21 August 2014
Brand new 5 x 60' series
Award-winning media company UKTV has commissioned a brand new variety show for the internet age to air on its flagship pay entertainment channel Watch. Independent production company Renegade Pictures has been greenlit to make World's Most Talented, a five-part series that travels the globe in search of talented people who have dedicated years of practice so that they can perform extraordinary and inspiring feats.
The series sees internet-savvy presenters Laura Jackson (Channel 4's Freshly Squeezed and CITV's Scrambled!) and David Brain, in his first television presenting role, visit a different country each week as they leave no stone unturned in their pursuit of the most entertaining, shocking and inspiring new talent that will leave viewers enthralled. Each act is uploaded to a jury of 100 online critics from around the globe. As well as giving their instant reactions, these outspoken Vloggers then vote for their winner in a nail-biting finale.
The presenter with the act that comes out on top takes all the glory and the respective country is crowned the World's Most Talented.
From Argentina 'v' Japan, Sweden and Mexico to India battling for the crown of World's Most Talented with Germany, the winners are as surprising as the acts are diverse.
Hilary Rosen, Commissioning Editor for UKTV, said,
This is the ultimate talent show for the 21st century. The jaw-dropping acts, and the hundred outspoken online critics from every corner of the globe, make the show part travelogue, part variety show. We're also excited to introduce two brilliant new presenters in David and Laura, who enjoy a light-hearted competitive rivalry.
Harry Lansdown, Director of Programmes at Renegade Pictures, said,
Our online panel of 100 international critics, have a worldwide reach of millions so the potential of a viral hit for the winner is a real possibility. From the Arctic to Australia, every county is covered.
Steve North, General Manger for Watch, added
With far off journeys to some of the world's most diverse and exciting countries on the planet, World's Most Talented is an exhilarating trip around the globe and is a fast-paced celebratory talent show, perfect for Watch.
World's Most Talented will air on Watch in early 2015.
The series was commissioned by UKTV's Hilary Rosen and will be executive produced by Renegade Pictures' Harry Lansdown and Suzanne Readwin. It is Series Produced by Jaime Brannan.
World's Most Talented joins a raft of new programming on Watch, including brand new episodes of BAFTA-nominated Dynamo: Magician Impossible next month, a celebrity-filled new series of Choccywoccydoodah: Starstruck and brand new original commission Singing in the Rainforest, which sees musicians travel across the globe to meet remote tribes and create an extraordinary music track together. Year-to-date Watch's adult share is up 13% year-on-year and the channel regularly attracts over 14 million viewers a month, helping to position the UKTV network as the fastest growing commercial broadcaster in Britain.
World's Most Talented on Watch
END
For more information contact:
Kerry Parker, Head of Network Communications
Justine Bower, Group Publicity Manager, UKTV
About Laura Jackson
Entertainment presenter Laura Jackson is one of the TV's brightest rising stars. Having finished presenting 'Celebrity Super Spa' for Channel 5 last autumn, Laura then covered all the behind-the-scenes gossip online for 'Britain's Got Talent'.
Laura presented Channel 4's Freshly Squeezed alongside Rick Edwards and Nick Grimshaw, has been a fashion expert on This Morning and presented The Music Room, a live music show exclusive to Xbox.
About David Brain
David's short film CGI-Brows won the people's choice award at the Virgin Media Shorts Awards in 2009. He then wrote and performed a series of sketches for Big Brothers Big Mouth on Channel 4. He has performed in numerous sketch comedies for BBC Comedy Feeds and Channel Four Comedy Blaps and played the part of an Essex wide boy in the critically acclaimed BBC 2 sitcom 'Popatron'. In 2013 he was one of the regular presenters on the Hat Trick Productions comedy YouTube channel 'Bad Teeth'. He can currently be seen in the second series of Cardinal Burns on Channel 4.
About Watch
Sky 109 (HD)/155 and Virgin 125 (HD)/124
Watch is an entertainment channel that promises to surprise with out of the ordinary programming. Premiering hit fantasy and science-fiction dramas such as Grimm, Believe and Beauty and the Beast, it also showcases a selection of distinctive series like Doctor Who, David Attenborough's Natural Curiosities, Masterchef Australia and The Happenings. Watch is the exclusive home of Dynamo: Magician Impossible, an award winning original commission from UKTV.
www.justwatch.co.uk@Watch_Channel
About UKTV
UKTV is the multi-award winning media company that reaches over 42 million viewers per month.
UKTV's eleven imaginative brands - Watch, Dave, Gold, Alibi, Eden, Yesterday, Drama, Really, Home, Good Food and UKTV Play - include the most watched non-PSB channel, the most watched channel in the Factual genre and the most watched channels in the Lifestyle genre (Pay and Free). The company's most recent financial results showed a record-breaking year-end revenue of £262m, and operating profit at £71m.
UKTV has a truly innovative model, curating brand-defining commissions, high-profile acquisitions and the very best of BBC and Channel 4 content, and embracing technology to deliver inspired channels to audiences through Freeview, Sky, Virgin Media, BT TV, TalkTalk, YouView, iOS and PC. The network distributes its highly valued programmes to 200 territories around the world and supplies Sky with more hours of HD content than anyone else.
Now celebrating its 21st year at the forefront of digital television, UKTV - an independent commercial joint venture between BBC Worldwide and Scripps Networks Interactive, Inc. (SNI) - is proud to be the only British broadcaster to be recognised by Best Companies.