ITV

Tag: BBC ONE

  • Banijay Asia & All3Media Intl partner for Indian adaptation of The Tourist

    Banijay Asia & All3Media Intl partner for Indian adaptation of The Tourist

    MUMBAI: Globally acclaimed series The Tourist is winging its way to India, courtesy of producer Banijay Asia and distribution giant All3Media International. The two have signed a deal under which the former has acquired the rights to produce the Indian adaptation of the series created by Two Brothers Pictures.

    “We at Banijay Asia are huge fans of Two Brothers and the thrilling masterpieces that they craft. The Tourist offers a unique blend of mystery and suspense which we believe will resonate deeply with our viewers. We are ecstatic to bring an adaptation of such a gripping and internationally celebrated series to Indian audiences,” said  Banijay Asia and  Endemol Shine India group chief development officer Mrinalini Jain. “Collaborating with All3Media International allows us to maintain the high standards set by the original while infusing it with a distinct Indian touch.”

    Added EVP Asia Pacific All3Media International  Sabrina Duguet: “The Tourist has been a phenomenal success globally, and we are delighted to see it being adapted for the Indian market. Banijay Asia has an impressive track record of creating high-quality local adaptations, and we are confident they will deliver an exceptional version of this globally loved thriller. We look forward to seeing how the story will be reimagined for Indian viewers.”

    Starring Jamie Dornan, the original series was written by Harry and Jack Williams, the creators of Rellik and Boat Story, and was produced by Two Brothers Pictures and Highview Productions. Distributed internationally to over five continents by All3Media International, it has aired with production partners BBC One in the UK, Stan in Australia, and ZDF in Germany, with further territories including the USA, Canada, Latin America, South Korea and the Nordics.

    The plot of the groundbreaking series revolves around an Irishman who wakes up in an Australian hospital with amnesia after a car crash. Seeking answers, he encounters a local woman who remembers him and volunteers to help him rediscover his identity. What few clues he can find hint that he has a dark past from which he must escape before it catches up with him.

    Banijay Asia has successfully delivered a number of hit scripted adaptations including The Night Manager, The Trial and Call My Agent Bollywood, alongside successful originals like Dahan, Matsya Kaand, Bombay Begums and Trial By Fire.

    A press release issued by Banijay Asia states that the “partnership with All3Media aims to set a new benchmark for international adaptations in the Indian subcontinent, offering viewers yet another captivating series. The remake will retain the thrilling essence of the original while infusing cultural elements unique to India.”

  • How Mira Nair post-produced A Suitable Boy

    How Mira Nair post-produced A Suitable Boy

    MUMBAI: Do you know Salaam Bombay director Mira Nair worked on her post-production of Vikram Seth’s  A Suitable Boy, which is making waves globally, from her residence in New York’s Upper West Side? 

    The realisatrice was supposed to be in UK to put the whole show together and deliver the final masters to the BBC, but was stranded in the US on account of the Covid 2019 pandemic. After finishing filming in India on 17 December, followed by a two week break, she jetted down to the UK to get into a “neither world”, working on the post-production. “We have been working close to 12 hours a day, sometimes through the weekends, in order to really distil it to not just the story being correct but also finding its rhythm. It takes a lot,” she told the BBC in an interview.

    But then she travelled to the US and got stuck there when the country got into a lockdown. With a deadline to deliver the show for telecast in June, Nair got cracking on creating a work environment in her study in her apartment.

    Mira – who has homes in New Delhi, Kampala, Uganda, apart from Manhattan – had three devices through which she, like a conductor orchestrated the edits, the musical score (this was created in Budapest), the final approval for the episodes of the six part series with colleagues in India, Australia, UK,  and Los Angeles.

    In fact, if we thought jugaad was being resorted to only by India’s TV, short film, TVC directors and producers, Mira resorted to her own innovation methods too. “We had superstars like Tabu, and all the wonderful actors under their bln aked in their bathrooms with their microphones – their dogs muzzled, and everyone recording in these homemade studios we created with them,” she told The Financial Times.

