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Tall Story Pictures, the ITV Studios label behind returning dramas such as The Bay and Grace, has named Phil Hunter as Executive Producer. The news follows yesterday’s announcement that former Tall Story producer Patrick Schweitzer has moved to Red Production Company as CEO.

Hunter will work across projects both in production and development, and will be EP on the next series of Grace, the ITV drama which is an adaptation of Peter James’ award winning novels, starring John Simm as Brighton-based Detective Superintendent Roy Grace.

Most recently, Hunter was co-producer on the Apple TV+ show Criminal Record starring Peter Capaldi and Cush Jumbo. Prior to that, he was executive producer on five seasons of ITV’s Vera.

Other credits include producing Midsomer Murders for Bentley Productions, as well as working as a producer and script editor on a range of shows such as Hollyoaks, EastEnders, Holby City and Hustle.

Dominic Treadwell-Collins, the executive producer of A Very English Scandal, is setting up a drama production label with ITV Studios.

Treadwell-Collins is starting up at ITV Studios after more than three years as the head of television at Blueprint Pictures. He started his new role this week and will aim to create high-ended scripted series, which can be sold internationally by ITV Studios.

Treadwell-Collins will act as showrunner on his own projects, as well as executive producing all other shows made by the label. It follows the producer overseeing Russell T Davies’ BBC One drama A Very English Scandal, which starred Hugh Grant and Ben Whishaw, who scooped up a BAFTA, Emmy and Golden Globe for his performance as Norman Scott.

ITV Studios managing director Julian Bellamy said: “I have long been an admirer of Dominic’s creativity and storytelling, as exemplified by the award-winning A Very English Scandal. We...

British crime drama The Bay, which has been dubbed the ‘Northern Broadchurch’, has been renewed for a second season by ITV.

The series, which is produced by Bancroft producer Tall Story Pictures, has been a hit for ITV with a consolidated audience of 7M viewers. The drama, based in Morecambe, stars Morven Christie (The A Word) as police Family Liaison Officer DS Lisa Armstrong and Daniel Ryan (Mount Pleasant) playing Di Tony Manning.

Armstrong is the mother of two children and works for West Lancashire Police Service as a Family Liaison Officer (Flo). She is called out on the case of two missing children only to find the married stepfather of the twins is someone that she had sex with in an alley behind a pub on the night the twins disappeared whilst out on a friend’s hen do. Armstrong is trained not to become emotionally involved with cases she is working on,...

Exclusive: ITV-owned Tall Story Pictures is developing an international TV series based on European banking dynasty novel House of Gold after optioning Natasha Solomons’ book.

The company, which is behind Mike Bartlett’s forthcoming drama The Man, is working with the author herself to adapt the series.

The book is set on the eve of World War I and is a family epic that draws back the curtain of the opulent life of banking dynasty the Goldbaums, a Rothschilds-style family whose world is about to shatter.

The Goldbaum’s influence reaches across Europe; they are the confidantes and bankers of governments and emperors. Little happens without their say-so and even less without their knowledge. But Greta Goldbaum has no say at all in who she’ll marry. Greta’s union with cousin Albert will strengthen the bond between the Austrian and the English branches of the dynasty. It is sensible and strategic,...

Johnny English Strikes Back and Paddington 2 star Ben Miller has joined the cast of ITV psychological drama The Man.

Miller will star alongside Christopher Robin and Killing Eve star Ken Nwosu in the three-part bullying drama, which was created by Doctor Foster and Press creator Mike Bartlett.

Also joining the cast are Sean Sagar (Top Boy), Susannah Fielding (Black Mirror), Gwilym Lee (Bohemian Rhapsody), Phoebe Nicholls (Downton Abbey), Ritu Ayra (Humans), Alexandra Roach (Black Mirror), Michael Cochrane (The Archers) and Debbie Chazen (Doctor Who).

This contemporary drama will be directed by Julia Ford (Safe) and produced by Colin Wratten (Killing Eve). It is produced by ITV Studios’ Tall Story Pictures, the production company that recently produced Barlett’s Adrian Lester and John Simm-fronted Trauma.

The Man is a workplace psychological drama centered around middle management. Nwosu plays Thomas Benson, a hard-working father and husband who works in a business park outside of London.

Christopher Robin and Killing Eve star Ken Nwosu is to front a three-part drama written by Doctor Foster creator Mike Bartlett for ITV.

The British broadcaster has ordered The Man, to be directed by Julia Ford, who recently worked on Netflix’s Michael C Hall-fronted thriller Safe. Produced by ITV Studios’ Tall Story Pictures, the production company that recently produced Barlett’s Adrian Lester and John Simm-fronted Trauma.

