Paramount+ uncovers paranormal & true crime shows in first UK unscripted originals slate

Ben Frow

Paramount+ has unveiled its first UK unscripted originals slate, ahead of the launch of the streaming service in the country this summer.

The orders follow recent UK original scripted commissions for The Blue, Flatshare, Sexy Beast and A Gentleman In Moscow.

Among the factual commissions are Haunted (working title), a 4 x 60-minute paranormal series from Story Films, in association with All3Media International, that explores some of the most intriguing and terrifying stories of hauntings, poltergeists and exorcisms in Britain and America, combining personal testimony with archive and dramatic reconstruction.

Peter Beard and Adam Hopkins will exec produce for Story Films, while the series producer is Laura Matthews. All3Media International will handle global sales.

Rise Of The Tech Titans (working title), meanwhile, hails 72 Films, in association with All3Media International and Night Train Media. The 4 x 60-minute series will tell the story of the rise of Big Tech and the handful of young upstarts who created the modern world.

Executive producers for 72 Films are Mark Raphael, John Douglas and Annabel Hobley, whilst both Katie Hindley and Gagan Rehill are series producers, and will also direct. All3Media International will handle global sales.

The Box (working title) is produced by Top Hat Productions, in association with All3Media International and Night Train Media, and follows Police Detective Chris Loudon’s mission to expose the truth behind one of America’s worst serial killers.

Loudon discovers a box of evidence seized decades ago and untouched. In the box are dozens of photos of young women. Throughout the 3 x 60-minute series, Loudon unravels a terrifying murder mystery created by a monster hiding in plain sight in small-town America, where women’s reports of sexual assault were all too frequently dismissed throughout the 1970s.

Darren Kemp is executive producer for Top Hat Productions, whilst Robin Dashwood is the series director, and Sarah Foudy is the series producer. All3Media International will again handle global sales.

Other UK original titles commissioned include MH370: The Lost Flight (working title), produced by Vice Studios, exploring groundbreaking evidence surrounding the disappearance of Malaysian flight MH370 in 2014; and Chalet Girls (working title), produced by Curve Media, offering an access all areas look inside the pleasure-seeking world of luxury ski resorts.

Ben Frow, CCO at Paramount UK, commented: “We begin our roll out of UK factual commissions for P+ with a slate of unscripted series from the local production community that illustrates the breadth of premium content that will be available on Paramount+.”