis drama Fifteen-Love, relationship drama You & Me, medical thriller Malpractice and the Russell T. Davies-penned Nolly. True crime-dramas The Hunt For Raoul Moat, The Walk-In and Four Lives and miniseries Tom Jones were also packaged. Fredrik Luihn, Head of Acquisitions at Nrk, speaking on behalf of the group said: “We are extremely pleased to be able to bring such a great line-up of top-quality British drama series to the Nordic audience.” The deal was struck last week at the ITV Studios Drama Festival during the London TV Screenings.
CGI Format ‘Bingo Blitz’ Emerges From Israel To Save On Costs...
Five Nordic public broadcasters have pooled resources to strike a multi-title drama deal with distributor ITV Studios. Svt in Sweden, Nrk in Norway, Yle in Finland, Dr in Denmark and Ruv in Iceland unified their buying power to snap up buzzy tennis drama Fifteen-Love, relationship drama You & Me, medical thriller Malpractice and the Russell T. Davies-penned Nolly. True crime-dramas The Hunt For Raoul Moat, The Walk-In and Four Lives and miniseries Tom Jones were also packaged. Fredrik Luihn, Head of Acquisitions at Nrk, speaking on behalf of the group said: “We are extremely pleased to be able to bring such a great line-up of top-quality British drama series to the Nordic audience.” The deal was struck last week at the ITV Studios Drama Festival during the London TV Screenings.
CGI Format ‘Bingo Blitz’ Emerges From Israel To Save On Costs...
- 3/9/2023
- by Max Goldbart and Jesse Whittock
- Deadline Film + TV
The Royal Television Society (Rts) has unveiled the nominees for this year’s Rts Programme Awards.
Billie Piper (“I Hate Suzie Too”), Kate Winslet (“I Am Ruth”) and Monica Dolan are nominated in the leading actor female category, while Kane Robinson (“Top Boy”), Kit Connor (“Heartstopper”) and Chaske Spencer (“The English”) are contenders for leading actor male.
This year, the Rts has introduced two new performance categories – supporting actor male and supporting actor female. Ambika Mod (“This Is Going to Hurt”), Saffron Hocking (“Top Boy”) and Adelayo Adedayo (“The Responder”) compete in the female category with Adeel Akhtar (“Sherwood”), Stephen Walters (“Anne”) and Stephen Merchant (“Four Lives”) in the male category.
The BBC leads with 40 nominations across the 30 categories, followed by Channel 4 with 20, ITV with 11 and Sky with 9.
The BBC’s “Am I Being Unreasonable?” scored four nominations and the broadcaster’s hit “The Traitors” is nominated in the entertainment category,...
Billie Piper (“I Hate Suzie Too”), Kate Winslet (“I Am Ruth”) and Monica Dolan are nominated in the leading actor female category, while Kane Robinson (“Top Boy”), Kit Connor (“Heartstopper”) and Chaske Spencer (“The English”) are contenders for leading actor male.
This year, the Rts has introduced two new performance categories – supporting actor male and supporting actor female. Ambika Mod (“This Is Going to Hurt”), Saffron Hocking (“Top Boy”) and Adelayo Adedayo (“The Responder”) compete in the female category with Adeel Akhtar (“Sherwood”), Stephen Walters (“Anne”) and Stephen Merchant (“Four Lives”) in the male category.
The BBC leads with 40 nominations across the 30 categories, followed by Channel 4 with 20, ITV with 11 and Sky with 9.
The BBC’s “Am I Being Unreasonable?” scored four nominations and the broadcaster’s hit “The Traitors” is nominated in the entertainment category,...
- 3/7/2023
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety Film + TV
The 2023 London Screenings, which unfold Feb. 27 to March 3, take place in an increasingly crowded international TV calendar. The event kicks off just days after the Berlinale Series Market, overlaps with the BBC Studios Showcase and precedes Series Mania and MipTV.
The week-long showcase has established itself as a key place to acquire the best of British and international programming. All major global TV distributors, spanning 26 companies, have a plethora of content to offer across genres and formats, and a series of screenings, meetings and events have been lined up.
To help you cut through the slates, Variety has surveyed the goods from key international distributors. Here are our picks of 15 shows that will whet buyers’ appetites.
A Body That Works
(Keshet International)
“A Body That Works”
An intense triangle involving love, jealousy, desire and selflessness sees a childless couple enlist the help of a surrogate to conceive. At the heart...
