Despite its “particularly British” nature, Mr Bates vs the Post Office has now sold to a dozen territories around the world, ITV bosses revealed this morning.
The show, which is the network’s biggest hit since Downton Abbey, has sold to PBS Masterpiece in the U.S., four BritBox Nordics territories, Benelux pubcaster Npo for Belgium, Luxembourg and the Netherlands, Australia’s Seven, New Zealand’s Tvnz, Pccw in Hong Kong and Virgin Media Ireland.
Deadline understands one more sale will be announced imminently.
ITV Studis/Little Gem’s Mr Bates only launched in January and the deals are being celebrated by ITV and its distribution arm given its highly localized nature, CEO Carolyn McCall said today. During its first week of release, Head of Drama Polly Hill told Deadline shows like Mr Bates are becoming “increasingly” hard to fund in the current climate.
McCall said today: “British dramas like...
The show, which is the network’s biggest hit since Downton Abbey, has sold to PBS Masterpiece in the U.S., four BritBox Nordics territories, Benelux pubcaster Npo for Belgium, Luxembourg and the Netherlands, Australia’s Seven, New Zealand’s Tvnz, Pccw in Hong Kong and Virgin Media Ireland.
Deadline understands one more sale will be announced imminently.
ITV Studis/Little Gem’s Mr Bates only launched in January and the deals are being celebrated by ITV and its distribution arm given its highly localized nature, CEO Carolyn McCall said today. During its first week of release, Head of Drama Polly Hill told Deadline shows like Mr Bates are becoming “increasingly” hard to fund in the current climate.
McCall said today: “British dramas like...
- 3/7/2024
- by Max Goldbart
- Deadline Film + TV
U.K. commercial broadcaster ITV’s annual results for 2023 were revealed Thursday.
Total group revenue was down 2% and total external revenue was down 3% to £3.6 billion ($4.6 billion). Total revenues at ITV Studios, which produces shows including “Fool Me Once” and “Love Island,” grew 4%.
The U.K. media conglomerate also revealed linear advertising had dropped by 15%. The group adjusted Ebita was down 32% to £489 million, reflecting the decline in linear advertising revenue and investment in streamer Itvx. Ebita was £404 million, down from £668 million in 2022. Statutory profit before tax was £193 million down from £501 million in 2022.
There was positive news on the digital front, with streamer Itvx performing strongly. Monthly active users were up 19%, and total streaming hours increased by 26%, which drove 19% growth in digital revenues to £490 million. ITV said it is on track to deliver at least £750 million of digital revenues by 2026.
The company said that it expects to marginally reduce content cost in...
Total group revenue was down 2% and total external revenue was down 3% to £3.6 billion ($4.6 billion). Total revenues at ITV Studios, which produces shows including “Fool Me Once” and “Love Island,” grew 4%.
The U.K. media conglomerate also revealed linear advertising had dropped by 15%. The group adjusted Ebita was down 32% to £489 million, reflecting the decline in linear advertising revenue and investment in streamer Itvx. Ebita was £404 million, down from £668 million in 2022. Statutory profit before tax was £193 million down from £501 million in 2022.
There was positive news on the digital front, with streamer Itvx performing strongly. Monthly active users were up 19%, and total streaming hours increased by 26%, which drove 19% growth in digital revenues to £490 million. ITV said it is on track to deliver at least £750 million of digital revenues by 2026.
The company said that it expects to marginally reduce content cost in...
- 3/7/2024
- by K.J. Yossman and Naman Ramachandran
- Variety Film + TV
Nigel Farage has hit back at ITV programs boss Kevin Lygo for “rude, one-handed gestures” and “making life quite unpleasant for me” during his time on I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here!.
Farage, who came third over the weekend as the ITV juggernaut series concluded, used his Gb News show last night to issue a stern warning to Lygo, appearing to reference the executive mocking him during the ITV Palooza event late last month.
“It seems whilst I was in [I’m a Celebrity], one or two people up at the top of ITV were doing their best to make life quite unpleasant for me,” said Farage, who became the second controversial politician to enter the jungle in the past two years following Matt Hancock’s 2022 turn.
“So I would suggest, Mr Lygo, that I am prepared to ignore your rude, one-handed gestures, the pathetic attempts by...
Farage, who came third over the weekend as the ITV juggernaut series concluded, used his Gb News show last night to issue a stern warning to Lygo, appearing to reference the executive mocking him during the ITV Palooza event late last month.
“It seems whilst I was in [I’m a Celebrity], one or two people up at the top of ITV were doing their best to make life quite unpleasant for me,” said Farage, who became the second controversial politician to enter the jungle in the past two years following Matt Hancock’s 2022 turn.
“So I would suggest, Mr Lygo, that I am prepared to ignore your rude, one-handed gestures, the pathetic attempts by...
- 12/12/2023
- by Jesse Whittock and Max Goldbart
- Deadline Film + TV
The 2023 edition of the Edinburgh TV Festival is drawing to a close after four days of intense industry talks, gossip and Louis Theroux lectures. The halls of the Edinburgh International Conference Centre were buzzing as UK execs, creatives and talent took the chance to get together and talk shop. Here we outline six key themes that emerged.
“Ripple effect” of the strikes
No TV industry confab would be complete at present without a bit of strike chatter. As the writers strike moves way beyond 100 days and the actors’ action rumbles on, the “ripple effects” continue to be felt around the world, according to Lindsay Salt, the BBC’s new Drama Director. There was a small American presence at Edinburgh plus numerous UK commmissioners from the U.S. streamers’ hubs but, somewhat surprisingly, the labor action was not raised during panel sessions with both Netflix and Disney execs. Universal’s Pearlena Igbokwe,...
“Ripple effect” of the strikes
No TV industry confab would be complete at present without a bit of strike chatter. As the writers strike moves way beyond 100 days and the actors’ action rumbles on, the “ripple effects” continue to be felt around the world, according to Lindsay Salt, the BBC’s new Drama Director. There was a small American presence at Edinburgh plus numerous UK commmissioners from the U.S. streamers’ hubs but, somewhat surprisingly, the labor action was not raised during panel sessions with both Netflix and Disney execs. Universal’s Pearlena Igbokwe,...
- 8/25/2023
- by Max Goldbart and Jesse Whittock
- Deadline Film + TV
There should be “no great moral panic” over the recent spate of BBC presenter exits, according to content boss Charlotte Moore.
While numerous high-paid presenters have left the BBC in recent times, including the likes of top radio host Ken Bruce, Emily Maitlis and Andrew Marr, Moore shrugged off concerns about an exodus, stating that “there is a more even relationship [between talent and the networks] than people think.”
“When someone moves on it’s not the great moral panic everyone thinks it is,” she added. “If we remember that then the balance becomes more evenly placed.”
Presenter behavior off air has been in the spotlight of late due to the Huw Edwards and Phillip Schofield scandals and Moore revealed she has had to have conversations with both on and off-screen talent about their behavior in the past.
“There is a big gulf between what people are paid and the power that exists on any production,...
While numerous high-paid presenters have left the BBC in recent times, including the likes of top radio host Ken Bruce, Emily Maitlis and Andrew Marr, Moore shrugged off concerns about an exodus, stating that “there is a more even relationship [between talent and the networks] than people think.”
“When someone moves on it’s not the great moral panic everyone thinks it is,” she added. “If we remember that then the balance becomes more evenly placed.”
Presenter behavior off air has been in the spotlight of late due to the Huw Edwards and Phillip Schofield scandals and Moore revealed she has had to have conversations with both on and off-screen talent about their behavior in the past.
“There is a big gulf between what people are paid and the power that exists on any production,...
- 8/24/2023
- by Max Goldbart
- Deadline Film + TV
Channel 4 has “perhaps been a bit more honest” than its rivals about the recent commissioning slowdown, according to programs boss Ian Katz, who said there has been a “perception” that his network’s financial picture is “more dramatic than elsewhere.”
Katz was grilled at the Edinburgh TV Festival about its heavily-reported commissioning slowdown and the exec said Channel 4 has “perhaps been a bit more honest” about financial woes than other broadcasters, all of whom he claimed have been impacted.
He blamed the slowdown on the ad revenue slump, the U.S. strikes and “streamers pulling billions from their budgets” and said that much of the press around Channel 4 canceling shows due to its own financial picture is “not true” but was due to the natural cycle.
“The commissioning slowdown has hit the whole industry and every commercial broadcaster has been affected by the ad revenue slump,” he said. “Other...
Katz was grilled at the Edinburgh TV Festival about its heavily-reported commissioning slowdown and the exec said Channel 4 has “perhaps been a bit more honest” about financial woes than other broadcasters, all of whom he claimed have been impacted.
He blamed the slowdown on the ad revenue slump, the U.S. strikes and “streamers pulling billions from their budgets” and said that much of the press around Channel 4 canceling shows due to its own financial picture is “not true” but was due to the natural cycle.
“The commissioning slowdown has hit the whole industry and every commercial broadcaster has been affected by the ad revenue slump,” he said. “Other...
- 8/24/2023
- by Max Goldbart
- Deadline Film + TV
ITV programs boss Kevin Lygo has urged no “hasty judgement” before the independent report into Phillip Schofield is published, citing “enormous pressure from press and social media.”
