Banijay is the world's largest independent content creation Group for television and multimedia platforms. Banijay is present in 16 territories.
Banijay is the world's largest independent content creation Group for television and multimedia platforms. Banijay is present in 16 territories.

Tag Archive: Channel 5

  1. Banijay Rights Takes The Hardacres From Rags to Riches

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    Banijay Rights, the global distribution arm of Banijay Entertainment, today announces landmark acquisitions of major new six-part period drama series The Hardacres ahead of MIPCOM 2024 in Cannes next week.

    In deals negotiated across the Banijay Rights global sales team, The Hardacres has been acquired by BritBoxin Australia, TVNZ in New Zealand, TV4 Sweden, MTV in Finland, DR in Denmark, RTÉ in Ireland, BBC Firstin Benelux and, as previously announced, Movistar Plus+ in Spain. Dazzler Media has acquired home entertainment rights for the series in UK.

    Produced by Playground (Wolf Hall: The Mirror and the Light, All Creatures Great and Small), in association with Screen Ireland, Red Berry Productions and Newgrange Pictures for Channel 5 in the UK, the 6 x 60’ series chronicles the lives, loves and fortunes of the working-class Hardacre family as they move from a grimy fish dock to a vast country estate in 1890s Yorkshire, England.

    Cathy Payne, CEO, Banijay Rights and Executive Producer, said: “The Hardacres is a sprawling and captivating saga that follows an ordinary family on their rags to riches journey into an extraordinary new world. We’re delighted this series will form part of our exciting line-up of new scripted fare at MIPCOM 2024.

    David Stern, Joint Managing Director, Playground, said: “Inspired by CL Skelton’s epic novels, audiences will undoubtedly fall in love with and root for the Hardacre family as they try to answer the age-old question: Can money truly buy happiness? At its core, The Hardacres is a bold, gutsy, funny and incredibly heartwarming story about a family trying to do their best and stay together in a world that doesn’t always seem to share their values, all enhanced by the remarkable talent in front of and behind the camera which we cannot wait for viewers to experience for themselves.”

    The Hardacres was filmed on location in Dublin and Wicklow, Ireland, and was adapted for television by Amy Roberts and Loren McLaughlan (The Winter King, Call the Midwife) who serve as Lead Writers and Executive Producers. They are joined by Emma Reeves (The Worst Witch) who wrote episode three, and Liz Lake (Waterloo Road) who wrote episode four. Rachel Carey (Deadly Cuts) is Lead Director.

    The Hardacre family consists of Claire Cooper (The Continental, The Peripheral) and Liam McMahon (Hunger, The Secret, Warrior Nun) as loving married couple Mary and Sam Hardacre, alongside Julie Graham (Time, Ridley, Penance), as Mary’s wily mother, Ma, and their three kids, Joe, Liza, and Harry, played by Adam Little (Ackley Bridge, Coronation Street), newcomer Shannon Lavelle and Zak Ford-Williams (Better, Bridgerton).

    The series, commissioned by Deputy Chief Content Officer, Paramount UK, Sebastian Cardwell, alongside Paul Testar, Commissioning Editor, Drama, Channel 5 and Paramount+, is produced by Alex Jones (Witness Number 3, Penance) and co-produced by Jackie Larkin (Strike, Mrs Wilson); Executive Producers are Sir Colin Callender CBE (All Creatures Great and Small, The Undeclared War) and David Stern (Howards End, The Last Tycoon) for Playground, Lesley McKimm (My Name is Emily, Sunlight) for Red Berry Productions, Cathy Payne and Simon Cox for Banijay Rights and Nada Cirjanic and Andrew Byrne for Screen Ireland.

    The Hardacres is one of several scripted highlights on Banijay Entertainment’s slate for MIPCOM 2024, which includes Wolf Hall: The Mirror and the Light and the re-imagining of iconic detective drama Bergerac. The company will exhibit at C.20 at MIPCOM 2024.