The week-long showcase has established itself as a key place to acquire the best of British and international programming. All major global TV distributors, spanning 26 companies, have a plethora of content to offer across genres and formats, and a series of screenings, meetings and events have been lined up.
To help you cut through the slates, Variety has surveyed the goods from key international distributors. Here are our picks of 15 shows that will whet buyers’ appetites.
A Body That Works
(Keshet International)
“A Body That Works”
An intense triangle involving love, jealousy, desire and selflessness sees a childless couple enlist the help of a surrogate to conceive. At the heart...
- 2/24/2023
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety Film + TV
‘This Is Going To Hurt’, ‘Munich – The Edge Of War’ Scribes Honored At Wggb Awards
The scribes behind This is Going to Hurt and Munich – The Edge of War were among those honored at the Writers’ Guild of Great Britain Awards last night at the Royal College of Physicians in London. Best Long Form TV Drama went to Adam Kay for BBC One’s medical comedy-drama This is Going to Hurt, while Jack Rooke took away the Best TV Situation Comedy gong on Channel 4’s university-set Big Boys. Best Screenplay went to Ben Power for German-British period spy thriller Munich – The Edge of War and playwright David Edgar was presented with the Outstanding Contribution Award by his wife and sometime co-writer Stephanie Dale. Rebecca Hall won Best First Screenplay for romantic drama film Passing, which is based on Nella Larsen’s 1929 novel of the same name. Neil McKay won...
The scribes behind This is Going to Hurt and Munich – The Edge of War were among those honored at the Writers’ Guild of Great Britain Awards last night at the Royal College of Physicians in London. Best Long Form TV Drama went to Adam Kay for BBC One’s medical comedy-drama This is Going to Hurt, while Jack Rooke took away the Best TV Situation Comedy gong on Channel 4’s university-set Big Boys. Best Screenplay went to Ben Power for German-British period spy thriller Munich – The Edge of War and playwright David Edgar was presented with the Outstanding Contribution Award by his wife and sometime co-writer Stephanie Dale. Rebecca Hall won Best First Screenplay for romantic drama film Passing, which is based on Nella Larsen’s 1929 novel of the same name. Neil McKay won...
- 1/17/2023
- by Jesse Whittock and Max Goldbart
- Deadline Film + TV
Finally! After almost seven years, Happy Valley is back, and this BAFTA-winning crime drama’s third and final season is set to be as nail-biting as ever. These six fresh episodes from writer Sally Wainwright are definitely worth the wait.
Series Three dives back into the action around five years after the explosive events of the Series Two finale, beginning with Sergeant Catherine Cawood (Sarah Lancashire) discovering the remains of a gangland murder victim in a drained reservoir, a discovery which will lead her all the way back to her nemesis Tommy Lee Royce (James Norton).
Catherine still lives with her grandson Ryan (Rhys Connah) who’s now sixteen and working out what kind of relationship, if any, he wants with Royce, the man who fathered him when he raped Catherine’s daughter Becky. Needless to say, Catherine won’t take this well.
Still battling with the local drug problem,...
Series Three dives back into the action around five years after the explosive events of the Series Two finale, beginning with Sergeant Catherine Cawood (Sarah Lancashire) discovering the remains of a gangland murder victim in a drained reservoir, a discovery which will lead her all the way back to her nemesis Tommy Lee Royce (James Norton).
Catherine still lives with her grandson Ryan (Rhys Connah) who’s now sixteen and working out what kind of relationship, if any, he wants with Royce, the man who fathered him when he raped Catherine’s daughter Becky. Needless to say, Catherine won’t take this well.
Still battling with the local drug problem,...
- 1/1/2023
- by Lauravickersgreen
- Den of Geek
ITV has unveiled a slate of new comedy commissions, most of which will premiere on Itvx, its upcoming free streaming service.
New comedy titles include “Plebs: Soldiers of Rome,” “Deep Fake Neighbour Wars,” “Ruby Speaking Count,” “Abdulla” and “Significant Other.”
“The arrival of Itvx gives us more opportunities to commission a broad range of comedies and a dedicated place for the genre to call home,” said Nana Hughes, ITV’s Head of Comedy. The executive added that ITV aspired to showcase a “huge cross section of contemporary, diverse and inclusive comedy.”
“We want to take risks but most importantly we want our audiences to find shows that reflect them and make them laugh,” Hughes continued.
“Plebs: Soldiers of Rome” is a a feature-length special based on the award-winning comedy series “Plebs” which has had five successful seasons. “Plebs” is directed and written by Sam Leifer and co-written by Tom Basden.
