Love Island

Should there be more TV revivals?

From left: Sean Doyle, Ella Umansky, Caroline Frost, Camilla Lewis and Richard McKerrow (Credit: RTS/Paul Hampartsoumian)
These are robust TV formats, which, over many years, bring audiences to broadcasters and profits to production companies. But they are the exception, not the rule in television.
 
At an RTS early evening event in early June, a panel of top TV execs discussed what gives formats legs.
 
The central London event took place a day after the triumphant return of ITV2’s Love Island, which attracted a peak audience of 3.4 million. The series opener averaged 2.95 million viewers, more than double last year’s first episode.
 

Love Island: Anatomy of a Hit | Full video

The panel (Credit: Paul Hampartsoumian)

Love Island presenter Caroline Flack joined Angela Jain, Managing Director, ITV Studios Entertainment; Kenny England, the show's Senior Digital Producer; Ella Umansky, Head of Format Support, ITV Studios; and Tom Gould, Executive Producer of Love Island at the recent RTS Anatomy of a Hit event, hosted by Ria Hebden.

Catch up on all the goss by watching the full video below, or click here to watch the highlights.

Love Island 2018: Meet the contestants

The award-winning reality series will see 11 singletons couple up in the hopes of winning over the public and taking home a cash prize (and finding love, of course).

Expect egos, muggy behaviour and a lot of eggs being put in one basket as this year's line-up includes a nuclear design engineer, Danny Dyer's daughter, a West End performer and another ex-popstar (well...kind of).

Love Island: the secrets behind the ITV2 hit

(Credit: Paul Hampartsoumian)

Ahead of the new series, which starts on 4 June, an RTS early evening event brought together some of the reality show’s key people to explain the secret of its success.

Having left E4 to run ITV’s digital channels, Angela Jain recalled that she had been looking for a new entertainment format that was “ big in scale and volume”. As a former commissioner of Big Brother, she “really understood the value of having a really chunky show and what it does to your schedules”.

Anatomy of a Hit: Love Island

The session will also look at the importance of casting, promotion, product placement and global distribution, as well as the extensive digital and online presence, which contributed to a maelstrom of attention and record viewing figures.

Join our distinguished panel drawn from across the ITV Studios and Love Island team – who will discuss how this multi-faceted production delivered such a resounding success for ITV2.

Love Island is an ITV Studios and Motion Content Group co-production for ITV2.

Love Island star Olivia Buckland to host new wedding show

Olivia Buckland (Credit: Discovery Communications)

Former Love Island contestant Oliva Buckland has landed her first presenting role in new TLC series Second Chance Dresses.

The 22-part series will see Olivia – who is engaged to her Love Island co-star Alex Bowen – help brides-to-be track down the perfect dress on the pre-loved market.

In each episode she will travel around the country with a future bride and meet with women who are hoping to give their dress a second chance to shine.

Tracking TV: Is this the end of the overnight sensation?

Ever since TV technology made it possible to measure overnight ­ratings, there have been some in the industry who wish it hadn’t. Programme controllers and advertisers have been accused of not giving new dramas or comedies or entertainment formats enough time to establish themselves. Journalists are blamed for rushing to judgement with headline-­grabbing claims that can damage a programme’s prospects.

Love Island 2017: Meet the contestants

Love Island is back for another series on ITV2.

Caroline Flack will introduce viewers to a fresh batch of singletons all in search of the summer of their lives, with passion, romance and drama from the beginning.

Last year, 1.5 million viewers tuned in to watch Nathan Massey and Cara De La Hoyde win the show. This time round, the Love Islanders will be living in a brand new villa in paradise.

Becky Crosthwaite: Finding a place in reality TV

Becky Crosthwaite

There are so many different jobs in the reality TV field, from Story, Art, Gallery and Edit Producing to Directing, and the best way to get into the genre is usually as a Runner or Logger. When I started out in TV I didn't know games teams existed but I knew I wanted to work in a creative and ideas-based environment. I worked in a few development departments, but it was frustrating pouring my heart and soul into creating formats that sadly sometimes just wouldn't get commissioned. Then when I heard about games from a colleague, it was like fireworks going off in my head.