Chernobyl

"More British than the streamers": in conversation with Sky's Zai Bennett

For one of the most powerful programme chiefs in the UK, Zai Bennett, Managing Director of Content for Sky UK and Ireland since June 2019, wears his authority lightly. He is responsible for a portfolio of services that includes Sky Atlantic, Sky Comedy, Sky Documentaries and Sky Arts. He has helped to nurture such hits as I Hate Suzie, Gangs of London, Bulletproof, A Discovery of Witches, Save Me, In the Long Run, Breeders and Brassic.

Sky reveals first look at new horror comedy The Baby

Debut screenwriter Siân Robins-Grace (Sex Education) and Lucy Gaymer co-wrote the eight-part series, a darkly funny exploration of motherhood from the perspective of a woman who doesn’t want to be one.

Actor and comedian Michelle De Swarte stars as the 38-year-old Natasha, whose closest friends are all having children. Natasha is furious, but when she is unexpectedly given a baby of her own, her life implodes. As she discovers the true extent of the baby's evil nature, she is forced to resort to increasingly desperate measures to rid herself of it.

Filming begins on ITV’s new psychological thriller Too Close

Adapted from the novel of the same name, the psychological mini-series follows the forensic psychiatrist Dr Emma Robertson (Emily Watson) whose latest patient Connie Mortensen (Denise Gough) has been accused of a horrific crime yet claims she cannot remember a thing.

With a distinguished career meeting many high security patients, Dr Robertson is rarely shocked, but the psychiatrist is caught off guard by Connie as the pair develop a dangerously close relationship.

Throughout their sessions, Connie begins to anticipate and exploit her doctor’s deepest insecurities.

Sky and Netflix have agreed to a new multi-year deal

(Credit: Sky)

The new deal will see Sky customers have more forms of entertainment in one place, with the option to have Netflix’s Basic Plan on Sky Q.

With just one service, customers will be able to switch seamlessly between Sky and Netflix content.

From Sky original productions like Chernobyl, to new shows such as Third Day and returning shows like Save Me Too, plus Netflix’s own original roster including dramas, films and documentaries, with content such as The Witcher, The Irishman and the new series of Sex Education.

Winners of the RTS Craft & Design Awards 2019 announced

The winners were announced at a prestigious ceremony held this evening at the London Hilton, Park Lane, and was hosted by political comedian Ahir Shah.

The RTS Craft & Design Awards celebrate excellence in broadcast television and aim to recognise the huge variety of skills and processes involved in programme production. They span across 30 categories in total, and this year Chernobyl led the way with six wins across Costume Design – Drama, Make Up Design – Drama, Music – Original Score, Photography – Drama & Comedy, Production Design – Drama and Sound - Drama categories.

Jeremy Darroch on Sky's global potential after joining Comcast

Jeremy Darroch (Credit: RTS/Richard Kendal)

What a difference two years makes. In 2017, Sky was one of the crown jewels of the vast Murdoch media empire, beloved by investors and publicly traded on the London Stock Exchange. Spool forward to 2019 and Sky is part of Comcast, the US cable conglomerate, which successfully outbid Disney to buy Europe’s biggest pay-TV provider for a staggering $39bn.

Ear Candy: The Chernobyl Podcast

Scene from Chernobyl

Shocking. Bleak. Controversial. Devastatingly brilliant. All these descriptions are true of HBO and Sky’s five-part retelling of the 1986 Chernobyl disaster. The HBO and Sky series has been one of the most talked-about dramas of the year so far, lauded by critics and helping to confirm the current golden age of TV.

At times, the events depicted in the programme were so incredible that many viewers have questioned what was real and what is made up.

Sky to double investment in production through Sky Studios

Jude Law will star in Sky Studios' The Third Day (Credit: Sky)

Overseen by Gary Davey, the current Managing Director of Sky UK, Sky Studios will build on the broadcaster’s recent run of successful drama series including Chernobyl and the RTS award-winning Save Me.

The new Europe-wide development and production capability has received backing from Sky’s new owners, Comcast, and will create new productions for outlets including Sky channels, NBC Broadcast and Cable, and Universal Pictures.

TV picks of the week: 6 to 12 May

Sex on Trial

Monday: Channel 4, 10.00pm

Sex on Trial examines high-profile student sexual assault cases in the US and explores the impact they have had on the people making the accusations and the accused.

The first episode investigates the claims made by Nikki Yovino, who accused two fellow students of assaulting her at a university party.

 

Sky's Chernobyl: the disaster story that needed to be told

Chernobyl (Credit: Sky/HBO)

“I wanted to make a drama unlike anything else, because Chernobyl was unlike anything else. I wanted it to be as unique as the event itself.” That was the ambitious goal set by writer and producer Craig Mazin for his epic mini-series about the Soviet power plant that caught fire on 26 April 1986, triggering the most disastrous nuclear accident in history. And Mazin has succeeded.