Daniele Alcinii / realscreen
Manchester-based prodco Riverhorse has been commissioned by BBC Scotland to produce a new feature documentary on Bill Shankly, the seminal Scottish football player and manager, best-known for his years as a manager of Liverpool.
Directed by Mike Todd, Shankly: Nature’s Fire (pictured) will set out to document the life and career of the former right-half and manager who rebuilt Liverpool into a major force in English and European football.
The film will also look to outline the origins of the world’s most popular sport, explore the rise and fall of Britain’s industrial heartlands in the 20th century and interweave a contemporary narrative of Liverpool now, of fans today and how they still rally around Shankly’s name.
Commissioned by BBC Scotland’s commissioning head Ewan Angus, the doc will feature extensive archives, mixed with interviews and observational footage. Contributors include iconic footballers such as Ian St. John, Denis Law, Roger Hunt, Kevin Keegan and Steven Gerrard.
Two years in the making, Shankly: Nature’s Fire is scheduled for completion in the autumn and will be distributed in the UK and Ireland by Thunderbird Releasing.
HGTV commissions latest House Hunters spin-off
Kids have joined in on the search for a perfect home in HGTV’s House Hunters franchise.
House Hunters Family, the latest spinoff from Pie Town Productions, will now follow entire families from across the U.S. as they tour three properties before weighing the pros and cons to settle on the home of their dreams.
The series marks the 14th spinoff from the original House Hunters series, which now include House Hunters International, Island Hunters, House Hunters Renovation and House Hunters: Million Dollar Homes.
House Hunters Family premieres July 31 at 10 p.m. ET/PT on HGTV.
Bruce Lee Project to roll out in South Asia, Middle East
Keanu Reeves, Stephen Hamel and Shannon Lee’s production outfit So You Think You Know Kung Fu (SYTYKKF) has partnered with New Jersey-based 8K Miles Media Group to bring martial arts competition series The Bruce Lee Project to South Asia and the Middle East.
The Bruce Lee Project (12 x 60 minutes, plus a live 90 minute finale) searches for not just martial artists, but “true warriors who are physically accomplished, but more importantly, thoughtful and spiritual individuals who push themselves to achieve highest human potential.” The series will follow martial artists as they train together at The Bruce Lee Center, with mentors guiding the contestants on their journey through training drills and challenges set to test the contestants’ limits to help them discover their potential.
8K Miles will produce and distribute The Bruce Lee Project for five seasons in India, Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Dubai, Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates.
Pre-production on the competition series is slated to begin shortly with the first season expected for release next year. The program will air in multiple Indian languages across the globe.
The deal marks the first international format sale for the SYTYKKF-created series.
SYTYKKF – which is incorporated by Reeves and Hamel’s Company Films, Shannon Lee’s Bruce Lee Entertainment, Benaroya Pictures and Metan Global Entertainment Group – oversees the global rights and licensing of the format worldwide.
Tom Kerridge launches weight-loss series on BBC2
BBC2 has commissioned a new six-part series with Michelin-starred chef Tom Kerridge.
Tom Kerridge: Lose Weight For Good sees the chef recruit 13 volunteers from his local area to test low-calorie recipes in conjunction with NHS-approved weight loss advice. Kerridge lost over 150 pounds following a ‘no carb’ regime.
The dieters on the 12-week weight loss program include a vicar, a police officer and a nurse who is getting married later in the year.
The series will be produced by Bone Soup Productions, which Kerridge set up last year with former Love Productions executive producer, Richard Bowron.
The series was commissioned by Patrick Holland, controller of BBC2, as well as David Brindley and Michael Jochnowitz, BBC’s commissioning editors.
Tom Kerridge: Lose Weight For Good is scheduled for broadcast in early 2018.