Blast! Films


Left Bank & Blast! alums among first cohort for Sky’s commissioner scheme

Sky in the UK has named alumni from The Crown producer Left Bank Pictures and factual firm Blast! Films to become assistant commissioners via its newly launched programme aimed at broadening out its talent pool. Former Left Bank development producer Sholla Caramba-Coker will work on drama; Leanne Cosby has taken the Arts & Entertainment spot […]

HiddenLight poaches Blast! & BBC execs for senior appointments

Hillary Clinton’s HiddenLight Productions has made two senior appointments to newly created roles to help support the company’s continued growth. Victoria Bax has been named as director of production and operations, with responsibility for overseeing HiddenLight’s business affairs, commercial and network negotiations as well as its slate of productions. She will also oversee company operations, […]

Sky orders across true crime, sport & nature in factual boost

European pay-TV giant Sky has boosted its factual offering with six new commissions across its channels, Sky Documentaries, Sky History, Sky Crime and Sky Nature. All six new titles will also be available on streaming service NOW, with three heading to Sky Documentaries, including The Assassination Of Olof Palme, a ‘thriller-esque” four-parter set in Cold […]

BBC appoints Blast! Films & C4 alum as commissioning editor for arts

The BBC has hired the director programmes at UK-based Blast! Films as commissioning editor for its arts output. Alistair Pegg joins the BBC Arts commissioning team alongside Mark Bell, Emma Cahusac and Stephen James-Yeoman. He reports into Suzy Klein, who started as head of arts and classical music TV at the BBC in October, and […]

Sky boosts factual with bumper order & preps Sky Max drama original

European pay-TV giant Sky has just made a bumper factual order for seven new original productions across its Sky Documentaries, Sky Crime, Sky Nature and Sky History channels, while also commissioning an original crime drama for its newly announced linear channel Sky Max. Four of the newly commissioned factual titles – all seven of which […]

News round-up: Blast! Films restructures; Eccho signs Born Wild deal; ZDFE’s ‘Great Inventions’ sells; IMDb extends SPT’s ‘Alex Rider’

Blast! Films rejigs as creative chiefs depart Sky Studios-backed producer Blast! Films has rejigged its senior team, with creative directors James O’Reilly and David Hodgkinson stepping down. Tanya Winston is moving from executive producer to become creative director alongside Graeme McAulay, currently creative executive at The Garden. Elsewhere, Jago Lee is leaving fellow UK outfit Blakeway to […]

Betty hires Optomen development chief

Discovery Communications-owned indie Betty has hired Optomen Television’s head of development. Damian Pitman will take the same post at the Bear Grylls: Mission Survive producer, where he will work closely with managing director Neil Smith. At Optomen, he helped develop the upcoming primetime series The Miracle for ITV and Employ Me for BBC Two. In […]

Sky expands prodco stable with Blast! deal

Sky has acquired a majority stake in the UK’s Blast! Films, marking the fourth time it has invested in an independent production company. Blast!, founded in 1994, is best known as producer of show such as The Supervet, The Route Masters and 999: What’s Your Emergency?. The firm will continue to operate independently, with founder […]

News brief: Zodiak extends StoryVault deal

The sales arm of Zodiak Media has extended its first-look deal with London-based factual specialist StoryVault Films. Zodiak Rights first secured StoryVault to its roster of third-party clients in 2102, and the extension means it will sell shows such as ITV’s Me & My Guide Dog and Sky Arts’ Portrait Artist of the Year. Zodiak […]

Channel 4 adds Twofour producer to factual team

UK terrestrial Channel 4 has appointed Twofour Broadcast’s David Brindley to its factual commissioning team. Reporting into deputy head of factual Nick Mirsky, Brindley (left) will work on developing major multi-part doc series and maintaining returning programmes such as 24 Hours in A&E and First Dates as commissioning editor. He will work alongside co-commissioning editors […]