BritBox Tells Story Of Modern British Cinema
BritBox has commissioned a documentary telling the story of modern British cinema through exclusive interviews with some of the UK’s biggest filmmakers, produced by Jon Spira and Hank Starss’ Canal Cat Films – the duo’s fifth collaboration. Narrated by comedian Nick Helm, Reel Britannia will feature the likes of Mike Leigh, Ken Loach, Terry Gilliam and Hanif Kureshi, along with behind-the-scenes footage, as the four-part documentary takes viewers from the 1960s Social Realism movement through to the 1990s, when stars like Hugh Grant became global phenomena, through to 2010. Abacus Media Rights is distributing the documentary, which will air on BritBox in the UK, U.S., Canada and South Africa. Spira, who has made a number of films about indie cinema, described Reel Britannia as a “dream project.”
Fremantle U.S. Signs Red Arrow Sales Exec As SVP
Fremantle U.S. has signed Red Arrow sales exec Shirley Bowers as Senior Vice President, Distribution. Reporting to Senior EVP Lisa Honig from next week, Bowers will focus on sales of Fremantle’s slate of programming, including both scripted and non-scripted content, across all media platforms, while working closely with Fremantle partner De Maio Entertainment. Honig said Bowers will be “integral to Fremantle’s success in the U.S.” She joins from Red Arrow International, where she has been VP Sales And Acquisitions for North America, UK, Ireland and Oceania for the past five years. Prior to Red Arrow, she was Director of Global Sales at both Fox and National Geographic Channel.
BBC Three Cooks Up Young MasterChef
BBC Three has expanded the MasterChef franchise once more by commissioning a spin-off dedicated to up-and-coming talent in the food world. Young MasterChef from Banijay-backed original producer Shine TV will put 18 to 25 year olds through their paces in the kitchen, with a unique set of challenges overseen by an expert judging panel and guests. The MasterChef brand has become one of the BBC’s biggest formats and airs in primetime every year on BBC One, along with spin-off MasterChef: The Professionals. The Banijay format has also sold around the world. “With its focus on the culinary talent of tomorrow, Young MasterChef has all the ingredients to be a big success,” said BBC Three Channel Controller Fiona Campbell. The show joins Channel 4’s Junior Bake Off in the British roster of youth spin-off cooking formats.