Wednesday 4 November 2015
UKTV has greenlit a celebrity special of popular format Storage Hunters UK (1 x 60') for leading entertainment channel, Dave, to be broadcast at Christmas. UKTV has also ordered another 20 episodes of Storage Hunters UK (series four and five) from North One. Both the celebrity special and the series are fronted by auctioneer Sean Kelly.
For the one-off Storage Hunters UK: Celebrity Special Dave has lined up a starry mix of bidders including actors, comedians and musicians. Bob Mortimer, Kimberly Wyatt, Ross Noble and Jimi Mistry as well as bidding pairs Shaun Ryder and Bez, Jenny Éclair and Lizzie Roper plus Jimmy Bullard and Carl Froch star in the special, competing to raise money for charity.
Richard Watsham, UKTV's director of commissioning, said,
The order of another 20 episodes is testament to the strength of the Storage Hunters brand and the draw of the brilliant cast of characters who make it such a fun and compelling watch. The fact that we can add to that cast with these fantastic celebrities, if only for one special, is very exciting. It should be a real treat for fans and new viewers alike.
Steve North, general manager, Dave, said,
Dave viewers are set for some festive excitement as the celebrities battle each other to bid blind on storage lockers. This Christmas, Storage Hunters will be the gift that keeps on giving.
Storage Hunters UK: Celebrity Special and series four and five are ordered by Steve North and Director of Commissioning Richard Watsham, and executive produced for UKTV by Helen Nightingale. Executive producer for North One is John Quinn, series director is Sean Doherty.
Quinn added,
All of the celebrities involved are big fans of the series and it really shows - it didn't take long for the competitive edge to take over. So much so, one of the highlights from the shoot was an impromptu boxing bout between Ross Noble and Carl Froch. Funny, but ill-advised - particularly for Ross...
Award-winning Storage Hunters UK is a UKTV original for Dave based on the US format Storage Hunters. Year to date 12.3 million viewers have watched Storage Hunters UK on Dave, with 22% of all adults tuning into the show. The second series opened with 662,000 viewers.
Dave will also be bringing back Alan Davies: As Yet Untitled for a fourth series (10x60') in 2016. The third series of the hugely successful unformatted chat show started on Dave last night (Tuesday 3rd November), complete with its own Christmas special on 29th December. Series four is produced by Phil McIntyre Productions and commissioned by Iain Coyle, guests will be confirmed in the new year when it starts filming. The recommission sits in a growing slate of returning shows including Dave Gorman Modern Life is Goodish and Taskmaster.
END
For more information please contact:
Justine Bower, Group Publicity Manager, UKTV
Kerry Parker, Head of Network Communications
About Dave
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Dave proudly presents a plethora of original commissions; award-winning Crackanory, Ross Noble
Freewheeling, Dave Gorman's Modern Life is Goodish, and Alan Davies: As Yet Untitled, all laden with the biggest names in British comedy. Not to mention a brand spanking new original series Hoff the Record, Undercover and Taskmaster.
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Dave is the UK's most watched non-PSB channel broadcasting to over 27 million people per month, featuring hit US shows including the sharp-witted and sharp-suited Suits, the ludicrously addictive Lizard Lick Towing and the wonder that is Storage Hunters and now original commission Storage Hunters UK, the gift that keeps on giving.
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About UKTV
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UKTV's eleven imaginative brands - UKTV Play, Dave, Watch, 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 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.