BBC1 has greenlit new primetime Saturday night music entertainment show Pitch Battle (w/t), set to air next summer.
Commissioned from Tuesday’s Child, Pitch Battle (w/t) is billed as a contemporary competition that will feature the best singing groups from across the UK and from all musical styles: pop, rock, folk and gospel to acapella groups and even fishermen’s choirs.
Over the course of five hour-long, heat episodes, they’ll compete head-to-head over a series of choral challenges including “Pitch Perfect” inspired Riff Offs, a soloists challenge and an acapella round. The groups will need to pull out-all-the-stops in this no-chords-barred, sing or be sung-off tournament to win the live final.
Created by Karen Smith’s indie Tuesday’s Child, the show was commissioned by Charlotte Moore, Director, BBC Content and Kate Phillips, Controller, Entertainment Commissioning.
Phillips said: “There are millions of people in the UK of all ages and backgrounds who sing simply for the love of it, for the joy and sense of community it creates. Tuesday’s Child’s excellent new format reflects this with shed loads of sass and spirit. We can’t wait to get started!”
Karen Smith, CEO Tuesday’s Child: “After a divisive, depressing 2016, we’re bringing some humour and harmony to 2017 in a contemporary new format with story, scale and spelling-binding, hairs-on-the-back-of-your neck performances.”
Pitch Battle (w/t) is a 6×60 format and was awarded to Tuesday’s Child following a three-stage pitch process after 12 independent producers submitted proposals.
The Executive Producer for Tuesday’s Child is Karen Smith and the BBC Commissioning Editor is Jo Wallace.
The series will be distributed by BBC Worldwide.
The commission comes as BBC1 prepares to launch new Saturday night entertainment format Let It Shine in January.
Staff Reporter
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