  2. Channel 5 Greenlights 6-Part Drama ‘The Feud’, Starring Jill Halfpenny and Rupert Penry-Jones, from Lonesome Pine Productions

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    Channel 5 today announce brand-new domestic thriller, The Feud (6×60’), starring Jill Halfpenny and Rupert Penry-Jones. Produced by Lonesome Pine Productions, in association with Banijay Rights and North East Screen.

    The Feud introduces Emma and John Barnett, played by Jill Halfpenny (The Cuckoo, The Long Shadow, Everything I Know About Love) and Rupert Penry-Jones (Spooks, Our House, The Drowning), who, along with their teenage daughter Beth, played by newcomer Megan Trower, appear to live an idyllic life on Shelbury Drive. They’re close friends with their neighbours, Sonia and Alan, played by Amy Nuttall (Downton Abbey, Chemistry of Death, Mr Bates vs The Post Office) and Ray Fearon (Fleabag, Barbie, Harry Potter), and despite their foibles, are also fond of older couple, Derek and Barbara, played by James Fleet (Unforgotten, Bridgerton, Vicar of Dibley) and Tessa Peake-Jones (Grantchester, Only Fools and Horses, Unforgotten).

    The close friendships in this seemingly peaceful street prove to be not quite as harmonious as they seem. When Emma and John decide to add a kitchen extension to their house, things quickly start to spin drastically out of control. As objections to the plans are raised, unexpected skeletons and life-threatening secrets begin to rise to the surface. Laced with menace, The Feud reveals how Emma’s aspirational dream turns sharply into obsession, paranoia, and fear. One decision sets in motion events that have unforeseeable consequences for both her and the people living on her street.

    Further cast include Jamie-Lee O’Donnell (Derry Girls, Screw, Unwelcome) as scorned police officer PC Gallagher, Larry Lamb (The Inheritance, Gavin and Stacey, EastEnders) as Emma’s wheeler-dealer father Terry, Alex Macqueen(The Inbetweeners, The Thick of It, Hijack) as oddball neighbour Nick, and Chris Gascoyne (Coronation Street, New Street Law, Moving On) as intimidating builder Lee. Judith Alexander (The Crown, Coronation Street, Walk Like a Panther), Joel Beckett (The Office, EastEnders, Casualty), and newcomers Luke Hammond and Joel Kai Ali round off The Feud’s cast.

    The Feud has been ordered for Channel 5 by Paul Testar, Commissioning Editor, Drama, Channel 5.

    Written and created by Aschlin Ditta (The Inheritance, The Catherine Tate Show, Doc Martin), the series will be directed by Andy de Emmony (Vigil, Lucky Man, The Nest) with Lesley Douglas producing for Lonesome Pine Productions. Aschlin Ditta and Andy de Emmony will also executive produce the series, with Banijay Rights onboard for international distribution and funding by North East Screen Industries Partnership delivered by North East Screen.

    On filming The Feud, Jill Halfpenny comments: “The spiral that we see Emma’s world take in The Feud, from one seemingly innocent situation to life altering revelations, is something I can’t wait to dive into! Getting to work in the Northeast with the teams at Channel 5 and Lonesome Pine, along with the rest of this brilliant cast, is a joy.”

    On adding the series to Channel 5’s critically acclaimed drama slate, Paul Testar says: “Neighbourly disputes happen every day. The Feud takes that premise and runs with it to its extreme limit. What starts as an innocuous renovation triggers an extraordinary sequence of events. We’re excited to work with the wonderful team at Lonesome Pine again to bring this great story and stellar cast to the Channel 5 audience.”

    Does Emma know the people around her as well as she thinks? Who is hiding behind facades, who is manipulating events, and who is simply exactly who they appear to be? A drama full of paranoia, The Feud has started filming in Newcastle and is set to air on Channel 5 in 2025.