The independent probe into the disgraced This Morning host will likely be published next month, the exec confirmed today at the Edinburgh TV Festival.
The commercial broadcaster drafted in Jane Mulcahy Kc to examine the facts around Schofield’s relationship with a much younger runner in late May.
Lygo said Mulcahy has been “talking to everyone involved, taking our phones and looking at every text we’ve sent, including emails and WhatsApps,” as he joked: “I’m sure nothing relevant to this inquiry will be revealed [by my WhatsApps].”
Lygo confirmed the report will most likely be published at the end of next month and urged calm until then.
“The most important thing is to get facts and truth, not a hasty judgement,” he added. “There...
The independent probe into the disgraced This Morning host will likely be published next month, the exec confirmed today at the Edinburgh TV Festival.
The commercial broadcaster drafted in Jane Mulcahy Kc to examine the facts around Schofield’s relationship with a much younger runner in late May.
Lygo said Mulcahy has been “talking to everyone involved, taking our phones and looking at every text we’ve sent, including emails and WhatsApps,” as he joked: “I’m sure nothing relevant to this inquiry will be revealed [by my WhatsApps].”
Lygo confirmed the report will most likely be published at the end of next month and urged calm until then.
“The most important thing is to get facts and truth, not a hasty judgement,” he added. “There...
- 8/23/2023
- by Max Goldbart
- Deadline Film + TV
More individuals have raised concerns over toxic working cultures, bullying, discrimination and harassment on This Morning since ITV bosses appeared for a grilling over the Phillip Schofield saga, the UK Committee reviewing it has said.
In a letter published today from Committee Chair Caroline Dinenage to ITV CEO Carolyn McCall, Dinenage said “a large number of individuals” have been in touch since the June hearing.
Dinenage, whose letter was sent in late July, said individuals “speak with great pride” about working at ITV and are “hugely positive” about many colleagues. But “they also raise claims of toxic working cultures, bullying, discrimination and harrassment,” she went on to write.
Dinenage queried McCall and fellow ITV bosses’ claims that there have been only two complaints from people working on the show in five years. This came up during the June hearing, when committee member John Nicolson said he had personally received many more than two.
In a letter published today from Committee Chair Caroline Dinenage to ITV CEO Carolyn McCall, Dinenage said “a large number of individuals” have been in touch since the June hearing.
Dinenage, whose letter was sent in late July, said individuals “speak with great pride” about working at ITV and are “hugely positive” about many colleagues. But “they also raise claims of toxic working cultures, bullying, discrimination and harrassment,” she went on to write.
Dinenage queried McCall and fellow ITV bosses’ claims that there have been only two complaints from people working on the show in five years. This came up during the June hearing, when committee member John Nicolson said he had personally received many more than two.
- 8/9/2023
- by Max Goldbart
- Deadline Film + TV
ITV’s evidence during a parliamentary inquiry into the Phillip Schofield scandal has been branded “inconsistent” and “contradictory,” letters reveal today.
Earlier this summer ITV boss Carolyn McCall, head of media Kevin Lygo and the network’s general counsel Kyla Mullins appeared before the committee for Culture, Media and Sport (Cms) to discuss Schofield and the events that led to him resigning from the network earlier this year.
The former “This Morning” anchor was one of ITV’s best known faces until his fall from grace, triggered by an admission he had had an affair with a young member of staff on the show.
In a letter sent by the Culture Committee chair Caroline Dinenage after the inquiry, she asked McCall to clarify whether Schofield had stepped down voluntarily from the network or was pushed, describing Lygo’s responses on the point as “at best inconsistent.”
During the Q&a session at Westminster in June,...
Earlier this summer ITV boss Carolyn McCall, head of media Kevin Lygo and the network’s general counsel Kyla Mullins appeared before the committee for Culture, Media and Sport (Cms) to discuss Schofield and the events that led to him resigning from the network earlier this year.
The former “This Morning” anchor was one of ITV’s best known faces until his fall from grace, triggered by an admission he had had an affair with a young member of staff on the show.
In a letter sent by the Culture Committee chair Caroline Dinenage after the inquiry, she asked McCall to clarify whether Schofield had stepped down voluntarily from the network or was pushed, describing Lygo’s responses on the point as “at best inconsistent.”
During the Q&a session at Westminster in June,...
- 8/9/2023
- by K.J. Yossman
- Variety Film + TV
Exclusive: On-the-block super-indie All3Media saw revenues rocket to £1B ($1.3B) last year, as accounts reveal it has taken majority voting control of The Traitors producer Studio Lambert.
According to a Companies House filing for the outfit’s holding company Dlg Acquisitions, All3Media boosted sales by 17% for the 2022 calendar year, with revenues just topping the £1B mark.
Ebitda shot up by a similar proportion to £100M and total group operating profit was up from £26M to £40M. In 2022, All3Media produced more than 4,000 hours of programing including the likes of The Traitors, The Tinder Swindler and The Tourist.
The group said the “current macro-economic climate including the continued impact of Covid-19 and the impact of inflation presents a risk and challenge,” however.
The issue is being managed by “reviewing production protocols and analysing opportunities to produce content more efficiently,” amongst other approaches, it added.
Studio Lambert
Today’s record results...
According to a Companies House filing for the outfit’s holding company Dlg Acquisitions, All3Media boosted sales by 17% for the 2022 calendar year, with revenues just topping the £1B mark.
Ebitda shot up by a similar proportion to £100M and total group operating profit was up from £26M to £40M. In 2022, All3Media produced more than 4,000 hours of programing including the likes of The Traitors, The Tinder Swindler and The Tourist.
The group said the “current macro-economic climate including the continued impact of Covid-19 and the impact of inflation presents a risk and challenge,” however.
The issue is being managed by “reviewing production protocols and analysing opportunities to produce content more efficiently,” amongst other approaches, it added.
Studio Lambert
Today’s record results...
- 6/28/2023
- by Max Goldbart and Jake Kanter
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: In a move that would have shaken up the UK broadcasting landscape, ITV attempted to poach Channel 4’s Gogglebox earlier this year, just a few months before saying it was mulling a bid for the show’s production outfit.
Deadline can reveal that ITV programs boss Kevin Lygo, who is said to be a huge Gogglebox fan, held exploratory conversations with Studio Lambert over switching the show from one commercial broadcaster to the other several months ago.
Gogglebox’s contract is renewed roughly once every three years, we understand, and it was mid-contract when Lygo made contact. At present, the show is staying put on Channel 4.
Were Gogglebox to move to ITV, the deal would undoubtedly be the biggest in UK broadcasting since The Great British Bake Off switched from the BBC to Channel 4 in 2017. Shows moving channel has popularized in recent years, with Channel 4 also picking up...
Deadline can reveal that ITV programs boss Kevin Lygo, who is said to be a huge Gogglebox fan, held exploratory conversations with Studio Lambert over switching the show from one commercial broadcaster to the other several months ago.
Gogglebox’s contract is renewed roughly once every three years, we understand, and it was mid-contract when Lygo made contact. At present, the show is staying put on Channel 4.
Were Gogglebox to move to ITV, the deal would undoubtedly be the biggest in UK broadcasting since The Great British Bake Off switched from the BBC to Channel 4 in 2017. Shows moving channel has popularized in recent years, with Channel 4 also picking up...
- 6/23/2023
- by Max Goldbart
- Deadline Film + TV
On Wednesday morning, ITV boss Carolyn McCall appeared in front of a Parliamentary committee to be grilled over the network’s culture and duty of care in the wake of the Phillip Schofield scandal.
Schofield, a long-time anchor on ITV’s flagship daytime show “This Morning,” resigned last month in ignominy shortly before admitting to an affair with a young male runner on the show while he was married.
Some have questioned the intensity of the coverage, which has unsurprisingly taken a mental toll on both Schofield and his former lover, especially since the affair was, in the anchor’s own words, “unwise but not illegal.” But there are a number of elements – not least the runner’s age – that catalyzed the media tsunami that now threatens to take down not only Schofield but his former co-host Holly Willoughby as well as various network executives including McCall.
When McCall took...
Schofield, a long-time anchor on ITV’s flagship daytime show “This Morning,” resigned last month in ignominy shortly before admitting to an affair with a young male runner on the show while he was married.
Some have questioned the intensity of the coverage, which has unsurprisingly taken a mental toll on both Schofield and his former lover, especially since the affair was, in the anchor’s own words, “unwise but not illegal.” But there are a number of elements – not least the runner’s age – that catalyzed the media tsunami that now threatens to take down not only Schofield but his former co-host Holly Willoughby as well as various network executives including McCall.
When McCall took...
- 6/15/2023
- by K.J. Yossman
- Variety Film + TV
ITV has provided a timeline of how it responded to rumors of This Morning presenter Phillip Schofield’s relationship with a younger runner three years before the story burst into the public domain.
The broadcaster gave evidence to UK Parliament’s Culture, Media and Sport Committee on Wednesday morning, with CEO Carolyn McCall saying she welcomed the opportunity to put right “misinformation” about a scandal that has dominated headlines in Britain.
