The entertainment reality show will follow a group of celebrities as they undergo a once-in-a-lifetime adventure that will test their mental strength under the guidance of extreme athlete Wim Hof.
Set in early 1990s Belfast, the Channel 4 series follows teenagers Erin (Saoirse-Monica Jackson), Orla (Louisa Harland), Clare (Nicola Coughlan), Michelle (Jamie-Lee O'Donnell), and James (Dylan Llewellyn) as they navigate teenage life at a Catholic girls' school, against the backdrop of the end of the Troubles in Northern Ireland.
After the series two finale saw James' emotional decision to stay in Derry as a true '"Derry girl", the new trailer shows the whole gang back together in their usual mishaps as their final school year comes to a close.
An RTS Republic of Ireland event in late October looked at how the June fundraiser brought stars, including Normal People‘s Marianne and Connell and Fleabag‘s Hot Priest, to the small screen.
RTÉ entertainment producers Clare and Michael Hughes (they are not related) were given just six weeks to get the show ready for transmission on 26 June.
Like every broadcaster, Channel 4 is feeling the heat from the streaming giants. But, at an RTS early-evening event, the network’s director of programmes stated that, despite their bigger budgets, he can offer producers the personal touch that Netflix et al lack.
Ian Katz said: “If you ask drama producers what is it like dealing with the streamers, they tend to say two things. On the plus side, you get quick answers and big budgets; on the negative side, they swallow up all your rights and you have a five-minute window.…
(Credit: BBC)
With no Christmas special on Christmas Day, Series 12 of Doctor Who kicks off on New Year’s Day.
Start your engines! RuPaul’s Drag Race has finally made its way across the pond for a UK makeover – and a weekly podcast from BBC Sounds for even more content about the nation’s favourite drag queens.
After 11 series of the popular US drag competition, diehard fans rejoiced when it was announced that RuPaul’s Drag Race would be heading to BBC Three for the first UK series.
How her career began: "I’m from a very small town in Wales. No-one I knew ever worked in TV. I had no in. I just followed my dream and worked really hard to get my foot in the door.
"I’m not an extraordinary person. I am very lucky to work with some quite extraordinary people. It’s hard to get into telly and it’s getting harder.
"I am a massive comedy fan. I wanted to do something in comedy although I didn’t know what that would be. I read politics at Liverpool’s John Moores University where I joined the student radio station.
Nerys Evans, Creative Director of Comedy at Expectation, explained the world of commissioning scripted comedy at the RTS Student Masterclasses 2019.
Click here to read the session report.
Peek around the corner of Badgers Bar in Derry and you’ll see the larger-than-life faces of Erin, Clare, Michelle, Orla and James plastered over the wall. As far as signs of a show’s success go, they don’t get much bigger than a five-metre-high mural.
From the moment the profane and brilliant Derry Girls burst on to our screens last year in a haze of teenage escapades, nostalgic music and 1990s artefacts – such as pastel printed wallpaper, Baby-G watches and armed soldiers on the streets – it captivated its audience.
The new shows are part of a deliberate drive by the channel to offer distinctive content, in a bid to beat competition from streaming services and other broadcasters.
At the launch of the new slate, Ian Katz, the channel’s Director of Programming, said he wants to focus on “entertaining, mischievous and innovative shows about the big issues and arguments in Britain today.”
He added: “Many of the shows [launching in 2019] are not ones that the global digital giants, even as they plough billions into new content, would be remotely interested in making.”
