16 April 2014
Brand new 5 x 60' series
Award-winning media company UKTV has commissioned an exciting new series for its flagship pay entertainment channel Watch, which will see top music talent leave their creature comforts behind and embrace life with remote tribes from all around the world. Remarkable meetings of different cultures will result in extraordinary and unique musical collaborations, which will be available for viewers and music lovers to download as original tracks after each episode airs.
Hilary Rosen, Commissioning Editor for UKTV, said,
From the moment this show was pitched to us we all felt excited by the scale and ambition of the idea. However, at its heart there is a very simple premise; can the power of music bridge the gap between famous musicians and remote tribespeople who know nothing about our celebrities or western music' Singing in the Rainforest promises to be a fascinating and entertaining series and its unique proposition makes it the ideal format for Watch.
Each episode of Singing in the Rainforest (5x60'), created and produced by Gogglebox Entertainment, a joint venture with Sony Pictures Television, takes well-known artists and bands out of their natural environment and challenges them to immerse themselves in tribal life for one week. They will be exposed to rituals, customs and above all the tribe's musical culture and, in turn, the artists will present their style of music to the tribe.
At the end of the week the visiting musicians will collaborate with their hosts and create a piece of music that will be played in a grand finale concert for the village and its neighbours. The newly recorded track, which will blend two very different musical cultures together, will be made available for download, with shares of the sales benefitting the tribe.
Singing in the Rainforest will air on Watch in late 2014 or early 2015 and talent will be confirmed in the coming weeks. The series was commissioned by UKTV's Hilary Rosen, ordered by Watch General Manager Steve Hornsey and will be executive produced by Helen Nightingale, Head of Factual at Gogglebox Entertainment.
Helen Nightingale commented
We are looking forward to producing this ambitious and unique project for Watch. A classic fish out of water story, the series will deliver warmth, humour and maybe even a few tears as the musicians leave behind their rock star lifestyles to experience tribal culture. It's going to be the adventure of their lives.
Steve Hornsey added
Singing in the Rainforest is a truly unique blend of entertainment, exploration and discovery. It will see some of our best-loved musicians exposed to brand new experiences and musical influences that will impact the way they think about their own work. Taking people and programming out of the comfort zone makes it a perfect show for Watch, where we love all things out of the ordinary.
Watch has enjoyed an impressive start to 2014 with the two back to back première episodes of David Attenborough's Natural curiosities performing 61% above slot average across the hour from 8pm. Next month viewers will be treated to J.J. Abrams' futuristic thriller Almost Human and late in 2014 Watch will air brand new episodes of Dynamo: Magician Impossible.
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For more information contact:
Kerry Parker, Head of Network Communications
About Watch
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. Where to find Watch: Sky 109 (HD)/155 and Virgin 125 (HD)/124.
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 ten imaginative channel brands - Watch, Dave, Gold, Alibi, Eden, Yesterday, Drama, Really, Home and Good Food - 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 Vision, TalkTalk, YouView, plus direct On Demand digital services. 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.