Wednesday round-up: Latest news, deals & hires

True North taps Twofour exec to lead development

UK producer True North has recruited Twfour’s Emily Ryder as its head of development.

Ryder will work alongside chief creative officer Katy Thorogood and creative directors Julie Beanland and Christian Hills to develop unscripted formats that can be made into returning series.

She succeeds Kieran McCarthy in the position, who joined Kalel Productions as executive director of development earlier this year. Read more

C4 orders South Shore’s Worlds Apart

Channel 4 has unveiled a South Shore adventure format teaming rookie travellers with seasoned globetrotters to embark on an international treasure hunt.

Worlds Apart (w/t) (5 x 60 minutes) pairs six pensioners with six young people who have never travelled independently before to compete in a game of observation for the chance to win £50,000.

In the show, the pairs will solve clues that take them across Japan, with their inter-generational relationship holding the key to victory as the journey requires teamwork, adaptability and perception as they will have to use every resource at their disposal to stay in the game. Read more

Michael Sheen urges greater support for underrepresented talent

Hollywood star Michael Sheen has made a call to action for greater long-term support for people entering the creative industries from underrepresented backgrounds.

Speaking in conversation with Jane Tranter for the opening session of this year’s Edinburgh TV Festival in the UK, Sheen reflected on the opportunities available to him to get into acting as a young person from Port Talbot, an “old steel town” in Wales, and how his experience compared with someone from a similar background trying to break into the industry today.

The Good Omens star lamented the lack of formal structures in place for young actors and talent entering the arts from underrepresented backgrounds, pointing out that many who come into the industry do so “quite late”. Read more