New comedy titles include “Plebs: Soldiers of Rome,” “Deep Fake Neighbour Wars,” “Ruby Speaking Count,” “Abdulla” and “Significant Other.”
“The arrival of Itvx gives us more opportunities to commission a broad range of comedies and a dedicated place for the genre to call home,” said Nana Hughes, ITV’s Head of Comedy. The executive added that ITV aspired to showcase a “huge cross section of contemporary, diverse and inclusive comedy.”
“We want to take risks but most importantly we want our audiences to find shows that reflect them and make them laugh,” Hughes continued.
“Plebs: Soldiers of Rome” is a a feature-length special based on the award-winning comedy series “Plebs” which has had five successful seasons. “Plebs” is directed and written by Sam Leifer and co-written by Tom Basden.
- 8/22/2022
- by Elsa Keslassy
- Variety Film + TV
Veteran British actor Timothy Spall (Mr Turner) is to lead The Sixth Commandment, Sarah Phelps’ BBC factual drama about the deaths of Peter Farquhar and Ann Moore-Martin in the village of Maids Moreton, Buckinghamshire, and the extraordinary events that unfolded over the following years.
Filming has begun on the four-parter and Spall, who plays lead Farquhar, is joined by Anne Reid (Last Tango in Halifax), Éanna Hardwicke (Normal People), Annabel Scholey (The Split), Sheila Hancock (Unforgotten), Ben Bailey Smith (The Split), Conor MacNeill (Industry), Adrian Rawlins (Baptiste) and Amanda Root (Summerland).
The show from Banijay-backed Wild Mercury Productions and True Vision Productions tells the story of how the meeting of an inspirational teacher and charismatic student Ben Field (Hardwicke) set the stage for one of the most complex and confounding criminal cases in recent memory. It also focuses on how suspicions around Field’s relationship with Ann Moore-Martin (Reid), Farquhar’s deeply religious neighbor,...
Filming has begun on the four-parter and Spall, who plays lead Farquhar, is joined by Anne Reid (Last Tango in Halifax), Éanna Hardwicke (Normal People), Annabel Scholey (The Split), Sheila Hancock (Unforgotten), Ben Bailey Smith (The Split), Conor MacNeill (Industry), Adrian Rawlins (Baptiste) and Amanda Root (Summerland).
The show from Banijay-backed Wild Mercury Productions and True Vision Productions tells the story of how the meeting of an inspirational teacher and charismatic student Ben Field (Hardwicke) set the stage for one of the most complex and confounding criminal cases in recent memory. It also focuses on how suspicions around Field’s relationship with Ann Moore-Martin (Reid), Farquhar’s deeply religious neighbor,...
- 6/9/2022
- by Max Goldbart
- Deadline Film + TV
The highly-anticipated Apple Original series The Essex Serpent, starring Claire Danes and Tom Hiddleston, is set to debut globally on Apple TV+ on Friday, May 13, 2022. Based on Sarah Perry’s bestselling novel of the same name, The Essex Serpent follows London widow Cora Seaborne (Danes), who moves to neighboring Essex to investigate reports of a mythical serpent. While there, she develops an unlikely bond with the village vicar (Hiddleston), but when tragedy strikes, locals accuse her of attracting the creature. In addition to Danes and Hiddleston, the series stars Frank Dillane (Fear the Walking Dead) as Luke Garrett, Clémence Poésy (The Tunnel) as Stella Ransome, Hayley Squires (Adult Material) as Martha, Jamael Westman (Anne Boleyn) as Dr. George Spencer, Dixie Egerickx (Patrick Melrose) as Jo Ransome, and Michael Jibson (Four Lives) as Matthew Evansford. The six-episode series is directed by BAFTA Award-nominee Clio Barnard (Ali & Ava) and written by fellow...
- 3/16/2022
- TV Insider
BritBox North America has struck a deal for three Agatha Christie adaptations and is to double its creative and investment output.
Head Emily Powers unveiled the news at this morning’s TCAs, at which point she revealed BritBox is co-producer on ITV’s The Confessions of Frannie Langton and has acquired the same network’s The Thief, His Wife and The Canoe and BBC One’s Martin Freeman-starring The Responder, both of which will be badged BritBox Originals. The BBC Studios/ITV streamer has also ordered a second season of Father Brown spin-off Sister Boniface Mysteries.
