Channel 5 Unveils New Drama Commissions

Channel 5 has lined up a slate of original British dramas to begin broadcasting from late 2018 onward, with series such as Clink (working title), set in a women’s prison, on the roster.

Clink (wt) is a 10-part drama series that is intended to appeal to a young adult audience and will premiere on 5STAR. Coming in 2019, 15 Days is a four-part original crime thriller that promises to turn “the traditional investigative narrative inside out.” The storyline begins with a brutal murder before rewinding back 15 days to embark on a countdown to find out why, how and who is responsible for the crime.

Channel 5 has greenlit a new feature-length murder mystery, currently untitled, inspired by a high-profile, real-life 1920s murder. Cold Call, a four-part cuckoo-in-the-nest revenge thriller, has also been confirmed for Channel 5’s schedule next year.

The network has also acquired U.K. broadcast rights to Blood, a psychological crime thriller starring Adrian Dunbar and produced by Company Pictures in association with Element Pictures and all3media international for Virgin Media Television in Ireland.

Ben Frow, director of programs at Channel 5, commented: “Homegrown drama is the missing ingredient from Channel 5’s schedules, so it’s genuinely exciting to be able to unveil a range of new projects from such an array of talented producers. I hope they will give viewers yet another reason to take a fresh look at Channel 5 as we continue to overhaul our schedules from top to bottom.”

Additionally, the U.K. broadcaster has signed a partnership deal with Kew Media Group for a range of drama projects over the next three years.