    The series was filmed in India in 2019 with two units being involved in different locations.

    A Suitable Boy stars the ever so charming and acteur naturel Ishaan Khattar (Maan Kapoor), the ever so composed and alluring Tabu(Saeeda Bai), the newfound talent the vivacious Tanya Maniktala (Lata Mehra), Ram Kapoor (Mahesh Kapoor), Shahana Goswami (Meenakshi Mehra), Rasika Duggal (Sameera Kapoor), Mikhail Sen (Amit Chatterji), Randeep Hooda (Billy Irani), Mahira Kakkar (Rupa Mehra), Vinay Pathak, Manoj Pahwa, Ranvir Shorey, Vijay Verma, Kulbhashan Kharbanda, Namit Das (Haresh Khanna),  Joyeeta Dutta (Tasneem), Dhanesh Razvi (Kabir Durrani), Vivek Gomber (Arun Mehra), Gagandev Riar (Pran Kapoor) Geetanjali Agrawal (Mrs Mahesh Kapoor), Shubham Saraf (Firoz Ali Khan),  Vivaan Shah (Varun  Mehra),  among many other sterling talented actors.

    The fifth episode of the series is slated to telecast this evening on BBC One on 23 August at 9 pm UK time. A Suitable Boy comes on to Netflix worldwide – excepting the US and Canada – later this year.

  • TV tops news consumption in the UK

    TV tops news consumption in the UK

    MUMBAI: In the UK, TV is the most used platform for news (79 per cent) according to the 2018 News Consumption in the UK research report published by communications regulator Ofcom.

    TV is followed by internet (64 per cent), radio (44 per cent) and newspapers (40 per cent) among adults. However, internet is the most popular platform among 16-24s (82 per cent) and ethnic minority groups (EMGs) (73 per cent).

    Television being the most-used platform, BBC One is the most important news source and is used by 62 per cent adults in UK followed by ITV (41 per cent) and Facebook (33 per cent). When it comes to online news, social media is used by 44 per cent adults.

    BBC One is the most used source for news in Wales, Scotland and England, while UTV is most popular in Northern Ireland (NI). Facebook is the third most popular source across all nations. Welsh respondents are most likely to say they’re interested in news about their nation (55 per cent vs 49 per cent in Scotland, 37 per cent in NI and 32 per cent in England).

    One in seven adults (14 per cent) use all four main platforms for news (i.e. TV, radio, newspapers and the internet).

    Eighty two per cent of 12-15 year olds said that the news they heard from family was either ‘always’ or ‘mostly’ true, compared to 77 per cent for radio and 73 per cent for TV. Only one in three (34 per cent) think news stories on social media are reported truthfully.

  • The Greatest Dancer Commissioned by BBC One

    The Greatest Dancer Commissioned by BBC One

    MUMBAI: The BBC has commissioned Syco Entertainment and Thames (part of FremantleMedia UK) to produce a new Saturday night dance talent show, it has been announced.

    The Greatest Dancer, an 8 x 60 entertainment series will feature a host of talent from across the world of dance as they give the performances of their lives in the search for the UK’s Greatest Dancer. From ballet to jazz; hip hop to Bollywood; the show is open to anyone. Expect dramatic auditions, incredible challenges and remarkable live performances as dancers from across the nation swing, swirl and sashay onto the stage each week in the hope of being crowned the winner. 

    Controller Entertainment Commissioning for the BBC, Kate Phillips said: “With the continued success of Strictly Come Dancing, the BBC is undoubtedly the home of dance. By launching The Greatest Dancer we want to give the vast array of dance talent across the UK the chance to shine. I can’t wait to work with Syco and Thames to uncover the talent out there and let our audience critique and celebrate the nation’s unsung dance heroes.”

    Nigel Hall, Global Head of Television for Syco Entertainment, said: “The auditions for the pilot episode saw some of the most jaw dropping, heartfelt and moving auditions I’ve ever seen on a dance show. There are some spectacular moments and we are beyond thrilled to have secured this commission over fierce competition. We look forward to working with the BBC team on something just a little bit special.” 

