
17 September 2013
Sky ramps up investment in original drama productions
Coinciding with the biggest and most ambitious drama season ever, and building on its commitment to original British drama productions, Sky announces four brand new dramas to be filmed in the coming months.
The new programmes include a high-octane medical drama Critical, two new films for the Playhouse Presents... strand, and a psychological thriller Penny Dreadful. All four feature some of the most highly respected drama talent working in television today, both on and off screen, including Josh Hartnett, Ben Whishaw, Billie Piper, Eva Green, Ashley Walters and Rory Kinnear.
Running across Sky's portfolio of entertainment channels, and complemented by popular returning series, the new dramas reflect Sky's drive to bring more high-quality, exclusive programming to customers. The new commissions are part of Sky's commitment to invest £600 million a year in home-grown programming by 2014, an increase of 50% over three years.
The new dramas are:
Critical (Sky 1): a 13-part, high-octane medical drama from Jed Mercurio, which unfolds in real time
Two brand new films for the Playhouse Presents... strand on Sky Arts:
*Nightshift: Ashley Walters and Daniel Mays star as two coppers, on duty overnight in South East London, discussing life, the universe and everything.
*Foxtrot: Billie Piper, Ben Whishaw and Lindsay Duncan star in this tale of a gang heist gone wrong, penned by Polly Stenham in her first project for TV
Penny Dreadful (Sky Atlantic): a frightening psychological period horror, created by John Logan and starring Eva Green, Josh Hartnett, Timothy Dalton, Rory Kinnear and Billie Piper
Stuart Murphy, Director of Sky Entertainment, commented: Were so happy with the dramas we've made so far, and I hope our new programmes will underline how much we put a premium on creative endeavour at Sky. We really believe that our philosophy of backing world class creative talent and pushing them to make their best work is the way to go.
Cameron Roach, Head of Drama, added: We love making these programmes and we hope that everyone who watches them feels like they've discovered something new, exciting and very special.
The new commissions follow a host of original Sky productions which will be on screen in the coming months including:
Drama Matters (Sky Living): a season of five original dramas from some of Britain's most renowned and critically-acclaimed female screenwriters, including Sally Wainwright, Gwyneth Hughes and Annie Griffin. Drama Matters features an all-star cast including Suranne Jones, Anna Friel, Russell Tovey, Sophie Rundle and Freema Agyeman
The Tunnel (Sky Atlantic): Ben Richards (Spooks, Party Animals) heads up the writing team based on the format of The Bridge and set against the backdrop of Europe in crisis and starring Stephen Dillane and Cl mence Po sy.
Strike Back (Sky 1): starring Philip Winchester and Sullivan Stapleton, this returns for a fourth series this October.
Dracula (Sky Living): based on a script from Cole Haddon, the series stars Jonathan Rhys Myers and will launch this Autumn.
Moonfleet (Sky 1): a two-part family drama adaptation by Ashley Pharaoh (Life on Mars, Ashes to Ashes) of the classic John Meade Falkner story, starring Ray Winstone and Aneurin Barnard.
Mad Dogs: The Finale (Sky 1): a two-part conclusion to the BAFTA-nominated drama starring Max Beesley, Philip Glenister, John Simm and Marc Warren
Fleming (Sky Atlantic): starring Dominic Cooper in the lead role in a series based on the life of Bond creator Ian Fleming
The return of A Young Doctor's Notebook & Other Stories (Sky Arts) starring Daniel Radcliffe and Jon Hamm.
The Smoke (Sky 1): created by Lucy Kirkwood (Skins), this follows the adrenaline fuelled and gut-wrenchingly emotional stories of the White Watch crew of a London fire station and stars Jamie Bamber and Jodie Whittaker.
Customers can view highlights from Sky's new drama presentation at www.sky.com/skydrama
-ENDS-
For more information please contact:
Luke Morrison
T: 020 7032 1479
M: 07584 580026
luke.morrison@bskyb.com
Notes to editors:
SKY DRAMA: SYNOPSES
CRITICAL (13 x 60 Hat Trick Productions). Written and created by Jed Mercurio (Cardiac Arrest, Bodies and Line Of Duty), CRITICAL is a high octane medical drama which unfolds in real time. This 13 part series promises to deliver an action packed show, which sees the ensemble cast dealing with the minute by minute pressures, tensions and joys, as they battle to save lives. Never cutting away from the heart stopping action, this promises to be a medical series like no other - real, truthful and emotional, with humour pumping through it - all in the true spirit of a high pressure, Major Trauma Centre. CRITICAL will be executive produced by Mark Redhead for Hat Trick Productions and Cameron Roach for Sky.
