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.
Comments Off on Banijay Rights Lands First Screw Deals
Banijay Rights, the global distribution arm of Banijay, today announces the first sales of gripping new prison drama Screw.
Following the six-part drama’s premiere on Channel 4 in the UK on 6th January, Screw has been acquired by SVOD service BritBox in Australia and public broadcaster TVNZ in New Zealand. Both BritBox and TNVZ will launch the series later this year.
Produced by STV Studios for Channel 4 and from BAFTA-nominated writer Rob Williams (The Victim, Killing Eve), Screw (6 x 60’) is a prison drama like no other, told through the embattled, inspiring officers who work at Long Marsh men’s prison.
In charge of C-Wing is Leigh Henry (Nina Sosanya), a career officer who’d do anything for her prisoners – but she has a secret that if discovered, could cost her the job – and even her liberty. With the arrival of fiery new recruit Rose Gill (Jamie-Lee O’Donnell), part of the Governor’s mission to replace long-time staff with fresh meat, Leigh must risk everything in her fight to hold onto the job that defines her.
Kell Hoddinott, VP Sales, Australia and New Zealand, Banijay Rights, said: “Screw is one of those rare dramas that perfectly blends the tough reality of life behind bars with dark humour in abundance. With an exceptional cast and a stellar storyline from Rob Williams, we are thrilled to secure this series in Australia and New Zealand and take it to a wider audience.”
Screw was commissioned by Caroline Hollick, Channel 4 Head of Drama, and overseen by Gemma Boswell, Channel 4 Commissioning Editor. Rob Williams is Creator, Lead Writer and Executive Producer, with Karla Crome and Roanne Bardsley completing the writing team. Sarah Brown is Executive Producer for STV Studios (The Victim, Elizabeth is Missing), Brian Kaczynski is Producer (The Cry, Peaky Blinders) while Tom Vaughan (Dr Foster) and Jordan Hogg (Ackley Bridge) are directing.
Banijay Rights handles international distribution for the series.
Comments Off on Banijay Shines Light on New Year Portfolio
Banijay, the world’s largest independent home to the best creative talent and IP, today announces a stellar line-up of programmes launching in early 2022; all available to international broadcasters for adaptation or acquisition.
Banijay’s Creative Networks is showcasing premium entertainment, quiz and dating with Starstruck, Limitless Win, The Language of Love and Pride and Prejudice: An Experiment in Romance; all premiering globally for the first time this year.
Meanwhile, Banijay Rights has a premium slate of scripted content for distribution with Peaky Blinders, SAS: Rogue Heroes, Screw, Chloe, Riches, The Good Karma Hospital and Grantchester, all among its 2022 highlights.
Elsewhere, other Banijay scripted titles coming up in 2022 include Playlist (Yellow Bird for Netflix), The Bride (Endemol Shine Italy and Rai for Rai1), The Rig (Wild Mercury for Amazon and Todo Por Lucy, a modern version of beloved comedy series I Love Lucy, licensed from ViacomCBS and developed and produced by Endemol Shine Boomdog and Elefantec Global for Amazon.
James Townley, Global Head of Content Development at Banijay,says: “It’s wonderful to start the year knowing we have such a spectacular line-up of brand new formats making their international debuts. With a mixture of entertainment, fun and jeopardy at their heart, we hope to putting smiles on everyone’s face. Continuing their popularity with viewers around the world, we look forward to pitching this new generation of formats to buyers across the globe.”
Cathy Payne, CEO of Banijay Rights, says: “There is always an appetite for exceptional scripted programming and we are incredibly excited to once again be offering the market the very best content out there. These highly-anticipated series are produced by award-winning production companies, with visionary talent, both on and off-screen, ensuring these amazing dramas are rich in action and distinction.”
Headlining the entertainment format slate is Starstruck from UK label Remarkable Television for ITV, which sees ordinary members of the public, teamed as trios, perform live as their favourite superstars; and from third-party producers Hello Dolly and Mitre Studios, Limitless Win, a prime-time quiz show with the world’s first-ever limitless jackpot, launched this weekend on UK broadcaster ITV, ranking number one in its slot, across all demos.
Fresh and funny relationship reality format The Language of Love, from third-party producers 2LE Media, Motion Content Group, along with Banijay Iberia’s Zeppelin, launched on UK broadcaster Channel 4 last week, with a group of Brits and a group of Spaniards pairing up at a dreamy Spanish country estate to see if they can find romance… despite not speaking each other’s language. Also in the relationship genre is Pride and Prejudice: An Experiment in Romance, from Endemol Shine North America and Banijay UK label Shine TV, a new series for Peacock, where contestants are transported to Regency-style England, with a group of eligible suitors attempting to win the heart of a heroine and her court.
Banijay Rights is headlining with high-end scripted programming. BAFTA award-winning Peaky Blinders is returning for its sixth and final series this year. One of the BBC’s most successful dramas, the series has become a huge international phenomenon, thrilling millions of viewers worldwide with the story of Tommy Shelby and his notorious family’s rise to prominence and power, against the backdrop of working class, post-First World War Birmingham. Written by Steven Knight, the series from Caryn Mandabach Productions, is co-produced with Tiger Aspect Productions.
