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  • Broadcast Greenlight

    The results of the Indie Survey 2012

Broadcast
13 January 2012

View all stories from this issue.

  • 10 Jan '12

    “When they come knocking at the door they’re generally mistaken for Jehovah’s Witnesses.” Read on for the verdict on the weekend’s TV.

  • 11 Jan '12

    “It has room for a briskness and understatement that is all too often lacking in television versions.” Read on for the verdict on last night’s TV.

  • 12 Jan '12

    “It did suggest that at its highest levels sport is intrinsically damaging.” Read on for the verdict on last night’s TV.

  • 13 Jan '12

    “The title was by far the most interesting thing about this documentary.” Read on for the verdict on last night’s TV.

  • 9 Jan '12

    “It’s a fantastically compelling and intricate drama.” Read on for the verdict on the weekend’s TV.

  • Above Suspicion returns with 6.3m

    MONDAY: Lynda La Plante’s Above Suspicion returned to ITV1 with its biggest audience in two years - while Nick Hewer failed to make a huge impact on his Countdown debut.

  • Above Suspicion: Silent Scream, ITV1

    Producer Cherry Gould reveals the challenge of creating film clips on a TV budget for tonight’s Above Suspicion.

  • Alan Titchmarsh Show gets new series editor

    Spun Gold TV has appointed Cillian de Buitléar as series editor of The Alan Titchmarsh Show.

  • Archives set the agenda in 2012

    Netflix and BBC archive project could shake up on-demand.

  • Atlantic hires BBCW’s Morris

    Atlantic Productions has hired former BBC Worldwide head of operations John Morris as its first commercial director to extend its reach across emerging platforms such as mobile apps and online.

  • Back2back and Target give birth to Royal Babies

    Back2back has struck its third co-production deal with rights manager Target Entertainment, again looking at the world of royalty.

  • BBC and Facebook back radio innovation

    Culture Minister Ed Vaizey and executives from the BBC and Facebook have urged the radio industry to invest in commercial and technical innovation to secure future growth.   

  • BBC moots paid-for archive

    The BBC is developing plans to charge viewers for access to its vast back catalogue.

  • BBC orders more Saturday Kitchen

    Saturday Kitchen, the BBC1 weekend food show hosted by James Martin, has been recommissioned for another 12 months.

  • BBC S&PP chief steps down

    The chief executive of BBC Studios and Post Production is set to the leave the facilities company.

  • BBC staff plan action over Birmingham move

    BBC staff are to carry out industrial action over plans to relocate shows such as Hairy Bikers and Countryfile from Birmingham to Bristol.

  • BBC wipes £21m off top level pay bill

    The BBC has wiped £21m off its senior pay bill in the last 18 months, surpassing its self-imposed target of reducing by 25% its pay for top brass.

  • BBC1 orders War of the Roses drama

    BBC1 will air 24 new dramas in 2012 after adding three literary adaptations, a trucking series and a special from the makers of The Gruffalo to its winter slate.

  • BBC3 Sex Season begins with 610k

    MONDAY: BBC3’s new season about sex and sexuality boosted the channel’s usual audience by more than 30%.

  • BBC3's Lansdown quits for Renegade

    Harry Lansdown, the BBC3 factual boss behind Our War and Don’t Tell the Bride, is stepping down to join indie Renegade Pictures.

  • BBC4 viewers enjoy a Danish

    It used to be that Danish only meant sizzling bacon but now it’s a byword for gripping drama on BBC4.

  • BBCW appoints Oz channels boss

    BBC Worldwide has appointed Deirdre Brennan to oversee the growth of its channels in Australia.

  • BBCW exec joins ITV marketing team

    ITV has completed its senior marketing team with the appointment of three directors from BBC Worldwide, The Times and Sainsbury’s.

  • Box TV wins Asian Beats pilot

    Channel 4 and Bauer Media’s joint venture Box TV has won a TX pilot for a new music show trumpeting the British Asian scene.