Schofield, one of the UK’s best-known presenters, stepped down as the host of This Morning last month and later admitted to having a relationship with a younger runner, referred to as Person X in ITV’s evidence to lawmakers.
The relationship was the source of rampant speculation at ITV and there have been questions about how senior managers could not have known about Schofield’s potential abuse of power.
McCall — flanked by content chief Kevin Lygo and general...
The broadcaster gave evidence to UK Parliament’s Culture, Media and Sport Committee on Wednesday morning, with CEO Carolyn McCall saying she welcomed the opportunity to put right “misinformation” about a scandal that has dominated headlines in Britain.
Schofield, one of the UK’s best-known presenters, stepped down as the host of This Morning last month and later admitted to having a relationship with a younger runner, referred to as Person X in ITV’s evidence to lawmakers.
The relationship was the source of rampant speculation at ITV and there have been questions about how senior managers could not have known about Schofield’s potential abuse of power.
McCall — flanked by content chief Kevin Lygo and general...
- 6/14/2023
- by Jake Kanter
- Deadline Film + TV
“We do not recognise a toxic culture at This Morning,” ITV boss Carolyn McCall has said bullishly during her committee hearing on the Phillip Schofield affair.
The CEO said she has “tangible evidence” that the vast majority of people working on the show and on ITV’s roster of daytime programs “are extremely engaged and very motivated.”
She was responding to a barrage of questions relating to toxicity on This Morning since former host Schofield resigned in disgrace after admitting he had an affair with a much younger runner over a period of years. The runner is not being named but referred to as Person X.
“We do not recognise a toxic culture at This Morning,” said McCall. “[The accusations] deeply disappoints me.”
McCall said she has had two complaints about issues of toxicity on This Morning during her ITV stint, one of which was private and the other publicly disclosed by former contributor Ranj Singh,...
The CEO said she has “tangible evidence” that the vast majority of people working on the show and on ITV’s roster of daytime programs “are extremely engaged and very motivated.”
She was responding to a barrage of questions relating to toxicity on This Morning since former host Schofield resigned in disgrace after admitting he had an affair with a much younger runner over a period of years. The runner is not being named but referred to as Person X.
“We do not recognise a toxic culture at This Morning,” said McCall. “[The accusations] deeply disappoints me.”
McCall said she has had two complaints about issues of toxicity on This Morning during her ITV stint, one of which was private and the other publicly disclosed by former contributor Ranj Singh,...
- 6/14/2023
- by Max Goldbart
- Deadline Film + TV
ITV boss Carolyn McCall has said “no evidence” was brought to her and her team during Phillip Schofield’s affair with a much younger runner as she indicated the relationship was “deeply inappropriate.”
Appearing in front of the Culture, Media and Sport Committee (Cmsc) this morning, McCall said “we had no legal reason to go any further” with informal investigations into the years-long rumors of the affair between the former This Morning host and a runner, who is being referred to as Person X.
“We had no legal reason to go any further and if we had a reason then we would have done a formal investigation,” she said. “It’s not in our interest in any way not to investigate anything that we know has evidence to support it.”
A number of former presenters such as Piers Morgan and Eamonn Holmes have come out publicly since Schofield resigned in...
Appearing in front of the Culture, Media and Sport Committee (Cmsc) this morning, McCall said “we had no legal reason to go any further” with informal investigations into the years-long rumors of the affair between the former This Morning host and a runner, who is being referred to as Person X.
“We had no legal reason to go any further and if we had a reason then we would have done a formal investigation,” she said. “It’s not in our interest in any way not to investigate anything that we know has evidence to support it.”
A number of former presenters such as Piers Morgan and Eamonn Holmes have come out publicly since Schofield resigned in...
- 6/14/2023
- by Max Goldbart
- Deadline Film + TV
ITV boss Carolyn McCall said former “This Morning” anchor Phillip Schofield’s relationship with a young runner on this show was “deeply inappropriate” due to the “imbalance of power.”
McCall was appearing before a U.K. Culture Media and Sport Committee (Cms) parliamentary inquiry on the working culture and duty of care at ITV following the controversy around Schofield and his time on the long-running daytime show.
McCall was joined by ITV’s MD for media and entertainment Kevin Lygo and general counsel Kyla Mullins.
Mullins detailed the company’s investigation of Schofield’s affair, telling the Cms committee the runner – who is being referred to during proceedings as “Person X” – was asked by ITV 12 times about his relationship with Schofield and denied it each time. She said Schofield also repeatedly denied the claims until he resigned last month.
“We asked multiple times of both individuals both formally and informally,...
McCall was appearing before a U.K. Culture Media and Sport Committee (Cms) parliamentary inquiry on the working culture and duty of care at ITV following the controversy around Schofield and his time on the long-running daytime show.
McCall was joined by ITV’s MD for media and entertainment Kevin Lygo and general counsel Kyla Mullins.
Mullins detailed the company’s investigation of Schofield’s affair, telling the Cms committee the runner – who is being referred to during proceedings as “Person X” – was asked by ITV 12 times about his relationship with Schofield and denied it each time. She said Schofield also repeatedly denied the claims until he resigned last month.
“We asked multiple times of both individuals both formally and informally,...
- 6/14/2023
- by K.J. Yossman
- Variety Film + TV
Marcus Plantin, a British TV executive best known as ITV’s first Network Director and as a producer on The Two Ronnies, died Friday. He was 77.
The news was confirmed by Plantin’s family this afternoon. He passed away following a long illness, according to a former colleague who posted on social media.
Born on October 23, 1945, in Surrey, Plantin was a storied program maker and decision taker, known for producing beloved British comedy series The Two Ronnies and light entertainment hits such as The Generation Game, where he began his career.
He produced and directed hundreds of shows during a 14-year run at the BBC before moving to ITV affiliate London Weekend Television in 1985, where he developed a reputation as a light entertainment expert, working to create popular shows such as Blind Date.
In 1992, he was named network head at ITV, making him the most powerful player in UK commercial TV.
The news was confirmed by Plantin’s family this afternoon. He passed away following a long illness, according to a former colleague who posted on social media.
Born on October 23, 1945, in Surrey, Plantin was a storied program maker and decision taker, known for producing beloved British comedy series The Two Ronnies and light entertainment hits such as The Generation Game, where he began his career.
He produced and directed hundreds of shows during a 14-year run at the BBC before moving to ITV affiliate London Weekend Television in 1985, where he developed a reputation as a light entertainment expert, working to create popular shows such as Blind Date.
In 1992, he was named network head at ITV, making him the most powerful player in UK commercial TV.
- 6/2/2023
- by Jesse Whittock and Max Goldbart
- Deadline Film + TV
As U.K. network ITV launches an external review into the circumstances surrounding “This Morning” anchor Phillip Schofield’s “unwise but not illegal” relationship with a young employee, many are wondering how the long-time host – a staple of British daytime television – went from ITV golden boy to Tellyland exile in a matter of weeks.
It’s a storyline that could have been ripped from Jennifer Aniston and Reese Witherspoon’s Apple TV+ hit “The Morning Show.” An older male anchor handpicks a glamorous, younger and – according to unkind whispers – malleable blonde to be his co-host after falling out with her predecessor.
Fifteen years later the young blonde (reportedly) turns on him, ousting him from the show following a string of scandals that were beginning to taint her brand. But her victory may be short-lived as the married male anchor drops the bombshell that he had an affair with a young...
It’s a storyline that could have been ripped from Jennifer Aniston and Reese Witherspoon’s Apple TV+ hit “The Morning Show.” An older male anchor handpicks a glamorous, younger and – according to unkind whispers – malleable blonde to be his co-host after falling out with her predecessor.
Fifteen years later the young blonde (reportedly) turns on him, ousting him from the show following a string of scandals that were beginning to taint her brand. But her victory may be short-lived as the married male anchor drops the bombshell that he had an affair with a young...
- 5/31/2023
- by K.J. Yossman
- Variety Film + TV
ITV is standing by one of its most popular anchors after he controversially stepped down from daytime show “This Morning” on Saturday.
ITV’s head of entertainment Kevin Lygo confirmed the network is working with Phillip Schofield on a new prime time series as well as the British Soap Awards, which Schofield is set to host next month and is broadcast by ITV.
In a statement, Lygo said: “Phillip is hands down one of the best broadcasters of his generation and we thank him for his two decades’ worth of absolutely terrific television on the ‘This Morning’ sofa. We look forward to continuing our relationship with Phillip starting with the British Soap Awards in June and a brand new peak time series to come.”
Schofield, who has worked on “This Morning” since 2002, confirmed he would be quitting the show on Saturday after rumors intensified over the past few weeks that...
ITV’s head of entertainment Kevin Lygo confirmed the network is working with Phillip Schofield on a new prime time series as well as the British Soap Awards, which Schofield is set to host next month and is broadcast by ITV.
In a statement, Lygo said: “Phillip is hands down one of the best broadcasters of his generation and we thank him for his two decades’ worth of absolutely terrific television on the ‘This Morning’ sofa. We look forward to continuing our relationship with Phillip starting with the British Soap Awards in June and a brand new peak time series to come.”
Schofield, who has worked on “This Morning” since 2002, confirmed he would be quitting the show on Saturday after rumors intensified over the past few weeks that...
