17 September 2013
Sky ramps up investment in original drama productions
Coinciding with the biggest and most ambitious drama season ever, and building on its commitment to original British drama productions, Sky announces four brand new dramas to be filmed in the coming months.
The new programmes include a high-octane medical drama Critical, two new films for the Playhouse Presents... strand, and a psychological thriller Penny Dreadful. All four feature some of the most highly respected drama talent working in television today, both on and off screen, including Josh Hartnett, Ben Whishaw, Billie Piper, Eva Green, Ashley Walters and Rory Kinnear.
Running across Sky's portfolio of entertainment channels, and complemented by popular returning series, the new dramas reflect Sky's drive to bring more high-quality, exclusive programming to customers. The new commissions are part of Sky's commitment to invest £600 million a year in home-grown programming by 2014, an increase of 50% over three years.
The new dramas are:
Critical (Sky 1): a 13-part, high-octane medical drama from Jed Mercurio, which unfolds in real time
Two brand new films for the Playhouse Presents... strand on Sky Arts:
*Nightshift: Ashley Walters and Daniel Mays star as two coppers, on duty overnight in South East London, discussing life, the universe and everything.
*Foxtrot: Billie Piper, Ben Whishaw and Lindsay Duncan star in this tale of a gang heist gone wrong, penned by Polly Stenham in her first project for TV
Penny Dreadful (Sky Atlantic): a frightening psychological period horror, created by John Logan and starring Eva Green, Josh Hartnett, Timothy Dalton, Rory Kinnear and Billie Piper
Stuart Murphy, Director of Sky Entertainment, commented: Were so happy with the dramas we've made so far, and I hope our new programmes will underline how much we put a premium on creative endeavour at Sky. We really believe that our philosophy of backing world class creative talent and pushing them to make their best work is the way to go.
Cameron Roach, Head of Drama, added: We love making these programmes and we hope that everyone who watches them feels like they've discovered something new, exciting and very special.
The new commissions follow a host of original Sky productions which will be on screen in the coming months including:
Drama Matters (Sky Living): a season of five original dramas from some of Britain's most renowned and critically-acclaimed female screenwriters, including Sally Wainwright, Gwyneth Hughes and Annie Griffin. Drama Matters features an all-star cast including Suranne Jones, Anna Friel, Russell Tovey, Sophie Rundle and Freema Agyeman
The Tunnel (Sky Atlantic): Ben Richards (Spooks, Party Animals) heads up the writing team based on the format of The Bridge and set against the backdrop of Europe in crisis and starring Stephen Dillane and Cl mence Po sy.
Strike Back (Sky 1): starring Philip Winchester and Sullivan Stapleton, this returns for a fourth series this October.
Dracula (Sky Living): based on a script from Cole Haddon, the series stars Jonathan Rhys Myers and will launch this Autumn.
Moonfleet (Sky 1): a two-part family drama adaptation by Ashley Pharaoh (Life on Mars, Ashes to Ashes) of the classic John Meade Falkner story, starring Ray Winstone and Aneurin Barnard.
Mad Dogs: The Finale (Sky 1): a two-part conclusion to the BAFTA-nominated drama starring Max Beesley, Philip Glenister, John Simm and Marc Warren
Fleming (Sky Atlantic): starring Dominic Cooper in the lead role in a series based on the life of Bond creator Ian Fleming
The return of A Young Doctor's Notebook & Other Stories (Sky Arts) starring Daniel Radcliffe and Jon Hamm.
The Smoke (Sky 1): created by Lucy Kirkwood (Skins), this follows the adrenaline fuelled and gut-wrenchingly emotional stories of the White Watch crew of a London fire station and stars Jamie Bamber and Jodie Whittaker.
Customers can view highlights from Sky's new drama presentation at www.sky.com/skydrama
-ENDS-
For more information please contact:
Luke Morrison
T: 020 7032 1479
M: 07584 580026
luke.morrison@bskyb.com
Notes to editors:
SKY DRAMA: SYNOPSES
CRITICAL (13 x 60 Hat Trick Productions). Written and created by Jed Mercurio (Cardiac Arrest, Bodies and Line Of Duty), CRITICAL is a high octane medical drama which unfolds in real time. This 13 part series promises to deliver an action packed show, which sees the ensemble cast dealing with the minute by minute pressures, tensions and joys, as they battle to save lives. Never cutting away from the heart stopping action, this promises to be a medical series like no other - real, truthful and emotional, with humour pumping through it - all in the true spirit of a high pressure, Major Trauma Centre. CRITICAL will be executive produced by Mark Redhead for Hat Trick Productions and Cameron Roach for Sky.
PLAYHOUSE PRESENTS NIGHTSHIFT (1 x 30', Cajun Pictures and World Productions) Written by Jimmy Gardner, and starring Daniel Mays, Ashley Walters and Scarlett Alice Johnson, Nightshift follows two coppers as they cruise the streets of South East London in the small hours discussing life, the universe and everything else amidst the surreal world of the night. NIGHTSHIFT is produced by Cajun Pictures and World Productions.
PLAYHOUSE PRESENTS FOXTROT (1x30', Sprout Pictures) stars Billie Piper, Ben Wishaw, Lindsay Duncan and Alice Sanders star in, written and directed by Polly Stenham. In her first television drama, the critically-lauded playwright brings her unique voice and vision to a contemporary ill-fated girl gang heist. FOXTROT is produced by Adrian Bate, creative producer is Pip Broughton, and Gina Carter and Zoe Rocha will be executive producers.
PENNY DREADFUL (8x60 ) features some of literature's most
Most recent headlines
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
07/10/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, today announced the latest Long-Term Supported (LTS) release of Dalet Flex. Build...
