London, Tuesday 6 September 2016
- BFI takeover for UKTV's annual showcase event, UKTV Live
- 'Blue' carpet turns by Amanda Holden, Sir David Attenborough, Lily Cole, the casts of Red Dwarf, Taskmaster and new Dave series, Zapped
- Britain's fastest-growing TV network celebrates success of entertainment brands including entertainment channel of the year, Dave, as well as W, Gold, Drama and UKTV Play
The fastest-growing broadcasting network in Britain, UKTV, took over London's Southbank today as it created a live spectacular for VIP guests at the BFI. Stars including Amanda Holden, Sir David Attenborough, Lily Cole, Greg Davies and Craig Charles appeared at the event to celebrate the new season of original shows for the UK's biggest multichannel broadcaster.
Speaking at UKTV Live 2016, the broadcaster's annual showcase event, CEO Darren Childs said,
It feels great to be celebrating all the fantastic new shows we've been making with the guests here at BFI today. UKTV is investing heavily in great new programming and we have such riches here to show for it. A massive 73% of the British population now watch our channels every month, and what's really exciting is that UKTV Originals - which are all made by the fantastic talent and producers here today - are an enormous part of that success.
UKTV's slate of autumn shows include the Amanda Holden-fronted I've Got Something To Tell You (W), David Attenborough's Natural Curiosities (Eden), scripted comedy Zapped (Dave) starring James Buckley, a full series of Gold's hit new sitcom starring Sarah Alexander Marley's Ghosts, the new series of Red Dwarf XI for Dave, Richard E.Grant's Ealing Comedies (Gold) and Dara O'Briain's Go 8 Bit (Dave) as well as long-form interview show John Bishop: In Conversation With...
Brand new commissions to UKTV's 2016-17 slate of UKTV Originals include:
Dave
Entertainment Channel of the Year, Dave, is adding to its scripted comedy originations with Zapped a brand new fantasy comedy (3x40') from Baby Cow Productions, starring James Buckley (The Inbetweeners), Paul Kaye (Game of Thrones), Sharon Rooney (My Mad Fat Diary), Ken Collard (Cuckoo) and Louis Emetic (Benidorm) plus a guest appearance from Steve Coogan, who will also executive produce the show. Buckley plays online data marketing assistant Brian Weaver who is unknowingly transported to a parallel world.
Zapped joins the highly anticipated Red Dwarf XI on the channel this autumn, which reunites the original cast of Chris Barrie (Rimmer), Craig Charles (Lister), Danny John-Jules (Cat) and Robert Llewellyn (Kryten). The brand new series of the legendary sci-fi comedy has been produced by Grant Naylor Productions and Baby Cow Productions.
Also new to the channel is weekly political comedy series Unspun With Matt Forde (6x60') produced by Avalon Television. Recorded the day before airing, the satirical programme hosted by Forde, will feature reactions to the fast-changing news agenda and interviews with leading political figures.
And returning to Dave are brand new series of the popular Dave Gorman Modern Life is Goodish, Taskmaster and Celebrity Storage Hunters.
W
Premium entertainment channel W is adding to its roster with I've Got Something To Tell You, a brand-new six-part part series presented by Amanda Holden and produced by Zig Zag Productions. Filmed in an English country retreat, the series features ordinary people making extraordinary confessions over dinner, drinks or a simple cup of coffee. Watching from the sidelines, Amanda offers support as friends, partners and relations break life-changing news to loved ones before the cameras. From emotional outpourings to hilarious admissions, this UKTV Original will take viewers on an emotional rollercoaster.
Dr Christian Will See You Now, is an eight-part series (8x60') from Firecracker Films - announced today -which will see the renowned doctor diagnose, counsel and treat patients who desperately need his help.
Dancing for the Weekend is also new to W this autumn. The 6x60' documentary series, produced by Electric Ray, dives into the lives of the surprising characters who moonlight as amateur dancers and live for the thrill of weekend competitions.
The show will be joined on the channel by two new fixed rig documentary series. The Dressing Room, produced by STV Productions and GroupM Entertainment, invites viewers into the hidden world of dressing rooms across the country, showing all of the off-field drama focusing on dynamic characters with fascinating lives. Inside The Ambulance, produced by Bob Brown Productions, uses cameras mounted on paramedics and inside their vehicles to get closer than ever before to the work of Britain's frontline life-savers.
Hit US acquisitions Secrets and Lies and Code Black are also returning to W for brand new series. In Secrets and Lies Juliette Lewis returns as unflappable Detective Andrea Cornell investigating an intriguing new case, and Rob Lowe joins the cast of heart-stopping medical drama Code Black as Col. Ethan Willis.
Gold
UKTV's flagship comedy channel, Gold, cements its move into original scripted content with the recommission of UKTV Original Marley's Ghosts. Returning for more ghostly mayhem with an expanded six episode run, the series once again stars Sarah Alexander, John Hannah, Jo Joyner and Nicholas Burns for more misadventures with Marley and her three deceased companions.
Also new and original to the channel is a three-part documentary series exploring one of British cinema's most powerful brands. Richard E. Grant on Ealing Comedies, produced by Phil MacIntyre Television, follows Grant as he tells the story of the studio during its comedy heyday and looks at the impact the modestly budgeted movies have had on British humour. He unearths never-before-seen footage and is joined by a host of famous faces, comedy heroes and iconic filmmakers including Peter Capaldi, Michael Palin, Eric Idle and Paul Whitehouse. All sharing their fond memories of the iconic brand.
Further highlights from UKTV's network include: a brand new series of David Attenborough's Natural Curiosities; the return of thrilling crime drama Quantico, on Alibi; real life series Cops UK: Bodycam Squad and Helicopter ER on Really; and epic sweeping historical drama The Red Tent on Drama, starring Minnie Driver and Rebecca Ferguson.
For more information contact:
Kerry Parker, Head of Network Communications
Justine Bower, Head of Consumer Communictions, UKTV
Gemma Pinkney, Publicity Manager
Lara Feinstein, Network Communications Executive
About UKTV
UKTV is the biggest multichannel broadcaster in the UK.
The award-winning independent has eleven imaginative brands - UKTV Play, Dave, W, Gold, Alibi, Yesterday, Drama, Really, Home, Eden and Good Food. These include the two most popular non-PSB channels in the UK and account for 9.31% of the British commercial TV market.
The company's most recent financial results showed record-breaking year-end revenue of £283m and EBITDA of £74.1m. It invested £123m in programming and related launches last year, and is becoming an increasingly significant investor in UK creativity.
UKTV has a truly innovative model, curating brand-defining commissions, high-profile acquisitions and the very best of BBC, alongside programmes originally shown on ITV and Channel 4. The network embraces technology to deliver inspired channels to audiences through Freeview, Sky, Virgin Media, BT, TalkTalk, YouView, Freesat, Amazon Fire and UKTV Play, and distributes its highly valued original programmes to 200 territories.
Now celebrating its 22nd 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 television broadcaster to be recognised by Best Companies.