BREAKING: Latest news, deals & hires

Wednesday, 3.05pm: Broadcast Awards 2025 shortlist revealed

Six heavyweight labels will go head-to-head to win Best Independent Production Company at the Broadcast Awards 2025, which has revealed its shortlist today.

The nominations feature some of the most talked-about TV of the past year, including ITV1’s Mr Bates vs the Post Office, Netflix’s Baby Reindeer and BBC smash hits Ludwig and The Traitors.

Defending its best indie crown on 5 February 2025 is Studio Lambert. The All3Media company has two shows in the Best Entertainment Programme category – Netflix game’s Squid Game: The Challenge (a co-pro with The Garden) and series two of The Traitors – plus a Best Comedy Programme nomination for BBC3’s Boarders. Read more 

Wednesday, 2.58pm: Studio Lambert behind power play format for C4

Studio Lambert is working on a social power play format set in a stately home for Channel 4, Broadcast understands.

The Reward is a multipart competition series that is billed as a “high stakes game of collaboration and cunning” in which competitors are “pushed to their limits and test how far they’ll go to take home a fortune”. Read more 

Wednesday, 1.05pm: UK’s ITV climbs down from The Tower

UK commecial broadcaster ITV has called time on Mammoth Screen and Windhover Films series The Tower after three series, citing a dip in viewing figures.

The police procedural series is based on Kate London’s book series Metropolitan and has starred Gemma Whelan as police officer Sarah Collins.

Wednesday, 11.33am: Why Netflix’s move for a YouTube format underlines industry evolution

Cowshed Collective co-chief George Cowin has had a busy seven days since Netflix unveiled its commission of a second season of The Sidemen’s YouTube show Inside, with a new US version also in the works. Here he tells Broadcast International what the deal means for an industry evolving at high speed. Read more

Wednesday, 9.45am: Israel’s Keshet boards October 7 drama Red Alert

Israeli broadcaster Keshet 12 is partnering with sibling Keshet International on an action series exec produced by Pulp Fiction and Kill Bill producer Lawrence Bender.

Red Alert, which alludes to the emergency warning signal signifying an imminent threat, is based on true events which occurred during the October 7 terror attacks in 2023. Read more

Wednesday, 8.57am: Prime Video takes Sphere cult doc

Amazon Prime Video has acquired a feature-length exposé of criminal activity within the Hare Krishna movement in America in the 1970s and ‘80s.

1 x 98-minute Murder & Madness: The Cult Conspiracy hails from director Jason Lapeyre (I Declare War) and is adapted from New York Times bestselling book by John Hubner and Lindsey Gruson.

The doc tells the story of devotees like Nori Muster, a young woman from Los Angeles who joined the movement to find inner peace and spiritual meaning and instead discovers a rotting heart of criminal activity taking place within ISKCON, the International Society for Krishna Consciousness.

Sphere Media produced the single, which was acquired by Prime Video from Sphere’s distribution arm Sphere Abacus.

Will Stapley, head of acquisitions at Sphere Abacus, said: “This is an incredible story of shocking events all taking place under the guise of a religious movement. It’s jaw-dropping true crime at its best, brilliantly produced by our colleagues at Sphere Media.”

Wednesday, 8.44am: UK & French indie distributors team up for London TV Screenings

Hat Trick International and DCD Rights are partnering again for their London TV Screenings showcase in February and have added French outfit About Premium Content (APC) to their event. The trio of distributors will present a combined screening of new content from their respective slates followed by a reception on Tuesday 25 February at Vue West End Leicester Square from 4.30pm-7.30pm.

Emmanuelle Guilbart and Laurent Boissel, joint chief execs and founders of APC, said: “We are delighted to join forces with Hat Trick International and DCD Rights on this screening. We are conscious of the draw on buyers’ time with so many shows to screen across the city as the London TV Screenings continues to grow so we hope this offers a practical and useful opportunity.”

The London TV Screenings runs from 23-28 February.

Broadcast Awards 2025 shortlist revealed
Six heavyweight labels will go head-to-head to win Best Independent Production Company at the Broadcast Awards 2025, which has revealed its shortlist today.
The nominations feature some of the most talked-about TV of the past year, including ITV1’s Mr Bates vs the Post Office, Netflix’s Baby Reindeer and BBC smash hits Ludwig and The Traitors.
Defending its best indie crown on 5 February 2025 is Studio Lambert. The All3Media company has two shows in the Best Entertainment Programme category – Netflix game’s Squid Game: The Challenge (a co-pro with The Garden) and series two of The Traitors – plus a Best Comedy Programme nomination for BBC3’s Boarders.Read more https://www.broadcastnow.co.uk/home/broadcast-awards-2025-shortlist-revealed/5199512.article


Studio Lambert behind power play format for C4Studio Lambert is working on a social power play format set in a stately home for Channel 4, Broadcast understands. 
The Reward is a multipart competition series that is billed as a “high stakes game of collaboration and cunning” in which competitors are “pushed to their limits and test how far they’ll go to take home a fortune”. Read morehttps://www.broadcastnow.co.uk/channel-4/studio-lambert-behind-power-play-format-for-c4/5199530.article



ITV climbs down from The Tower
ITV has called time on Mammoth Screen and Windhover Films series The Tower after three series, citing a dip in viewing figures.  
The police procedural series is based on Kate London’s book series Metropolitan and has starred Gemma Whelan as police officer Sarah Collins.