Soap Weekly
TV Weekly: ‘We get paid a flat fee for every show that we do’
ATV Today’s weekly newswrap from the world of television.
Stars in her eyes
As speculated back in March, ITV is set to reboot Stars in their Eyes again after a shitshow of a series in 2015 with Harry Hill as host.
The new series will be rebranded as Starstruck and will be slightly different from the format viewers knew and loved when the original singing sound-a-like show ran between 1990 and 2006. The Sun report that Sheridan Smith has been lured to the programme as a judge.
The production is likely to begin recording in May. The original series rarely had judges, although the early finals did feature judges including Pete Waterman.
Sheridan has been drafted in as a judge on ITV’s revamped version of Saturday night favourite Stars In Their Eyes, which initially ran from 1990 to 2006. The new series, which is expected to begin filming in May, will be called Starstruck
Wipeout tragedy
A contestant has died on the relaunched stateside version of Wipeout, after completing an obstacle course, NBC News reported.
The news network noted that ‘a man in his 30s was declared dead at a hospital… Wednesday (Nov 18), Los Angeles County coroner’s spokeswoman Sarah Ardalani said’. At this point the cause of death is unknown and an autopsy is still pending.
Wipeout ran on ABC from 2008 until 2014 and is being rebooted by TB for American viewers. The stateside version airs on UKTV in the United Kingdom.
Update: The contestant who passed away has been named as 38-year-old Michael Paredes.
Baking success
The final of series 11 of The Great British Bake Off attracted a record-breaking average audience of 9.2m viewers and a 39.7% share of the viewing audience from 8pm to 9.15pm for its final episode of the series – with a 10.4m peak (5 mins), making it the baking competition’s biggest ever overnight audience on Channel 4.
The final saw Peter named 2020 champion and is the highest rating Channel 4 show since modern records began in 2002.
Wong for Witness
Jason Wong has joined the cast of BBC One’s primetime drama Silent Witness, which is currently filming its 24th series.
“I am so excited to be joining Silent Witness, like everyone else I have been a huge fan of the show for years and to be becoming part of the family feels like a huge privilege. I can’t wait for audiences to see all we have in store for them in this new series.” – Jason Wong
Jason will play Adam Yuen. A confident, bright and keen pathologist who’s constantly striving to be the best, he immediately rubs Nikki and Jack up the wrong way. Will Adam find his own way to fit in and last at the Lyell?
To the Max
Channel 4 is to look behind the headlines to reveal the story of Max Clifford, the notorious publicist who was jailed for indecent assaults against underage girls and young women, in a revealing documentary.
With access to over 30 hours of previously unheard audio recordings of Clifford, and devastating testimony from victims of his crimes, the 90-minute programme pieces together an extraordinary picture of a man who was a ruthless and manipulative sex offender.
No 10 from Bruno
The Beeb has announced that Strictly judge Bruno Tonioli will not be able to take part in the 2020 final in person, due to being unable to travel back to the UK from the United States.
The Italian choreographer is a judge on the stateside version of Strictly – Dancing with the Stars – so has been stuck in America for that, with only brief video links to pass comments on the UK show’s contestants across this series.
It had been hoped Bruno, however, would be able to make it back for the grand finale of Strictly Come Dancing later this month however BBC bosses have said travelling across the Atlantic is now considered too risky for the 65-year-old.
More for Four
Kathy Burke is returning to Channel 4 for a new two-part documentary in which she’ll delve deep into the world of money. Who has it? Who doesn’t? Who deserves it and who definitely doesn’t? And who has won, and lost it all?
While Sandi Toksvig and some of her well-known female friends are about to embark on stay-cations like no other in Extraordinary Escapes with Sandi Toksvig. Whether a lofty lighthouse or a towering treehouse, the ingenious builds in each episode will appreciate the architecturally inspiring, cleverly designed holiday properties Britain has to offer and show viewers that staycations are something to be celebrated.
Chasing the Dosh
With a new face on The Chase this month it appears that while all the gang at ITV are happy to have Darragh Ennis join as a chaser, Anne Hegerty pointed out that the programme doesn’t make them millionaires, and that the team – including host Bradley Walsh – are paid only for each episode they feature in.
“Um, this is a tricky one because a lot of the people, because a lot of the public imagine that we are on the same sort of deal that Hollywood stars were on the 1930s. They got paid a salary per month, per year, they were salaried employees at the studio, and the studio would find them things to do.
“That isn’t how it works, the chasers and Bradley Walsh, we get paid a flat fee for every show that we do. So any show that I am doing is a show I am paid for, and the other chasers aren’t, and that applies to all of us.
“If you are going to divide the shows between six, rather than five, do the maths. And it’s excellent if it means we are going to get a better order of shows, then everyone’s money goes up.” – Anne speaking on the Lewis Nicholls YouTube Show
Beeb exclusive with Macca
BBC One and BBC Music will bring to screens Idris Elba meets Paul McCartney, featuring music legend McCartney in conversation with one of the most popular British actors of his generation, Idris Elba, to be broadcast on BBC One and BBC iPlayer in December, and on BBC Radio 2 and BBC Sounds.
This 60-minute entertainment special, to be recorded in London in the coming weeks, will see Idris interview Paul about his peerless career as the most successful musician and composer in pop music history, which began when he wrote his first song at the age of 14. The show will span Paul’s incredible history-making journey right up to the present day, as he continues to influence new generations, including Paul’s solo material and collaborations.
Paul will talk about his writing process which has produced some of the best-loved and most performed songs ever. Idris will seek to find out what inspires Paul to continue to innovate creatively, on the eve of the release of his 26th post-Beatles album McCartney III, the third album in a trilogy of classics featuring Paul playing every instrument and writing and recording every song. Paul launched his solo career in 1970 with the release of McCartney.
Pride of Scotland Awards for STV
STV, Reach Plc and TSB have agreed on a deal which sees the broadcaster commission STV Studios to produce the inaugural Daily Record Pride of Scotland Awards, in partnership with TSB.
“We’re delighted to be the broadcast partner for the inaugural Pride of Scotland Awards, working in partnership with Reach and TSB to bring viewers across Scotland, and the UK via the STV Player, a real celebration of Scotland’s local heroes.” – Stephen O’Donnell, Commissioning Editor for STV
The 90-minute landmark TV event is already in production and is set to air on STV later in the year. The deal represents the broadcaster’s biggest ever advertiser-funded single programme.
The awards, which celebrate ordinary people doing extraordinary things, will honour unsung heroes who have transformed the lives of people around them, in a similar vein to the Pride of Britain Awards which has been running annually since 2000.
The programme will see famous faces from the worlds of showbiz, sport and politics celebrating the bravest, most remarkable people from every corner of Scotland. Nominated by the public, the award winners will come from all age groups and all walks of life.
The Daily Record Pride of Scotland Awards, in partnership with TSB, will be executive produced by John Redshaw and the Commissioning Editor for STV is Stephen O’Donnell.
