\n<\/p>\n
\n\tCrime caper \u201cFrauds,\u201d starring Suranne Jones and Jodie Whittaker, spy thriller \u201cBetrayal,\u201d starring Shaun Evans, and relationship drama \u201cTwo Weeks in August,\u201d starring Jessica Raine, head ITV Studios\u2019 Mipcom slate. Variety<\/em> spoke to ITV Studios exec Ruth Berry about their Cannes market lineup, which contains new shows galore.<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cWhat\u2019s important for us is that we\u2019ve got some brilliant new IP,\u201d Berry says. \u201cIt\u2019s been quite tough to break new IP in the last couple of years, but we seem to have them coming thick and fast.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\tIn \u201cFrauds,\u201d set against the sun-soaked backdrop of Southern Spain, Jones and Whittaker play two con-women pulling off a high-stakes art heist. Berry notes the show\u2019s dark humor. \u201cIt\u2019s done in a really fun way,\u201d she says. \u201cI don\u2019t think we\u2019ve seen anything on television quite like that for some time.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\tJones is known for her BAFTA-winning lead role in \u201cDoctor Foster: A Woman Scorned\u201d and BAFTA-nominated part in \u201cGentleman Jack.\u201d Whittaker was the Doctor in \u201cDoctor Who\u201d and in \u201cBroadchurch.\u201d The show also stars Elizabeth Berrington (\u201cSex Education,\u201d \u201cBrassic,\u201d \u201cFifteen-Love\u201d), who will be in Cannes with Whittaker.<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cFrauds,\u201d comprised of six hourlong episodes, is produced by Monumental Television for ITV in association with ITV Studios. It is a co-production with TeamAkers. The show premieres in the U.K. on Oct. 5 on ITV.<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cIt\u2019s just fun. It\u2019s different. It\u2019s shot in Spain. It\u2019s beautifully sunny. The landscapes are amazing,\u201d Berry says. \u201cAnd you\u2019ve got two really fun characters who are also pretty complex. I mean, there\u2019s some pretty nasty porky pie [London slang for \u201clie\u201d] telling to your best mates. Oh, that\u2019s a bit mean. But again, they\u2019re just fun characters, and they pull off some brilliant stunts. I mean, literally, you will be giggling to yourself and thinking they\u2019re super cool, yet also quite naughty. That escapism is what people are craving in some ways.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cBetrayal,\u201d comprised of four hourlong episodes, is produced by Mammoth Screen for ITV. It stars Evans (\u201cEndeavour,\u201d \u201cVigil\u201d) as an MI5 operative fighting to save his career and his family. Evans will promote the show at Mipcom.<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cHe is leading for us as that slightly complicated spy that we all know and love and seem to want to spend lots of time with,\u201d Berry says. \u201cIt really is from that very strong playbook of spy thrillers. So, not surprisingly, he\u2019s having challenges with his family and his wife, his relationships, with work. Meanwhile, he\u2019s pretty sure he\u2019s cottoned on to some pretty serious threats around the nation. He\u2019s battling to get credibility with all of those parts of his life, but he\u2019s right about the threat.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cTwo Weeks in August\u201d is from Various Artists Limited, the producers of \u201cI May Destroy You,\u201d which won two Emmys. The drama, comprised of eight hourlong episodes, is produced for the BBC, in association with ITV Studios. As well as Raine, the cast includes Nicholas Pinnock, Antonia Thomas, Damien Molony, Leila Farzad and Hugh Skinner.<\/p>\n \n\tIt is a gripping story of a woman who goes on holiday in Greece with her family and friends to rediscover joy in her life, only to find that an illicit kiss quickly turns the dream vacation into a nightmare.<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cIt\u2019s about a group of friends and family who go on this fabulous two-week holiday \u2013 idyllic, nostalgic, all getting together, having their best life. They rock up at the villa, all absolutely stunning, until it\u2019s not,\u201d Berry says. After the kiss, \u201ca spiral of neurotic and sinister behavior starts to unfold.\u201d She adds, \u201cI think chilling, dramatic and highly addictive would probably be my three words for that one.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\tBerry adds, \u201cIt\u2019s got that vibe about it. Those complicated characters. Anyone could be on that holiday. Many people look at it and think, yep, I know people who remind me of this or that character. It\u2019s about having characters that you want to engage with, and also finding that right tone.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\tThey are joined by crime procedural \u201cA Taste for Murder,\u201d which is six hourlong episodes. It is produced by Eagle Eye Drama for BritBox. The show offers a fresh take on the genre, blending crime with food and heartfelt family drama on the scenic Italian Amalfi coast. It stars Warren Brown (\u201cThe Gathering,\u201d \u201cTen Pound Poms,\u201d \u201cThe Responder\u201d) and is written by Matt Baker (\u201cHotel Portofino\u201d), who will both be in Cannes.