  • Bridezillas back on the rampage

    US network WE tv has ordered a new series of wedding show Bridezillas from UK indie September Films.

  • C4 and Optomen to explore life of self-sufficiency

    Kevin McCloud is working with All3Media’s Optomen TV to create a series for Channel 4 that will see him attempting to live “off the grid”.

  • C4 awards Dispatches contracts

    Channel 4 has awarded Blakeway Productions, October Films, Nine Lives Media and ITN Productions contracts to make programmes for the Dispatches strand in 2012.

  • C4 confirms Sutcliffe departure

    Channel 4 has confirmed Dispatches commissioning editor Kevin Sutcliffe is leaving the broadcaster after ten years.

  • C4 News names new reporters

    Channel 4 News has appointed science reporter Asha Tanna and Fatima Maji and Ciaran Jenkins as reporters - completing the on screen recruitment to the programme.

  • C4 planning repeats channel

    Channel 4 looks set to launch a new station that would show the last seven days most popular programmes.

  • C4 tackles ethics of torture in drama

    The ethical questions facing an MI5 officer involved in the war on terror will underpin a Channel 4 feature-length single drama written by Guy Hibbert.

  • C4’s birthday Countdown

    In November, it’ll be 30 years since Paul Coia announced Channel 4’s arrival, introducing viewers to the perennial quiz show Countdown; the celebrations began on Monday.

  • C4's Pete Versus Life falls victim to ratings

    Channel 4 sitcom Pete Versus Life, starring Rafe Spall, is unlikely to be recommissioned for a third series following poor ratings.

  • CBeebies drops "unbearable" new Waybuloo format

    CBeebies has decided to revert back to the original Waybuloo format after parents complained the addition of Come Dine With Me narrator Dave Lamb made it “unbearable”.

  • Celebrities join BBC3's Real Hustle

    BBC3 has ordered a new series of The Real Hustle that will see celebrities helping con members of the public.

  • Chile to remake ITV's Secret Diary

    ITV drama Secret Diary of a Call Girl, starring Billie Piper, is to remade for audiences in Latin America.

  • Current TV set for closure following Sky switch-off

    Current TV, the Al Gore-backed factual channel, looks set to cease broadcasting in the UK following a decision from Sky to remove it from its line-up of pay channels.

  • Dancing on Ice returns with 8.7m

    SUNDAY: ITV1’s Dancing on Ice returned with more than 8.6m viewers - as Sherlock outwitted the new series of Wild at Heart.

  • Danish drama: lessons for the UK

    As BBC4 taps into the success of The Killing with new Danish import Borgen, Maggie Brown visits Copenhagen to see how a small PSB produces contemporary drama with global appeal.

  • Dave Gorman to host R2 Olympics panel show

    Absolute Radio DJ Dave Gorman is to front an Olympic-themed comedy panel show for BBC Radio 2 – while the station has ordered a full series of Jason Byrne sitcom Father Figure.

  • Demographic Focus

    Explore the ratings breakdown demographically across the main terrestrial and multichannel broadcasters for 2-8 January.

  • Dray joins LipSync

    LipSync has appointed Paul Dray to the role of producer.

  • Edwin Drood debuts with 3m

    TUESDAY: BBC2’s Charles Dickens adaptation The Mystery of Edwin Drood got off to a strong start - while ITV1’s latest high-concept gameshow The Exit List faltered.

  • Endeavour detects further 1.36m views

    CONSOLIDATED: ITV1’s Inspector Morse prequel Endeavour was recorded by 1.36m viewers on Bank Holiday Monday, helping the crime drama amass an audience of nearly 8m

  • Eternal Law debut recorded by 655k

    CONSOLIDATED: The debut of ITV1’s high concept drama Eternal Law narrowly beat BBC1’s Public Enemies - with just 46,000 viewers between them.

  • Fever Media MD Richard Hopkins dies aged 47

    Richard Hopkins, joint managing director of indie Fever Media and one of the key execs behind the revival of Strictly Come Dancing, has died.

