Channel 4

Bridget Christie’s menopause comedy-drama The Change commissioned for a second series

Bridget Christie as Linda stood in the forest with an elaborate headdress

Written and created by Bridget Christie (Taskmaster), the comedy-drama follows 50-year-old Linda Jane Jenkins (Christie), who embarks on a pilgrimage to Gloucestershire after learning she has started the menopause. Linda finds solace in the forest, where she meets a host of interesting characters, from the Pig Man (Jerome Flynn) to the Verderer (Jim Howick). The community rally around the Eel Festival, where Linda is crowned the Eel Queen.

New UK public service broadcaster streaming service Freely launches today

The Freely logo above the text "Backed by:", itself to the left of the logos for BBC, ITV, Channel 4 and Channel 5

The free service allows its users to stream live channels through smart TVs, without the need for an aerial or dish. Viewers are also able to watch on-demand content from the UK’s biggest broadcasters.

As was previously announced, Hisense will be the first smart TV partner for the service, and begins selling Freely smart TVs today (30th April).

Freely represents the first collaboration between Britain’s four public service broadcasters, in an effort to futureproof live TV in the age of streaming.

Gen Z-oriented documentary series UNTOLD returns for series four

Intended for 16-34-year-olds, UNTOLD investigates contemporary subject matters which appeal to the younger generations. Past episodes include Only Fans Got Me Fired, The Truth About Spiking, and The Cost of Being a YouTuber. All episodes are available on the Channel 4 streaming service and are posted onto the Channel 4 Documentaries YouTube channel.

RTS North West students learn the rule of three from industry experts

A crowd of people in front of a panel, being held in Dock10 Studios MediaCity UK

“Get three takeaways from each discussion. Set yourself three skills to develop. Make three meaningful contacts.” This advice came from host Beth Hewitt, welcoming students to RTS North West’s Student Networking Day.

First up was a panel discussion, “Hidden roles in TV production”. Katie Bayman, with “one of the coolest jobs in TV”, according to session chair Lyndon Saunders, is a virtual studio developer.

Channel 4 commissions phobia curing documentary series The Fear Clinic

A woman sits holding a spider, laughing, surrounded by a few other people

Every episode of the six-part series follows three British phobia sufferers as they journey to the Netherlands to face their fears. 10 million people in the UK have a phobia, or extreme or irrational fear. 

Dr Merel Kindt is professor of clinical psychology at the University of Amsterdam, who has spent 20 years developing the Memrec treatment. Kindt’s unorthodox approach boasts a success rate of 83%, and encourages patients to approach their fear head-on, rather than avoid it. Arachnophobia is a fear of spiders, ranidophobia a fear of dogs and globophobia a fear of balloons. 

Danny Dyer explores modern day masculinity in new Channel 4 documentary

Known for traditionally ‘masculine’ roles such as EastEnders’ Mick Carter, Dyer will set his preconceptions aside to investigate all of changing gender roles, attitudes towards male mental health, and stereotypes surrounding masculinity.

The Brighton Gay Men’s Chorus, mental health experts, fitness fanatics, sex therapists, and male victims of domestic abuse will all be interviewed by Dyer through his candid questioning. Dyer will meet men who believe ‘traditional’ masculinity is under fire, then turn to those who are exploring more ‘progressive’ options.

To Catch a Copper: The making of the real life Line of Duty

When director Ashley Francis-Roy and his team set out to make To Catch a Copper, no one could have predicted what the finished series would look like, nor the cases that would emerge in Avon and Somerset Police’s Counter-Corruption Unit.

“We started with a huge amount of openness,” said Francis-Roy, following an RTS screening of episode 2 in Bristol, the city where many of the incidents in the three-part series took place.

Saltburn star in first look images for Channel 4’s The Gathering

Morgan and Soverall play Kelly and Jessica, two competitive teen gymnasts growing up in Liverpool. Although Kelly is on her way to high-class competitions, she feels more at home with a group of urban free runners, who help her escape the world of gymnast-mums and strict schedules.

When Kelly and Jessica attend an illegal rave on a small tidal island, Kelly is assaulted and the drama moves into a whodunnit. 

Getting Your Foot in the Door | RTS Futures Careers Fair 2024

Industry experts from Mama Youth, Channel 4, ScreenSkills, First Break, Banijay Bright Bulb, Rise at Raw, PACT and the BBC tell you what they have on offer, when to apply, who they are looking for and how to get your application over the line. A one-stop shop for starting your career in television!

This session took place on Wednesday 7 February as part of the RTS Futures Careers Fair 2024, and was hosted by Zach Duthie - Marketing and Communications, Entertainment Partners.