VICELAND UK Bolsters Lineup, Adds New Talent

VICELAND has inked a development deal with Andy Amadi as it reveals that more than 20 hours of new, original programming spanning factual entertainment, comedy, documentary and reality formats are in production for its U.K. lineup.

VICELAND entered into a development deal with Amadi, founder of the hit British web series and debate show BK Chat. The online series features young men and women on opposing sides debating subjects such as love, sex, relationships and finances. The deal will see VICELAND and Amadi develop the online format for television.

The network also signed journalist and TV presenter Billie JD Porter, who started her career in VICE’s editorial team, as the host of a new property series tentatively titled Generation Rent. The program will investigate the housing crisis facing young people in the U.K. and beyond. Co-produced and financed by VICELAND UK and VICELAND US, shooting locations will span the U.K. and North America. In a second co-production partnership with VICELAND US, stand-up comedian Maddix is returning to VICELAND with a second season of Hate Thy Neighbour.

In addition, the channel commissioned Rockerdale Studios to co-produce its first reality sitcom series, Bobby and Harriet Get Married (working title). The show delves into the chaotic lives of stand-up comedians Bobby Mair and Harriet Kemsley as they plan their real-life wedding.

VICELAND UK’s latest productions Generation Rent and Hate Thy Neighbour season two will also air across the network’s international channel offerings in the U.S. and Canada, with Bobby & Harriet extending to Benelux, France, Australia, New Zealand and Africa.

Kevin Sutcliffe, the senior VP of TV and video programming for VICELAND International, who commissioned the shows, commented, “VICELAND was always designed to be a unique platform on which to launch idiosyncratic new talent and extraordinary stories, and since launching last year, we’ve seen our homegrown programming increasingly resonate with the channel’s growing audience. This new slate is reflective of that growing appetite, both in the U.K. and across our international network, as we welcome local voices, new faces, collaborations and formats that will continue to inspire, spark emotional responses and speak to young audiences globally.”