All the latest news from the global content industry on Thursday, 14 May

 

Entertainment shake-up at UK’s Sky

Sky in the UK has rejigged its entertainment team with Shirley Jones appointed to a newly created role, Broadcast can reveal.

Jones, who is behind recent order The Dyers’ Caravan Park, has been made head of entertainment commissioning, leading the team and holding responsibility for commissioning all entertainment programmes. The news was communicated to staff via an internal memo from executive director of original unscripted Phil Edgar Jones.

Her ascension comes as Sky kicks off a recruitment drive for three roles within the entertainment team. The pay-TV giant is seeking a development executive, development producer and executive producer to support the development and commissioning of sky originals.

Separately, entertainment commissioner Barbara Lee has decided to step down from her position after 14 years with Sky. Broadcast reported last month that fellow commissioner Dwayne Eaton has also departed the broadcaster.

 

WBD unveils 225 shows at Upfronts

Warner Bros Discovery-owned cable networks have unveiled 225 new and returning shows at its Upfronts, totaling 3,000 hours of content.

The US networks division - housing the likes of Discovery Channel and Food Network - have greenlit 98 new series, alongside additional seasons of 127 returning titles.

Key titles range from Discovery Channel’s new Shark Week special KPop Shark Heroes, to Food Network’s 100 Cooks and Wildcard Kitchen: High Rollers at Sea.

Adult Swim is behind adult animated comedy President Curtis, while HGTV’s short-term rental rescue series Roast My Rental has been ordered alongside Investigation Discovery’s true crime docuseries Game Day Murders (wt).

 

BBC orders doc for veteran sitcom 

A special BBC1 documentary will celebrate 20 years of sitcom Not Going Out, co‑written by and starring Lee Mack.

The show’s producer Avalon will also produce Twenty Years of Not Going Out (w/t), featuring the funniest moments and classic clips from over 100 episodes of the longest‑running British sitcom currently on air.

It will also include never‑before‑seen outtakes, and feature Mack, fellow cast and the creative team sharing behind‑the‑scenes stories, including of the forthcoming 15th series.