Sky 1 HD today announces a raft of new commissions as part of Sky 1 Director, Adam MacDonald’s priority investment in the channel’s 8pm slot that he outlined last November. Focusing on fresh thinking factual and entertainment formats, these new series are GORDONSTOUN, RELATIVELY CLEVER and FRIGHT CLUB.
GORDONSTOUN is a 6 x 60 observational documentary series from ITN Productions (Harrow: A Very British School) that follows the up’s and downs of life at elite boarding school Gordonstoun. The School is world famous with Old Gordonstounians including writer William Boyd, Olympian Heather Stanning and numerous members of the Royal family including Prince Charles. Gordonstoun firmly believes that it takes more than academic excellence alone to succeed in life, which is why some of the school’s most important lessons take place in the spectacular Scottish wilderness surrounding it.
RELATIVELY CLEVER is a 7 x 60 quiz tournament series from John Stanley Productions that pits families against each other in knockout rounds. It’s a test of Intelligence and general knowledge but family dynamics will also be under the spotlight as teams of mums, dads, children and grandparents come together to compete for the RELATIVELY CLEVER trophy.
FRIGHT CLUB, from Maverick TV, is a 6 x 60 series that sees people with the same crippling fear or phobia join forces to overcome their problem once and for all. Each week ten fellow sufferers will take part in an extreme form of exposure therapy that will involve them helping each other through their worst nightmare scenarios as they tackle their fear head on.
Adam MacDonald, Director of Sky 1 said “I am delighted to announce these fresh and exciting new additions to Sky 1’s emerging slate of 8pm programming, a celebration of people’s passions and real life journeys that the whole family can enjoy together.”
These new commissions follow the announcements of THE SUN SET, WELCOME TO MY GARDEN, THE KINGS & QUEENS OF SPEECH and FLINTOFF: LORD OF THE FRIES.
This year Sky will invest £600 million a year in original British content and production across its portfolio of channels. This commitment includes entertainment shows GOT TO DANCE and DUCK QUACKS DON’T ECHO; dramas such as STRIKE BACK and MOONFLEET; comedies including STELLA, DOLL & EM and MOONE BOY and factual shows as diverse as 50 WAYS TO KILL YOUR MAMMY, THE SOUTH BANK SHOW and ROSS KEMP EXTREME WORLD.