All Commissioning articles – Page 714

  • News

    Granada plans Xmas comedy

    2004-02-26T08:30:00Z

    The Granada team behind Bob Martin are making a comedy drama for ITV1.

  • News

    DG in charter special

    2004-02-26T08:30:00Z

    BBC acting director general Mark Byford is to put the case for Charter renewal on a special Panorama programme next month. The studio-based show, What's the Point of the BBC? , will also feature David Attenborough, David Elstein and Endemol ...

  • News

    US women's channel picks up Nighty Night

    2004-02-26T08:30:00Z

    BBC3's dark comedy Nighty Night has become the latest British comedy to cross the Atlantic after it was sold to a US cable network, writes Leigh Holmwood.

  • News

    Milligan to leave Five for BSkyB

    2004-02-26T08:30:00Z

    Five is set to lose its deputy chief executive, Nick Milligan, who is quitting to join BSkyB in a move that fuels speculation about a bid by Rupert Murdoch for the terrestrial channel, writes Conor Dignam.

  • News

    ITV nabs boat race

    2004-02-26T08:30:00Z

    ITV has poached the exclusive TV rights to the Oxford vs Cambridge Boat Race, which the BBC has been broadcasting since 1926. Sources said that both broadcasters offered similar amounts of money for the 2005 to 2009 package, but ITV had offered broader coverage, including a documentary in advance of ...

  • News

    Black writer to join the crouches team

    2004-02-26T08:30:00Z

    The BBC's first ever black sitcom, The Crouches , has been commissioned for a second series - but this time it will include a black writer. The BBC came under fire with the first series after it emerged that it had been written by a ...

  • News

    Ideal World in bid to expand factual fare

    2004-02-26T08:30:00Z

    Ideal World is looking to increase its contemporary factual output with the appointment of its first head of documentaries, writes Glen Mutel.

  • News

    Brainiac pilot being made for us channel

    2004-02-26T08:30:00Z

    Granada's Sky One science series Brainiac is to be made into a non-broadcast pilot for US channel The WB. The pilot will be managed out of Granada's LA office by head of production Sam Zoda. The executive producer is David Franzke, whose credits include MTV show ...

  • News

    BBC expands big cat week format

    2004-02-26T08:30:00Z

    The BBC is to follow up the success of its Big Cat Week of stripped programmes with a look at the lives of elephants and monkeys, writes Leigh Holmwood.

  • News

    BBC inks fresh three-year deal with RFL

    2004-02-26T08:30:00Z

    The BBC has signed a new three-year deal with the Rugby Football League (RFL) to show live coverage of the Powergen Challenge Cup from next year. The tournament will take place in the summer with the final in August. The BBC has also signed a four-year deal with the RFL ...

  • News

    Doubleband backed

    2004-02-26T08:30:00Z

    Channel 4 and the NIFTC/ Invest Company Development Fund are to put£165,000 into Belfast-based DoubleBand Films, as part of C4's Creative Cities programme. DoubleBand regularly pitches to C4 - its recent output for the channel includes George Best's Body, Seven Days that Shook Sven ...

  • News

    Mosaic films goes back underground

    2004-02-26T08:30:00Z

    Mosaic Films has been commissioned to produce a follow-up to its RTS award-winning series The Tube. ITV London commissioning editor Emma Barker has ordered the 6 x 30-minute series, which will go behind the scenes of the London Underground and follow staff's day-to-day activities. Will Grovewhile and Dan Waring will ...

  • News

    Novel joins pocoyo animation show

    2004-02-26T08:30:00Z

    Novel Entertainment has teamed up with Carlton International and Spanish animation company Zinkia Entertainment to develop and produce pre-school co-

  • News

    Secret Policeman among winners at RTS awards

    2004-02-26T08:30:00Z

    Mark Daly, the investigative reporter behind the acclaimed BBC documentary The Secret Policeman , has been awarded young journalist of the year by the Royal Television Society (RTS), writes Lisa Campbell.

  • News

    BBC Talent takes to the air

    2004-02-26T08:30:00Z

    BBC3 is to clear its schedule as part of a BBC-wide week of programming generated by its annual BBC Talent initiative.

  • News

    Halmi to be honoured for achievement

    2004-02-26T08:30:00Z

    Robert Halmi Sr, chairman of Hallmark Entertainment, is to be honoured with a lifetime achievement award at this year's MipTV market in Cannes. The veteran producer has over 200 made-for-TV movies, series and miniseries to his credit. He has also picked up 97 Emmy Awards and 13 Golden Globes for ...

  • News

    Adam lands leading role in Channel 4 sitcom

    2004-02-26T08:30:00Z

    Adam Buxton, one half of comedy duo Adam and Joe, will take the lead in a new six-part Channel 4 sitcom about a struggling Brighton-based rock band, writes Glen Mutel.

  • News

    Optomen to make C4 aristocrats doc

    2004-02-26T08:30:00Z

    Channel 4 has commissioned Optomen Television to make a documentary series about the Fulfords - an aristocratic family who have lived on the same country estate for 800 years. The series will chart the Fulfords' eccentric adventures, including their plans for celebrating their eighth century in residence. The show will ...

  • News

    C4I takes on HBO factual output

    2004-02-26T08:30:00Z

    Channel 4 International (C4I) has signed a deal with US pay-TV operator HBO to distribute over 200 hours of its factual programming, writes Glen Mutel.

  • News

    BBC4 gets extra£10m to make drama

    2004-02-26T08:30:00Z

    The BBC has confirmed an extra£10m annual boost for BBC4 to allow it to produce more homegrown drama, comedy and science programmes. The extra cash will take BBC4's overall budget to£40m. BBC3 by comparison has a budget of£97m. BBC4 controller Roly Keating said he was keen to develop more drama ...