- 5/20/2023
- by K.J. Yossman
- Variety Film + TV
Phillip Schofield has stepped down as co-presenter of ITV daytime show This Morning.
The presenter on many of Britain’s most-watched shows posted an Instagram Stories message today announcing he was leaving the ITV show, which he has helmed since 2002. A brand new “peak time ITV series” helmed by Schofield is to come, however, according to ITV’s content boss, who called him “one of the best broadcasters of his generation.”
Schofield’s partnership with This Morning co-presenter Holly Willoughby is one of British TV’s longest running but has reportedly turned sour in recent months, and their on-screen chemistry in recent weeks has noticeably dipped. Schofield was rocked this week by the jailing of his brother, Timothy Schofield, who was convicted on child abuse charges and given a sentence of 12 years.
Last year, Schofield and Willoughby were last year forced to deny queue-jumping to see Queen Elizabeth II’s...
The presenter on many of Britain’s most-watched shows posted an Instagram Stories message today announcing he was leaving the ITV show, which he has helmed since 2002. A brand new “peak time ITV series” helmed by Schofield is to come, however, according to ITV’s content boss, who called him “one of the best broadcasters of his generation.”
Schofield’s partnership with This Morning co-presenter Holly Willoughby is one of British TV’s longest running but has reportedly turned sour in recent months, and their on-screen chemistry in recent weeks has noticeably dipped. Schofield was rocked this week by the jailing of his brother, Timothy Schofield, who was convicted on child abuse charges and given a sentence of 12 years.
Last year, Schofield and Willoughby were last year forced to deny queue-jumping to see Queen Elizabeth II’s...
- 5/20/2023
- by Jesse Whittock
- Deadline Film + TV
Ant & Dec are to take an indefinite break from Saturday Night Takeaway following next year’s 20th series.
The ITV stalwart duo’s 2024 edition will be their 10th in a row after they took a four-year hiatus from 2009 to 2013.
ITV said the show will be paused after 2024, while Ant & Dec will continue presenting I’m A Celebrity…Get Me Out Of Here!, Britain’s Got Talent and Limitless Win as part of their exclusive relationship with the broadcaster.
Produced by ITV Studios-backed Lifted Entertainment, the variety-style show Saturday Night Takeaway is one of ITV’s biggest entertainment hits and has won multiple BAFTAs since launching in 2002.
“We love making Saturday Night Takeaway, but reaching the milestone of 20 series seemed like the perfect time to pause for a little while and catch our breath,” said Ant, whose full name is Anthony McPartlin.
ITV Media & Entertainment MD Kevin Lygo added: “When you...
The ITV stalwart duo’s 2024 edition will be their 10th in a row after they took a four-year hiatus from 2009 to 2013.
ITV said the show will be paused after 2024, while Ant & Dec will continue presenting I’m A Celebrity…Get Me Out Of Here!, Britain’s Got Talent and Limitless Win as part of their exclusive relationship with the broadcaster.
Produced by ITV Studios-backed Lifted Entertainment, the variety-style show Saturday Night Takeaway is one of ITV’s biggest entertainment hits and has won multiple BAFTAs since launching in 2002.
“We love making Saturday Night Takeaway, but reaching the milestone of 20 series seemed like the perfect time to pause for a little while and catch our breath,” said Ant, whose full name is Anthony McPartlin.
ITV Media & Entertainment MD Kevin Lygo added: “When you...
- 5/18/2023
- by Max Goldbart
- Deadline Film + TV
ITV primetime hosts Anthony McPartlin and Declan Donnelly – better known by their joint moniker Ant and Dec – have said they plan to “take a break” from their long-running variety show “Saturday Night Takeaway.”
The duo have hosted 19 seasons of the show, which features entertainment and quiz segments, since it launched in 2002. It is produced by ITV Studios-owned Lifted Entertainment and Mitre Studios
This doesn’t spell the end for “Saturday Night Takeaway” however. In 2009 the two hosts also took a break from the show before returning four years later.
Broadcaster ITV – which recently extended its deal with the duo for a reported £30 million ($37 million) for three years – reassured viewers Ant and Dec would continue to front other primetime shows including “I’m A Celebrity…Get Me Out Of Here!,” “Britain’s Got Talent” and “Limitless Win.”
“We love making ‘Saturday Night Takeaway,’ but reaching the milestone of 20 seasons seemed like...
The duo have hosted 19 seasons of the show, which features entertainment and quiz segments, since it launched in 2002. It is produced by ITV Studios-owned Lifted Entertainment and Mitre Studios
This doesn’t spell the end for “Saturday Night Takeaway” however. In 2009 the two hosts also took a break from the show before returning four years later.
Broadcaster ITV – which recently extended its deal with the duo for a reported £30 million ($37 million) for three years – reassured viewers Ant and Dec would continue to front other primetime shows including “I’m A Celebrity…Get Me Out Of Here!,” “Britain’s Got Talent” and “Limitless Win.”
“We love making ‘Saturday Night Takeaway,’ but reaching the milestone of 20 seasons seemed like...
- 5/18/2023
- by K.J. Yossman
- Variety Film + TV
Update 6.20 a.m. Pst: ITV is pushing on with the latest season of Paul O’Grady For the Love of Dogs and has changed its upcoming schedules to commemorate the TV star, who died unexpectedly Tuesday evening aged 67.
The UK network will repeat an episode of Paul O’Grady’s For the Love of Dogs: A Royal Special at 5 p.m. GMT (9 a.m. Pst) tonight in place of The Chase, before For the Love of Paul O’Grady airs on Sunday April 9 in tribute to the star.
The new series of Paul O’Grady: For the Love of Dogs, his hit ITV animal show which programs boss Kevin Lygo called “one of our best-loved series,” will air as planned from Thursday April 13.
Previously: British TV host, comedian and actor Paul O’Grady died “unexpectedly but peacefully” on Tuesday evening according to a statement by his husband which was provided to local media.
The UK network will repeat an episode of Paul O’Grady’s For the Love of Dogs: A Royal Special at 5 p.m. GMT (9 a.m. Pst) tonight in place of The Chase, before For the Love of Paul O’Grady airs on Sunday April 9 in tribute to the star.
The new series of Paul O’Grady: For the Love of Dogs, his hit ITV animal show which programs boss Kevin Lygo called “one of our best-loved series,” will air as planned from Thursday April 13.
Previously: British TV host, comedian and actor Paul O’Grady died “unexpectedly but peacefully” on Tuesday evening according to a statement by his husband which was provided to local media.
- 3/29/2023
- by Nancy Tartaglione and Max Goldbart
- Deadline Film + TV
U.K. broadcaster ITV has revealed the schedule changes brought about by the death of popular British presenter and comedian Paul O’Grady.
At 5pm U.K. time on March 29 “Paul O’Grady’s For the Love of Dogs: A Royal Special” will be repeated on ITV1, replacing the repeat of “The Chase.”
At 8pm U.K. time on April 9, ITV will broadcast “For the Love of Paul O’Grady” on ITV1, in tribute to the departed comedian.
At 8:30pm on April 13, the new season of “Paul O’Grady: For the Love of Dogs” will air on ITV1, as planned.
Meanwhile, ITV’s managing director of media and entertainment, Kevin Lygo, said: “We are fortunate to have had a long association with Paul, at ITV. He was a huge, inimitable talent, delighting our viewers through his comedy and entertainment with a warmth, humor and joy that audiences of all generations related to and connected with.
At 5pm U.K. time on March 29 “Paul O’Grady’s For the Love of Dogs: A Royal Special” will be repeated on ITV1, replacing the repeat of “The Chase.”
At 8pm U.K. time on April 9, ITV will broadcast “For the Love of Paul O’Grady” on ITV1, in tribute to the departed comedian.
At 8:30pm on April 13, the new season of “Paul O’Grady: For the Love of Dogs” will air on ITV1, as planned.
Meanwhile, ITV’s managing director of media and entertainment, Kevin Lygo, said: “We are fortunate to have had a long association with Paul, at ITV. He was a huge, inimitable talent, delighting our viewers through his comedy and entertainment with a warmth, humor and joy that audiences of all generations related to and connected with.
- 3/29/2023
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety Film + TV
ITV darlings Ant and Dec have extended their contract with the broadcaster for another three years, in a deal thought to be worth upwards of £30m.
The new deal takes Anthony McPartlin and Declan Donnelly up to 25 years exclusively with ITV.
In 2023, they will present shows from Ant & Dec’s Limitless Win and Ant & Dec’s Saturday Night Takeaway to Britain’s Got Talent and I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here!
For the first time, there is also an All-Stars version of I’m a Celebrity on the way.
The Newcastle presenters, each of whom have an estimated net worth of £62m, started out as actors in the Cbbc kids series Byker Grove in the 1980s.
Off the back of that show, the duo briefly performed together as pop musicians Pj and Duncan, the names of their characters from the series.
Across their careers, they have won 43 National...
The new deal takes Anthony McPartlin and Declan Donnelly up to 25 years exclusively with ITV.
In 2023, they will present shows from Ant & Dec’s Limitless Win and Ant & Dec’s Saturday Night Takeaway to Britain’s Got Talent and I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here!
