News round up: ITV orders New Pictures drama; BBC visits the ‘Undertakers’; BBC Studios rejigs brands team

Protection

ITV orders New Pictures drama

ITV in the UK has ordered scripted thriller Protection from The Missing prodco New Pictures.

The show stars Siobhan Finneran, Nadine Marshall and Katherine Kelly, and is written by Kris Mrksa. It will premiere on ITV1 and be available for streaming on ITVX.

Protection is being sold by All3Media International, the sales arm of New Pictures owner All3, and is based on the first-hand experiences of a long serving witness protection officer.

BBC visits the Undertakers

The UK’s BBC has commissioned Firecracker Films to make a new 1 x 60-minute doc with Stacey Dooley exploring the funeral business.

Stacey Dooley: Inside the Undertakers (w/t) follows the presenter as she explores one of our last taboos – death – by immersing herself in the world of undertaking at one of the UK’s busiest family-run funeral businesses.

Firecracker is working in association with her Little Dooley label on the show, which will be executive produced by Sam Emmery, with Alice Bowden as producer director and Julie Scott as head of production at Firecracker.

It was commissioned by Daisy Scalchi, BBC’s head of religion & ethics. It will be distributed by Passion Distribution.

BBC Studios rejigs brands team

BBC Studios has rejigged its brands team with Suzy Raia, SVP of consumer products & business development and her New York-based team moving into the division.

Raia’s unit will fall under BBCS’s brands & licensing arm from 2 October, with the exec reporting into divisional head, Nicki Sheard.

BBCS’s brands and licensing arm strikes partnerships for IP ranging from Bluey and Doctor Who to Top Gear, as well as for commercial units including BBC Earth.

The appointment follows a number of hires as the division ramps up its activities, most notably former co-CEO of Jungle Creations Nat Poulter becoming VP of digital – commercial and Ashwin Desai named global director for gaming & interactive.