The Agatha Christie deal has been struck with Agatha Christie Limited and ITV Studios-backed The Serpent producer Mammoth Screen, and will see the trio of as-yet-unannounced shows produced over the coming years. Endeavor Content will handle international sales outside of the UK, Ireland and the Americas for all three projects.
The adaptations...
Head Emily Powers unveiled the news at this morning’s TCAs, at which point she revealed BritBox is co-producer on ITV’s The Confessions of Frannie Langton and has acquired the same network’s The Thief, His Wife and The Canoe and BBC One’s Martin Freeman-starring The Responder, both of which will be badged BritBox Originals. The BBC Studios/ITV streamer has also ordered a second season of Father Brown spin-off Sister Boniface Mysteries.
The Agatha Christie deal has been struck with Agatha Christie Limited and ITV Studios-backed The Serpent producer Mammoth Screen, and will see the trio of as-yet-unannounced shows produced over the coming years. Endeavor Content will handle international sales outside of the UK, Ireland and the Americas for all three projects.
The adaptations...
- 2/9/2022
- by Max Goldbart
- Deadline Film + TV
The creators and stars of upcoming Stephen Merchant-starring BBC1 factual drama Four Lives about serial killer Stephen Port’s crimes have slammed London’s Metropolitan Police and the UK justice system for “monumental failings” over the case. Merchant also teased his approach to playing the lead role of Port, describing him as “like the shark from Jaws in that the shark is unknowable.”
An inquest into the Met’s investigation into Port’s four murders concluded earlier this month that three of them “probably” could have been avoided if the police hadn’t missed opportunities, while a group of UK MPs has called for a public inquiry into claims of institutional homophobia that beset the case.
Veteran Four Lives exec Jeff Pope said the four dead young men had been “brutally opened up to the most horrific public exposure” during the case, which led to a full life sentence...
An inquest into the Met’s investigation into Port’s four murders concluded earlier this month that three of them “probably” could have been avoided if the police hadn’t missed opportunities, while a group of UK MPs has called for a public inquiry into claims of institutional homophobia that beset the case.
Veteran Four Lives exec Jeff Pope said the four dead young men had been “brutally opened up to the most horrific public exposure” during the case, which led to a full life sentence...
- 12/30/2021
- by Max Goldbart
- Deadline Film + TV
“Best of British” streaming service BritBox is making further moves into original production, announcing a new multi-series collaboration with Oscar-nominated writer-producer Jeff Pope during its Television Critics Association panel on Saturday. BritBox will co-produce Pope’s new dramas “The Barking Murders” and “The Hatton Garden Heist” with the BBC.
“The Barking Murders” stars Stephen Merchant, Sheridan Smith and Jaime Winstone and is written by Neil McKay, who previously collaborated with Pope on 2017’s “The Moorside,” also starring Smith, and 2011 miniseries “Appropriate Adult.” The three-part factual drama, executive produced by Pope, focuses on the families of the victims of a convicted serial killer (Merchant). It is scheduled to start filming this spring and will air on BBC One in the U.K.
Written and created by Pope, “The Hatton Garden Heist” stars Timothy Spall in a crime drama that provides an inside look at the infamous London jewelry heist. The 2015 robbery...
“The Barking Murders” stars Stephen Merchant, Sheridan Smith and Jaime Winstone and is written by Neil McKay, who previously collaborated with Pope on 2017’s “The Moorside,” also starring Smith, and 2011 miniseries “Appropriate Adult.” The three-part factual drama, executive produced by Pope, focuses on the families of the victims of a convicted serial killer (Merchant). It is scheduled to start filming this spring and will air on BBC One in the U.K.
Written and created by Pope, “The Hatton Garden Heist” stars Timothy Spall in a crime drama that provides an inside look at the infamous London jewelry heist. The 2015 robbery...
- 2/9/2019
- by Robert Mitchell
- Variety Film + TV
BritBox, the British-centric niche streaming service from BBC and ITV, announced a new partnership with writer-producer Jeff Pope on Saturday to produce two new series starring Stephen Merchant (“The Office”) and Harry Potter series alum Timothy Spall.
Merchant, who directed the upcoming WWE feature “Fighting With My Family,” will star in one series as convicted serial killer Stephen Port, who received a life sentence in 2016 after being found guilty for the rape and murder of multiple men.
The series, written by Neil McKay with the working title “The Barking Murders,” focuses on the families of the victims.
Also Read: Woody Allen Sues Amazon Studios for $68 Million for Breach of Film Deal
Pope, an Oscar nominee for co-scripting the 2013 drama “Philomena,” will also co-produce “The Hatton Garden Heist,” which was created and written by Pope and will star Timothy Spall (“Harry Potter”).
