Sky Makes Slew of New Commissions

LONDON: In keeping with its commitment to increase investments in original British content, BSkyB has ordered a raft of comedies and dramas for Sky1 HD, including a project from Skins writer Lucy Kirkwood titled The Smoke, alongside a host of entertainment and factual programs and more.

On the drama slate, The Smoke, from Kudos Film and TV, follows the emotional stories of a crew at a London fire station. Moonfleet is a new two-part family drama set for Sky1 HD in 2013. Company Pictures is producing the adaptation of the classic John Meade Falkner story.

In the way of comedy, the channel has commissioned a second season of Moone Boy, set in small-town Ireland in 1989. A joint venture between Baby Cow, Sprout Films, Hot Cod Productions and Grand Pictures, Moone Boy is co-written by Chris O’Dowd—who also co-stars—and Nick Vincent Murphy. Second and third seasons are on their way for A Touch of Cloth. The first in the Charlie Booker trilogy will debut in August. A Touch of Cloth is a Zeppotron production, executive produced by Annabel Jones and Booker. Starlings is also getting a second season. The comedic drama is written by and stars Matt King (Peep Show) and Steve Edge (Star Stories). It is executive produced by Baby Cow Productions’ Henry Normal and Steve Coogan and is produced by Alison MacPhail (The Mighty Boosh). The network ordered a third season of Little Crackers, which will feature some of Britain’s most popular actors, writers and comedians in a series of one-off autobiographic tales. Each short film will be accompanied by a 15-minute behind-the-scenes featurette.

A trio of entertainment titles were commissioned. This includes Duck Quacks Don’t Echo, a Magnum Media production. The show will feature four contestants competing against each other to present their best-known fact and prove it’s true using any means possible. Fellow panelists will score the claims and the one with the most marks will be the evening’s winner. Help Me I’m Human is a candid comedy chat show from Hat Trick. The show is dedicated to helping people decipher mixed signals, indecision, awkwardness and guilt, using celebrity guests, a hidden-camera team and the at-home audience. You and Whose Army is a new challenge show about celebrities and their partners. A Zeppotron production, the series watches as two celebrities lead a team of hand-picked recruits as they compete in a series of head-to-head battles set in a combat area.

New factual entertainment is headed to Sky1 HD as well. As part of an exclusive talent deal with Ashley Banjo, Secret Street Crew returns with an extended run of nine episodes. The show is from Princess Productions. Winners is a new factual strand that celebrates the U.K.’s unsung champions. The 6×1-hour series documents the lengths that ordinary people go through in order to become champions. Three new films—A Cut Above, Blown Away and Icing on the Cake—join previously announced programs—Show Ponies and Cheerleaders—with one more still to be announced.

Ross Kemp returns to the network, this time taking a look at the devastating effects of mental illness on those who have served in the military. Ross Kemp: Invisible Wounded will talk to those affected, their families and experts to explore what can be and what is being done to support service personnel to help them from suffering from depression, addition or violent outbursts. Brize Norton is a new observational documentary series from Dai4films. The 8×1-hour project takes viewers to one of the biggest and busiest Air Force bases in the world.

The latest round of commissions is part of Sky’s initiative to increase its investment in original British content by more than 50 percent over the next three years. Sky plans to invest £600 million a year by 2014 in British programs across its bouquet of channels.

Stuart Murphy, the director of entertainment channels, commented: “Our focus is on delivering shows that our customers feel really, really close to and can utterly fall in love with. With today’s announcements and our best autumn season yet, we’re sure to not only keep our customers happy, but to give everyone else a reason to think about getting Sky.”

Murphy added: “The pay-TV world is a great place to be and the stability that comes with 10 million customers gives us the freedom to take creative risks that allows Sky1 HD to stand out from the pack. This raft of new commissions sits alongside an increasing number of returning original and acquired series, including Trollied, An Idiot Abroad: The Short Way Round, Mount Pleasant, Spy, Strike Back, Glee, Modern Family, Touch, The Middle and A League of Their Own to provide an extremely compelling programming mix.”