TVREAL
Warner Bros. Discovery UK & Ireland has revealed a slate of new and returning commissions for discovery+ and linear channels Quest, Really and Food Network, including two new additions to the “vs” format.
Adding to the popular “vs” true-crime series, Baldoni vs Lively: A Hollywood Feud (w.t.) is an Optomen-produced special that gives a look into the impending court cases between actors Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni. Rubiales vs Hermoso: The World Cup Kiss (w.t.), also produced by Optomen, looks at the events following the infamous kiss that overshadowed Spain’s win against England in the 2023 Women’s World Cup.
Also in the way of true crime, the blue-light format Inside the Arrest (w.t.) has been commissioned for WBD’s linear network Really. The 8×60-minute series, produced by Shearwater Media, captures the moment of arrest, exercised more than 2,000 times a day by British police, in order to investigate or prevent a crime.
Following the recent announcement of Auction House and Derbyshire Auction House returning for their sixth and second seasons, respectively, Quest is set to further expand its antiques offering, with British actor and comedian Johnny Vegas fronting the brand-new series Johnny Vegas’ Little Shop of Antiques (w.t.).
Another brand-new format coming to Quest in 2025 is Mike Brewer: The Real Deal (w.t.). The 6×60-minute series, produced by Chimp, will follow motoring expert and entrepreneur Mike Brewer and his family as they run their latest dealership, One Automotive, in Leamington Spa.
Richard Hammond’s Workshop will be back for a fifth season in 2025. Ant Anstead: Born Mechanic is returning for a second. Shed and Buried: Classic Cars will air a third run. Tom Kerridge Secrets of the Pub Kitchen is getting a second.
Charlotte Reid, VP of commissioning at Warner Bros. Discovery, said: “We’re excited to announce over 50 hours of content, both bringing back and building on some of our well-loved formats, like ‘vs,’ and introducing new talent and new ideas to our platforms. We are delighted to be expanding our motoring portfolio with some of our brilliant turbo talent on returning series, including Richard Hammond, Ant Anstead, Henry Cole and Fuzz Townshend. We also look forward to getting a brand-new insight into Mike Brewer’s car dealing and family life, as well as revealing more cooking secrets with chefs Tom Kerridge and Asma Khan, while welcoming comedian and antiques aficionado Johnny Vegas to the mad world of antiquing in a new series that promises great finds and fun.
“Accounting for 80 percent of WBD UK & Ireland’s top-performing network series last year, local original productions are the bedrock of the portfolio, with the antiques genre generating deep engagement across our linear portfolio, and we see continued engagement for true crime stories on discovery+.”
