In today’s Global Bulletin, Amazon Prime Video commissions “Celebrity Bake Off España”; BBC Three sets launch date for “Dreaming Whilst Black”; HBO Max boards “Lucy the Human Chimp”; Banijay Iberia shakes up its executive team; and Beyond Rights acquires “Caroline Flack: Her Life and Death” ahead of MipTV.
FORMAT
Amazon Prime Video is bringing Love Productions and the BBC’s popular cooking format “Celebrity Bake Off” to Spanish cocinas with “Celebrity Bake Off España,” a local version of the program set to feature big names from Spanish sports, music and entertainment.
Sticking with what has worked so well for the franchise thus far, “Celebrity Bake Off España” will pit 12 celebs in a weekly culinary competition to be judged by experts, with one contestant sent home each week.
Trans-Atlantic production house Boxfish TV, producers of the current Spanish remake of the original “Bake Off” for Cuatro, will also produce the Spanish remake of “Celebrity Bake Off.” Edi Walter and Mariano Tomiozzo will executive produce.
“’The Great British Bake Off’ is a cultural phenomenon and we’re delighted to be bringing a new celebrity version exclusively to Prime Video in Spain,” said Georgia Brown, head of European originals at Amazon Studios. “We believe Prime members will love seeing some of their favorite stars take part in baking challenges to be crowned ‘star baker’ in this heart-warming, fun-filled show.”
“This new series promises to bring local audiences everything they love about the format, along with a fresh batch of celebrity contestants. It’s wonderful that the team at Boxfish TV will continue their great work to adapt this series to suit Spanish flavors and I am so excited to see how the celebrities will be put to the test in this new production,” added Andre Renaud, BBC Studios’ senior VP of global format sales.
PREMIERE
BBC Three’s new comedy series “Dreaming Whilst Black” will debut on network and BBC’s streaming platform iPlayer on April 19. Co-created, -written and -staring newcomer Adjani Salmon (“His Father’s Son”), the series is adapted from the eponymous viral web series written by Salmon and Ali Hughes (“A Fistful of Candy”).
Inspired by the creators’ own lives, the series turns on Kwabena (Salmon), a filmmaker trying to make it big despite a less-than-impressed family and the highly competitive environment of indie filmmaking. The series stars Dani Moseley (“Brothers With No Game”), a member of the original web series’ cast, Babirye Bukilwa (“We Hunt Together”), Rachel Adedeji (“Hollyoaks”), Demmy Ladipo (“The Last Tree”), Meghan Treadway (“Flack”) and Tom Byrne (“The Crown”).
“Dreaming Whilst Black” is produced by BAFTA nominated production company Big Deal Films. The company recently joined Channel 4’s Indie Growth Fund, which supports the U.K. independent creative sector by providing access to funding for indies based in the territory.
“Dreaming Whilst Black”
Credit: BBC 3
DOCUMENTARY
HBO Max has boarded Hat Trick International’s upcoming documentary feature “Lucy the Human Chimp,” finalizing funding of the project, produced by KEO Films for Channel 4 in the U.K.
In the 1960s, a psychology professor at the University of Oklahoma proposed and began an experiment to raise Lucy the chimp as a human child. Lucy proved too physically imposing and the experiment was abandoned, at which point student Janis Carter took Lucy to the jungles of Africa and attempted to teach her how to live like a wild Chimp. When Lucy failed to adapt, Carter spent the next six years living with and caring for Lucy.
Directed by Alex Parkinson, the documentary will mix archival footage with virtually re-created sets to retell the story of the cross-species friends. “Lucy the Human Chimp” is set to release this Spring.
“Lucy the Human Chimp”
Credit: Hat Trick International
EXECUTIVE
Banijay Iberia has unveiled the layout of its revised local management teams for Spain and Portugal, headed by CEO Pilar Blasco.
Blasco’s updated team includes CFO and COO Javier García; international and business affairs director María Pinilla; director of communication Pilar Serrano; director of digital strategy Felipe Jiménez Luna; legal director Marta Ferrando; systems director Miguel Ángel Hernández; and commercial director Jaume Vilalta.
Banijay Iberia’s stable of production companies will continue independent operation. Banijay Iberia companies include Cuarzo Producciones, Diagonal TV, Endemol Portugal, Gestmusic, Magnolia, Shine Iberia, Tuiwok Estudios and Zeppelin.
*****
Liberty Global and Spain’s Telefonica have revealed their intention to appoint Lutz Schüler as CEO and Patricia Cobian as CFO of a proposed 50-50 joint venture to combine Virgin Media and O2 in the U.K., currently subject to approval by the U.K. Competition and Markets Authority.
Liberty and Telefonica announced the venture in May of last year with the proposed goal of creating a stronger fixed and mobile competitor for the U.K. marketplace by combining Virgin Media’s giga-ready network and O2’s 5G mobile services.
DISTRIBUTION
Beyond Rights has acquired global distribution rights to Curious Films’ documentary “Caroline Flack: Her Life and Death” and will feature the hour-long program prominently in its upcoming MipTV lineup.
A carefully crafted tribute to popular British TV presenter Caroline Flack, best-known for her work on “Love Island,” the special uses archive footage and testimonies from friends and family to paint a loving portrait of the popular TV figure. It also looks behind the scenes to provide a more holistic picture of a woman at odds with her public image and examines the issues of fame, mental health, press and social media, and how they affected Flack throughout her career.
Commissioned by Channel 4 in the U.K., the documentary was well received when it premiered on March 17, surpassing the slot average and pulling 3.1 million consolidated viewers over its first week. It now ranks behind “Finding Neverland” as All4’s second-best performing documentary of all time.
Caroline Flack
Credit: Beyond Rights
CASTING
BBC One has revealed casting details for its upcoming drama “Three Families,” about the real experiences of three women and their families just before Northern Ireland changed its abortion legislation in 2019.
Sinéad Keenan (“Little Boy Blue”), Lola Petticrew (“Bloodlands”), Amy James-Kelly (“Gentleman Jack”) and Genevieve O’Reilly (“The Dry”) will headline the series written by Gwyneth Hughes (“Doing Money”) and directed by Alex Kalymnios (“The White Princess”). Studio Lambert, an All3Media company and producers of the BBC’s award-winning series “Three Girls,” will produce.
AWARDS
Platinum recording artist Liam Payne has been tapped to perform in an EE BAFTA world-first, real-time augmented reality mobile experience ahead of this year’s BAFTA Awards. The performance will be recorded live and broadcast via the mobile phone app The Round.
Payne’s body and facial movements as well as live audio will be translated into a 3D animated avatar, made available on Sunday evening just before the ceremony. Following the avatar’s mobile premiere, a hologram of the facsimile will then join Payne on stage at the Royal Albert Hall to open the evening’s festivities.