06/09/2026
June 9 2026, 23:00 (PDT) Dolby and MagentaTV Bring Fans Closer to the FIFA Worl...
20/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
20/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
20/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
20/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
20/08/2026
IPC Expands Brazilian Presence with New Channel Partner CCATech
Industry veterans Carlos Abrah o and Bruno Lopes strengthen local support and expand IPCs prese...
20/08/2026
Zixi Enters Mauritius Market Through Strategic Deployment with MTC Jockey Club
Worlds Oldest Horse Racing Club in the Southern Hemisphere Selects Zixis Softwar...
20/08/2026
LA JOLLA, CA-Scripps Research assistant professor Tiantian Liu has received a five-year NIAID DP2 award from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Di...
20/08/2026
Audiences reveal appetite for multicultural Australia on-screen 20 August 2026
Dr Georgie McClean, Dr Rebecca Huntley (L-R)
By Dr Georgie McClean and Dr Rebec...
20/08/2026
How Mavis Studio Is Expanding Live Production Teaching at Sussex
Brie Clayton August 19, 2026
0 Comments
Hero image displays a student about to mix be...
20/08/2026
Vertical Unscripted Series Legal Queens Captured with Blackmagic Design
Brie Clayton August 19, 2026
0 Comments
Reality TV veteran Eric Gardner create...
19/08/2026
As the cost of IP nears price parity with traditional SDI, Reynolds argues that ...
19/08/2026
A private 5G bubble was chosen instead of traditional broadcast RF for the race ...
19/08/2026
(L-R) Rafael Manuel and Isabel Sicat attend the Filipi ana premiere during the 2026 Sundance Film Festival at The Ray Theatre on January 23, 2026, in Park Cit...
19/08/2026
Studio owners invited to have their say on rates cuts
The Music Producers Guild (MPG) are inviting UK-based studios to take part in an in-depth survey that ...
19/08/2026
Vintage-inspired desktop interface revealed
Harrison's latest hardware offering sees them head into the world of audio interfaces, delivering a 10-in/12...
19/08/2026
Granular effect remains locked to scale and tempo
Described as your dream granular effect , Minimal Audio's latest creation is capable of turning any s...
19/08/2026
First polyphonic SWAM instrument incoming
Audio Modeling's latest physical-modelling orchestral instrument is just around the corner, and is now availab...
19/08/2026
World Cup Games Generate 84 Billion Minutes Across FOX, Fox Sports 1 and NBCU...
19/08/2026
July brought typical peak-holiday drops in viewership, driven primarily by viewers stepping away from screens and a visible decline in reach across both traditi...
19/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/08/2026
Henry joins BCE as the company accelerates its commercial strategy and expands its international presence across the media, broadcast and technology markets. He...
19/08/2026
iWedia, a leading provider of software solutions for connected TV devices, today announced a major milestone in Android platform optimization with the successfu...
19/08/2026
NTP Technology announces that ST 2110-30 audio-over-IP connectivity with AES67 and RAVENNA capabilities is now available for the brand's world-class audio i...
19/08/2026
Net Insight has been selected to provide its Nimbra platform by the service provider Big Blue Marble, formerly ORS Group, as the core media transport solution f...
19/08/2026
LiveU has supported Coventry City FC and several other top-flight UK football clubs through one of their most demanding live production challenges of the year, ...
19/08/2026
Nature Seekers Documentary Shot with Blackmagic URSA Cine 12K LF
Brie Clayton August 18, 2026
0 Comments
Filming endangered turtles required camera...
19/08/2026
Neyrinck Brings D-Control Consoles Back to Life on Apple Silicon with D-Control ...
19/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/08/2026
Riedel Communications today announced that Edith Cowan University (ECU) in Perth, Australia, implemented a comprehensive communications infrastructure that brin...
19/08/2026
QuickLink, a leading provider of award-winning video production and remote guest contribution solutions, will spotlight a major leap forward in remote guest con...
19/08/2026
Integrated platform melds media asset management, playout automation and newsroom workflows
EMAM, PlayBox Neo and SNEWS have officially launched Nuvex, a conne...
19/08/2026
Screen Australia releases the Private Investment Toolkit to strengthen screen in...
19/08/2026
Do Aussies truly value local content? Unpacking Screen Currency 2026 with Deirdr...
19/08/2026
There's an early Christmas gift for Bookish fans, as UKTV confirms the re-commission of the hit U&alibi drama, created by and starring Mark Gatiss. Viewers ...
19/08/2026
Wednesday 19 August 2026
Sky gives sports fans the chance to watch multiple liv...
19/08/2026
On Saturday September 5 Katie Taylor will step into the ring for the fight of her life against Flora Pili in front of 80,000 fans in Croke Park. A legendary fig...
18/08/2026
SportStream 2026, a free three-day virtual event, will take place September 15-17. One registration provides access to all three days of live programming and on...
18/08/2026
BeckTV will introduce BeckFlow to the European market at IBC2026, demonstrated on the Providius stand (10.F53).
BeckFlow is a web-based schematic documentation...
18/08/2026
Boland Communications will introduce a SMPTE ST 2110 input option for its 4K monitors at IBC2026, along with a new 55-inch super-narrow bezel display for video ...
18/08/2026
Dolby Laboratories and the Seattle Seahawks have announced a partnership integrating Dolby OptiView into the Seahawks' live streaming coverage, making the S...
18/08/2026
For BMG Executive Producer of Sports Production, Graham Taylor, producing live s...
18/08/2026
TMRW Sports has appointed Rufus Hack as President of Golf, a newly created role in which he will lead the company's golf businesses including TGL presented ...
17 September 2013
