Channel 4

Helena Bonham Carter to narrate Quentin Blake’s Clown for Channel 4

Produced by Eagle Eye Drama, the special is based on Blake’s book of the same name and follows a toy clown’s journey to find a new home for him and his friends after he is thrown out with a load of discarded toys.

Blake said: “Clown has always been one of my favourite characters, and it’s wonderful now to see him off the page and running about on his own.”

The special will be animated traditionally, with hand drawings in imitation of Blake’s unique style.

Letitia Wright joins cast of anthology series I Am

(credit: Channel 4)

Each episode of the three-part series has been written and developed in a collaboration between Wright and Dominic Savage, with improvised dialogue offering a thought-provoking exploration of contemporary female experiences.

Letitia Wright leads I Am Danielle, which also features CJ Beckford (The Trial of Christine Keeler) and Sophia Brown (Giri/Haji).

Wright commented: “Collaborating with Dominic Savage has been an amazing experience. His unique and sensitive style of directing has stretched me as an artist.

Channel 4's Adult Material delves into the world of pornography

(credit: Channel 4)

For a show that feels so now, Adult Material has been a long time in the making. It is nearly a decade since writer Lucy Kirkwood first thought of penning a story that would pull back the curtain on the mysterious world of the British pornography industry. Now, her vision has been fully realised as a four-part drama series.

Adult Material has a lot riding on it, in every sense. Belief in Kirkwood’s work is such that the show has become the flagship programme of Channel 4’s highly anticipated 2020 autumn season, a gaudy gem in its crown.

Alex Mahon on how Channel 4 has risen to the challenge at the RTS Digital Convention 2020

They say that times of crisis often bring out the best in people and organisations. For an example of this, look no further than how Channel 4 has adapted to postponed productions and an alarming fall in advertising over the past six months.

“In a crisis, when you have to change really fast, Channel 4 is actually amazing,” the broadcaster’s CEO, Alex Mahon, told Tim Hincks, co-CEO of Expectation, at the RTS’s Digital Convention.

Channel 4 announces new special The Whole Truth for World Mental Health Day

Che Lingo, Arlo Parks and Kojey Radical will each perform one of their songs and candidly share their mental health experiences with one another, as well as recounting personal stories that have inspired their music.

Jordan Stephens, one half of Rizzle Kicks and founder of the mental health campaign #IAMWHOLE, will host the programme.

Stephens said: “Our intention is to shed light on mental health from the perspective of cultures not often centred in the conversation.

All 4 to stream Iris Prize Best British Short films

Wings (credit: Jamie Weston and Carla Fraser)

Supported by Film4, the Iris Prize’s shortlisted films explore the wide ranging and diverse experiences of the LGBT+ community in contemporary Britain, from childhood to old age, metropolitan to rural.

With tales of self-discovery and belonging, falling in and out of love and exploring the personal battles won and lost, the selected films will leave viewers in tears, laughter or with a sense of hope.

Channel 4 releases first teaser for It’s a Sin

Russell T Davies with the cast of It's a Sin (credit: Channel 4)

Written by Russell T Davies (A Very English Scandal), the series follows a group of queer men in 1980s London set against the backdrop of the AIDS crisis.

Olly Alexander plays 18-year-old Ritchie Tozer, a youngster beginning a new life in London. There he meets the unassuming Colin (Callum Scott Howells) and party boy Roscoe (Omari Douglas) and the trio form a close friendship.

Date set for the return of Taskmaster

The tenth series will air on 15 October on Channel 4, its new home having been acquired from Dave.

The line-up of comedian contestants was announced earlier this year, including Daisy May Cooper (This Country), Johnny Vegas (Benidorm), Katherine Parkinson (The IT Crowd), Mawaan Rizwan and Richard Herring (RHLSTP with Richard Herring).

Alex Horne created Taskmaster for a live show at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in 2012, before it was picked up by Dave who ran it for nine series. It has since been exported to seven countries.

Alex Mahon: How indies saved Channel 4 during lockdown

Speaking at the RTS Digital Convention 2020, Mahon recalled that in the spring when Britain was hit by the first wave of coronavirus: “Indies came to the rescue of Channel 4 and said ‘We’ll be flexible, we’ll work out how to produce in lockdown.’  

“They said, ‘We have to delay this programme or we can’t make it or we’ve found a cunning way to make this programme.’”  

She added: “Indies did incredible things and produced things cheaply.”  

In conversation with Alex Mahon | RTS Digital Convention 2020

Watch Alex Mahon, CEO of Channel 4, in conversation with Tim Hincks, co-CEO of Expectation as part of the RTS Digital Convention 2020, sponsored by YouTube.

Alex and Tim discuss Covid strategies, editorial direction and production budgets, the rate of change at Channel 4, Ofcom’s PSB review and much more.

The session is part of a number of online events from leading industry figures for RTS Digital Convention 2020, sponsored by YouTube.