  3. Casting Announced for Channael 5’s Rags to Riches Drama ‘The Hardacres’

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    Casting has been announced for The Hardacres, a major new 6 x 60’ period drama for Channel 5 from Playground, the award-winning production company behind the internationally acclaimed hit series All Creatures Great and Small. Currently filming on location in Dublin and Wicklow, Ireland, the new series is based on CL Skelton’s best-selling series of novels ‘The Hardacre Saga’.  The novels are the number 1 bestseller in the Amazon Family Saga Kindle charts in the UK, US and Australia and Top 15 Bestseller across all Amazon Kindle titles in the US and UK. Global partners Banijay Rights will handle international distribution for the series.

    The Hardacres is a sweeping rags to riches story that  follows the lives, loves and fortunes of the working class Hardacre family as they move from a grimy fish dock to a vast country estate in 1890’s Yorkshire.

    A bold, gutsy ensemble family drama full of heart, The Hardacres places an ordinary family in an extraordinary position and explores the age-old question – can money ever buy true happiness?

    The Hardacre family consists of Claire Cooper (The Continental, The Peripheral) and Liam McMahon (Hunger, The Secret, Warrior Nun) as loving married couple Mary and Sam Hardacre, who land on hard times following an accident at work on the docks, which leaves them unemployed and broke. Alongside, Julie Graham (Time, Ridley, Penance), starring as Mary’s  wily mother, Ma, and their three kids, Joe, Liza, and Harry, played by Adam Little (Ackley Bridge, Coronation Street), newcomer Shannon Lavelle and Zak Ford-Williams (Better), the family band together to think fast with a business venture that will free them from their humble existence on the North Yorkshire Coast and catapult them into high society.

    Also joining the series are Holly Sturton (The School for Good and Evil) as Adella, Cathy Belton (Miss Scarlet & The Duke,The Catch, Philomena) as Emma and Owen Roe (Michael Collins, Vikings, Penny Dreadful) as George, making up the well to do Fitzherbert Family and new neighbours of The Hardacres. Ingrid Craigie (Blood, Blackshore, You Are Not My Mother) is housekeeper Mrs Dryden,with Siobhan O’Kelly (The Tourist S2) as Lena and Taheen Modak (The Bay) as Saunders.

    The Hardacres has been created for television by Amy Roberts and Loren McLaughlan (The Winter King, Call the Midwife) who will serve as Lead Writers and Executive Producers. They are joined by Emma Reeves (The Worst Witch) who will write episode 3, and Liz Lake (Waterloo Road) who will write episode 4. Rachel Carey (Deadly Cuts) is Lead Director of Episodes 1-3. And Kieron J Walsh will direct Episodes 4-6.

    The series is produced by Playground (All Creatures Great and Small, Wolf Hall, Howards End, The Undeclared War) in association with Screen Ireland, Red Berry Productions and Newgrange Pictures.

    The series, commissioned by Deputy Chief Content Officer, Paramount UK, Sebastian Cardwell, alongside Paul Testar, Commissioning Editor, Drama, Channel 5 and Paramount+, will be produced by Alex Jones (Witness Number 3, Penance) and co-produced by Jackie Larkin (Strike, Mrs Wilson); Executive Producers are Sir Colin Callender CBE (All Creatures Great and Small, The Undeclared War) and David Stern (Howards End, The Last Tycoon) for Playground, Lesley McKimm (My Name is Emily, Sunlight) for Red Berry Productions, Cathy Payne and Simon Cox for Banijay Rights and Andrew Byrne for Screen Ireland.

    The Hardacres is planned for transmission in 2024.

    David Stern, Executive Producer and Joint Managing Director of Playground says: “We’re incredibly excited to have found a cast that embodies and enhances the spirit, humour and humanity that leaps off the page in both the original novels and the brilliant scripts by Amy, Loren, Liz and Emma. Audiences will undoubtedly fall in love with our fantastic group of actors, made up of both seasoned talent and exciting new faces, as they bring this spirited and sweeping rags to riches saga to life on screen.”

    Simon Cox, Executive Producer and EVP Content & Acquisitions, Banijay Rights, says: “We fell in love with the world of The Hardacres from the first read of the scripts and we’re delighted with the ensemble cast that Playground has assembled. We’re in no doubt international audiences will enjoy embarking on the journey with this talented family of actors.”

