Channel 4 plots Gogglebox Kids, adds exec

UK broadcaster Channel 4 has commissioned a 1x60mins Christmas special of Studio Lambert-produced unscripted series Gogglebox, while also appointing Alisa Pomeroy to become documentaries commissioning editor.

24 Hours in Police Custody director Pomeroy (below right) will report to head of documentaries Nick Mirsky in her new post, which tasks her with greenlighting new docs for the terrestrial public service broadcaster.

Googlebox Kids will follow the same format as the original – fixed-rig cameras capturing the responses of people to the week’s television – but with children aged up to 13. The kids will offer opinions on shows such as The Great British Bake-Off and news events.

Channel 4’s head of specialist factual David Glover commissioned the show, which Freya Sampson will executive produce and Tom Peppiatt series produce.

“We have seen that kids say the funniest things on TV, and this version of the Channel 4 hit will allow school children from different backgrounds to do this as they react to their screens – big and small,” said Studio Lambert creative director Tim Harcourt.

“We think that this Christmas special will show more than their views on visual content and TV today, it will reveal how they see the world around them.”

Ob-doc format Gogglebox has run on Channel 4 for five seasons, with a sixth debuting next month. The season five premiere took an audience of around four million in its Friday 9pm slot, marking its largest rating to that date.

Distributor All3Media International has sold the format to Zhejiang Huace Film & TV Group in China, Sat.1 in Germany, ICTV in Ukraine, Bravo in the US, and Network Ten in Australia.

Channel 4 has also commissioned a 15x30mins documentary series about popular wedding destination Gretna Green, which comes from Firecracker Films.