  • Former BBC exec to oversee Triple A push into TV

    Talent agency Triple A Media has hired former BBC Children’s exec Reem Nouss to spearhead its push into TV.

  • Fort Boyard Ultimate Challenge, CiTV

    CITV and Disney’s new take on the Fort Boyard format lets kids join in the fun for the first time. Alex Farber visits the 150-year-old fort to see how the first young contestants get on.

  • Free Radio: act of vandalism

    The decision to re-brand Midlands heritage commercial stations BRMB, Mercia Sound, Radio Wyvern and Beacon Radio as Free Radio, is an act of vandalism by owners Orion Media, write Paul Robinson.

  • FremantleMedia promotes Clark

    Rob Clark has been given a beefed up role at FremantleMedia handling the development of its entertainment formats around the world.

  • FremantleMedia UK restructures digital operations

    FremantleMedia UK, the company formally known as Talkback Thames, has restructured its digital division and brought in Christian Grobel to head up strategy and operations.

  • Genre Overview

    Browse the top ten children’s, factual, drama, entertainment, comedy, music and arts programmes from 2-8 January.

  • Gorilla adds FORscene editing platform

    Cardiff-based post company Gorilla Group has signed a deal with Forbidden Technologies to use its cloud video platform FORscene.

  • Gypsy Weddings tops C4's best of 2011

    Channel 4’s top three most-watched programmes in 2011 were all part of the Big Fat Gypsy Wedding brand, according to the broadcaster’s consolidated audience figures.

  • Henry Normal to speak at equality event

    CBeebies Cerrie Burnell, Baby Cow’s Henry Normal, Floella Benjamin and John Stapleton are among the panellists at a free Pact/pan-industry event looking at the impact of the Equality Act one year on.

  • Hulu increases programme spend to $500m

    Hulu is increasing its spend on programming to half a billion dollars in 2012, its chief executive has announced.

  • Industry pays tribute to Richard Hopkins

    UK television executives have united to pay tribute to Richard Hopkins, joint managing director of indie Fever Media, who died at the weekend.

  • ITV demands Take Me Out review

    ITV has urged Talkback Thames to review its contestant selection process on Take Me Out following reports a male participant on last weekend’s show was convicted with assaulting a woman.

  • ITV eyes Something for the Weekend

    ITV has approached Princess Productions about providing a new home for axed BBC2 Sunday morning show Something for the Weekend.

  • ITV gearing up for autumn rebrand

    ITV is gearing up for its biggest brand refresh in more than six years as the company’s marketing chief begins to make his mark.

  • ITV website crashes during Manchester FA Cup clash

    ITV angered football fans on Sunday after its website crashed for the opening exchanges of the Manchester FA Cup derby.

  • ITV1 to reveal untold story of Mrs Biggs

    The executive producer behind Fred West drama Appropriate Adult is to make an international ITV1 drama series about train robber Ronnie Biggs’ wife, while Holding On writer Tony Marchant is also penning a relationship drama for the broadcaster.

  • ITV1 to revisit Kelly and Her Sisters

    ITV1 is to revisit Marilyn Gaunt’s landmark Bafta-winning documentary Kelly and Her Sisters 10 years after it was first broadcast.

  • ITV1's Eternal Law loses 1m

    THURSDAY: ITV1’s angel lawyers drama, Eternal Law, lost more than a million viewers and was thrashed by a repeat of New Tricks on BBC1.

  • ITV4 extends Tour de France to 2015

    ITV has extended its existing deal for live coverage of the Tour de France until 2015 following a growing commitment to cycling.

  • ITVS to close Norwich base

    ITV is to close its production unit in Norwich, putting 35 jobs at risk.

  • Jay Hunt: C4’s chief mischief-maker

    After the off-screen drama of 2011, Channel 4 has ‘got its balls back’, according to its chief creative officer. Now it wants to get people talking.

  • Jonathan Ross returns with 2.9m

    SATURDAY: The Jonathan Ross Show returned to ITV1 with its second lowest ratings to date.