PLAYHOUSE PRESENTS NIGHTSHIFT (1 x 30', Cajun Pictures and World Productions) Written by Jimmy Gardner, and starring Daniel Mays, Ashley Walters and Scarlett Alice Johnson, Nightshift follows two coppers as they cruise the streets of South East London in the small hours discussing life, the universe and everything else amidst the surreal world of the night. NIGHTSHIFT is produced by Cajun Pictures and World Productions.
PLAYHOUSE PRESENTS FOXTROT (1x30', Sprout Pictures) stars Billie Piper, Ben Wishaw, Lindsay Duncan and Alice Sanders star in, written and directed by Polly Stenham. In her first television drama, the critically-lauded playwright brings her unique voice and vision to a contemporary ill-fated girl gang heist. FOXTROT is produced by Adrian Bate, creative producer is Pip Broughton, and Gina Carter and Zoe Rocha will be executive producers.
PENNY DREADFUL (8x60 ) features some of literature's most
Most recent headlines
13/03/2025
TAG Video Systems and Harmonic Partner to Deliver Enhanced Real-Time Monitoring ...
13/03/2025
DigitalGlue Invites NAB Visitors to Experience New Features in Managed Storage P...
13/03/2025
FOR-A America Theme - Connecting the Present, Building the Future - Comes to Lif...
13/03/2025
CTIA, the wireless industry association, has named former FCC Chairman Aji Pai as its President and Chief Executive Officer, effective April 1. He replaces Mere...
13/03/2025
he National Association of Broadcasters is urging the FCC to end its investigation of that controversial CBS interview with Kamala Harris stating there is no ...
13/03/2025
MIAMI CBS News & Stations continues to expand its use of augmented and virtual reality technologies with the planned launch of an augmented reality/virtual real...
13/03/2025
Srividhya Srinivasan, co-founder and chief customer success & innovation Officer at Amagi, tells TVBEurope how staying ahead of the latest trends is essential f...
13/03/2025
WASHINGTON FCC Chairman Brendan Carr announced that the agency has launched a massive, new deregulatory initiative that could potentially subject virtually all ...
13/03/2025
SUNNYVALE, Calif. SDVI has announced that it has integrated its Rally media supply chain management platform with the Spectra Vail multi-cloud data management s...
13/03/2025
ATLANTA Gray Media has announced that the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has granted a waiver of its local ownership rules to permit Gray Media to acqu...
13/03/2025
TV Tech: What do you anticipate will be the most significant technology trends at the 2025 NAB Show?...
13/03/2025
Watch Student Naomi Soleils Folk Pop Performance on The Voice The songwriting major sang Stars by Grace Potter and the Nocturnals during the blind auditions.
...
13/03/2025
Here is your host, Patrick Kielty!
Shake your Shamrocks, Patrick Kielty will be...
13/03/2025
This St. Patrick's weekend, RT invites you to celebrate all things Irish, showcasing the very best of Irish sport, entertainment and live coverage from the...
13/03/2025
What's next in AI is at GTC 2025. Not only the technology, but the people and ideas that are pushing AI forward - creating new opportunities, novel solution...
13/03/2025
Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
By combining T-Mobile's robust network, Thal...
13/03/2025
Bundle up - GeForce NOW is bringing a flurry of Blizzard titles to its ever-expanding library.
Prepare to weather epic gameplay in the cloud, tackling the genr...
13/03/2025
AI is leveling up the world's most beloved games, as the latest advancements...
13/03/2025
PC game modding is massive, with over 5 billion mods downloaded annually. Mods p...
12/03/2025
O Spotify acaba de lan ar o relat rio Loud & Clear deste ano, uma vis o transpar...
12/03/2025
Spotify acaba de presentar el informe Loud & Clear de este a o, una mirada trans...
12/03/2025
Ramadan, a period of profound spiritual significance for Muslims worldwide, is a time for fasting, prayer, reflection, and community. Enrich your experience thi...
12/03/2025
Spotify has just unveiled this year's Loud & Clear report, a transparent loo...