Produced by Kudos, a Banijay UK company, and Nebulastar for BBC One, SAS: Rogue Heroes is generating international broadcaster interest and has already been acquired by premium US network EPIX. Written by Steven Knight, the series is a dramatised account of how the world’s greatest Special Forces unit, the SAS, was formed under extraordinary circumstances in the darkest days of World War Two. Based on Ben Macintyre’s best-selling book of the same name, SAS: Rogue Heroes stars Connor Swindells (Sex Education, Vigil), Jack O’Connell (Skins, The North Water), Alfie Allen (Jojo Rabbit, Game Of Thrones), Sofia Boutella (Modern Love, Atomic Blonde) and Dominic West (The Wire, Appropriate Adult).
Meanwhile, Banijay Rights is representing prison drama Screw. Produced by STV Studios for Channel 4 and told through embattled and inspiring characters, this drama focusses on the officers at Long Marsh men’s prison. In charge of C-Wing is Leigh Henry (Nina Sosanya), a career officer who would do anything for her prisoners – but she has a secret that if discovered, could cost her the job – and even her liberty. Original psychological thriller Chloe, a mystery about obsession, deceit, identity and grief from Mam Tor Productions for BBC One and Amazon Studios, also features among Banijay Rights’ titles. From creator and writer Alice Seabright (director, Sex Education), Chloe stars some of the UK’s hottest young acting talent including Erin Doherty (The Crown), Billy Howle (The Serpent), Pippa Bennet-Warner (Gangs of London) and Jack Farthing (Poldark).
Other new scripted titles include Riches, a high-stakes family drama created and written by Abby Ajayi and produced by Greenacre Films for ITV and Amazon Studios, Tiger Aspect Productions hit drama The Good Karma Hospital also returns for a fourth season for ITV and Acorn TV, while Grantchester – the popular series from Kudos for Masterpiece PBS and ITV – will air its seventh season, with Robson Green returning as DI Geordie Keating and Tom Brittney as Reverend Will Davenport.
These new titles join Banijay’s 120,000-hour catalogue, which comprises flagship brands MasterChef, LEGO Masters, Big Brother, Survivor and Hunted alongside scripted finished tape hits Mr Bean, Home and Away and Archer.
Banijay today announces its autumn line-up of programming available to international broadcasters for adaptation or acquisition.
Banijay’s Creative Networks is showcasing high-end entertainment with Starstruck, Drag Me Out, Domino Challenge, One Night In…and Shop Well for the Planet?, all available for local adaptation. Meanwhile, Banijay Rights has a premium slate of factual and scripted content with Titans: The Rise of Wall Street, Germinal, Bonnie & Clyde and Screw for distribution.
James Townley, Global Head of Content Development at Banijaysays: “We’ve got the whole spectrum of entertainment covered through a mix of talent formats – from iconic singers and drag artists, to fresh new takes on comedy, sustainability and competition reality. We see fantastic potential in this all-new slate of entertainment formats available for adaptation by broadcasters and streamers.”
Cathy Payne, CEO of Banijay Rights says: “Documentaries and scripted continue to capture the attention of audiences globally, and we expect outstanding interest in these titles from buyers worldwide. With a first-class factual offering in Titans: The Rise of Wall Street, as well as high-quality scripted titles Germinal, Bonnie & Clyde and Screw, we are in an excellent position with our clients this autumn.”
Headlining the entertainment format slate is Starstruck from UK label Remarkable Television for ITV, which sees ordinary members of the public, teamed as trios, perform live as their favourite superstars. From Mastiff Denmark for TV2 Zulu is Drag Me Out, where a recurring posse of legendary drag artists compete to create fabulous personas for well-known celebrities: lip sync battles, comedy performances, dance shows and more in this drag extravaganza.
DominoChallenge from Endemol Shine North America, Endemol France and Endemol Shine Netherlands, made its international debut on M6 this summer and sees the best domino duos in the country go head-to-head to build amazing creations.
From Banijay UK label Zeppotron is One Night In…, a format originally for Channel 4, where comedians are given the opportunity to run wild for one night in an iconic location, with no other visitors around. In the fact-ent genre, from RDF West for BBC One and BBC iPlayer, is Shop Well For thePlanet? where experts help families find out if they can shop better for the planet without spending a fortune – an extension on the existing global brand.
Banijay Rights is headlining with premium factual programming, with the company representing Titans: The Rise of Wall Street, from Stephen David Entertainment for CuriosityStream. This eight-part series explores how America became a global empire because of money, with riches over the last century shaping global events, controlled by the giants of Wall Street.
On the scripted front, Banijay Rights is highlighting Germinal, a sweeping six-part series telling the story of a miner’s strike during the Second Empire, in a community in northern France. Germinal is co-produced by Banijay Studios France and Pictanovo with the support of La Région Hauts-de-France for France Télévisions, in collaboration with Rai Fiction and Salto.
From Banijay Benelux Scripted for Videoland is Bonnie & Clyde, a four-part mini-series about two young, rambunctious lovers and their violent quest for freedom. The series is inspired by the true story, renamed Bonnie & Clyde in the press, which captivated the whole of the Netherlands in February 2014.
Banijay Rights internationally distribute Screw, a six-part drama from BAFTA-nominated writer, Rob Williams (The Victim, Killing Eve). It shows prison as never seen before – the uncensored, shocking and often darkly funny reality of life as a prison officer in an all-male prison in 21st century Britain. The series is produced by STV Studios for Channel 4.
These new titles join Banijay’s 110,000-hour catalogue, which also comprises super brands MasterChef, Lego Masters, Big Brother and Survivor, alongside scripted finished tape hits Peaky Blinders, Grantchester, Mr Bean and Archer.