    Thames TV, Managing Director, Amelia Brown said: “The Greatest Dancer is such an exciting project and we’re delighted to be working with the BBC to bring it to life for everyone at home. It’s a fantastic format full of warmth and heart with the pilot revealing some incredibly magical moments. It’s sure to make an unmissable Saturday night treat for the whole family to enjoy.”

    The Greatest Dancer will be executive produced by Nigel Hall, Global Head of Television, Syco Entertainment, and Amelia Brown, Managing Director, Thames TV.

    The series has been commissioned for BBC One by Charlotte Moore, Director BBC Content, and Kate Phillips, Controller Entertainment Commissioning. The Commissioning Editor for the BBC is Kalpna Patel-Knight.

  • FremantleMedia Global Drama appoints Vesper as Executive Vice President

    FremantleMedia Global Drama appoints Vesper as Executive Vice President

    MUMBAI: FremantleMedia, has announced the appointment of Christian Vesper as Executive Vice President, Creative Director, Global Drama. His job responsibilities will involve working closely FremantleMedia’s production companies as a development partner with a focus on bolstering the international scripted development slate. He will have the platform to connect leading international writers, producers, directors and actors with FremantleMedia’s production teams to develop high quality scripted programming. He will also have liberty to develop his own project. Vesper will report to FremantleMedia’s Director of Global Drama, Sarah Doole, while maintaining a base in both London and New York. 

    Christian Vesper said, “I’ve been a fan of Sarah Doole and the FremantleMedia team for quite some time. I’m impressed by what they’ve done in the drama space to date and can’t wait to continue this work with them. FremantleMedia has real global ambition with some of the best creative talent in the business around the world, and I look forward to helping bring FremantleMedia’s vision for drama to global broadcasters and audiences.”

    The director of the house is delighted to have Christian on board. Expressing the same, Global Drama FremantleMedia director Sarah Doole, added: “It’s a real coup to have Christian join FremantleMedia’s Global Drama team. He is one of the most creative and editorially talented drama executives working in the business today, with a contact book that is brimming with the industry’s best-known and most-respected names. I’m thrilled that he’s joining us, and know he will bring his brilliant experience and expertise to the role, helping us to build our international drama portfolio even further.”

    Vesper is a highly experienced media executive with a track record in identifying projects with broad international appeal and developing highly successful partnerships. He holds a long list of experience with 14 years at Sundance TV. His credits include The Last Panthers, with Sky Atlantic and CANAL+; Rebellion, with Zodiak Rights, RTÉ and Touchpaper TV; The A Word, with BBC One and Keshet and the critically acclaimed Deutschland 83 with UFA Fiction and FremantleMedia.

  • FremantleMedia Global Drama appoints Vesper as Executive Vice President

    FremantleMedia Global Drama appoints Vesper as Executive Vice President

    MUMBAI: FremantleMedia, has announced the appointment of Christian Vesper as Executive Vice President, Creative Director, Global Drama. His job responsibilities will involve working closely FremantleMedia’s production companies as a development partner with a focus on bolstering the international scripted development slate. He will have the platform to connect leading international writers, producers, directors and actors with FremantleMedia’s production teams to develop high quality scripted programming. He will also have liberty to develop his own project. Vesper will report to FremantleMedia’s Director of Global Drama, Sarah Doole, while maintaining a base in both London and New York. 

    Christian Vesper said, “I’ve been a fan of Sarah Doole and the FremantleMedia team for quite some time. I’m impressed by what they’ve done in the drama space to date and can’t wait to continue this work with them. FremantleMedia has real global ambition with some of the best creative talent in the business around the world, and I look forward to helping bring FremantleMedia’s vision for drama to global broadcasters and audiences.”

    The director of the house is delighted to have Christian on board. Expressing the same, Global Drama FremantleMedia director Sarah Doole, added: “It’s a real coup to have Christian join FremantleMedia’s Global Drama team. He is one of the most creative and editorially talented drama executives working in the business today, with a contact book that is brimming with the industry’s best-known and most-respected names. I’m thrilled that he’s joining us, and know he will bring his brilliant experience and expertise to the role, helping us to build our international drama portfolio even further.”

