UKTV

Anna Paquin to star in new drama Flack

Anna Paquin (Credit: UKTV)

The series is set in the competitive and celebrity-driven world of public relations.

Flack follows Robyn (Paquin), a witty American publicity maven living in London, as she tackles the complexities of the digital age where scandals can go viral in an instant.

 “My character exists in a world where there are no moral absolutes and humour is used as a sharply executed defence mechanism to maintain the illusion of perpetual control,” says Paquin

Musical comedy group The Horne Section to film TV special

The Horne Section

The ‘unlikely jazz/comedy hybrid’ will feature guest performances from some of the biggest names in comedy and music.

The two hour show will be recorded live at The London Palladium later this year.

Alex Horne said, “I’m pretty sure no-one’s ever tried combining music with comedy before, let alone filming the whole thing and putting it on TV, so we’re pretty excited to see how Twitter will cope with jazz and jokes for two hours.”

How Dave's Taskmaster made it to the screen

The programme, which has been a hit with UKTV audiences and earned nominations for RTS, Bafta and Emmy awards, began life on stage in Edinburgh, explained its creator, Alex Horne, at a sold-out event at the London Transport Museum.

Every month for a year, in the run-up to the 2010 Edinburgh Festival Fringe, Horne asked a bunch of fellow comics to complete a daft task. “The first task I sent them was, ‘Deposit some money in my bank account – most money wins.’ Mark Watson put nearly £200 in; no one else got over a pound – and that funded the project.”

Dave comes out swinging in first Hayemaker Ringstar fight night

Former MMA fighter Michael ‘Venom’ Page opened proceedings, dancing his way around his opponent and mocking his rival’s woozy stumbling by pretending to stagger. The headline fight, which saw Olympian Joe Joyce face off against south London rival Ian Lewison, was similarly memorable as Joyce maintained a strong defense against his aggressive rival before mounting an offensive against his tiring opponent. Dave's inaugural Fight Night proved one thing: big personalities define Haye’s stable of fighters. 

The White Princess finds a new home on UKTV

The White Princess is a sequel to Emmy-nominated series The White Queen, and stars Jodie Comer (Doctor Foster), Suki Waterhouse (The Bad Batch) and Michelle Fairley (Game of Thrones).

The eight-part historical epic picks up as the War of the Roses comes to an end and a fragile peace has been established. The victor, Henry Tudor – soon to be Henry VII - is promised the hand of Elizabeth (Comer) to cement the future of the country.

Joe Joyce headlines Hayemaker Ringstar fight night

The fight will be broadcast live on entertainment channel Dave from 9pm, and will feature three of Haye and Schafer’s new signings.

Heavyweight Olympic silver medallist Joe ‘Juggernaut’ Joyce will headline the fight night as he makes his professional debut against fellow south Londoner and former WBO Inter-Continental Champion Ian Lewison. Lewison brings a lot of experience to the ring, and an impressive record of 12-3, with eight won by knockout.

UKTV announces new crime drama Frankie Drake Mysteries

Set in 1920s Toronto, the drama follows female-only private detective agency Drake Private Detectives which takes on cases the police do not want. 

Private Investigator Frankie Drake (Lauren Lee Smith - The L Word), alongside her associate Trudy (Chantel Riley - Race), takes on cases from gospel church choirs to the elite private parties in Toronto.

British actor Laurence Fox (Inspector Lewis) is set to star in the series as Drake’s confidante, Greg Miller.