  • Jungle invests in Flame

    Post company the Jungle Group has bought two Flame systems (pictured) and 12 Fairlight mixing consoles as part of a studio refurbishment programme across its three Soho sites.

  • Kandola ties with Australian indie

    Jay Kandola, ITV’s former director of acquisitions, is to spearhead the European growth for an Australian production company – and has already made a pre-sale in the UK.

  • Law & Order beats Public Enemies

    FRIDAY: The return of ITV1’s Law & Order: UK beat the final part of BBC1 crime drama Public Enemies - as Celebrity Big Brother lost around 1m viewers.

  • Left Bank developing Mandela drama

    Nelson Mandela is to be the focus of a big budget mini-series co-developed by Left Bank Pictures.

  • Liverpool win nets 7.9m for BBC1

    WEDNESDAY: Liverpool’s narrow victory over Manchester City in the first leg of the League Cup semi-final peaked with more than 8m viewers.

  • Liz Murdoch to deliver 2012 MacTaggart

    Shine Group chief executive Elisabeth Murdoch is being lined up to give the MacTaggart lecture at this year’s Edinburgh International TV Festival.

  • Making TV by remote control

    Channel controllers’ iron grip is too much of a check on creativity and risk, says Gerri Gossage.

  • Manchester FA Cup derby nets 8m

    SUNDAY: ITV1’s coverage of the dramatic Manchester FA Cup derby peaked with more than 8m viewers and nearly half the total viewing population.

  • Marbella expats get Home makeovers

    UKTV’s Home has ordered a makeover series following members of the expat community working in the property industry in Marbella.

  • McGuinness secures second Saturday night spot on ITV1

    ITV1 is to hand Paddy McGuinness his second Saturday night entertainment vehicle: a celebrity panel show based on international events and TV clips.

  • Mentorn hires Scotland head

    Mentorn has hired a new head for its Scottish base after a gap of almost a year.

  • Netflix launches in the UK

    Netflix has launched in the UK offering subscribers access to a range of TV from partners including the BBC, ITV, Channel 4, All3Media, CBS, Disney and Viacom.

  • Netflix: single product focus will conquer UK

    Netflix believes its complete focus on a single product offering will ensure it succeeds in the UK market following its launch earlier this week.

  • New year sprint for ratings

    ITV1 and BBC1 quick out of the starting blocks with a host of new shows to kick off year of the Olympics.

  • New year’s resolution will be finding a fresh angle

    Partnerships must underpin continuing success in factual, says Mark Reynolds.

  • News Corp ties with Xbox

    The Simpsons, Family Guy and Glee are to be made available via Xbox games consoles following a deal between Microsoft and News Corporation.

  • North One Australia lands series with child star

    North One’s Aussie arm has won a commission to make a kids adventure series featuring ‘Australia’ child star Brandon Walters.

  • Objective in Sky 1 comedy first

    Objective Productions has won its first comedy commission for Sky 1 with a family sitcom about three generations living under one roof.

  • Off Cuts: Sky’s 3D money shot

    A UK first this weekend as Television X debuts, you guessed it, 3D porn.

  • Onsight adds new DI suite

    Onsight has opened a new DI reference suite at its post-production facility in Soho.

  • Piction puts down roots at The Greenhouse

    Brand design and illustration company Piction Media has opened an office at The Greenhouse at MediaCityUK.

  • Princess hires Endemol formats exec

    Princess Productions has strengthened its factual entertainment team with an Endemol format exec.

  • Public Enemies piles on 800k

    CONSOLIDATED: Nearly 800,000 people recorded BBC1 miniseries Public Enemies on its debut - but could not push it ahead of ITV1’s airing of Mamma Mia!.

  • Radio Fast Train tickets now available

    Places at the Radio Fast Train at the BBC Academy next month are now available.

  • Red Bee to relocate HQ to Ealing

    Red Bee Media is opening a new office in Ealing, with several departments that are currently located at the company’s Broadcast Centre base set to move later this year.

