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

Tag Archive: Mark Downie

  1. IWC to Make New Location Shows for Channel 4

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    IWC, a Banijay Group company, today announces it has been commissioned to make 18×60’ episodes of Location, Location, Location: 20 Years in the Making (w/t) for Channel 4.

     

    In the 20th anniversary year of the hit show, Location, Location, Location: 20 Years in the Making (w/t) will bring together some of our most memorable stories from the past offering up the social history, from bust to boom and back, of house buying in Britain over a generation. Each episode will explore a theme, from the toughest markets over the years and the times people have questioned whether it’s a good time to buy a property, to million-pound homes and first-time buying.

     

    Punctuating some of our top home search stories, there will be new stats, giving rundowns on how buying property has changed over the years. Crucially though, each programme will be naturally filled with the energy and tone we’ve come to know and love from the series. Lots of lovely properties, lots of tricky searches and lots of fun from Kirstie and Phil.

     

    Mark Downie, Creative Director of IWC said:“Over the last twenty years, on Phil and Kirstie’s watch, property became a British national obsession. This new series offers their peerless perspective on how, over two decades, the dips and swoops of the property market have transformed Britain and by extension changed the lives of every one of us.

     

    At IWC, like our peers across the industry, we are using innovative and creative ways to continue to make programming for our buyers, whilst adhering to social distancing and lockdown measures.”.

     

    The filming of the next series of Location, Location, Locationhas been pushed back in light of government advice and in order to protect our presenters, contributors and crew. The production continues to safely run a core team and IWC is looking forward to taking on the challenges of new house-hunters as soon as conditions allow.

     

    The series has been commissioned by Deborah Dunnett, commissioning editor Channel 4, and is Executive Produced by Gerard Costello for IWC.  Location, Location, Location: 20 Years in the Making, will be distributed globally by Banijay Rights.

  2. IWC’s The Big Scottish Book Club Returns to BBC Scotland

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    IWC, a Banijay Group company, has been commissioned to make another 8×60’ series of arts show, The Big Scottish Book Club, for BBC Scotland. Produced in Glasgow, the second run follows the critical success of the first season.

    The Big Scottish Book Club will return with award-winning author Damian Barr, who once again will interview acclaimed writers from the worlds of fiction, non-fiction and poetry, to discuss their work on stage in front of a live audience. Filmed in different locations around Scotland, each episode has a theme, from love to loss, survival to betrayal, allowing Barr to delve into, not only the writer’s books, but their own personal stories.

    Series one had a high-profile line-up of guests from Scotland, the UK and the wider world including Ian Rankin, Graham Norton, Marian Keyes, David Nicholls, John Niven, Denise Mina, and Janice Galloway.

    Damian Barr said: “I’m delighted that viewers had as much fun watching The Big Scottish Book Club as we had making it. So many folk fell in love with books they might never have picked up otherwise and that’s just the best! I’m delighted that BBC Scotland is bringing us back for a second series. We promise more exclusive readings, book club visits and conversations with the best writers from across Scotland and around the world.”

    Commissioning Editor at BBC Scotland Gareth Hydes said: “I’m delighted that we’ve been able to double the number of episodes of The Big Scottish Book Club when it returns to BBC Scotland later in the year for a second series.  Damian and the whole team delivered a terrific show full of world-class writers and poets. It was packed full of knowledge and all delivered with such an infectious enthusiasm that left us all wanting more.”

    Mark Downie, Creative Director of IWC said: “Damian’s exceptional talent and reputation as a writer and interviewer meant this literary show, made in Scotland, was host to truly world-class guests and international bestsellers. We look forward to continuing this high calibre exploration into the next series for BBC Scotland, which shares our passion for getting people talking about reading.”

    The Big Scottish Book Club was commissioned by Gareth Hydes, Commissioning Editor for BBC Scotland, and is Executive Produced by Mark Downie and Pauline Law for IWC. The Big Scottish Book Club is distributed globally by Banijay Rights.

  3. Pauline Law Appointed Head of Factual for IWC

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    IWC, a Banijay Group company, today announces  Pauline Law will be joining the business as Head of Factual, overseeing a slate of factual programming, and bolstering IWC’s production office in Glasgow.

    Law joins IWC from BBC Scotland, where from 2017 she was Head of Multiplatform Production, and responsible for 300 members of staff, including teams in Music, Entertainment, Events, Digital, and the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra. During this time, she led a Development team that won over 80 new commissions, including Emeli Sande’s Street Symphony and Susan Calman’s Fringe Benefits for the new BBC Scotland channel, also Executive Producing Arts content such as Beginning, the channel launch film with Chvrches.