For the first time, there is also an All-Stars version of I’m a Celebrity on the way.
The Newcastle presenters, each of whom have an estimated net worth of £62m, started out as actors in the Cbbc kids series Byker Grove in the 1980s.
Off the back of that show, the duo briefly performed together as pop musicians Pj and Duncan, the names of their characters from the series.
Across their careers, they have won 43 National...
- 1/24/2023
- by Ellie Harrison
- The Independent - TV
ITV’s evergreen presenting duo Ant & Dec will make it to 25 years with the UK network.
The pair, whose real names are Anthony McPartlin and Declan Donnelly, will extend their current exclusive relationship for another three years, taking the partnership to a quarter century.
This year they’ll front shows such as current series Ant & Dec’s Limitless Win, Ant & Dec’s Saturday Night Takeaway, Britain’s Got Talent and I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here!. Their shows are now seen on network ITV1 and streamer Itvx, which launched towards the end of 2022.
Starting out as actors on kids TV show Byker Grove, they had a short-lived pop career before becoming the UK’s most successful presenting duo, winning 43 National Television Awards and 18 BAFTA Television Awards.
Their most recent launch, Limitless Win, debuted in January 2022 and has become ITV’s biggest new series since The Masked Singer. It took 6.1 million on launch.
The pair, whose real names are Anthony McPartlin and Declan Donnelly, will extend their current exclusive relationship for another three years, taking the partnership to a quarter century.
This year they’ll front shows such as current series Ant & Dec’s Limitless Win, Ant & Dec’s Saturday Night Takeaway, Britain’s Got Talent and I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here!. Their shows are now seen on network ITV1 and streamer Itvx, which launched towards the end of 2022.
Starting out as actors on kids TV show Byker Grove, they had a short-lived pop career before becoming the UK’s most successful presenting duo, winning 43 National Television Awards and 18 BAFTA Television Awards.
Their most recent launch, Limitless Win, debuted in January 2022 and has become ITV’s biggest new series since The Masked Singer. It took 6.1 million on launch.
- 1/23/2023
- by Jesse Whittock
- Deadline Film + TV
Popular U.K. hosts Ant McPartlin and Declan Donnelly – better known by their joint stage name Ant and Dec – have signed on to stay at broadcaster ITV for another three years.
The BAFTA-winning duo have spent 25 years at the network, where they are among its most prolific performers, fronting shows including “Britain’s Got Talent,” “Ant & Dec’s Saturday Night Takeaway” and “I’m A Celebrity…Get Me Out Of Here!”
As well as continuing with those shows in 2023, they will also host “Ant & Dec’s Limitless Win” and “I’m A Celebrity South Africa.”
The duo, who started off as actors, first met as teenagers on the set of children’s drama series “Byker Grove.” They went on to have a short-lived music career in the early 1990s under their “Byker Grove” monikers P.J. and Duncan before hosting Saturday morning pop show “Cduk” alongside Cat Deeley on ITV, which...
The BAFTA-winning duo have spent 25 years at the network, where they are among its most prolific performers, fronting shows including “Britain’s Got Talent,” “Ant & Dec’s Saturday Night Takeaway” and “I’m A Celebrity…Get Me Out Of Here!”
As well as continuing with those shows in 2023, they will also host “Ant & Dec’s Limitless Win” and “I’m A Celebrity South Africa.”
The duo, who started off as actors, first met as teenagers on the set of children’s drama series “Byker Grove.” They went on to have a short-lived music career in the early 1990s under their “Byker Grove” monikers P.J. and Duncan before hosting Saturday morning pop show “Cduk” alongside Cat Deeley on ITV, which...
- 1/23/2023
- by K.J. Yossman
- Variety Film + TV
Join us, Insiders, for another look through the busy world of film and TV. Jesse Whittock from the TV team here taking you into the weekend.
‘All Quiet’ Makes Noise At BAFTAs
Record-tying tally:Over to Zac Ntim, who was on hand as the BAFTA Film Awards nominations rolled in yesterday… Awards season is in full flow, and BAFTA unveiled an uncharacteristically fresh and forward-looking list of nominations for its 76th Film Awards on Thursday. Netflix’s German-language World War I drama All Quiet on the Western Frontleads the way with 14 nominations, including for Best Film, Director, and Adapted Screenplay. All Quiet’s haul equals the previous record set by Ang Lee’s Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon for the most nominations for a non-English language film in BAFTA history. All Quiet also clocked the most BAFTA noms for an individual film since The King’s Speech in 2011, which had 14. Martin McDonagh’s...
‘All Quiet’ Makes Noise At BAFTAs
Record-tying tally:Over to Zac Ntim, who was on hand as the BAFTA Film Awards nominations rolled in yesterday… Awards season is in full flow, and BAFTA unveiled an uncharacteristically fresh and forward-looking list of nominations for its 76th Film Awards on Thursday. Netflix’s German-language World War I drama All Quiet on the Western Frontleads the way with 14 nominations, including for Best Film, Director, and Adapted Screenplay. All Quiet’s haul equals the previous record set by Ang Lee’s Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon for the most nominations for a non-English language film in BAFTA history. All Quiet also clocked the most BAFTA noms for an individual film since The King’s Speech in 2011, which had 14. Martin McDonagh’s...
- 1/20/2023
- by Jesse Whittock
- Deadline Film + TV
A letter from ITV’s CEO, responding to a call for Jeremy Clarkson to be removed from the channel, has stated that the presenter’s views are not shared by the broadcaster.
John Nicolson, Snp shadow culture secretary and MP for Ochil and South Perthshire, wrote to ITV chief Carolyn McCall in December, after the Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? host published a column expressing his opinion on Meghan, Duchess of Sussex.
In an op-ed for The Sun, Clarkson wrote that he dreamt of the day Markle would be made to parade naked through Britain while the crowd chanted “shame” and threw “excrement” at her.
The piece was widely criticised and Clarkson issued a public apology to the couple earlier this week.
Nicolson’s letter called Clarkson’s words “grotesque” and demanded that he was no longer featured on the channel.
Now, McCall’s response to Nicolson has been shared publicly.
John Nicolson, Snp shadow culture secretary and MP for Ochil and South Perthshire, wrote to ITV chief Carolyn McCall in December, after the Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? host published a column expressing his opinion on Meghan, Duchess of Sussex.
In an op-ed for The Sun, Clarkson wrote that he dreamt of the day Markle would be made to parade naked through Britain while the crowd chanted “shame” and threw “excrement” at her.
The piece was widely criticised and Clarkson issued a public apology to the couple earlier this week.
Nicolson’s letter called Clarkson’s words “grotesque” and demanded that he was no longer featured on the channel.
Now, McCall’s response to Nicolson has been shared publicly.
- 1/19/2023
- by Nicole Vassell
- The Independent - TV
Exclusive: ITV CEO Carolyn McCall has said there is “no place on ITV” for Jeremy Clarkson’s Meghan Markle comments and stressed that Who Wants to be a Millionaire? “does not provide a platform for his opinions.”
In a letter sent on December 22 and published for the first time today by Deadline, McCall responded to Scottish lawmaker John Nicolson’s call to drop Clarkson from his Who Wants to be a Millionaire? hosting duties, which Clarkson has been helming for five years. Scroll to the bottom for the full letter.
“Your concerns are completely understandable,” wrote McCall. “Everyone at ITV is very aware of our responsibilities as a Public Service Broadcaster and I’d like to be clear that the comments made were Jeremy Clarkson’s own and are in no way endorsed by ITV. There is no place on ITV for the comments made in that article.”
Deadline has...
In a letter sent on December 22 and published for the first time today by Deadline, McCall responded to Scottish lawmaker John Nicolson’s call to drop Clarkson from his Who Wants to be a Millionaire? hosting duties, which Clarkson has been helming for five years. Scroll to the bottom for the full letter.
“Your concerns are completely understandable,” wrote McCall. “Everyone at ITV is very aware of our responsibilities as a Public Service Broadcaster and I’d like to be clear that the comments made were Jeremy Clarkson’s own and are in no way endorsed by ITV. There is no place on ITV for the comments made in that article.”
Deadline has...
- 1/18/2023
- by Max Goldbart
- Deadline Film + TV
ITV is weighing up Jeremy Clarkson’s future on Who Wants to be a Millionaire? following the furor over his column about Meghan Markle.
Deadline understands the Clarkson’s Farm host has just one series left to run on his contract and no further commitments with ITV at present. Filming for the 39th season of the iconic entertainment format will take place next month and the show will air over the summer.
ITV will need to decide whether to renew Clarkson’s contract after he has spent five years hosting Who Wants to be a Millionaire?. The presenter has landed himself in hot water following the Markle column in The Sun, in which he said he “hates” the Duchess of Sussex and she should be made to “parade naked through the streets of every town in Britain,” a callback to a Game of Thrones scene.
Although he didn’t specify for how long,...
Deadline understands the Clarkson’s Farm host has just one series left to run on his contract and no further commitments with ITV at present. Filming for the 39th season of the iconic entertainment format will take place next month and the show will air over the summer.
