‘I May Destroy You’ Producer Various Artists Behind BBC Hen Do Comedy
I May Destroy You producer Various Artists Limited has been greenlit for a BBC Two comedy about a hen weekend that goes wrong. Henpocalypse!, from Hullraisers creator Caroline Moran, takes five women who headed out on a weekend of a lifetime to celebrate Zara’s engagement only to be interrupted by the end of the world. They subsequently have to wait it out in an isolated holiday cottage in Wales and, emerging from quarantine into the harsh new post-apocalyptic world, find the male population has almost entirely been wiped out. BBC Head of Comedy Tanya Qureshi described the show as “very funny with an incredible collection of women at the heart of it.” Various Artists was behind Michaela Coel’s smash hit I May Destroy You for the BBC and HBO and has also produced British comedies including Sally4Ever and Dead Pixels.
ITV Doc To Spotlight Australian Millionairess Melissa Caddick
The story of Australian millionairess Melissa Caddick, who went for a morning run in Sydney in November 2020 and never returned home, is to be explored in an ITV documentary from Fremantle-backed Naked, while ITV has acquired the drama, Vanishing Act (working title), about Caddick’s life. Life and Limb: The Missing Millionairess will spotlight a story that gripped Australia, after Caddick’s body was found 250 miles south of Sydney by surfers before it transpired that she had cheated 74 victims, including friends and family, out of $AUD23M ($15.6M). ITV Factual Controller Jo Clinton-Davis said the doc will deliver a “compelling insight into this deeply intriguing case with sharp focus on the victims who have lost so much as well as shedding light on the continuing mystery of Melissa’s disappearance and the millions of dollars yet to be recovered.”
BBC Children’s Unveils Shows Including Alan Carr Football Series
The BBC Children’s team has unveiled a raft of commissions including an Alan Carr-narrated football series and So Awkward spin-off. The corporation said the shows from Patricia Hidalgo’s division “reflect the lives of children in the UK, with every age able to see something of themselves.” Leading the pack is CBBC’s Football Academy, in which Drag Race UK judge Carr narrates the comings and goings of Southampton FC’s youth academy, with England internationals James Ward-Prowse and Theo Walcott set to take part. Live action TV movie So Awkward: Kids Camp is a spin-off of smash hit So Awkward as host Lily Hampton takes kids on a summer camp, while A Kind of Spark tells the inspirational story of Addie, a bright and sparky autistic girl dreaming of acceptance in a conservative community. Meanwhile, Digital Girl is the first of a number of animations to be unveiled over the next few months, with Hidalgo recently announcing a tripling of animation spend. That show will follow Digital Girl and Hack Girl, who engage in an epic battle for the future of Frisco City. On pre-school channel CBeebies, shows including Olga Da Polga, based on the books by Paddington author Michael Bond, have been greenlit alongside Roots & Fruits and Vida the Vet. Hidalgo said: “I am excited to see the wide range of content and high quality titles we have secured for children of all ages and their families to enjoy together over the coming months”
Austria Confirms Film And TV Production Tax Incentive Model
Austria’s lawmakers are pushing ahead with a tax incentive initiative to attract more international film and TV projects to the European country. This model will include a non-repayable 35% subsidy of spend reported in Austria on productions, 5% of which will relate to climate-friendly criteria. Films and series of any length, and international TV and streaming co-productions will be favored. The incentive will not be limited in time and have a budgetary cap. It comes into force on January 1, 2023. WB Secretary General said Kurt Egger said: “The international film industry is strongly influenced by globalization and competition. Numerous countries in Europe are already strategically using incentive models for the film industry in order, among other things, to increase added value in their own country, attract investments and create jobs. Austria has been falling behind here for years and is no longer up to date. It is all the more important that Austria finally follows suit and introduces an effective, modern funding instrument for the audiovisual sector.”