  4. Channel 5 Greenlights ‘The Hardacares’, A New Drama From The Makers Of ‘All Creatures Great And Small’

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    From Playground, the award-winning production company behind the internationally acclaimed hit series All Creatures Great and Small, comes a new six-part period drama for Channel 5 based on CL Skelton’s best-selling series of novels ‘The Hardacre Saga’.

    The Hardacres chronicles the sweeping rags to riches story of a working class family in 1890s Yorkshire. A sprawling family saga, the series follows the lives, loves and fortunes of the Hardacre family as they move from a grimy fish dock to a vast country estate.

    When an accident at work on the docks lands Sam and Mary Hardacre – along with their three kids Joe, Liza and Harry, and Mary’s inimitable mother Ma – unemployed and destitute, they have to think fast. In a bid to avoid the workhouse, the driven and determined Hardacres put their last penny into a radical business venture they hope will free them from their harsh existence on the quays of the North Yorkshire coast.

    A bold, gutsy ensemble family drama full of heart, The Hardacres places an ordinary family in an extraordinary position and explores the age-old question – can money ever buy true happiness?

    The Hardacres has been created for television by Amy Roberts and Loren McLaughlan (The Winter King, Call the Midwife) who will serve as Lead Writers and Executive Producers. They are joined by Emma Reeves (The Worst Witch) who will write episode 3, and Liz Lake (Waterloo Road) who will write episode 4. Rachel Carey (Deadly Cuts) is Lead Director.

    The series is produced by Playground (Wolf Hall, Howards End) in association with Screen Ireland, Red Berry Productions, and Newgrange Pictures. Global partners Banijay Rights will handle international distribution.

    The series, commissioned by Deputy Chief Content Officer, Paramount UK, Sebastian Cardwell, alongside Paul Testar, Commissioning Editor, Drama, Channel 5 and Paramount+, will be produced by Alex Jones (Witness Number 3, Penance) and co-produced by Jackie Larkin (Strike, Mrs Wilson); Executive Producers are Sir Colin Callender CBE (All Creatures Great and Small, The Undeclared War) and David Stern (Howards End, The Last Tycoon) for Playground, Lesley McKimm (My Name is Emily, Sunlight) for Red Berry Productions, Cathy Payne and Simon Cox for Banijay Rights and Andrew Byrne for Screen Ireland.

    The Hardacres will be filmed on location in Ireland later this year and casting will be announced in the coming weeks.

  5. Susan Calman to Uncover More of Scotland’s Secrets with IWC and Motion Content Group for Channel 5

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    IWC, a Banijay company, and Motion Content Group, today announce Channel 5 has commissioned a third, extended 10×60’ seriesoffactual entertainment show, Secret Scotland.

     

    Susan Calman is back for another awe-inspiring journey around her native Scotland, getting private tours of iconic Scottish spots, uncovering hidden secrets of the past and present, and gaining special access to magnificent castles.

     

    In this third series, Susan will be visiting ten more stunning locations, from quiet countryside to brooding coastline, and from the East Neuk of Fife to the Western Isles. Along the way, she will take an in-depth look at the history, people and traditions of the area, and try her hand at learning some ancient skills.

     

    This longer series is building on the ratings success of Secret Scotland season two, which peaked at an audience of 1.6 million.

     

    Gerard Costello, Executive Producer at IWC said: “Scotland is home to some of Britain’s most beautiful locations, and having our series extended to ten episodes means that we can explore even more of what it has to offer, with Susan’s warmth and humour making her the perfect guide.”

     

    Guy Davies, Commissioning Editor, Channel 5 said: “It’s great to see Susan back on Channel 5 with even more secrets and hidden gems from her latest journey around Scotland. It’s business as usual with lots of laughs and fascinating people to liven up our lives in this unusual year, as the nights draw in.”

     

    The series has been commissioned by Guy Davies, Commissioning Editor, Channel 5, and is Executive Produced by Gerard Costello for IWC and Melanie Darlaston for Motion Content Group. Secret Scotland will be distributed globally by Banijay Rights.