ITV will need to decide whether to renew Clarkson’s contract after he has spent five years hosting Who Wants to be a Millionaire?. The presenter has landed himself in hot water following the Markle column in The Sun, in which he said he “hates” the Duchess of Sussex and she should be made to “parade naked through the streets of every town in Britain,” a callback to a Game of Thrones scene.
Although he didn’t specify for how long,...
- 1/17/2023
- by Max Goldbart and Jake Kanter
- Deadline Film + TV
UK newspaper The Sun on Friday explained why it has removed a column from Jeremy Clarkson that slammed Meghan Markle.
Related Story International Insider: BBC China Woes; Jeremy Clarkson Scandal; International Oscar Race Related Story Matt Hancock 'I'm A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here!' Controversy Features Heavily In Ofcom 2022 Complaints Roundup Related Story ITV Content Boss Kevin Lygo Brands Jeremy Clarkson Column "Awful" But Says He Will Remain Host Of 'Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?'
Clarkson’s “comment article,” which published last Friday, “provoked a strong response and let to a large number of complaints to Ipso, the independent press regulator,” the Rupert Murdoch-owned newspaper wrote in a post on its site today labeled “Clarification.”
“Columnists’ opinions are their own, but as a publisher, we realise that with free expression comes responsibility,” it added. “We at The Sun regret the publication of this article and we are sincerely sorry.
Related Story International Insider: BBC China Woes; Jeremy Clarkson Scandal; International Oscar Race Related Story Matt Hancock 'I'm A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here!' Controversy Features Heavily In Ofcom 2022 Complaints Roundup Related Story ITV Content Boss Kevin Lygo Brands Jeremy Clarkson Column "Awful" But Says He Will Remain Host Of 'Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?'
Clarkson’s “comment article,” which published last Friday, “provoked a strong response and let to a large number of complaints to Ipso, the independent press regulator,” the Rupert Murdoch-owned newspaper wrote in a post on its site today labeled “Clarification.”
“Columnists’ opinions are their own, but as a publisher, we realise that with free expression comes responsibility,” it added. “We at The Sun regret the publication of this article and we are sincerely sorry.
- 12/23/2022
- by Patrick Hipes
- Deadline Film + TV
British tabloid The Sun has apologized for a column written by former “Top Gear” host Jeremy Clarkson in which he wrote he “hates” Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, on a “cellular level” and suggested she be made to “parade naked” through Britain while people “throw lumps of excrement at her.”
“Columnists’ opinions are their own, but as a publisher, we realise that with free expression comes responsibility,” the newspaper wrote in a statement published on its website on Friday evening local time. “We at The Sun regret the publication of this article and we are sincerely sorry.”
The statement added that Clarkson’s article had been removed from its website and archives.
The Sun is among a number of British tabloids that Meghan and her husband Prince Harry have had long-running enmity towards, with Harry launching legal action against the newspaper in 2019 over alleged phone-hacking.
Clarkson is a writer and broadcaster who,...
“Columnists’ opinions are their own, but as a publisher, we realise that with free expression comes responsibility,” the newspaper wrote in a statement published on its website on Friday evening local time. “We at The Sun regret the publication of this article and we are sincerely sorry.”
The statement added that Clarkson’s article had been removed from its website and archives.
The Sun is among a number of British tabloids that Meghan and her husband Prince Harry have had long-running enmity towards, with Harry launching legal action against the newspaper in 2019 over alleged phone-hacking.
Clarkson is a writer and broadcaster who,...
- 12/23/2022
- by K.J. Yossman
- Variety Film + TV
Good afternoon Insiders and a happy holiday to you all, Max Goldbart here seeing out the year. We’re inching slowly towards the holiday and have just got a quick summary of the week’s headlines and some Essentials for you this week. We’ll be taking a well-earned (we hope!) break next week but back all systems go on Friday January 6. Until then, our heartfelt thanks go out to all you Insider readers. We are nothing without you. Merry Xmas, Happy Chanukah and a Happy New Year.
BBC China woes: Don’t you dare tuck into your turkey without checking out this must-read exclusive investigation from Jake on how a little-known commercial BBC outfit has been producing ads for China’s propaganda machine. Jake’s in-depth exposé found BBC StoryWorks has partnered with at least 18 Chinese clients including Huawei since 2015. Within a day, lawmaker Lord David Alton, who is...
BBC China woes: Don’t you dare tuck into your turkey without checking out this must-read exclusive investigation from Jake on how a little-known commercial BBC outfit has been producing ads for China’s propaganda machine. Jake’s in-depth exposé found BBC StoryWorks has partnered with at least 18 Chinese clients including Huawei since 2015. Within a day, lawmaker Lord David Alton, who is...
- 12/23/2022
- by Max Goldbart
- Deadline Film + TV
Jeremy Clarkson will remain the host on Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? “at the moment”, ITV boss Kevin Lygo has confirmed.
Lygo criticised the 62-year-old presenter’s comments about Meghan Markle, describing his tirade as “awful”.
In an op-ed published by The Sun on Friday (16 December), Clarkson wrote that he dreamt of the day Markle would be made to parade naked through Britain while the crowd chanted “shame” and threw “excrement” at her.
Clarkson claimed that “everyone who’s my age thinks the same way”.
The Sun has now removed Clarkson’s comment piece from its website. “In light of Jeremy Clarkson’s tweet he has asked us to take last week’s column down,” the page now reads.
More than 60 cross-party MPs have written to The Sun’s editor to demand an apology and “action taken” against Clarkson. The Snp’s shadow culture minister also called for Clarkson...
Lygo criticised the 62-year-old presenter’s comments about Meghan Markle, describing his tirade as “awful”.
In an op-ed published by The Sun on Friday (16 December), Clarkson wrote that he dreamt of the day Markle would be made to parade naked through Britain while the crowd chanted “shame” and threw “excrement” at her.
Clarkson claimed that “everyone who’s my age thinks the same way”.
The Sun has now removed Clarkson’s comment piece from its website. “In light of Jeremy Clarkson’s tweet he has asked us to take last week’s column down,” the page now reads.
More than 60 cross-party MPs have written to The Sun’s editor to demand an apology and “action taken” against Clarkson. The Snp’s shadow culture minister also called for Clarkson...
- 12/22/2022
- by Tom Murray,Peony Hirwani,Louis Chilton and Inga Parkel
- The Independent - TV
Jeremy Clarkson will remain the host on Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? “at the moment”, ITV boss Kevin Lygo has confirmed.
Lygo criticised the 62-year-old presenter’s comments about Meghan Markle, describing his tirade as “awful”.
In an op-ed published by The Sun on Friday (16 December), Clarkson wrote that he dreamt of the day Markle would be made to parade naked through Britain while the crowd chanted “shame” and threw “excrement” at her.
Clarkson claimed that “everyone who’s my age thinks the same way”.
The Sun has now removed Clarkson’s comment piece from its website. “In light of Jeremy Clarkson’s tweet he has asked us to take last week’s column down,” the page now reads.
More than 60 cross-party MPs have written to The Sun’s editor to demand an apology and “action taken” against Clarkson. The Snp’s shadow culture minister also called for Clarkson...
Lygo criticised the 62-year-old presenter’s comments about Meghan Markle, describing his tirade as “awful”.
In an op-ed published by The Sun on Friday (16 December), Clarkson wrote that he dreamt of the day Markle would be made to parade naked through Britain while the crowd chanted “shame” and threw “excrement” at her.
Clarkson claimed that “everyone who’s my age thinks the same way”.
The Sun has now removed Clarkson’s comment piece from its website. “In light of Jeremy Clarkson’s tweet he has asked us to take last week’s column down,” the page now reads.
More than 60 cross-party MPs have written to The Sun’s editor to demand an apology and “action taken” against Clarkson. The Snp’s shadow culture minister also called for Clarkson...
- 12/21/2022
- by Namita Singh,Tom Murray,Peony Hirwani,Louis Chilton and Inga Parkel
- The Independent - TV
Jeremy Clarkson will remain the host on Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? “At the moment”, said ITV boss Kevin Lygo, as he criticised Clarkson’s comments about Meghan Markle as “awful”.
In his op-ed, published on Friday (16 December) the 62-year-old wrote that he dreamt of the day Markle would be made to parade naked through Britain while the crowd chanted “shame” and threw “excrement” at her.
Clarkson claimed that “everyone who’s my age thinks the same way”.
The Sun has now removed Clarkson’s comment piece from its website. “In light of Jeremy Clarkson’s tweet he has asked us to take last week’s column down,” the page now reads.
More than 60 cross-party MPs have written to The Sun’s editor to demand an apology and “action taken” against Clarkson. The Snp’s shadow culture minister also called for Clarkson to be banned from TV altogether.
Ipso...
In his op-ed, published on Friday (16 December) the 62-year-old wrote that he dreamt of the day Markle would be made to parade naked through Britain while the crowd chanted “shame” and threw “excrement” at her.
Clarkson claimed that “everyone who’s my age thinks the same way”.
The Sun has now removed Clarkson’s comment piece from its website. “In light of Jeremy Clarkson’s tweet he has asked us to take last week’s column down,” the page now reads.