“Throughout the past year BritBox has continued to thrive in an increasingly competitive space,...
Merchant, who directed the upcoming WWE feature “Fighting With My Family,” will star in one series as convicted serial killer Stephen Port, who received a life sentence in 2016 after being found guilty for the rape and murder of multiple men.
The series, written by Neil McKay with the working title “The Barking Murders,” focuses on the families of the victims.
Also Read: Woody Allen Sues Amazon Studios for $68 Million for Breach of Film Deal
Pope, an Oscar nominee for co-scripting the 2013 drama “Philomena,” will also co-produce “The Hatton Garden Heist,” which was created and written by Pope and will star Timothy Spall (“Harry Potter”).
“Throughout the past year BritBox has continued to thrive in an increasingly competitive space,...
- 2/9/2019
- by Matt Lopez
- The Wrap
BritBox, the U.S. streaming service operated by ITV and BBC Studios, has boarded two British crime dramas from Jeff Pope – The Barking Murders (w/t) and Timothy Spall-fronted The Hatton Garden Heist.
The digital platform, which recently surpassed the half million subscriber mark, revealed the new originals at TCA.
The Office co-creator and Hello Ladies star Stephen Merchant will star in The Barking Murders with The Huntsman: Winter’s War and Cleaning Up star Sheridan Smith and Donkey Punch star Jaime Winstone. The BBC One drama tells the story of the notorious Essex crime spree. Merchant plays serial rapist and killer Stephen Port, while Smith plays Sarah Sak, the mother of Anthony Walgate, his first victim. Winstone, daughter of Ray Winstone, plays Donna Taylor, sister of victim Jack Taylor.
Meanwhile, The Hatton Garden Heist is a four-part drama that takes a look inside the London jewelry heist. The ITV series,...
The digital platform, which recently surpassed the half million subscriber mark, revealed the new originals at TCA.
The Office co-creator and Hello Ladies star Stephen Merchant will star in The Barking Murders with The Huntsman: Winter’s War and Cleaning Up star Sheridan Smith and Donkey Punch star Jaime Winstone. The BBC One drama tells the story of the notorious Essex crime spree. Merchant plays serial rapist and killer Stephen Port, while Smith plays Sarah Sak, the mother of Anthony Walgate, his first victim. Winstone, daughter of Ray Winstone, plays Donna Taylor, sister of victim Jack Taylor.
Meanwhile, The Hatton Garden Heist is a four-part drama that takes a look inside the London jewelry heist. The ITV series,...
- 2/9/2019
- by Peter White
- Deadline Film + TV
The Office co-creator and Hello Ladies star Stephen Merchant will topline British crime drama The Barking Murders.
Merchant, who is also starring in forthcoming wrestling feature Fighting with My Family, will star alongside The Huntsman: Winter’s War and Cleaning Up star Sheridan Smith and Donkey Punch star Jaime Winstone in the factual drama. Deadline understands a U.S. deal is set to be revealed imminently. The series, which will commence filming this spring, is written by Jeff Pope and Neil McKay, the team behind The Moorside and Appropriate Adult.
The BBC One drama tells the story of the notorious Essex crime spree. Merchant plays serial rapist and killer Stephen Port, while Smith plays Sarah Sak, the mother of Anthony Walgate, his first victim. Winstone, daughter of Ray Winstone, plays Donna Taylor, sister of victim Jack Taylor.
The series, which is directed by David Blair (Reg), tell the story from the point of view of the families of Port’s victims...
Merchant, who is also starring in forthcoming wrestling feature Fighting with My Family, will star alongside The Huntsman: Winter’s War and Cleaning Up star Sheridan Smith and Donkey Punch star Jaime Winstone in the factual drama. Deadline understands a U.S. deal is set to be revealed imminently. The series, which will commence filming this spring, is written by Jeff Pope and Neil McKay, the team behind The Moorside and Appropriate Adult.
The BBC One drama tells the story of the notorious Essex crime spree. Merchant plays serial rapist and killer Stephen Port, while Smith plays Sarah Sak, the mother of Anthony Walgate, his first victim. Winstone, daughter of Ray Winstone, plays Donna Taylor, sister of victim Jack Taylor.
The series, which is directed by David Blair (Reg), tell the story from the point of view of the families of Port’s victims...
- 2/9/2019
- by Peter White
- Deadline Film + TV
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