W


UKTV takes Pop copro as W’s debut drama original

Britain’s UKTV has commissioned its first ever original drama for its W net, a coproduction with US cable channel Pop that has Anna Paquin (The Piano) as its star. Flack will follow as a sharp and witty American PR guru living in London, whose working expertise clashes with her inability to have a successful personal […]

UKTV plotting to increase indie original hours by a third

British channels group UKTV is planning to increase the number of hours it commissions from UK indies by a third in 2018. The company, which counts BBC Worldwide and Scripps Networks Interactive as parents, is making the “significant increase” following strong results from original shows last year. These included thematic net Gold taking its highest […]

Virgin Media Ireland adds UKTV to on-demand platform

Virgin Media Ireland has added UKTV Play to its line-up of on-demand services, boosting its catch-up TV catalogue by more than 1,000 hours. UKTV channels Dave, W, Gold and Alibi are now available on Virgin Media On Demand in Ireland, giving users access to shows like UKTV Originals Taskmaster (pictured) and John Bishop: In Conversation […]

UKTV orders Davina McCall talkshow

UK digital channel operator UKTV has ordered a new talkshow fronted by British TV personality Davina McCall and made by First Dates prodco Twenty Twenty. For Warner Bros.-backed Twenty Twenty the commission marks a move into the talkshow genre. The as-yet-untitled studio talkshow will run to 8x60mins and be filmed this summer. It will go […]

W begins Dancing, heads for Dressing Room

UKTV-owned W has commissioned new doc series from STV Productions and Electric Ray. From Scottish network STV’s production wing comes The Dressing Room, a fly-on-the-wall 6x60mins series for 2017. GroupM Entertainment is coproducer. The fixed rig series takes viewers into dressing rooms around the UK. Sports featured include football, roller derby and water polo, and […]

UKTV touts viewing share

UKTV has issued half-year viewing and market share results, claiming it is outperforming the wider British TV market and noting a 50% uptick in on-demand viewing. UKTV, which is a joint venture between BBC Worldwide and Scripps Networks International, said it is now the fastest-growing channel operator in the UK. Its share of commercial impacts, […]

Gov’t could force BBCWW to sell UKTV stake

The British government could force BBC Worldwide to sell its 50% in multichannel operator UKTV, which has been a vital cash cow for the BBC’s commercial operation. The culture department of the Conservative government has considered forcing a sale various times in the past two years, and according to the Telegraph, it has now revisited […]

UKTV preps live Dynamo magic special

UKTV will broadcast one of Dynamo’s tour shows live on its W channel. The magician is on a 100-date tour and W will capture his Dynamo – Live at The 02 show on March 30, starting at 7.30pm. UKTV has a longstanding relationship with Dynamo and shows his Magician Impossible series. Richard Watsham, director of […]

BBCWW, Zig Zag bag new W originals

BBC Worldwide will distribute an unscripted series that is one of two new originals for UK pay TV channel W. The BBC’s commercial arm has taken on John Bishop: In Conversation with…, a 10x60mins series in which British comedian Bishop interviews households named in one-on-one conversations. Lola Entertainment is producing, with Worldwide distributing. W has […]

UKTV’s Watch becomes W

UK channel provider UKTV has unveiled a new pay TV brand, W, which will replace the existing Watch service in February. The female-focused channel, targeting 30-39 year-olds, will air a mix of original shows such as ON, an authored documentary strand featuring films by radio DJ Sara Cox, musician Sophie Ellis-Bextor and journalist Grace Dent; […]