ITV boosts network commissions from Wales

ITV has today announced a range of commissions from Welsh factual producers.

ITV Network has commissioned Code Blue: Murder for a 9pm primetime slot, a 2 x 60 series with extraordinary access to the work of the South Wales Police Specialist Crime Unit, following them as a murder investigation unfolds. Code Blue: Murder was commissioned by Tom Giles, Controller, Current Affairs, and is being made by Shiver Cymru and ITV Cymru Wales. The series will be executive produced by Shiver’s Mike Blair. The series producer is Jonathan Hill.

Shiver Cymru have also secured a 6 x 30 ITV Network commission for Harbour Cops, an observational documentary series with one of Britain’s smallest police forces - Dyfed Powys - following officers working in some of the most spectacular coast and countryside locations in the UK. Harbour Cops was commissioned for ITV Network by Satmohan Panesar, Commissioning Editor, Factual Entertainment. The Executive Producers are Mike Blair and Jonathan Hill, and the series producer is Iwan Roberts.

ITV also announced today three series which have been co-commissioned by ITV Network, and ITV Wales.

Britain’s Smallest City is a co-production between Boom and Oxford Scientific Films which will be filmed this Summer in the city of St David’s in Pembrokeshire. The 6 x 30 series is a co-commission between ITV Wales and ITV Network, with Jonathan Hill overseeing for ITV Wales and Satmohan Panesar for ITV.

Further co-commissions include The Island Strait, which features life on the Menai Strait and The Mountain, which looks at life on Snowdon through the eyes of the people who live and work there, both made by Welsh independent producer Slam Media. Each series will run to four thirty minute episodes. Both series have have been co commissioned by ITV Wales, and Tom Giles for ITV Network.

Tom Giles said: "We're delighted to be working again with ITV Wales on these new commissions, building on the success of Shiver Cymru's RTS Award-winning The Aberfan Young Wives' Club and last year's high-rating series The Harbour. They've already shown the depth and range of programme-making talent that Wales offers."

The Island Strait, The Mountain and Britain’s Smallest City were commissioned for ITV Wales by Jonathan Hill, who moves to a new role of Editor, Network Programmes/Main Presenter, ITV Cymru Wales to build on the growing slate of network commissions from Wales.

Hill said: “We’re passionate about sharing the best stories from Wales with the rest of the UK and developing talent here in Wales. We have had significant success over the last twelve months. I look forward to working with the very best journalists and producers to showcase Wales to network audiences."

Phil Henfrey, Head of News and Programmes, ITV Cymru Wales added: “We have terrific storytellers and great stories to tell in Wales, and it is a credit to everyone involved that more Welsh stories will now be seen on the ITV network in homes right across the UK”