12/03/2025
More than 70% of FAST programming has been produced since 2010, according to new Gracenote report
NEW YORK March 12, 2025 Gracenote, the content data busin...
12/03/2025
GEONA, Nev. Independent digital and linear advertising rep firm Viamedia will adopt cloud-based ShowSeeker Pilot as its primary ad campaign and order management...
12/03/2025
BRUSSELS Mediagenix has announced that Wael Yasin has joined the company as sales director Central Europe....
12/03/2025
LONDON A new study highlights opportunities for shoppable TV and the massive impact online consumer spending is having on the economy, with Omdia predicting tha...
12/03/2025
CUPERTINO, Calif. Interra Systems has announced that Comcast Technology Solutions has integrated recent updates to BATON Version 9 into its operations....
12/03/2025
Nevion announces new 400G addition to its eMerge SDN media fabric offering
Brie Clayton March 12, 2025
0 Comments
High-capacity switch enhances existi...
12/03/2025
DaVinci Resolve Studio Delivers Cinematic Sound for Adam Bol
Brie Clayton March 12, 2025
0 Comments
Feature film relies on DaVinci Resolve Studio for ...
12/03/2025
SVT Leverages Ateliere Live to Pioneer 100% Software-Defined Production at Rally...
12/03/2025
Berklee Awards Fenway Neighborhood Improvement Grant to Four Organizations A total of $17,000 will be distributed among the Boston-based nonprofits.
By
Madd...
12/03/2025
TVBEuropes Jenny Priestley sits down with new SMPTE president Richard Welsh to discuss his aims for the organisation going forward, its efforts to attract a you...
12/03/2025
The new process has significantly enhanced operational efficiencies, with automation freeing up creators to concentrate on higher value tasks
By Matthew Corrig...
12/03/2025
Jellyfish Pictures, which has offices in London and Sheffield, said it has been battling hard in the face of strong headwinds over the last 12 months
By Jenny ...
12/03/2025
Visit Booth #W2213 to Experience the Latest in AI-Driven Content Discovery and Workflow Automation
Bitcentral, a leader in media workflow solutions, is set to ...
12/03/2025
CHICAGO Jeff Lilly has been named WGN-TV director of technology effective March 17, 2025, according to Ric Harris, WGN-TV vice president and general manager....
12/03/2025
MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. A new study from LG Ad Solutions indicates that consumers want more features that would allow them to shop for products on the connected T...
12/03/2025
BOTHELL, Wash. The Alliance for IP Media Solutions (AIMS), Advanced Media Workflow Association (AMWA) and the Video Services Forum (VSF) will once again present...
12/03/2025
PHILADELPHIA Comcast announced that it has upgraded Xfinity Internet speeds for more than 20 million customers for no additional cost....
12/03/2025
Create with Maxon: Cinema 4D Fundamentals Workshop - March 12-14
Brie Clayton March 11, 2025
0 Comments
Makin' Waffles with Elly Wade
During Marc...
12/03/2025
Ottawa, Canada - March 12, 2025 - Ross Video is pleased to announce the appointment of Aaron Tunnell as Business Development Director, Cloud Solutions, reinforc...
12/03/2025
12 Mar 2025
VEON to release 4Q 2024 trading update on 20 March 2025 Dubai, 12 March 2025 - VEON Ltd. (NASDAQ: VEON), a global digital operator, today confirms ...
12/03/2025
Getting set for the Winter Olympics: Inside SVT's ongoing software-based pro...
12/03/2025
THE PLAYERS Championship 2025: AI Commentary, Shared-Reality Viewing at COSM, La...
12/03/2025
Seamless SMPTE 2110: A Discussion on Making the Move to IP Less Painful Leaders from Netflix, Monumental Sports & Entertainment, LinkedI, and Megapixel address ...
12/03/2025
Opening Doors of Perception: Meta's Ajit Ninan on Rethinking AR/MR Perceptua...
12/03/2025
With the 2025 Formula 1 season set to begin in Melbourne on March 16, Sky Sports is gearing up to deliver its most comprehensive F1 coverage yet. Following a th...
12/03/2025
Unicanal and Trece TV revolutionize Digital TV in Paraguay with Rohde & Schwarz ...
12/03/2025
Honoring Service, Celebrating Sport: Rohde & Schwarz UK Sponsors NavyFit Rugby D...