<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cThere is that blend of crime and food, and that beautiful Amalfi Coast. It\u2019s just a really lovely aspirational crime show,\u201d Berry says, adding that one should be suspicious of the chef in the show but \u201cyou\u2019ll have to watch it to find out whether it is\u201d the chef who committed the crime.<\/p>\n \n\tLeading the charge for entertainment formats in Cannes will be Emily Atack (\u201cRivals\u201d), co-host of the brand-new format \u201cNobody\u2019s Fool,\u201d and comedian Judi Love (\u201cLoose Women,\u201d \u201cLOL: Last One Laughing UK\u201d) star of \u201cCelebrity Sabotage.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\tIn \u201cCelebrity Sabotage,\u201d contestants believe they are competing in a reality game show to win an incredible prize, but hidden away in a secret HQ, Celebrity Saboteurs are watching their every move, carrying out missions designed to disrupt their success. The more sabotage missions completed undetected, the greater the prize \u2013 but if a Celebrity Saboteur is caught, the contestant faces a difficult decision.<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cCelebrity Sabotage,\u201d comprised of six hourlong episodes, is produced for ITV by Lifted Entertainment, the creators of hits like \u201cAnt & Dec\u2019s Saturday Night Takeaway\u201d and \u201cI\u2019m a Celebrity\u2026 Get Me Out of Here!\u201d<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cNobody\u2019s Fool\u201d is a new reality format packed with drama and deception. Unlike traditional quiz shows, the fate of the contestants isn\u2019t determined by how smart they are, but by how smart their fellow contestants think they are. Contestants move into a \u201cSmart House\u201d where they must outwit each other in challenges and daily quizzes that test various aspects of intelligence. The twist is that only they know their real results, leaving it up to each contestant whether to reveal the truth or bluff \u2013 with eliminations and high stakes drama along the way. Berry describes it as \u201ca fun, dramatic and deceptive type of game.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\tComprised of five hourlong episodes, the show is co-produced by Lifted Entertainment and Nobody\u2019s Hero for ITV.<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cWorlds Apart,\u201d which launches on Oct. 7 on Channel 4, is a treasure hunt series that pairs teens with older adults to bridge the generational gap. The show, comprised of five hourlong episodes, is produced by South Shore.<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cI just really love the sentiment of the show,\u201d Berry says. \u201cThey start off literally worlds apart, but have to work together in order to get to the answers and win. There\u2019s something really warm and emotional around that.\u201d<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\u201cWorlds Apart\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tCourtesy of ITV Studios<\/p>\n \n\tShe adds, \u201cThat cross-generational thing is really interesting, and for co-viewing in particular that\u2019s a key part of trying to find ways that you can bring in two ends of an audience to come and spend time together. So, I think a lot of people will identify with that, and you\u2019ll find co-viewing and conversation coming out of that show, not least because I\u2019m sure you\u2019ll have kids asking their grandparents what on earth they\u2019re talking about, and finding that relatability.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cTime Is Money,\u201d which has 25 hourlong episodes, produced by South Shore for ITV, is a lightning-paced quiz where the cash pot drains with every second.<\/p>\n \n\tLastly is a spin-off from a global phenomenon: \u201cLove Island: Beyond the Villa\u201d is a new reality series that follows familiar faces as they navigate life and love after the villa. The show, which has eight hourlong episodes, is produced by ITV America.<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cLove Island: Beyond the Villa\u201d delivered the largest audience ever for an unscripted original series premiere on Peacock, and in its first week generated 77 million impressions across TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, X and Facebook.<\/p>\n \n\tTalking about the show\u2019s success, Berry says. \u201cI think it\u2019s escapism. It\u2019s about spending time with characters that people can identify with. It\u2019s about having characters people can root for or not, depending on who you particularly like in the villa.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\tBerry adds that there have been hundreds of watch parties organized for the show in the U.S. \u201cI think that\u2019s really powerful. I mean, that tells you that this isn\u2019t just about people sitting and watching it alone on a device or at home in their room. This is something that is so culturally relevant they actually want to go and engage with their friends and people they don\u2019t even know to go and watch and share those moments around the show,\u201d she says. \u201cSo, that\u2019s a real learning for us about how we take that and amplify that sort of relevance and engagement with the audiences and talk to them in different ways.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\tITV Studios\u2019 non-scripted slate is headed up by the premium access crime series \u201cOperation Dark Phone: Murder By Text,\u201d which is comprised of four hourlong episodes, and is produced by The Garden, the makers of \u201c24 Hours in Police Custody,\u201d for Channel 4.