Paramount+ has announced a new slate of scripted and unscripted UK original series ahead of the launch of the global streaming service in the UK this Summer.
Both scripted original series were commissioned by Sebastian Cardwell, Deputy Chief Content Officer, UK, Paramount, as part of Paramount+’s plans to greenlight 50 new international scripted originals in 2022.
The Ex-Wife (4×60“) is based on the hit psychological thriller of the same name.
“Tasha is living the dream: she has the perfect house, a loving husband and a beautiful little girl. But there’s one large blot on Tasha’s marital landscape: her husband’s ex-wife won’t leave them alone and seems intent on staying in the picture. When Tasha returns home one day to find her life turned upside down, she realises that the dream she is living may be about to turn into a nightmare”
Céline Buckens(Showtrial) takes the lead role in the series as Tasha. The series is co-produced by Clapperboard Studios, BlackBox Multimedia and Night Train Media, with Night Train Media financing and controlling worldwide distribution rights with All3Media International. The Ex-Wife is written by Catherine Steadman who will also serve as executive producer on the series. Joining Catherine as executive producers are Mike Benson for Clapperboard, Giuliano Papadia and Chiara Cardoso for BlackBox Multimedia, Olivia Pahl and Herbert Kloiber for Night Train Media, and the book’s author Jess Ryder. Andy Morgan (Tin Star, The Madame Blanc Mysteries) is producer and Brian O’Malley (The Lodgers, That Dirty Black Bag) will direct the series.
The Burning Girls (6 x 60”) is based on the novel of the same name by CJ Tudor.
“Chapel Croft is a village haunted by a dark and turbulent history. Five hundred years ago, Protestant martyrs – including two young girls – were betrayed and burned at the stake. Thirty years ago, two teenage girls disappeared without a trace. And a few weeks ago, the vicar of the local parish hanged himself in the nave of the church. Now, Jack Brooks, a female vicar and single mum to 15-year-old daughter Flo, arrives in Chapel Croft in the hope of a fresh start. However, instead of finding peace in their new home, Jack finds the village rife with conspiracies and secrets, and uncovering the truth can be deadly in a community with a bloody past, where everyone has something to hide.”
The series is produced by Buccaneer Media (‘Marcella’,‘Whitstable Pearl’) in association with VIS – the international studio division of Paramount. Executive Producers are Richard Tulk-Hart, Tony Wood, CJ Tudor and Hans Rosenfeldt (Marcella, The Bridge). Hans Rosenfeldt (Marcella, The Bridge) serves as the lead writer of The Burning Girls, with Camilla Ahlgren (The Bridge) joining Hans in the writing team.
New unscripted UK originals for Paramount+ include LA Hairdressers (w/t) produced by Fulwell 73, in association with Endeavor Content.
The show will follow two legendary LA establishments, with their talented teams of stylists that make them destinations for the Hollywood elite. The 8×60” series will look behind the glossy facade and into the stylists’ lives – both personal and professional.
Leo Pearlman and Sheldon Lazarus serve as executive producers for Fulwell 73. The series was ordered by Kit Morey, VP Commissioning Editor for Paramount+ UK, and Daniel Pearl, Vice President, Unscripted UK Originals for Paramount+ UK. Endeavor Content will handle global sales.
also on the slate is Fashion House (w/t) – Produced by Lambent, in association with All3Media International and Night Train Media, the 3 x 90” box set anthology series tells the story of three of the greatest fashion houses of all time – Gucci, Versace and Burberry. Each programme charts the very distinctive journey of each house, told by fashion insiders at the heart of each story.
The series was ordered by Lucy Willis, VP Commissioning Editor for Paramount+ UK. Executive producers for Lambent are Emma Tutty and Ollie Tait. Ian Denyer, Kate Misrahi and Clare Richards will each direct an episode of the series.
Pervert: Catching the Strip Search Caller(w/t) is produced by Wag Entertainment. The 3×60” series follows the shocking true crime story of a hoax caller who targeted fast food restaurants across America, convincing managers to obey his instructions, resulting in the terrifying abuse of staff. The caller posed as a police officer investigating a theft and instructed managers to strip-search the young women, he said were suspects. For many victims, what began as a humiliating strip search escalated into sexual abuse. When the hoax caller hit McDonald’s in Mount Washington, Kentucky, a rookie detective made it his mission to catch him – what he uncovered was extraordinary. With testimonies from investigators, victims and the people who were duped into committing strip-search crimes, this limited series tells the story of the hunt for the strip search hoaxer, and his victims’ search for justice.
Executive producers for Wag Entertainment are Bridget Boseley and Steven Green, and the director is Sara Mast. Pervert: Catching the Strip Search Caller (w/t) was commissioned by Denise Seneviratne, VP Commissioning Editor for Paramount+ UK.
The newly announced original series will each be exclusively available on Paramount+ in the UK following the launch of the service this Summer. They join previously announced UK originals A Gentleman in Moscow, Sexy Beast, Flatshare and The Blue. Unscripted series previously announced in the UK are Haunted, Rise of the Tech Titans, The Box, MH370: The Lost Flight and Chalet Girls. Further announcements for additional UK original series will be made later in the Spring.
Jon Creamer
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