Wednesday 18 January 2017

UKTV has commissioned two further series of the critically acclaimed interview show John Bishop: In Conversation With... (20x60') for premium entertainment channel W. Series one launched with the single highest TX on the channel last year pulling in an impressive 607k, +456% vs slot. The first episode, featuring James Corden, saw over 1.6million individuals enjoy John's compelling one-to-one conversation.

John Bishop: In Conversation With..., produced by Lola Entertainment and distributed by BBC Worldwide, sees John chatting one-on-one with some of the biggest names from the world of entertainment, sport and music.

Awarded a five-star review in The Times, John unveiled his incredible talent for intimate, candid and revealing conversations, inviting his guests - James Corden, Jo Brand, Charlotte Church, Steve Coogan, Rupert Everett, Kirsty Young, Miriam Margoyles, Freddie Flintoff, Sir Lenny Henry and Alex Brooker - to open up and reveal the individual behind the public persona.

John Bishop said,

In Conversation With... was an idea I had for a number of years, based on the classic interview shows of the past, where a show would have only one guest. When we pitched the idea to W, they immediately shared the vision. Series one was a great success with such a diverse range of guests, so I cannot wait for series two and three to start.

UKTV director of commissioning, Richard Watsham said,

The first series of John Bishop: In Conversation With... was a huge hit and I am delighted to be able to bring it back for another 20 episodes. John is passionate about the show and brings great expertise both on and off screen. I look forward to seeing more fascinating and revealing conversations with a new group of extraordinary individuals.

Steve North, W's general manager, added,

John Bishop: In Conversation With... is the perfect fit for W and gave the viewers an eye-opening insight into the lives of their favourite stars. With John at the helm, a brilliant variety of guests and the success of the first series, it's fantastic that we can continue the journey and welcome a whole host of new guests."

John Bishop: In Conversation With... has been ordered by Steve North for W and commissioned by Richard Watsham. Hilary Rosen with John Bishop and Lisa Thomas will act as executive producers for UKTV and Lola Entertainment respectively.

W continues to invest in brand new UKTV Original content and John Bishop: In Conversation With... joins new series The Dressing Room and Dancing for the Weekend in 2017. W welcomed brand new commission Celebrity Advice Bureau at Christmas, featuring everyday advice from the likes of Louis Walsh, Fay Ripley, Rick Edwards and Alice Levine. The news comes as W has enjoyed a record year, up 6% since launching in February.

Series guests are yet to be confirmed

For more information, please contact - Gem Pinkney or Lara Feinstein

What the press said:

The Times - 5 stars
EVENT - Mail on Sunday - 4 stars
Heat - 4 stars
TV Times - 4 stars

About W

Sky 109/245, Virgin 124/191, BT & TalkTalk 407. On demand on Sky and Virgin

W is UKTV's premium entertainment channel, offering audiences a dazzling mix of original factual entertainment formats - ON, Get Me To The Church, Honey I Bought the House -  alongside the gold standard of shows from the US including Code Black, Criminal Minds: Beyond Borders, CSI:NY, Grimm and The Strain plus jewels from the same day repeat of EastEnders.  

About UKTV

UKTV's eleven imaginative brands - UKTV Play, Dave, W, Gold, Alibi, Yesterday, Drama, Really, Home, Eden and Good Food - include the most popular non-PSB channel in the UK and account for 9% 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 and UKTV Play, and distributes its highly valued original programmes to 200 territories.

Now celebrating its 23rd 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.

corporate.uktv.co.uk / press.uktv.co.uk / @uktv_press   

About Lola Entertainment

The multi BAFTA award-winning TV production company is co-owned and run by John Bishop & Lisa Thomas.

Makers of a multitude of critically acclaimed hit TV shows including Detectorists (BBC3), The John Bishop Christmas Show (BBC1), John Bishop's Gorilla Adventure (ITV), Panto! (ITV), John Bishop's Australia (BBC1).  Lola effortlessly straddles several genres of television - from sitcom to drama, wildlife to comedy entertainment.

Lola have produced over 37 hours of TV output in just over three years and sold in multiple territories around the world.

www.lola.tv