Exclusive: Channel 4 has greenlit formats on auctions and dogs in the search for its next Gogglebox-style international smash via the £30M (£37M) two-year Global Format Fund, which has kicked off its third funding round.
Responsibility for the fund has passed from Head of Factual Entertainment Alf Lawrie to Senior Commissioning Editor Vivienne Molokwu, one of the architects of last year’s Black to Front day of programing, who unveiled The Dog Academy and The Greatest Auction to Deadline.
In the former, difficult dogs will be sent to an academy by their desperate owners and a crack team of Britain’s top trainers will help them in dog management skills and dog psychology. The show comes from former Channel 4 Head of Documentaries Nick Mirksy’s Five Mile Films shingle.
Meanwhile, Salvage Hunters producer Curve Media’s The Greatest Auction takes a competitive, youthful twist on the traditional auction genre...
Responsibility for the fund has passed from Head of Factual Entertainment Alf Lawrie to Senior Commissioning Editor Vivienne Molokwu, one of the architects of last year’s Black to Front day of programing, who unveiled The Dog Academy and The Greatest Auction to Deadline.
In the former, difficult dogs will be sent to an academy by their desperate owners and a crack team of Britain’s top trainers will help them in dog management skills and dog psychology. The show comes from former Channel 4 Head of Documentaries Nick Mirksy’s Five Mile Films shingle.
Meanwhile, Salvage Hunters producer Curve Media’s The Greatest Auction takes a competitive, youthful twist on the traditional auction genre...
- 5/23/2022
- by Max Goldbart
- Deadline Film + TV
A strange trend is taking place on British television: Opinionated American-style television channels have appeared for the very first time.
Both generally right-leaning in agenda, if you watch Gb News on any given night, you’ll see regular features about so-called “cancel culture” and “wokeism,” as well as a show hosted by the former populist Ukip leader Nigel Farage. Watch “Piers Morgan Uncensored” on TalkTV on any given night and you’ll see rather surreal opening titles consisting of a brain farting out the words “snowflake society,” followed by Fox News-style swooping sound effects and a monologue where Morgan tries to “cancel the cancel culture.”
So why is it all so strange? Well, despite heavy publicity, these shows and channels don’t appear to be resonating with U.K. audiences. “Piers Morgan Uncensored” has consistently shed viewers, from 317,000 overnight viewers on launch day, to less than 60,000 just over two weeks later.
Both generally right-leaning in agenda, if you watch Gb News on any given night, you’ll see regular features about so-called “cancel culture” and “wokeism,” as well as a show hosted by the former populist Ukip leader Nigel Farage. Watch “Piers Morgan Uncensored” on TalkTV on any given night and you’ll see rather surreal opening titles consisting of a brain farting out the words “snowflake society,” followed by Fox News-style swooping sound effects and a monologue where Morgan tries to “cancel the cancel culture.”
So why is it all so strange? Well, despite heavy publicity, these shows and channels don’t appear to be resonating with U.K. audiences. “Piers Morgan Uncensored” has consistently shed viewers, from 317,000 overnight viewers on launch day, to less than 60,000 just over two weeks later.
- 5/14/2022
- by Scott Bryan
- Variety Film + TV
Discovery is to close 10% of roles in the UK as part of a restructure that will place a greater emphasis on Discovery+ following its British launch last October.
The U.S. broadcasting giant announced the plans to its 100-strong UK workforce on Thursday, cementing an increasingly apparent strategy to make Discovery+ the home of originals commissioning.
The restructure hands increased power to senior figures in the UK. Clare Laycock, senior vice-president and head of lifestyle and entertainment brands, will now also oversee program and media planning, as well as audience insights. Her new title is SVP planning, and lifestyle and entertainment head of content.
Simon Downing, head of factual and sports, will take on responsibility for linear and digital marketing and communications. His new title is SVP marketing, and factual and sports head of content. Commissioner Charlotte Reid has also been promoted to vice-president of lifestyle and entertainment.
A Discovery...
The U.S. broadcasting giant announced the plans to its 100-strong UK workforce on Thursday, cementing an increasingly apparent strategy to make Discovery+ the home of originals commissioning.