    From 2013 to 2017, Law was Executive Producer, BBC Scotland Factual/BBC Studios Pacific Quay Productions. Here she delivered a range of arts and music programmes, including award-winning films for BBC Two such as The Marvellous World of Roald Dahl, and Terry Pratchett: Back in Black, and for BBC Scotland, Billy Connolly: Portrait of a Lifetime and The Proclaimers: This is the Story. Other roles she has held include: Arts Lead, BBC Scotland, Channel Executive, BBC Two/BBC Four and Series Producer, BBC Scotland Arts.

    As Head of Factual, Law will report to Creative Director, Mark Downie, and work closely with him to build on IWC’s reputation as one of Scotland’s leading independent production companies, that produce much-loved series such as Location, Location, Location and Susan Calman’s Secret Scotland to critically acclaimed documentaries such as The Importance of Being Oscar and Lost Films of World War Two. Her appointment is part of IWC’s commitment to making quality programming out of Scotland by expanding its operations in Glasgow and driving the creation of ambitious new ideas in order to increase its Specialist Factual, Popular Factual and Fact Ent production.

    Mark Downie, Creative Director of IWC said: “Pauline is a hugely experienced and highly respected programme maker with an especially impressive track record in music and arts. The fantastic range of programmes she has created and made makes her an ideal hire for our Glasgow office, at a time where there are numerous, exciting opportunities for programme making outside of London. We look forward to welcoming her into our team.”

    Pauline Law added: “I’m delighted to be joining IWC at this exciting time for broadcasting in Scotland. IWC already have such a fantastic range of programmes from popular factual brands to arts and music documentaries. Mark immediately got my creative juices flowing when he approached me about joining the team.  I’m so looking forward to working with IWC on their current commissions and to creating new shows for audiences across the UK and beyond, made out of Glasgow. “

  4. The Big Scottish Book Club on BBC Scotland

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    The Big Scottish Book Club is to be hosted by award-winning author Damian Barr.

     

    Produced by IWC, a Banijay Group company, the new four x 60 series will air later this year on the BBC Scotland channel.

     

    Filmed in two different locations, each week Barr will meet a trio of acclaimed writers from the worlds of fiction, non-fiction and poetry. Some may be from the place where the show is filmed, or their work reflects it; others will be famous writers with a less obvious connection, and some will be literature-loving celebrities who can talk passionately about the works that have played a role in their lives. Each episode will be filmed as live and performed in front of an audience.  This show celebrates books and authors from around the world and shines a spotlight on Scottish Writers.

     

    There will also be items with local book lovers in each episode, with details of the places and contributors to be featured to be announced at a later date.

     

    The format of the show is inspired by Damian Barr’s renowned Literary Salon, currently resident at London’s Savoy Hotel.

     

    As host of the salon, Newarthill-born Barr has interviewed a diverse range of established and emerging names from the literary world ranging from Bret Easton Ellis to Armistead Maupin, Susan Calman, Ian Rankin, Kirsty Wark, Aminatta Forna, Yaa Gasi, Juno Dawson, Caitlin Moran, Alan Cumming and Sathnam Sanghera.

     

    Damian Barr said: “Book sales are higher than ever and book groups continue to flourish (ok, drinking wine and occasionally talking about books). From Wigtown to Aye Write and Edinburgh International, Scotland has some of the best and busiest book festivals in the world. And we’ve given the world some of its finest writers. I’m delighted to host the Big Scottish Book Club and invite everyone to join our conversation, readers and writers across the country and the world. Books are for everyone and so is this show.”

     

    Commissioning executive at BBC Scotland Gareth Hydes said: “In conjunction with Damian and IWC, we have worked to give his renowned salon sessions a Scottish twist for the new channel. There are a lot of great Scottish books and authors to discuss and invite onto the show, but it will also feature the international best sellers, which have got everyone talking.”

     

    Mark Downie, Creative Director of IWC said: “Ever since, as a fan, I first attended Damian’s legendary Literary Salon, I’ve wanted to find a way to bring his electrifying passion for books and beguiling skills as an interviewer to a TV audience. Thanks to the BBC Scotland channel we now can. As a Scottish producer, we are all thrilled to be making a world class series that celebrates Scottish literature for a channel that seeks to reflect the people of Scotland in all their diversity. Our mission with this series is to inspire the whole country to get reading and create a book group for the entire nation, which everyone is welcome to join.”

     

    Damian Barr’s Big Scottish Book Club was commissioned by Gareth Hydes, Commissioning Editor for BBC Scotland and is Executive Produced by Mark Downie for IWC. Damian Barr’s Big Scottish Book Club is distributed globally by Banijay Rights.