<\/p>\n \n\tThe series explores the inside story of the world\u2019s biggest law enforcement operation against global organized crime. \u201cIt\u2019s an incredible piece of television,\u201d Berry says. \u201cIt\u2019s unbelievable what that group of people manage to uncover and penetrate and learn about things that were going on in the world.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\tShe adds, \u201cI find it quite comforting to know that there are people who know how to penetrate those organizations. It\u2019s comforting that we know what they\u2019re doing, and we just need to find the right way to deal with it.<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cThere is a whole group of people who are keeping us all safe, who are in that world. And I think we want to spend a bit of time with them, and feel like, yeah, actually, you know, someone\u2019s got our back.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\tThe show has already been acquired by Seven Network in Australia, SVT in Sweden, DRTV in Denmark, NRK in Norway, YLE in Finland and DPG Media for the Netherlands and Luxembourg.<\/p>\n \n\tThe natural history slate includes two series from Plimsoll Productions.<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cExtreme Earth\u201d (working title), which has six hourlong episodes, is produced for ITV and ARD in Germany.<\/p>\n \n\tFilmed over three years, it reveals how nature is fighting back against the world\u2019s most powerful weather events.<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cIt\u2019s a really topical piece, brilliantly shot, as you would imagine, coming from Plimsoll, and shows you some really fab evolution in animals,\u201d Berry says. \u201cMy favorite story by far is the one about the lizards that are growing longer fingers to hold onto trees in high winds. I think it\u2019s amazing how we forget that evolution can happen at quite a pace, and that nature really is out there every day, facing those elements, whilst we can batten down the hatches.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\tIn \u201cSecret Garden,\u201d which has five hourlong episodes, and is produced for BBC and ARTE, our own backyards are given the blue-chip treatment and explores the surprising stories of the wild characters living on our doorsteps.<\/p>\n \n\tFinally, the slate also features \u201cAges of Ice,\u201d which has three hourlong episodes, and is produced by Northern Pictures for PBS and ABC Australia. It follows a new generation of \u201cPolarnauts\u201d as they explore Earth\u2019s coldest frontiers, revealing how all our lives are tied to these frozen extremes.<\/p>\n \n\tBerry says, \u201cIt\u2019s about finding that right tone in the world between, particularly on that non scripted side, talking about what\u2019s happening in the world, but without it being too much of a lesson, you know, do your recycling, otherwise this is going to happen, sort of scenario. It\u2019s much more about: Look, this is the world we\u2019re in. These are the things that are going on. And we need to make conscious choices around how we as viewers want to then engage with that world. So, I think it\u2019s just finding that right tone that hits the audiences really well without it alienating them or giving them reason to not lean in and enjoy the escapism of TV.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\tBerry adds, \u201cI think what\u2019s really important for us, and as I\u2019m thinking more and more about what makes great content, what makes us so excited to get out and sell these shows, and work with the creators that we do, is it\u2019s the cultural relevance,\u201d Berry says. \u201cYou know, all of those shows, there is something in there that is really about moments that are happening now in the world, things that people should know about, and how you stay culturally relevant in the content that we\u2019re putting out there for the market. So, I\u2019m hoping the buyers feel the same.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Crime caper \u201cFrauds,\u201d starring Suranne Jones and Jodie Whittaker, spy thriller \u201cBetrayal,\u201d starring Shaun Evans, and relationship drama \u201cTwo Weeks in August,\u201d starring Jessica Raine, head ITV Studios\u2019 Mipcom slate. Variety spoke to ITV Studios exec Ruth Berry about their Cannes market lineup, which contains new shows galore. \u201cWhat\u2019s important for us is that we\u2019ve<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":25343,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[54],"tags":[5739,3920,15325,5566,12483,5578,969],"class_list":{"0":"post-25342","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-entertainment","8":"tag-august","9":"tag-betrayal","10":"tag-frauds","11":"tag-itv","12":"tag-slate","13":"tag-studios","14":"tag-weeks"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/25342","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=25342"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/25342\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/25343"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=25342"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=25342"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=25342"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}