More than 60 cross-party MPs have written to The Sun’s editor to demand an apology and “action taken” against Clarkson. The Snp’s shadow culture minister also called for Clarkson to be banned from TV altogether.
Ipso...
- 12/21/2022
- by Namita Singh and Tom Murray
- The Independent - TV
Jeremy Clarkson will remain the host of ITV’s “Who Wants to Be a Million?” in the U.K. despite backlash from an op-ed in The Sun that members of Parliament condemned as “violent misogynistic language” against Meghan Markle, according to Kevin Lygo, ITV’s managing director of media and entertainment.
“What he writes in a newspaper column is really more for you to talk about because we have no control over what he says,” Lygo said to the Broadcasting Press Guild in London. “We hire him as a consummate broadcaster of the most famous quiz show on television. So it’s not quite in our wheelhouse.”
Lygo also called his remarks “awful” and noted that Clarkson has “acknowledged that,” but “should apologize.”
“I don’t know what he was thinking when he wrote that,” Lygo said.
The news of Clarkson remaining on air comes a day after the host...
“What he writes in a newspaper column is really more for you to talk about because we have no control over what he says,” Lygo said to the Broadcasting Press Guild in London. “We hire him as a consummate broadcaster of the most famous quiz show on television. So it’s not quite in our wheelhouse.”
Lygo also called his remarks “awful” and noted that Clarkson has “acknowledged that,” but “should apologize.”
“I don’t know what he was thinking when he wrote that,” Lygo said.
The news of Clarkson remaining on air comes a day after the host...
- 12/21/2022
- by Loree Seitz
- The Wrap
ITV Content Boss Kevin Lygo has become the first senior ITV exec to respond to Jeremy Clarkson’s controversial Meghan Markle column, branding the article “awful” but stating he will keep his job as host of Who Wants to be a Millionaire?.
Clarkson’s article “did not represent our values,” Lygo told journalists at a Broadcasting Press Guild lunch yesterday afternoon, adding: “It was awful and he has acknowledged that. I don’t know what he was thinking.”
Friday’s Sun column, which said Markle should be “made to parade naked through the streets of every town in Britain while the crowds throw lumps of excrement at her,” is UK press regulator Ipso’s most complained about article of all time with more than 20,000, and Rupert Murdoch’s paper has since retracted the piece while Clarkson said he was “horrified to have caused so much hurt.”
Meanwhile, Scottish MP John Nicolson...
Clarkson’s article “did not represent our values,” Lygo told journalists at a Broadcasting Press Guild lunch yesterday afternoon, adding: “It was awful and he has acknowledged that. I don’t know what he was thinking.”
Friday’s Sun column, which said Markle should be “made to parade naked through the streets of every town in Britain while the crowds throw lumps of excrement at her,” is UK press regulator Ipso’s most complained about article of all time with more than 20,000, and Rupert Murdoch’s paper has since retracted the piece while Clarkson said he was “horrified to have caused so much hurt.”
Meanwhile, Scottish MP John Nicolson...
- 12/21/2022
- by Max Goldbart
- Deadline Film + TV
Kevin Lygo, ITV’s managing director of media and entertainment, said Tuesday that Jeremy Clarkson will continue as the host of “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?,” despite his comments about Meghan Markle that a group of British lawmakers said used “violent misogynistic language.”
Clarkson wrote in his column in The Sun newspaper Friday that he “hated [Markle] on a cellular level.” He also wrote: “At night, I’m unable to sleep as I lie there, grinding my teeth and dreaming of the day when she is made to parade naked through the streets of every town in Britain while the crowds chant ‘Shame!’ and throw lumps of excrement at her.”
His remarks were met with thousands of complaints, including from lawmakers, some of whom called for his dismissal by ITV. On Monday, Clarkson said on social media: “I’m horrified to have caused so much hurt and I shall be more careful in future.
Clarkson wrote in his column in The Sun newspaper Friday that he “hated [Markle] on a cellular level.” He also wrote: “At night, I’m unable to sleep as I lie there, grinding my teeth and dreaming of the day when she is made to parade naked through the streets of every town in Britain while the crowds chant ‘Shame!’ and throw lumps of excrement at her.”
His remarks were met with thousands of complaints, including from lawmakers, some of whom called for his dismissal by ITV. On Monday, Clarkson said on social media: “I’m horrified to have caused so much hurt and I shall be more careful in future.
- 12/20/2022
- by Leo Barraclough
- Variety Film + TV
ITV Content Boss Kevin Lygo has conceded the public will “take a while to find, understand and fall in love with” new free streamer Itvx, which launches today with a quartet of new dramas and £160M (194M) cash injection.
ITV unveiled the heavily-revamped version of VoD player ITV Hub almost one year ago and it is replete with thousands of hours of content, while viewers can also pay for BritBox – the British streaming venture that is now solely owned by the commercial pubcaster – as an add-on.
While “hopefully everyone in the TV industry” understands Itvx, Lygo told Deadline it could “take a while for the people who like to watch ‘tele’ to find it, understand it and fall in love with it.”
“What we’ve got to do is make the public realize that this is a proper streamer like iPlayer or Netflix,” said Lygo. “This is now a destination...
ITV unveiled the heavily-revamped version of VoD player ITV Hub almost one year ago and it is replete with thousands of hours of content, while viewers can also pay for BritBox – the British streaming venture that is now solely owned by the commercial pubcaster – as an add-on.
While “hopefully everyone in the TV industry” understands Itvx, Lygo told Deadline it could “take a while for the people who like to watch ‘tele’ to find it, understand it and fall in love with it.”
“What we’ve got to do is make the public realize that this is a proper streamer like iPlayer or Netflix,” said Lygo. “This is now a destination...
- 12/8/2022
- by Max Goldbart
- Deadline Film + TV
Click here to read the full article.
At a time when Hollywood giants are refocusing their streaming businesses amid a growing bullseye on profitability, intense competition and signs of slowing subscriber growth, U.K. TV giant ITV is looking to take its “more than TV” strategy to a new level with Thursday’s launch of Itvx, its new free, advertising-supported streaming service that will replace its ITV Hub.
The company’s positioning and promise for the service is for it to be “the U.K.’s freshest streaming service.” For example, Itvx will offer “more than 10,000 hours” of content, compared with about 4,000 on ITV Hub so far. That includes new originals every week, starting with the likes of six-part Cold War drama A Spy Among Friends, starring Damian Lewis and Guy Pearce, and teen drama Tell Me Everything, and “one of the U.K.’s largest free film libraries” with...
At a time when Hollywood giants are refocusing their streaming businesses amid a growing bullseye on profitability, intense competition and signs of slowing subscriber growth, U.K. TV giant ITV is looking to take its “more than TV” strategy to a new level with Thursday’s launch of Itvx, its new free, advertising-supported streaming service that will replace its ITV Hub.
The company’s positioning and promise for the service is for it to be “the U.K.’s freshest streaming service.” For example, Itvx will offer “more than 10,000 hours” of content, compared with about 4,000 on ITV Hub so far. That includes new originals every week, starting with the likes of six-part Cold War drama A Spy Among Friends, starring Damian Lewis and Guy Pearce, and teen drama Tell Me Everything, and “one of the U.K.’s largest free film libraries” with...
- 12/7/2022
- by Georg Szalai
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Click here to read the full article.
U.K. TV giant ITV will launch its new free, advertising-supported streaming service Itvx on Dec. 8, the company unveiled on Monday. It also detailed the debut dates for the streamer’s first original series.
ITV, led by CEO Carolyn McCall, originally only promised to bring Itvx, which will replace its ITV Hub, to market in the fourth quarter, with a top executive this summer signaling the firm was planning a start possibly as early as November.
“At launch, viewers will have access to over 10,000 hours of content in high definition, and Itvx will also drop new and exclusive programmes every week of the year,” the company said. “Viewers can also expect the full range of ITV drama past and present to go on the service, as well as documentaries, cult classics and hundreds of blockbuster films which will all stream for free” from Dec.
U.K. TV giant ITV will launch its new free, advertising-supported streaming service Itvx on Dec. 8, the company unveiled on Monday. It also detailed the debut dates for the streamer’s first original series.
ITV, led by CEO Carolyn McCall, originally only promised to bring Itvx, which will replace its ITV Hub, to market in the fourth quarter, with a top executive this summer signaling the firm was planning a start possibly as early as November.
“At launch, viewers will have access to over 10,000 hours of content in high definition, and Itvx will also drop new and exclusive programmes every week of the year,” the company said. “Viewers can also expect the full range of ITV drama past and present to go on the service, as well as documentaries, cult classics and hundreds of blockbuster films which will all stream for free” from Dec.
- 11/7/2022
- by Georg Szalai
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Exclusive: Jimmy Akingbola, who plays Geoffrey in Peacock’s Bel-Air remake, has opened up about making a “positive story about adoption” to help inspire Black children in care in the upcoming ITV documentary Handle with Care.
Previous shows about adoption have tended to focus on “mining trauma,” the Kate & Kojo, In the Long Run and Ted Lasso star told Deadline, and he wanted to “flip the script but without dismissing these other stories” in Handle with Care.
“I have had to overcome a lot of difficulties but overall my experience was positive,” Akingbola said of his time growing up after being adopted by a white family at age 2, when he left his Nigerian parents.