    Vesper is a highly experienced media executive with a track record in identifying projects with broad international appeal and developing highly successful partnerships. He holds a long list of experience with 14 years at Sundance TV. His credits include The Last Panthers, with Sky Atlantic and CANAL+; Rebellion, with Zodiak Rights, RTÉ and Touchpaper TV; The A Word, with BBC One and Keshet and the critically acclaimed Deutschland 83 with UFA Fiction and FremantleMedia.

  • Keshet International sells UK Drama ‘The A Word’ to Sweden public broadcaster

    Keshet International sells UK Drama ‘The A Word’ to Sweden public broadcaster

    MUMBAI: Keshet International (KI) has sold its critically acclaimed, BBC One UK drama The A Word (6 x 60’) to Swedish public service broadcaster, SVT.

    The deal follows an agreement with SundanceTV which came on board as the series’ US partner back in January 2016 in and will begin airing the series in summer 2016.

    Premiering internationally at MIPTV 2016, The A Word was one of 12 world class dramas to screen as part of the inaugural MIPDrama Screenings on 3 April.

    Its UK premiere on BBC One attracted 4.7 million (47 lakh) live viewers, consolidating at 6 million (60 lakh, excluding BBC iPlayer). The A Word was written by BAFTA winner and Golden Globe nominee Peter Bowker (Marvellous, Blackpool) and directed by Oscar nominee and BAFTA winner Peter Cattaneo (The Full Monty, Rev). It is co-produced by Fifty Fathoms and Keshet UK for BBC One and centres around the messy, extended Hughes family which has a child newly diagnosed with autism at its centre.

    SVT Sweden acquisitions executive series Henrik Palm said, “The A Word is a heartfelt family drama and a moving depiction of life with autism. We feel proud to team up with Keshet International on this fine BBC One drama, a project which we have followed with interest since its first Israeli incarnation.”

    Keshet International distribution managing director Keren Shahar said, “The A Word is a truly unique family drama, that can be seen in both the reception it has had from press and the impact it has had on viewers. We’re delighted that SVT has decided to bring it to the discerning Swedish audience.”

    The A Word is based on the original Israeli series Yellow Peppers which was created by Keren Margalit who is also executive producer on the UK series. It is produced by Marcus Wilson (Doctor Who, Life on Mars) and executive produced by Patrick Spence and Jenny Frayn for Fifty Fathoms, Sara Johnson and Avi Nir for Keshet, and Lucy Richer for BBC One.

     

  • Keshet International sells UK Drama ‘The A Word’ to Sweden public broadcaster

    Keshet International sells UK Drama ‘The A Word’ to Sweden public broadcaster

    MUMBAI: Keshet International (KI) has sold its critically acclaimed, BBC One UK drama The A Word (6 x 60’) to Swedish public service broadcaster, SVT.

    The deal follows an agreement with SundanceTV which came on board as the series’ US partner back in January 2016 in and will begin airing the series in summer 2016.

    Premiering internationally at MIPTV 2016, The A Word was one of 12 world class dramas to screen as part of the inaugural MIPDrama Screenings on 3 April.

    Its UK premiere on BBC One attracted 4.7 million (47 lakh) live viewers, consolidating at 6 million (60 lakh, excluding BBC iPlayer). The A Word was written by BAFTA winner and Golden Globe nominee Peter Bowker (Marvellous, Blackpool) and directed by Oscar nominee and BAFTA winner Peter Cattaneo (The Full Monty, Rev). It is co-produced by Fifty Fathoms and Keshet UK for BBC One and centres around the messy, extended Hughes family which has a child newly diagnosed with autism at its centre.

    SVT Sweden acquisitions executive series Henrik Palm said, “The A Word is a heartfelt family drama and a moving depiction of life with autism. We feel proud to team up with Keshet International on this fine BBC One drama, a project which we have followed with interest since its first Israeli incarnation.”

