Lenny Henry’s “Three Little Birds,” Steven Knight’s “This Town” and a first look at “The Summit,” billed as a blockbuster adventure reality series, look like just three highlights of Banijay Rights extensive and wide-ranging lineup at what promises to be one of the biggest presentations at this week’s London TV Screenings.
Further scripted titles will take in “This Town” and “The Sixth Commandment” for the BBC, “Domina” for MGM+ and Sky, and “Safe Home” for SBS, as well as doc feature “Lara.”
Given the iconic talent behind some titles – “It’s a Sin’s” Russell T. Davies serves as an executive producer on “Three Little Birds – scripted is likely to command large buyer attention.
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Beyond “The Summit,” unscripted titles take in a strong line in dating and relationship shows, “Love Triangle,” “Date My Mate” and “Save the Date” as well as new interior design competition “The Big Interiors Battle,” entertainment formats “Boomerissima” and “Cover Night,” competition titles Blow Up and “MasterChef Young Talent” and comedy “No Strings Attached.”
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Talent on hand, which will be interviewed on stage at BAFTA, include Knight, Rochelle Neil, Yazmin Belo, and Saffron Coomber, stars of “Three Little Birds,” The Sixth Commandment” writer Sarah Phelps and director Saul Dibb; “Safe Home” star Aisha Dee, “Domina” creator Simon Burke. Another interviewee will be BAFTA and Intl. Emmy winner Mags Gavan (“Dispatches”, director of doc feature “Lara,” which marks Banijay’s drive into the premium factual feature production.
“This year’s Banijay at BAFTA event is set to have the strongest line-up yet and we’re proud to create a truly must-attend showcase for international buyers, with a high-calibre of talent supporting us on stage,” said Cathy Payne, CEO of Banijay Rights. “With an extensive range of genres, bringing globally relevant themes to audiences, we expect our eclectic roster of content to be immensely popular,” she added.
From ‘Love Triangle’ to ‘Blow Up’ and ‘No Strings Attached,’ at Banijay, we have a strong pipeline of emerging IP that we’re proud to present,” said James Townley, global head of content development and Lucas Green, global head of content operations at Banijay in a joint statement.
“This is down to our creatives who we are delighted to support in super-charging their ambitious ideas and getting them on-screen and travelling the world.”
The lineup in brief:
“Three Little Birds”
One of Banijay Rights biggest plays at the London TV Screenings, written by Lenny Henry, based on his mother’s stories, with Russell T. Davies (“It’s A Sin”) on board as consultant and executive producer. The tale of three young women who leave Jamaica for Britain in the 1950s and when Notting Hill proves a harsh reality test, head for the Midlands. Tiger Aspect Productions in association with Douglas Road Productions – both Banijay UK companies – produce for ITV and BritBox International.
“This Town”
A BBC title, and the first project from creative partnership deal between Kudos, a Banijay UK company and Peaky Blinders creator Steven Knight to support Birmingham’s film-TV industry. Starring Michelle Dockery, Nicholas Pinnock and David Dawson, the story of a family and four young people drawn into Coventry and Birmingham’s exploding ska and two-tone music scene in the late ‘70s and early ‘80s.
“The Sixth Commandment”
Another BBC title. Produced by Banijay UK’s Wild Mercury Productions and True Vision Productions, an English village set true crime drama.
“Domina,” Season 2
A second season outing for the feminist take on Ancient Rome turning on fearsome power-player Livia Drusilla, wife of Augustus Caesar. Tiger Aspect Productions again produces, in association with MGM+ Studios for MGM+ and Sky.
“Safe Home”
A thriller starring Aisha Dee set at an embattle family violence legal center, marking the first commission from Imogen Banks’ new production company Kindling Pictures. Produced for SBS.
Documentary:
“Lara”
The extraordinary tale of the reconciliation between Jorge Lara and Juan Pablo Escobar, son of drug lord Pablo Escobar, who murdered Lara’s politician father.
Unscripted:
“The Big Interiors Battle”
From Remarkable Factual, the show focuses on eight people with an eye for design who receive the keys to an apartment where they are challenged to transform a different room each week. Will their key card work when they next try to enter or have they been locked out of the competition?
“Love Triangle”
It challenges a group of singles to relinquish their grasp on what they think their perfect partner should look like and instead choose: Sight unseen. Following its successful first season on Australia’s Stan, now recommissioned for a second series. Created by the producers of “Married at First Sight” Australia, Endemol Shine Australia.
“Date My Mate”
Based on the Endemol Shine Australia format “Date Night,” singles swipe through prospective suitors on the format’s dedicated real-life app and then watch the subsequent dates unfold. Produced by U.K.’s Dragonfly.
“Save the Date”
Single women, tired of the dating world, gain total control of their love life by setting a wedding date, before they have begun to search for their partner. Will setting a love deadline help them find the one? Created by Endemol Shine Israel, Endemol Shine Finland produced the first series for Nelonen.
“Boomerissima”
Created by Banijay Italia, each episode sees celebrities from different eras pitted against each other. Highlighting TV shows, movies or music to refute stereotypes and highlight whether things were better in the past or the present. The first series concluded on Rai 2 this month.
“Cover Night”
Singing contest from Shine Iberia that sees young talented singers (16+) go head-to-head as they transform hit songs into different genres and add their own twist to covers, accompanied by a live band.
“The Summit”
New blockbuster adventure reality series created and developed exclusively with the 9Network by Endemol Shine Australia. Set in New Zealand’s southern Alps, a group of strangers carrying an equal share of 1 million Australian dollars must reach the peak of a distant mountain in just 14 days to win the cash.
“No Strings Attached”
Combining comedy with entertainment, RDF Television’s offering welcomes a different celebrity in each episode to read an erotic piece of creative writing where they are the lead role. The adult fan fiction brought to life by puppet versions of the stars will encounter romance, scandal, mystery, intrigue, and farce.
“Blow Up”
Created by EndemolShine Nederland and now commissioned in four territories. The first season, which aired in the Netherlands last Summer, was the No. 1 show in its slot on all commercial key demos with the slot average up 168% for 6-12-year-olds.
“MasterChef Young Talent”
The world’s most successful cookery TV format, created by Franc Roddam, starring a new generation of promising chefs, aged 13–18. Created by Danish company Metronome and Nordisk Banijay in Norway for the Viaplay Group, this “exciting and authentic” new iteration aims to equip a future generation with the best tools within the industry, Banijay Rights said Tuesday.
