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Live auction special on U

1st August 2024

Live auction special and more as U goes back Under the Bonnet with Bangers & Cash

UKTV’s free streaming service, U, to get exclusive Bangers & Cash specials from Air TV

UKTV has commissioned Bangers & Cash: Live (1x18’), as well as two new series of Bangers & Cash: Under the Bonnet (3x18’), from Air TV, exclusively for its free streaming service, U.

Bangers & Cash: Live will follow classic car auctioneers the Mathewson family as they attend the special live event, the centrepiece of which is a Mathewson’s classic car and memorabilia auction. Since the pandemic, regular auctions have seen mainly internet and phone bidders. At the sold out live event, taking place only a few miles away from Mathewson’s HQ at Scampston Hall, North Yorkshire on Saturday August 10th and Sunday August 11th, there’s a chance for fans to witness and participate in the live bidding once again. Bangers & Cash: Live will showcase the highlights of the event and be narrated by Toby Foster, who also voices the main series, and will be available on demand on U from Thursday 29th August.

Derek, Dave and Paul Mathewson on stage at Bangers & Cash Live

Also, returning due to popular demand is, Bangers & Cash: Under the Bonnet – revealing previously unseen footage to give viewers a deeper insight into the stories behind some of the cars that have featured on the Bangers & Cash and Bangers & Cash Restoring Classics programmes. Also narrated by Toby Foster, three previously commissioned episodes, featuring a Mini Cooper S, a Saab 96 and a Lotus Esprit, are already available on U. The newly ordered episodes will feature the extensive stories behind projects and restorations, including those of an Audi Quattro, a Mazda MX-5, a Rolls Royce Silver Spirit, a Lotus Elan, and a Ford Escort Mexico. The first three of the six new episodes are expected to be available on demand on U in December 2024, with the remainder following in Q1 2025.

Bangers & Cash: Live and Bangers & Cash: Under the Bonnet are produced by Air TV. Andy Joynson and Morland Sanders are executive producers and the series producer is Holly Pywell. The shows have been commissioned for U by Tracy-Jean, Commissioning Executive, with Helen Nightingale, Head of Factual and Factual Entertainment, and ordered for U by Head of Digital Content, Paula Fitzgerald and Hilary Rosen, Director of Commissioning.

"U gives us a great opportunity to give our loyal viewers more of what they want – namely more Bangers & Cash!"

Tracy-Jean said, “U gives us a great opportunity to give our loyal viewers more of what they want – namely more Bangers & Cash! Like all the best car restorations – the ethos is nothing should go to waste and we know viewers love that extra insight. The live event will be an amazing weekend and we wanted the fans who couldn’t travel to North Yorkshire to enjoy the atmosphere and excitement at being able to see a Mathewson’s auction in person again.”

Morland Sanders said, “We’re delighted these commissions for U give Bangers fans the chance to watch even more Mathewsons. UKTV has done a great job putting the live event together and we can’t wait to film the auction there. The level of craftsmanship that goes into some of our restorations is incredible, so it’s wonderful we can showcase that in the Under the Bonnet specials as well.”

The Bangers & Cash series continues to reach new heights on U, with views to the series across 2023 growing by +25% YoY on the service. Across its first 7 days, the premiere of Bangers & Cash S9 was the #1 most-viewed episode among all content on U. Bangers & Cash S10 begins tonight, Thursday 1st August, at 8pm on U&YESTERDAY. A new series of the spin-off sister series, Bangers & Cash: Restoring Classics also airs before the end of the year. Both programmes have also been commissioned for further series.


Viewers can watch U here.

For more information, please contact:

Dave Barnsby, Senior Publicity Manager, UKTV

Notes to Editors

Bangers & Cash: Under the Bonnet image: https://uktv.thirdlight.com/pf.tlx/5wM58795CLnEI

Bangers & Cash: Live image: https://uktv.thirdlight.com/pf.tlx/YZfY76SYZ6GnAg

About U

U is home to thousands of hours of free content from a raft of genres, including: drama (Annika, Holby City, Madam Secretary, Sister Boniface Mysteries, A Million Little Things), comedy (Meet the Richardsons, Red Dwarf, Live at the Apollo, Mock the Week, We Are Not Alone), entertainment (Big Zuu's Big Eats, David Mitchell's Outsiders, QI, Mel Giedroyc: Unforgivable, World's Most Dangerous Roads) and factual entertainment (Stacey Dooley Sleeps Over, MasterChef Australia, Katie Piper: Jailhouse Mums, Secrets of the London Underground, Bangers & Cash). U will also give viewers access to exclusive shows, award-winning originals, premiere acquisitions and iconic programmes from the BBC.

u.co.uk | @streamonu

About UKTV

UKTV has been at the forefront of branded television for over 30 years, entertaining the nation with programmes they love. Its leading brands – U&Dave, U&DRAMA, U&W, U&YESTERDAY, Gold, Alibi and Eden - span comedy, entertainment, natural history, factual and drama, and are delivered to UK viewers through free streaming service U, Sky, Virgin Media, NOW, Freeview and Freesat; and to Irish viewers through Sky, Virgin Media, Eir, Vodafone and NOW. Channel & content availability varies by platform. UKTV’s content is also available to UK viewers via dedicated FAST channels on Samsung TV Plus, Amazon Freevee, Pluto TV and Virgin Media.

UKTV is a significant investor in British creativity and is committed to working with new and established writers, directors and programme-makers. The broadcaster is part of BBC Studios, the UK's most-awarded production company, a world-class distributor with international branded services, and a commercial subsidiary of the world's leading public service broadcaster, the BBC.

corporate.uktv.co.uk press.uktv.co.uk@uktvpress

About Air TV

Air TV is one of the fastest-growing independent production companies in the UK with an unrivalled reputation for creating high-volume award-winning factual TV. In 2023 they won the "Gamechanger Programme of the Year" award at the Broadcast Digital Awards for the ratings-busting classic car show Bangers & Cash on UKTV's U&Yesterday channel.

airtv.co.uk