The restructure hands increased power to senior figures in the UK. Clare Laycock, senior vice-president and head of lifestyle and entertainment brands, will now also oversee program and media planning, as well as audience insights. Her new title is SVP planning, and lifestyle and entertainment head of content.
Simon Downing, head of factual and sports, will take on responsibility for linear and digital marketing and communications. His new title is SVP marketing, and factual and sports head of content. Commissioner Charlotte Reid has also been promoted to vice-president of lifestyle and entertainment.
A Discovery...
- 3/19/2021
- by Jake Kanter
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: Discovery has set a marker down for the UK ambitions of its streaming service Discovery+ by luring BBC presenter Nick Knowles to host a series that has echoes of hit Channel 4 show Grand Designs.
Knowles, who presents the BBC’s long-running home transformation show DIY Sos: The Big Build, will host Heritage Rescue for Discovery+. The 12-part series is produced by Curve Media, the prolific Discovery supplier behind shows including Salvage Hunters.
Sources have described it as Grand Designs but for historical buildings in need of restoration. Each episode features a different project, and Knowles will follow the restoration work, showing the results, and diving into the history of the building.
Deadline understands that production is underway and will continue through to fall 2021. The series hopes to showcase some of the UK’s most impressive landmarks and historical structures.
Heritage Rescue is likely to be among Discovery+’s most ambitious originals to date,...
Knowles, who presents the BBC’s long-running home transformation show DIY Sos: The Big Build, will host Heritage Rescue for Discovery+. The 12-part series is produced by Curve Media, the prolific Discovery supplier behind shows including Salvage Hunters.
Sources have described it as Grand Designs but for historical buildings in need of restoration. Each episode features a different project, and Knowles will follow the restoration work, showing the results, and diving into the history of the building.
Deadline understands that production is underway and will continue through to fall 2021. The series hopes to showcase some of the UK’s most impressive landmarks and historical structures.
Heritage Rescue is likely to be among Discovery+’s most ambitious originals to date,...
- 3/17/2021
- by Jake Kanter
- Deadline Film + TV
Discovery’s UK and Ireland channel Quest has commissioned 161 hours of content from British producer Curve Media, which encompasses a fresh Salvage Hunters spin-off and new series Auction House (working title).
The producer will make 10-part series Salvage Hunters: Design Classics for Quest, which will follow antique expert Drew Pritchard as he indulges his passion for design.
This is in addition to Discovery ordering 45 more episodes of the original Salvage Hunters format, taking the franchise into its 18th series after it first launched in 2011.
Salvage Hunters: Classic Cars and Salvage Hunters: The Restorers have also been recommissioned for 15 and 60 more episodes respectively, while Quest is also taking another 20 installments of Salvage Hunters: Best Buys.
Finally, Curve has created new format Auction House for the channel, which goes behind-the-scenes of Derby-based auctioneers Hansons and follows staff as they value and sell items.
Simon Downing, Discovery’s head of factual and sports in the UK,...
The producer will make 10-part series Salvage Hunters: Design Classics for Quest, which will follow antique expert Drew Pritchard as he indulges his passion for design.
This is in addition to Discovery ordering 45 more episodes of the original Salvage Hunters format, taking the franchise into its 18th series after it first launched in 2011.
Salvage Hunters: Classic Cars and Salvage Hunters: The Restorers have also been recommissioned for 15 and 60 more episodes respectively, while Quest is also taking another 20 installments of Salvage Hunters: Best Buys.
Finally, Curve has created new format Auction House for the channel, which goes behind-the-scenes of Derby-based auctioneers Hansons and follows staff as they value and sell items.
Simon Downing, Discovery’s head of factual and sports in the UK,...
- 6/30/2020
- by Jake Kanter
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: A+E Networks UK is remaking hit U.S. show American Pickers for its free-to-air channel Blaze — and is basing the series in Ireland with a brand new cast of treasure hunters.
Irish Pickers will launch in March this year, with Curve Media producing a 10-part first season after A+E Networks licensed the British production company, which also makes Discovery’s Salvage Hunters, to adapt the U.S. version.
