BBC Unveils Xmas Schedule Including ‘Peaky Blinders’ Dance Performance & Rebecca Ferguson Series; Netflix UK Docs Commissioner Moves To Raw; Leonard Cohen Drama Sales; Sarah Pinborough Adaptation; UKTV Drama Boss – Global Briefs

Max Goldbart
·5 min read
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BBC Unveils Xmas Slate Including ‘Peaky Blinders’ Dance Performance & Rebecca Ferguson Doc

The BBC has unveiled its Christmas schedule featuring a wealth of pre-announced scripted content, a recording of the Peaky Blinders: The Redemption of Thomas Shelby live performance and a Rebecca Ferguson-narrated natural history doc about Scandinavia. The Peaky Blinders performance will be specially filmed at the Birmingham Hippodrome and air on BBC Four over Christmas. Adapted for the stage by Peaky Blinders creator Steven Knight and choreographed and directed by Rambert’s Artistic Director Benoit Swan Pouffer, the performance includes the full company of Rambert dancers and marks 10 years since the first episode aired. Meanwhile, Dune star Ferguson is narrating Wild Scandinavia, which celebrates the stunning wildlife, dramatic landscapes and unique culture of the furthest northern reaches of Europe and is co-produced for PBS and SVT. There are also fresh docs on the slate about the Kanneh-Mason performers, Caroline Aherne, Noel Coward and Adrian Chiles. The slate is helmed by a wealth of pre-announced scripted content including Nicolas Winding Refn’s The Famous Five, Ghosts Christmas Special and second seasons of Vigil and The Tourist.

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Netflix UK Docs Commissioner Joins ‘Tinder Swindler’ Producer

Netflix UK docs commissioner Jonny Taylor has joined Tinder Swindler producer Raw TV as Creative Director. Taylor leaves the streamer after five years as Director, Original Documentaries, during which time he worked on the likes of The Tinder Swindler and Don’t F**k With Cats: Hunting An Internet Killer, both produced by Raw, along with huge hits including Tiger King and Jimmy Savile: A British Horror Story. He will join All3Media-backed Raw next month, working closely with  founders Dimitri Doganis and Bart Layton alongside Creative Director Liesel Evans and EVP U.S. Factual Programming, Sam Maynard. “It’s been an incredibly exciting couple of years at Raw, with substantial growth and the delivery of some hugely ambitious content, and our desire to continue exploring and evolving as programme makers in this ever-changing market is stronger than ever,” said CEO Joely Fether. “We have absolutely loved working with Jonny at Netflix: we share a passion for great story telling and a desire to be innovative and bold in what we do.”

Leonard Cohen Drama Sells To ITV

Leonard Cohen drama So Long, Marianne has sold to ITVX and networks in Greece and Cyprus, while Germany’s ARD Fabfiction has joined as co-producer alongside Norway’s NRK and Canada’s Crave. So Long, Marianne tells the love story of Canadian singer and poet Leonard Cohen, and his muse Marianne Ihlen who inspired the title song. Their story crosses the world, traveling from Norway to Greece, New York and Montreal, with the majority of the series filmed on the picturesque Greek island of Hydra where they lived during the 1960s. ITV has picked up for the ITVX streaming service and sales deals have also been struck by Cineflix Rights with Cosmote TV and Star Channel in Greece and Movies Best HD in Cyprus. Leading the cast are Alex Wolff (The Line, Hereditary, Jumanji) as Leonard, with Thea Sofie Loch Næss (The Last Kingdom, Delete Me, A Storm For Christmas) playing Marianne. Joining them are Anna Torv (The Newsreader, The Last of Us, Mindhunter) as Charmian Clift, Noah Taylor (Preacher, Peaky Blinders, Game of Thrones) as George Johnston, and Peter Stormare (American Gods, Fargo) as Irving Layton. “So Long, Marianne is one of the most iconic love stories of the last century, set in one of the most beautiful locations in the world. Øystein and the creative team, working with an incredible cast, have delivered an enthralling drama which will captivate audiences everywhere,” said Cineflix Rights Head of Scripted James Durie.

Sarah Pinborough’s ‘Dog-Faced Gods’ Novels Optioned By Red Planet

Death in Paradise producer Red Planet has optioned Sarah Pinborough’s The Dog-Faced Gods trilogy and is developing the first novel in the series, A Matter of Blood. Pinborough, who is also adapting her novel Insomnia for Paramount+ with The Crown maker Left Bank, will adapt A Matter of Blood for TV, with no network attached as of yet. A Matter of Blood is set in a sleek and stylish contemporary London, as Cass finds himself on the case of his life; hunting the enigmatic serial killer ‘Mr Solomon’. However, it soon becomes clear that this is no ordinary killer, and this is no ordinary chase. “I have been quietly in love with Cass Jones and his story since writing him, and I’m so excited to be working with such a dynamic and creative team at Red Planet Pictures to bring him to life,” said Pinborough. Red Planet has had a busy few weeks. The Asacha Media Group-owned firm announced that Strictly winner Rose Ayling-Ellis will lead its adaptation of Will Dean’s first Tuva Moodyson novel Dark Pines last week.

Helen Perry Swaps ITV Drama For UKTV

UK drama commissioner Helen Perry has swapped ITV for BBC Studios-owned UKTV. Replacing Philippa Collie Cousins as Head of Drama and reporting to Director of Commissioning Hilary Rosen, Perry will oversee a slate including Annika, Traces and We Hunt Together, while helping forge new shows for the Alibi, Drama and Dave channels. At ITV, she worked on the the upcoming Mr Bates vs The Post Office starring Toby Jones and Playing Nice starring James Norton, alongside returning series such as DI Ray, Professor T, The Bay and Grantchester. Past employers include the BBC and Bad Wolf. “As we expand original drama across more of our channels, Helen’s wealth of experience in developing and commissioning eye-catching shows will be invaluable,” said Rosen.

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