Wednesday round-up: Latest news, deals & hires

With Love, Megan starts slowly for Netflix UK

The Duchess of Sussex’s much-hyped lifestyle series has had a modest start on Netflix UK in its first seven days.  

The first episode of Archewell Productions and Intellectual Property Corporation’s kitchen-and-garden style series With Love, Megan reached 561,000 since launching on 4 March.  

The eight-part series sees the former royal spending time with celebrity friends and sharing homemaking tips.

The first episode currently ranks as the 17th most popular title of the past seven days on Netflix UK and is the 95th most popular across all the streaming platforms, according to Barb data from overnights.tv.

BBC names interim unscripted chief

The BBC has named the commissioning editor behind Race Across the World as its interim unscripted editor in the wake of Charlotte Moore’s departure.

Michael Jochnowitz, a former head of TV at Syco, will replace Syeda Irtizaali, who last week stepped into the role of interim director of unscripted.

She replaced Kate Phillips who has, in turn, replaced Moore in an interim capacity. Jochnowitz’s new remit will encompass the commissioning strategy, overall editorial direction and performance of the broadcaster’s entire unscripted portfolio.

Since joining the BBC in 2017, he has played a key role in developing fact ent titles including Race Across the World, Celebrity Race Across the World and the upcoming Destination X. As part of Catherine Catton’s factual entertainment and events team, he was also the lead commissioner for the BBC’s coverage of the Coronation of King Charles in 2023.

ITV adapts Broadchurch creator’s novel

Broadchurch creator Chris Chibnall is to adapt his upcoming debut novel for ITV in the UK.

Death at the White Hart is to be co-produced by Chibnall’s indie Imaginary Friends Productions – which made hit crime drama Broadchurch – and Death In Paradise indie Red Planet Pictures. Red Planet Pictures secured the deal after beating out multiple offers for the novel’s rights from international indies and buyers.

Like Broadchurch, the series will be set in a Dorset village, where the pub landlord is found murdered and local detective Nicola Bridge is called on to find the killer. The upcoming novel on which it is based is the first of a two-book deal in the UK and US.

Red Planet Pictures’ Belinda Campbell will exec produce alongside Chibnall, with production set to begin next year. The ITV1 and STV series was ordered by ITV head of drama Polly Hill and managing director of media and entertainment Kevin Lygo.

BBC Studios alum joins Boat Rocker 

Boat Rocker has hired former BBC Studios exec Brad Horvath as its vice president of content sales.

Horvath will work across sales of scripted and feature docs for the Canadian company’s studios arm, reporting into president of global rights, franchise and content strategy, Jon Rutherford.

Horvath, who is based out of LA, previously sold across scripted and fact ent for BBCS and before that worked at Cineflix Rights.

UKTV commissioner steps down

Sarah Asante is stepping away from BBC Studios-owned UKTV after four years at the group.

Asante joined UKTV in 2021 as a scripted comedy commissioner, tasked with broadening the multi-channel broadcaster’s comedy aspirations, and has been behind shows including Big Zuu-starring trainer comedy Sneakerhead and regional family sitcom Newark Newark.

She also took over the final series of mocumentary Meet the Richardsons and crime caper Murder, They Hope, as well as overseeing the acquisition of RTÉ drama The Boy That Never Was.

In UKTV’s spotlight session at Edinburgh TV Festival, the broadcaster revealed it had rowed back on scripted comedy, focusing its scripted efforts on drama, with Asante serving as commissioning editor for scripted and overseeing scripted programming including Dave’s debut drama and drama on Gold.

Her next steps are under-wraps but are expected to be outlined soon.