    Keshet International distribution managing director Keren Shahar said, “The A Word is a truly unique family drama, that can be seen in both the reception it has had from press and the impact it has had on viewers. We’re delighted that SVT has decided to bring it to the discerning Swedish audience.”

    The A Word is based on the original Israeli series Yellow Peppers which was created by Keren Margalit who is also executive producer on the UK series. It is produced by Marcus Wilson (Doctor Who, Life on Mars) and executive produced by Patrick Spence and Jenny Frayn for Fifty Fathoms, Sara Johnson and Avi Nir for Keshet, and Lucy Richer for BBC One.

     

  • Drama revolving around autism wins attention – and a place in Cannes

    Drama revolving around autism wins attention – and a place in Cannes

    MUMBAI: The A Word, a series revolving around autism. by Fifty Fathoms and Keshet International and aired on BBC One on 22 March at 9.00 pm claimed a viewership of an average 4.7 million viewers which went up to 5 million in the final 15 minutes.

    The numbers were double that of the competition on ITV1 and Channel 4 and 1.2% above the average annual share for the slot. It is based on the original Israeli drama Yellow Peppers by Keren Margalit who is also executive producer on the UK series.

    Directed by Peter Cattaneo and written by Peter Bowker, the series has also been selected as one of the 12 high-end drama series to make an international debut at the inaugural MIP Drama screenings on 3 April. The series will be the first of all the dramas to debut at JW Marriot Hotel in Cannes from 10.10 am.

    The impact of the premiere was also demonstrated through social media activity which revealed a nationwide conversation about viewers’ emotional response to the series, which was also trending on Twitter in the United Kingdom.

    Bowker is a multiple BAFTA winner and Golden Globe nominee (Marvellous, Blackpool.) Cattaneo is an Oscar nominee and BAFTA winner (The Full Monty Rev).

    The A Word is a smart, contemporary drama about a messy, extended family with Joe, a child with autism, which is unable to communicate because of a gulf between their deepest feelings and how they express them.

    Alison played by Morven Christie and Paul Hughes enacted by Lee Ingleby are a mid-30s couple building a life in the Lake District for themselves and their two children. They live in close proximity to their extended family which includes Nicola played by Vinette Robinson and Steve enacted by Greg McHugh who are grappling with unfaithfulness in their marriage. Maurice played by Chris Eccleston plays a recent widower who is owner of the family brewery.

  • Drama revolving around autism wins attention – and a place in Cannes

    Drama revolving around autism wins attention – and a place in Cannes

    MUMBAI: The A Word, a series revolving around autism. by Fifty Fathoms and Keshet International and aired on BBC One on 22 March at 9.00 pm claimed a viewership of an average 4.7 million viewers which went up to 5 million in the final 15 minutes.

    The numbers were double that of the competition on ITV1 and Channel 4 and 1.2% above the average annual share for the slot. It is based on the original Israeli drama Yellow Peppers by Keren Margalit who is also executive producer on the UK series.

    Directed by Peter Cattaneo and written by Peter Bowker, the series has also been selected as one of the 12 high-end drama series to make an international debut at the inaugural MIP Drama screenings on 3 April. The series will be the first of all the dramas to debut at JW Marriot Hotel in Cannes from 10.10 am.

    The impact of the premiere was also demonstrated through social media activity which revealed a nationwide conversation about viewers’ emotional response to the series, which was also trending on Twitter in the United Kingdom.

    Bowker is a multiple BAFTA winner and Golden Globe nominee (Marvellous, Blackpool.) Cattaneo is an Oscar nominee and BAFTA winner (The Full Monty Rev).

    The A Word is a smart, contemporary drama about a messy, extended family with Joe, a child with autism, which is unable to communicate because of a gulf between their deepest feelings and how they express them.

    Alison played by Morven Christie and Paul Hughes enacted by Lee Ingleby are a mid-30s couple building a life in the Lake District for themselves and their two children. They live in close proximity to their extended family which includes Nicola played by Vinette Robinson and Steve enacted by Greg McHugh who are grappling with unfaithfulness in their marriage. Maurice played by Chris Eccleston plays a recent widower who is owner of the family brewery.