  6. Banijay Rights Acquires Premium Feature Doc Thomas Markle: My Story

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    Banijay Rights, the leading distribution arm of Banijay Group, today announces that it has successfully acquired the rights to the exclusive Thomas Markle: My Story, featuring up-to-the-minute, first person insight into the one of the biggest international news stories this year; the decision by the Duke and Duchess of Sussex to step down from royal duties.

    The just-inked deal sees Banijay Rights secure the international rights to Thomas Markle: My Story (1 x 90 mins) from Alaska TV for Channel 5, excluding US and Canada. Commissioned by Daniel Pearl (Leaving Neverland) and executive produced by double BAFTA award-winning Paul Sommers, this sensitive and respectful one-off special will air on Channel 5 in the UK today (22 January).

    Coming bang up to date with reaction to the most recent worldwide headlines, Meghan Markle’s father, Thomas Markle, is telling his side of the story for the first ever time in this premium feature documentary.

    With first person testimony and his never-before-seen archive of stills and videos of Meghan, he will reveal his version of events which led him to be the Grandfather of a boy he has never met but is seventh in line to be King of the United Kingdom.

    Andreas Lemos, Commercial Director, Factual at Banijay Rights, comments, “We are thrilled to be bringing this remarkable historical record to international broadcasters and platforms worldwide which comes from an experienced and award-winning creative team. Set to be one of the most headline making feature documentaries of the year, this is first and foremost a stunning and poignant film from a father to his daughter, as she and her husband step down from royal duties, offering a unique insight into the decision that shocked the world.”

    Paul Sommers, Managing Director, Alaska TV, said, “Being able to make a high-quality feature documentary which balances revelation and sensitivity, on such a global and topical current news story, is something we are very proud of.”

  7. Banijay Rights And Proper Contents In First Look Development Pact

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    Banijay Rights, the leading distribution arm of Banijay Group, has signed a multi-year, first look development deal with UK factual specialist Proper Content to develop and produce series for the UK and international markets.

     

    The first three titles to spring from this brand new agreement are Suicidal: In Our Own Words (1 x 90’) and How You Can Help Stop Suicide (1 x 30’) both for Channel 5 and airing on 10th September; with new series The School That Tried To End Racism [WT] (2 x 60’) for Channel 4. Proper Content also has a number of other exciting new projects in the pipeline with the BBC.

     

    Led by Creative Director, David DeHaney, Proper Content is a UK independent production company launched in 2016 specialising in distinctive and talked-about factual entertainment and documentary programming.

     

    David launched Proper Content in October 2016, before that he held senior positions in some of the UK’s leading production companies including Love Productions, BBC, Nutopia, RDF, Darlow Smithson, Victory Television, Granada Television and Maverick.  He has been an integral part of numerous domestic and international hits including Tough Young Teachers (BBC), The Woman Who Woke Up Chinese (BBC), Britain’s Gay Footballers (BBC), The Baby Borrowers (BBC) and Young, Autistic and Stagestruck (Channel 4) to name a few.

     

    David DeHaney said, “It’s a really exciting time to be working with Banijay at such a pivotal moment for Proper, we’re looking forward to a really fruitful collaboration.”

     

    Adam Black Senior Factual Acquisitions Executive at Banijay Rights commented, ‘’We’re really looking forward to working with David and his team at Proper Content with some truly great projects already under their belt. We are delighted to be able to help grow Proper Content, enabling the company to develop even more unique productions that have both UK and international resonance.   This new relationship with another exciting UK indie again highlights our ongoing strategy to build our portfolio of outstanding third party production partners.”

     

    The deal was brokered off the back of both parties meeting during the Indielab Accelerator earlier this year. IndieLab is the leading growth programme in the UK TV sector, helping independent production companies to scale-up and super-charge their growth. Banijay Rights is a major sponsor of the programme.

