A CONFERENCE of senior commissioning editors in Glasgow has been accompanied by the announcement of several commissions and re-commissions involving BBC Scotland staff or its facilities.
Among the commissions is a Saturday night quiz show, comprising eight episodes and to be made at BBC Scotland’s HQ, at Pacific Quay. Says the BBC, Break the Safe “sees three couples battle it out to break the safe and take up to £100,000 as a 40-minute clock counts down. The show is a Thames Scotland (part of FremantleMedia UK) production”. The executive producers are Suzy Lamb and Sarah Woolley.
The BBC Nations and Regions Entertainment Commissioning Conference, an annual event established three years ago, featured, among others, Roger Mosey, acting head of BBC Vision; Zai Bennett, BBC Three Controller; Lorraine Heggessey, of Boom Picturess; and Alan Tyler, the Glasgow-based executive editor, Entertainment Commissioning.
Also among the commissions is a six, 30-minute series to be made in-house at BBC Scotland, hosted by actor, David Hasselhoff. Says the BBC about the show scheduled for BBC Three: “Each week, the comedy entertainment clip-show takes a different area of film from ‘action’ to ‘dance’ and sees a mix of stars and comedians running through the ingredients needed for perfection in that category.” The executive producer is Eileen Herlihy.
Other shows announced (the descriptions all BBC):
* The Sarah Millican Television Programme (seven x 30mins) has been recommissioned for a third series. The show, which is a So Scotland/Chopsy co-production for BBC Two, has just completed filming a second series and will TX from Christmas of this year. The executive producer is Graham Stuart.
* Chris Ramsay’s Social network is a pilot from Avalon Scotland for BBC Three. The show will see the Hebburn star take on the week through everything that is happening in social media. The pilot will shoot at the beginning of 2013 with a series expected to follow. Avalon Scotland has also won a development deal on a new format from Steve Williams. A key writer on Russell Howard’s Good News, Williams’ format is a comedy entertainment project built around the idea of one-upmanship. The executive producers on both projects are Richard Allen Turner, Jon Thoday and Toby Stevens.
* 12 Yard Scotland has also won recommissions for Lottery shows, In It To Win It, and Who Dares Wins, on BBC One. Executive producers are Andy Culpin and Michael Mannes.
* STV and Wild Rover will work together to produce a low-cost pilot of a new 60-minute format aimed at BBC One Saturday nights. The show is a combination of not only high-stakes game play, but also humour, as it involves the participation of a number of famous faces. Executive producers are Liam Hamilton, Phil Morrow and Gary Chippington.