“I felt like I hadn’t seen an inspiring, positive care story on TV and instead there is this trend of only putting something on if it is really harrowing. I wanted to go the other...
Previous shows about adoption have tended to focus on “mining trauma,” the Kate & Kojo, In the Long Run and Ted Lasso star told Deadline, and he wanted to “flip the script but without dismissing these other stories” in Handle with Care.
“I have had to overcome a lot of difficulties but overall my experience was positive,” Akingbola said of his time growing up after being adopted by a white family at age 2, when he left his Nigerian parents.
“I felt like I hadn’t seen an inspiring, positive care story on TV and instead there is this trend of only putting something on if it is really harrowing. I wanted to go the other...
- 10/21/2022
- by Max Goldbart
- Deadline Film + TV
Big Brother exec producer Natalka Znak has said it will be a “hard job” to reach beyond hardcore fans when the reality format is rebooted for ITV.
Znak, the creator of major franchises including Love Island and Hell’s Kitchen and now overseeing Banijay labels Remarkable Entertainment, Initial and Znak TV, described her quandary of appealing to hardcore fans who want the show to remain as it was while attracting new ones.
“TV has moved on since the days we loved watching people eat their cornflakes,” she added.
“I’m having conversations with so many hardcore fans who are saying ‘Don’t touch it’ but I think they will watch. What I need to focus on is appealing to all the people who’ve never watched Big Brother. It’s a hard job. It will be brilliant though.”
Big Brother was on Channel 4 between 2000 and 2010 and Paramount-owned Channel 5...
Znak, the creator of major franchises including Love Island and Hell’s Kitchen and now overseeing Banijay labels Remarkable Entertainment, Initial and Znak TV, described her quandary of appealing to hardcore fans who want the show to remain as it was while attracting new ones.
“TV has moved on since the days we loved watching people eat their cornflakes,” she added.
“I’m having conversations with so many hardcore fans who are saying ‘Don’t touch it’ but I think they will watch. What I need to focus on is appealing to all the people who’ve never watched Big Brother. It’s a hard job. It will be brilliant though.”
Big Brother was on Channel 4 between 2000 and 2010 and Paramount-owned Channel 5...
- 9/27/2022
- by Max Goldbart
- Deadline Film + TV
Click here to read the full article.
U.K. TV giant ITV said the fact that Netflix and Disney+ are preparing advertising tiers could expand the broader ad market and “is kind of about how powerful TV is,” CEO Carolyn McCall said on Tuesday in London. “We will have to monitor very carefully,” she added though.
Speaking at the Royal Television Society (Rts) London Convention 2022, the exec noted that “they could be complementary to our audience.” So, ITV will “deliver a mass audience,” while Netflix could be more of an “add-on” for marketers to their key TV ad buys when looking for more younger audiences.
McCall discussed ITV’s commercial and business challenges, competition from global streaming giants and the upcoming launch of streamer Itvx during an on-stage conversation with BBC journalist Amol Rajan.
Because Itvx is a free service, the company can “monetize” it with advertising. The company’s catch-up...
U.K. TV giant ITV said the fact that Netflix and Disney+ are preparing advertising tiers could expand the broader ad market and “is kind of about how powerful TV is,” CEO Carolyn McCall said on Tuesday in London. “We will have to monitor very carefully,” she added though.
Speaking at the Royal Television Society (Rts) London Convention 2022, the exec noted that “they could be complementary to our audience.” So, ITV will “deliver a mass audience,” while Netflix could be more of an “add-on” for marketers to their key TV ad buys when looking for more younger audiences.
McCall discussed ITV’s commercial and business challenges, competition from global streaming giants and the upcoming launch of streamer Itvx during an on-stage conversation with BBC journalist Amol Rajan.
Because Itvx is a free service, the company can “monetize” it with advertising. The company’s catch-up...
- 9/27/2022
- by Georg Szalai
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
There was a sense of excitement and, dare it be said, even joy permeating the first in-person Edinburgh International TV Festival since 2019, which came to a close on Friday. Panels were packed, dinners were back and even a garbage collection strike and wet weather couldn’t put a dampener on proceedings as producers, commissioners, executives and talent reunited under one roof to take stock of the industry. It’s been a turbulent few years and signs suggest the ride isn’t over yet. This year’s festival was a chance to take stock, reconnect and look forward.
Below are Variety’s top takeaways from the three-day festival:
1. Make Content Local, But Not Parochial
Local content is big business and the U.S. streamers are committed to projects that reflect the countries they’re operating in. “What we saw when we launched globally in 2016 was all our audiences were crying out for local content,...
Below are Variety’s top takeaways from the three-day festival:
1. Make Content Local, But Not Parochial
Local content is big business and the U.S. streamers are committed to projects that reflect the countries they’re operating in. “What we saw when we launched globally in 2016 was all our audiences were crying out for local content,...
- 8/26/2022
- by K.J. Yossman and Naman Ramachandran
- Variety Film + TV
Channel 4 Chief Content Officer Ian Katz has said “there is something depressing” about the number of UK TV reboots currently in production.
The topic of reboots has been raised a number of times at the Edinburgh TV Festival already this year and Katz used his session to back up former Channel 4 CEO David Abraham’s comments yesterday that the situation with reboots is “profoundly depressing.”
Katz was responding to a question on Big Brother returning to ITV, Banijay’s format’s third UK network in 20 years, and he acknowledged Channel 4 has also rebooted shows such as Changing Rooms.
“I do think there is something depressing about this microwave issue in TV, with so many old dishes being reheated,” he said. “If Channel 4 is about anything it is looking for the new dish and that’s what we need to keep focusing on.”
Katz flagged new Channel 4 reality formats Alone,...
The topic of reboots has been raised a number of times at the Edinburgh TV Festival already this year and Katz used his session to back up former Channel 4 CEO David Abraham’s comments yesterday that the situation with reboots is “profoundly depressing.”
Katz was responding to a question on Big Brother returning to ITV, Banijay’s format’s third UK network in 20 years, and he acknowledged Channel 4 has also rebooted shows such as Changing Rooms.
“I do think there is something depressing about this microwave issue in TV, with so many old dishes being reheated,” he said. “If Channel 4 is about anything it is looking for the new dish and that’s what we need to keep focusing on.”
Katz flagged new Channel 4 reality formats Alone,...
- 8/25/2022
- by Max Goldbart
- Deadline Film + TV
Click here to read the full article.
U.K. TV giant ITV will launch its new streaming service Itvx in November to attract more overall viewers for its content, managing director, media and entertainment Kevin Lygo told a TV industry event on Wednesday. He also credited the “extraordinary success” of fellow reality TV series Love Island as a key driver behind the decision to reboot reality hit Big Brother.
ITV had previously only said that it would debut Itvx in the fourth quarter as a free, advertising-funded streaming service, with Lygo in his appearance now mentioning November as the launch month. It will feature all of ITV’s programming along with content acquisitions, including from the U.S. and including films, he said. A new exclusive programming event will drop on the streamer regularly, starting with espionage drama A Spy Among Friends, starring Damian Lewis and Guy Pearce.
The streamer will...
U.K. TV giant ITV will launch its new streaming service Itvx in November to attract more overall viewers for its content, managing director, media and entertainment Kevin Lygo told a TV industry event on Wednesday. He also credited the “extraordinary success” of fellow reality TV series Love Island as a key driver behind the decision to reboot reality hit Big Brother.
ITV had previously only said that it would debut Itvx in the fourth quarter as a free, advertising-funded streaming service, with Lygo in his appearance now mentioning November as the launch month. It will feature all of ITV’s programming along with content acquisitions, including from the U.S. and including films, he said. A new exclusive programming event will drop on the streamer regularly, starting with espionage drama A Spy Among Friends, starring Damian Lewis and Guy Pearce.
The streamer will...
- 8/24/2022
- by Georg Szalai
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Love Island’s “extraordinary success” drove ITV to commission its Big Brother reboot, according to content boss Kevin Lygo, who said duty of care is being considered for the upcoming reality show but “I don’t think we should stop allowing the public on TV.”
Lygo told the Edinburgh Television Festival that Love Island, which has now run for eight seasons, had “defied current logic” by regularly topping 3M viewers per night across its eight-week run for multiple seasons.
“More young people watch it than any other and we should all take joy in the fact that if you get the right show, they will watch,” he added.
Lygo said Banijay’s Big Brother reboot, which was unveiled during the Love Island finale, will likely skew older than Love Island, attracting audiences who watched two decades ago and “remember it fondly” from days on Channel 4 and Channel 5.
The...
Lygo told the Edinburgh Television Festival that Love Island, which has now run for eight seasons, had “defied current logic” by regularly topping 3M viewers per night across its eight-week run for multiple seasons.
“More young people watch it than any other and we should all take joy in the fact that if you get the right show, they will watch,” he added.
Lygo said Banijay’s Big Brother reboot, which was unveiled during the Love Island finale, will likely skew older than Love Island, attracting audiences who watched two decades ago and “remember it fondly” from days on Channel 4 and Channel 5.
The...
- 8/24/2022
- by Max Goldbart
- Deadline Film + TV
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