     

    Suicidal: In Our Own Words – 1 x 90’ for C5

    This feature-length documentary explores the crisis in male mental health through the eyes, emotions and experiences of six suicidal men. For the first time, a programme follows men during a suicidal episode; the men’s journeys begin at the moment they want to try and die, and the film documents the complex, and challenging road to recovery as they are supported by a remarkable NHS team.

     

    How You Can Help Stop Suicide? (1 x 30’)

    This one-off film offers support and advice to anyone struggling with their mental health or concerned about a loved one’s state of mind. The film features expert voices from the charity sector as well as the NHS, each of them with extensive experience in the area of suicide. The film provides practical and accessible advice to anyone struggling, suggesting coping strategies as well as signposting individuals to relevant organisations. The film also hears briefly from men that have come out the other side of a suicidal crisis, as well as a young woman who faced the loss of her father.

     

    The School That Tried To End Racism (W/T) – 2 x 60’ for C4

    This bold and engaging new series will explore a ground-breaking school’s programme that tests for unconscious racial bias in an ordinary class of 11 to 12-year-old pupils. The School That Tried To End Racism (w/t) (2×60’) is based on a pioneering American scheme and will be led by leading Multicultural Education academics and scientists where pupils will take part in games, exercises and activities, both in and out of the classroom, that will challenge everything they thought they knew about race.

  8. IWC To Produce World’s Greatest War Ships For Channel 5

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    IWC, a Banijay Group company, today announces it has been commissioned to make a 3×60’ documentary series, World’s Greatest War Ships for Channel 5, scheduled to transmit later this year.

    The series will tell the story of the most iconic warships from 1900 to the present day, and will look at the engineering breakthroughs that allowed them to become genuine game-changers and play leading roles in the greatest naval battles of the past century.  Each episode will focus on a specific class of vessel: Dreadnoughts, Word War II Destroyers and Aircraft Carriers.

    Using archive, expert interviews and CGI, World’s Greatest War Ships will focus on iconic ships in all three classes, and tell the story of pivotal naval engagements such as Jutland, Iwo Jima, The Cuban Missile Crisis, Vietnam, Pearl Harbour, Korea, Desert Storm, and the Battle of the North Atlantic.

    Dominic Bowles, Executive Producer at IWC said: “World’s Greatest War Ships will celebrate some of the most incredible naval engineering feats in history.  With Channel 5, we will not only showcase the design and engineering that made these craft so special, but also tell the story of modern naval warfare.”

    World’s Greatest Warships was commissioned by Guy Davies at Channel 5, and Executive Produced by IWC’s Dominic Bowles. World’s Greatest Warships is distributed globally by Banijay Rights.

  9. Susan Calman Continues to Explore Secret Scotland for Channel 5

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    Following the success of Secret Scotland earlier in the year, today Channel 5 announces the series has been recommissioned for a second series.

     

    The 6×60 travel series from IWC Media, a Banijay Group company, and Motion Content Group sees presenter, Susan Calman discover the big stories and the untold tales behind Scotland’s beloved spots, with privileged access to some of Scotland’s most famous locations. In a warm, light-hearted but always informative journey, Secret Scotland looks in-depth at the history, characters and treasures hidden in these stunning spots.

     

    This series is set to feature six new areas in Scotland and will air later this year on Channel 5.

     

    Susan Calman said:

    “I was delighted with the response to the first series and I am so excited to get back on the road to show Channel 5 viewers what else this beautiful country has to offer”

     

    Guy Davies, Factual Commissioning Editor Factual said:

    “Susan was a great success with our viewers in the first series earlier this year and we can’t wait for her to bring back her wit, insight, enthusiasm and sense of fun in a second run of this lively travelogue”

     

    Executive Producer at IWC Media, Gerard Costello, said:

    “We are thrilled that Susan is continuing with her wonderful journeys around Scotland, where there are many more places, and their secrets, left to explore. Susan is full of curiosity about her homeland and we know her natural humour and enthusiasm will be a joy to watch once again. ”

     

    Executive Producer at Motion Content Group, Melanie Darlaston commented:

    “What a fun way to discover the best of Scotland. With her infectious enthusiasm and sense of humour, Susan really is the perfect host.”