Channel 4 has commissioned two new factual series as part of its ringfenced Global Format Fund from Curve Media and Five Mile Films and recommissioned Firecracker’s Open House: The Great Sex Experiment.
Five Mile Films is to make dog training format The Dog Academy with Curve Media producing antiques format The Greatest Auction.
The Dog Academy “will help our most difficult dogs and their most desperate owners. A crack team of Britain’s top specialist trainers will instruct beleaguered owners in dog management skills and dog psychology.
In the show, dogs and their owners will receive separate training designed to help owners build long-lasting, positive relationships with their pets. Audiences will see how dog and owner fare as they try to put their new skills to use. “Can the experts help them leave The Dog Academy happy, healthy and better placed to enjoy the rest of their lives together?”
Rita Daniels, Commissioning Editor for Channel 4 said: “The Dog Academy is a comprehensive and judgement-free place to solve an issue that a lot of viewers will be able to relate to – problematic pups. As well as helping the dogs and owners who come to the Academy, we hope our series will help viewers at home pick up loads of valuable tips and tricks too.”
Nick Mirsky, MD of Five Mile Films said: “What I think will make this series so special and revealing is the combination of top talent from the dog training world and top talent on the editorial team. We are really proud to be making it with Channel 4.”
The Dog Academy is an 8×60” produced by Five Mile Films, the makers of the RTS award winning The Dog House for Channel 4. The Executive Producers are Adam Chapman (First Dates Hotel) and Jackie Waldock (Secret Life of 4 and 5 year Olds) and Series Producer is Kay Green (Hunted, The Island). The Commissioning Editor for Channel 4 is Rita Daniels.
New eight-part series – The Greatest Auction takes place in a specially created auction arena, with the auctioneer holding court as they sell “some of the rarest, most valuable and most unique objects seen on television.”
Items will be valued by a specialist team of appraisers – “but in a surprising twist, the valuation will only be heard by the viewer. The owner must wait till they enter the auction to find out what their item could potentially be worth.”
Anna Miralis, Commissioning Editor, said: “This is a fun new format which we hope will bring a fresh take to the world of antiques, luxury items and rarities and we are looking forward to revealing some of the most interesting finds and stories that I am sure will blow audiences away.”
Camilla Lewis, Executive Producer for Curve Media, said: “I am hugely excited to build on my previous work on the creation of Four Rooms in making The Greatest Auction – an exciting new way of looking at the world of auction. We’re looking for a huge range of diverse stories, which will represent the wide variety of heritage, history and culture found all over Britain”
The Greatest Auction is an 8×60” produced by Curve Media for Channel 4. The Executive Producers are Camilla Lewis, Rob Carey and Charlie Bunce. The Commissioning Editor for Channel 4 is Anna Miralis.
Firecracker Film’s Open House: The Great Sex Experiment has also won a second series as part of the fund.
Much like the first series, the second series will follow monogamous couples as they explore whether they would be happier together in an open relationship.
“Assisted by experts, the couples will embark on a series of intimate challenges to road-test, within a safe space, whether having sex with other people is at odds with maintaining their committed relationship.”
The series was recommissioned by Head of Factual Entertainment Alf Lawrie with Commissioning Editor, Tim Hancock and Senior Commissioning Editor, Vivienne Molokwu.
Tim Hancock, who commissioned the series for Channel 4 said: ““The popularity of Open House shines a light on just how many couples nowadays are considering alternative relationship models and I was proud of how the series showed both the joys and difficult challenges that opening up your relationship brings. We’ve been blown away by the number of couples who have applied to come to test out non-monogamy in series 2.”
Jes Wilkins, Chief Creative Officer, Firecracker Films said: “I couldn’t be prouder of the impact that this series has made. It’s harder than ever before to attract a big, young audience to risky new shows and we have achieved that by evolving the blend of purposeful and provocative factual entertainment that Firecracker and Channel 4 have worked on together so successfully over the years.
Vivienne Molokwu said: “I am excited to announce the second Global Format Fund series recommission. Open House: Sex With Other People performed very well against the fund criteria and it is pleasing to know that there is advanced interest in the format from Australia, the USA and around Europe.”
The Tinopolis Group and the series and format will be sold internationally by Passion Distribution. There is advance interest in the format from Australia, in the USA, and around Europe.
Jon Creamer
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