  • Ridley Scott to tackle Lincoln assassination for Nat Geo

    The assassination of US president Abraham Lincoln is to be recreated for a historical thriller by directors Ridley and Tony Scott.

  • Salford staff complain over Derbyshire

    Staff at BBC Radio 5 Live are understood to have complained over preferential treatment for presenter Victoria Derbyshire following the station’s move to Salford.

  • Secret Fortune wins extended run from BBC

    Wild Rover has won an extended order of BBC1 National Lottery show Secret Fortune for its third series.

  • Shamed Take Me Out contestant edited out of show

    Talkback Thames has edited the Take Me Out contestant with a criminal conviction from the Saturday’s instalment of the show.

  • Sherlock / Eternal Law / Suits

    Writer Matthew Barry and casting producer Victoria Howarth on fabulous Baker St, angels and a legal genius.

  • Sherlock finds another 2m

    Among the many different ways in which watching television is changing, the one that has suddenly caught fire after years of smouldering is recording via PVRs.

  • Sherlock tops 10m viewers

    CONSOLIDATED: Sherlock’s return to BBC1 was recorded by nearly 2m viewers, putting it just behind Pam St Clement’s exit from EastEnders as the most watched show of New Year’s Day.

  • Skins characters on Facebook for first time

    Skins characters are to interact with viewers via their own Facebook Pages for the first time following Channel 4’s reappointment of Somethin’ Else to create a social media presence for the drama.  

  • Sky Atlantic acquires Showtime’s House of Lies

    Sky Atlantic has swooped on the rights for a new US comedy starring Don Cheadle.

  • Sky buys 10% stake in Zeebox

    Sky has bought a 10% stake in social TV app firm Zeebox and will help roll out the service internationally and fund future product developments.

  • Sky’s Sammon joins Prebble’s Storyvault

    Sky’s former head of factual entertainment Mark Sammon has joined Stuart Prebble’s indie Storyvault Films.

  • Sky1’s Stella opens with 720k

    FRIDAY: Stella, the new comedy drama from Ruth Jones, debuted with double Sky1’s usual audience.

  • Something for the Weekend axing sparks 2,300 complaints

    Nearly 2,300 people have complained to the BBC over its plans to can Sunday morning show Something For The Weekend.

  • Syfy travels to NZ for fantasy drama

    A New Zealand fantasy drama about four brothers who inherit superpowers has been picked up for broadcast by Syfy.

  • The Exit List, ITV1

    Endless testing of our ambitious new format ensured everything would run smoothly when the cameras finally came in, says Tamara Gilder.

  • Time to redraw animation strategy

    Investor incentives must be a priority to keep the UK best in class, says Edward Glauser.

  • Tips: the art of the interview

    Bridget Osborne of the BBC Academy asks some of British TV and radio’s most seasoned interviewers how they get the most out of their guests.

  • Top 100 network programmes

    Find out who topped the ratings league table for network programming from 2-8 January and browse the top 100

  • Top 30 BBC2, Channel 4, Channel 5

    Find out the top 30 programmes on BBC2, Channel 4 and Channel 5 from 2-8 January as well as the performance of all the terrestrials across week 1.

  • Top 30 multichannel programmes

    Find out the top 30 multichannel programmes for 2-8 January as well as the share of viewing across digital homes.

  • Top consolidated programmes

    Find out which programmes gained the biggest audience through recording from 26 December - 1 January and browse the top titles.

  • VES nominations announced

    The Visual Effects Society (VES) has announced the nominees for its annual awards, with The Mill, Prime Focus, Jellyfish Pictures and BlueBolt among the UK firms to be included in the shortlist.

  • Victoria Wood writing new BBC drama

    Victoria Wood is penning a 90-minute film for BBC1 following her commercial and critical success with biopic Eric and Ernie.

  • What is Channel 4 actually for?

    Channel has become conservative and risk-averse, says Barry McFlynn.

  • YouTube and BPI plan music show

    YouTube and the BPI, the trade body for the British record industry, are planning to bypass traditional broadcasters by creating a high-profile weekly music show.

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