The Man is a workplace psychological drama centered around middle management. Nwosu plays Thomas Benson, a hard-working father and husband who works in a business park outside of London. Reliant on bonuses and winning pitches, Benson often finds himself leading the team when trying to win new business. When he freezes during a pitch the fall out is monumental. Determined to win back a big client, Thomas goes to increasingly desperate lengths to remain successful. But as he does, he begins to feel undermined,...

ITV Studios, Sky execs join UK outfit.

Lookout Point has hired two drama heavyweights to aid its growth plan – ITV Studios drama exec Francis Hopkinson and Sky’s head of scripted production Louise Mutter.

Hopkinson, who has been with ITV Studios since 2011, has been named executive producer and will be tasked with developing and producing his own slate of original dramas.

He will also produce the company’s forthcoming Andrew Davies-penned adaptation of A Suitable Boy for BBC1.

He will also form part of the senior team at Benchmark Television, the high-end drama venture that Lookout Point established with Danny Cohen’s Access Entertainment.

ITV Encore has set the cast for its four-part thriller, Bancroft. Sarah Parish (Broadchurch) will star as the eponymous tortured detective with dark secrets in her past. Created and written by Kate Brooke (Mr Selfridge), Bancroft is the first commission from the Itvs drama label, Tall Story Pictures, founded by producers Francis Hopkinson and Catherine Oldfield. Also joining the cast are Faye Marsay (Game Of Thrones) and Linus Roache (Vikings). Hopkinson and Brooke are…...

ITV Encore has set the cast for its four-part thriller, Bancroft. Sarah Parish (Broadchurch) will star as the eponymous tortured detective with dark secrets in her past. Created and written by Kate Brooke (Mr Selfridge), Bancroft is the first commission from the Itvs drama label, Tall Story Pictures, founded by producers Francis Hopkinson and Catherine Oldfield. Also joining the cast are Faye Marsay (Game Of Thrones) and Linus Roache (Vikings). Hopkinson and Brooke are…...

[caption id="attachment_48887" align="aligncenter" width="590"] Home Fires TV show image courtesy of ITV./caption]

You can't keep the home fires burning in UK. The Home Fires TV show has been cancelled by ITV. Actor Daniel Ryan, who played Bryn Brindsley in the World War II era drama, broke the bad news on Twitter. His tweet reads: "So, it is with huge sadness I must tell you that #HomeFires has been cancelled. Awful to leave stories untold and lives incomplete. Sorry."

Executive producer Catherine Oldfield also tweeted about the Home Fires cancellation, saying: "So very sorry that #Homefires won't be back. We loved making the show & that it was well received by so many made it all the more special." The Home Fires cast also includes: Samantha Bond, Francesca Annis, Ruth Gemmell, Claire Rushbrook, Ed Stoppard, Chris Coghill, Clare Calbraith, Fenella Woolgar, Mark Bazeley, and Mike Noble.

Max Irons and Sam Neill have joined the cast of ITV's event series "Tutankhamun".

Peter Webber ("Emperor") will direct and Guy Burt ("Jekyll and Hyde," "The Borgias") is writing all the episodes of this epic story of Howard Carter's discovery of Tutankhamen's tomb.

Starting from 1905, Carter (Irons) was an eminent British archaeologist in his twenties whose license is revoked by Cairo's Antiquities Service.

After years spent broke and ostracised, a chance meeting with the dashing British aristocrat Lord Carnarvon (Neill) begins an unlikely friendship. The pair ultimately discover the last resting place of the boy-king in 1921 against all odds and at great personal expense.

Francis Hopkinson and Catherine Oldfield will executive produce and Simon Lewis will produce. Filming will take place in South Africa during the winter and early 2016.

Source: Deadline...

ITV has announced a new six-part World War II drama series.

Created and written by Simon Block and given the working title Jambusters, the drama follows a group of inspirational women in a rural Cheshire community.

"We're really delighted to have commissioned Jambusters," said ITV director of drama Steve November.

"Great writing from Simon has given Julie Summers's wonderful book a fictional life. The women are real and engaging, and have fantastic spirit and attitude.

With World War II on the horizon, multiple strands of plot interweave to create a period drama full of jeopardy and intrigue, but also great humanity and modernity."

Executive producer Francis Hopkinson added: "Thanks to Simon Block's brilliant script, inspired by Julie Summers's book, this series will take a fresh look at life on the Home Front, showing both the tragedies and the triumphs, and offering some wonderful roles for Britain's top actresses.