It marks a neat piece of symmetry, given Curve Media’s joint-ceo Rob Carey co-created the original American Pickers show for History in the U.S. through his old company Cineflix Productions. It has run for 21 seasons since launching a decade ago.
Dan Korn, vice president of programming at A+E Networks UK, told Deadline that Carey originally approached him with a talent pitch rather than plans to remake American Pickers, but the idea snowballed into Irish Pickers.
The show...
Irish Pickers will launch in March this year, with Curve Media producing a 10-part first season after A+E Networks licensed the British production company, which also makes Discovery’s Salvage Hunters, to adapt the U.S. version.
It marks a neat piece of symmetry, given Curve Media’s joint-ceo Rob Carey co-created the original American Pickers show for History in the U.S. through his old company Cineflix Productions. It has run for 21 seasons since launching a decade ago.
Dan Korn, vice president of programming at A+E Networks UK, told Deadline that Carey originally approached him with a talent pitch rather than plans to remake American Pickers, but the idea snowballed into Irish Pickers.
The show...
- 1/16/2020
- by Jake Kanter
- Deadline Film + TV
Discovery is making a free-streaming play in the U.K. and Ireland with the launch of Dplay. The ad-supported service launches this week. It will be programmed with content from Discovery’s bouquet of free-tv channels in the U.K., which include Quest, Food Network, and former UKTV brands Really and Home.
The lineup of launch titles includes “Salvage Hunters,” “Katie Price: My Crazy Life,” “Ghost Adventures,” and foodie series “Tom Kerridge: American Feast.”
Dplay’s bow in the British Isles will bring its rollout to 10 markets. Discovery is also a partner with ProSiebenSat.1 on Joyn, the free German streamer that is being primed for international launch.
Discovery now has a portfolio of pay-tv, free-tv, and streaming services. Dplay in the U.K. is available to download for Apple and Android devices. It will be on partner platforms and roll out on additional devices in the first half of 2020, Discovery said.
The lineup of launch titles includes “Salvage Hunters,” “Katie Price: My Crazy Life,” “Ghost Adventures,” and foodie series “Tom Kerridge: American Feast.”
Dplay’s bow in the British Isles will bring its rollout to 10 markets. Discovery is also a partner with ProSiebenSat.1 on Joyn, the free German streamer that is being primed for international launch.
Discovery now has a portfolio of pay-tv, free-tv, and streaming services. Dplay in the U.K. is available to download for Apple and Android devices. It will be on partner platforms and roll out on additional devices in the first half of 2020, Discovery said.
- 10/22/2019
- by Stewart Clarke
- Variety Film + TV
Discovery’s British free-to-air broadcaster Quest is moving into comedy for the first time with a quiz format produced by Last Week Tonight with John Oliver and Catastrophe producer Avalon.
The UK network has ordered a 21-episode run of Al Murray’s Great British Pub Quiz, fronted by the eponymous Pub Landlord comedian. The hour-long show will pit the UK’s most passionate pub quiz teams against each other.
Each pub quiz team – a rather British phenomenon – will be joined by a celebrity guest to compete for a golden tankard and a cash prize. Filmed with a live audience, Eastenders and Extras star Shaun Williamson will be the resident barman keeping score.
The show will launch on Quest, which is best known for series such as Salvage Hunters, in the first quarter of next year. It was commissioned by Simon Downing, Svp, Head of Quest and Eurosport UK and commissioning editor Victoria Noble.
The UK network has ordered a 21-episode run of Al Murray’s Great British Pub Quiz, fronted by the eponymous Pub Landlord comedian. The hour-long show will pit the UK’s most passionate pub quiz teams against each other.
Each pub quiz team – a rather British phenomenon – will be joined by a celebrity guest to compete for a golden tankard and a cash prize. Filmed with a live audience, Eastenders and Extras star Shaun Williamson will be the resident barman keeping score.
The show will launch on Quest, which is best known for series such as Salvage Hunters, in the first quarter of next year. It was commissioned by Simon Downing, Svp, Head of Quest and Eurosport UK and commissioning editor Victoria Noble.
- 11/7/2018
- by Peter White
- Deadline Film + TV
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