MipTV Hot Picks Best of british Brighton-based distributor Electric Sky, which has acquired the global rights, is launching it at MipTV. Senior sales manager Ben Packwood says he expects it to be a big hit globally, particularly in a World Cup year. The factual entertainment format is produced by Renowned Films, a new UK indie set up by hip-hop management firm Renowned Group, which looks after artists including Wretch 32 and Wizzy Wow. “I’m thrilled we’re working with the Renowned Films team on this fantastically fresh and innovative series, which we’re confident will have international appeal. The F2’s football skills are truly remarkable and utterly spellbinding. I challenge anyone not to be mesmerised,” says Electric Sky head of acquisitions Stella Briley.
Restaurant Wars: All3Media International
Restaurant Wars Distributor All3Media International Producer Brassy TV Country UK Length 30 x 60 minutes
BBC2 has been ramping up the number of food-based formats it commissions following the breakout success of The Great British Bake Off. It now hopes that forthcoming three-part food contest Restaurant Wars, which stars Great British Menu winners Aiden Byrne and Simon Rogan, can achieve similar success. The show follows Rogan’s bid to transform the historic Midland Hotel in Manchester and Byrne’s £5m glitzy warehouse conversion, as they both look to achieve Michelin stars. Restaurant Wars is the first series to be produced by Brassy TV, a spin-off division of The Alan Titchmarsh Show indie Spun Gold. The factual entertainment show will now be taken to the international markets by All3 Media International as both a tape and a format. “Talent-led programming is still an important part of our DNA, but this is now complemented by a wide range of obdoc and formatted shows,” says Spun Gold managing director Nick Bullen. “Spun Gold’s range 14 | Broadcast | 4 April 2014
of content expands year on year, as does our international reach.” All3Media International head of acquisitions Maartje Horchner adds: “Spun Gold is one of the most ambitious and consistently creative indies in the UK and its content is always in demand. We are proud to present this new body of programming, which has widespread appeal across a range of markets.”
F2 Kicks Off Distributor Electric Sky Producer Renowned Films Country UK Length 16 x 30 minutes
London Live is one of the UK’s biggest free-to-air channel launches in years and has
Air Pressure: Passion Distribution
Air Pressure F2 Kicks Off: Electric Sky
been commissioning a great deal of original British content, some of which is sure to be of interest internationally. One of the channel’s launch series is F2 Kicks Off, a 16 x 30-minute series that follows freestyle footballers Billy Wingrove and Jeremy Lynch as they pull off tricks on London streets. The show will also feature guest appearances from Premier League footballers and pop stars.
Distributor Passion Distribution Producer Firecracker Films Country UK Length 4 x 60 minutes
For all the wrong reasons, airplane documentaries are likely to be some of the most sought-after content on the market. As such, Air Pressure, a four-part doc series following the highs and lows of young international pilots at Indonesian airline Susi Air, is likely to be a big seller. The doc is produced by Big Fat Gypsy Weddings indie Firecracker Films for Channel 4 and is being distributed inter nationally by Firecracker’s Tinopolis-backed sister company Passion Distribution. Pilots often start working at Susi Air because they are unable to clock up their hours at home to qualify as commercial plane captains. In Air Pressure, they take control of planes on some of the most dangerous routes in the world. The outer regions of Indonesia are home to some of the wildest and most untouched jungles and islands on the planet. In the past year, four young pilots have died and Susi Air has lost three planes. www.broadcastnow.co.uk