News

Exclusive: Million Dollar Secret producer Wheelhouse Studios has set its creative team following the exit of Nick Mather to Fremantle.

The studio run by Glenn Hugill has promoted Matt Floyd, who has served as head of development alongside Hugill since the 2023 launch of Wheelhouse UK (now part of Wheelhouse Studios), to EVP, while Jack Borgeat, formerly development producer and also part of the company’s founding creative team with Hugill and Floyd, is now SVP.

The team has also drafted in Development Producer Emy Adamson, who previously worked at Clarkson’s Farm maker Expectation. Her credits include ITV’s In with a Shout.

In addition to Million Dollar Secret, the team has created and produced such shows as Got to Get Out (Hulu), Last Bite Hotel (Food Network) and Celebrity Puzzling (Channel 5 of late).

Before teaming up at Brent Montgomery’s Wheelhouse, Hugill, Floyd and Borgeat worked together for...

Netflix has renewed “Love on the Spectrum” and “Million Dollar Secret” for a Season 4 and Season 2, respectively.

Season 3 of “Love on the Spectrum,” a dating show that follows young adults with autism, premiered on April 2 and ranked in the Global Top 10 for two weeks. The series, which also has two seasons of an Australian version, won two Emmys last year for reality program directing and casting. Before that, it won three Emmys in 2022. It’s executive produced by Karina Holden and Cian O’Clery and produced by Northern Pictures.

In “Million Dollar Secret,” hosted by Peter Serafinowicz, one of 12 contestants is given $1 million and must hold onto the money as rivals fight to hunt them down and claim it for themselves. “Eliminate the millionaire and the money moves to someone new,” reads Netflix’s description of the game, in part. “When should they strike? Too soon and they become the target...

The quest for love is not over yet. “Love on the Spectrum” has been renewed for Season 4 at Netflix.

The streamer announced that the heartwarming docureality series will return at its upfront event in New York City Wednesday. The series, which won two Primetime Emmy Awards for casting and directing in 2022, follows several singles on the autism spectrum as they hope to find their romantic match.

“Million Dollar Secret” was also renewed for Season 2 at Netflix. The competition series follows 12 strangers as they attempt to find the guest with the secret stash of $1 million. As clues attempt to reveal the millionaire’s identity, it is up to the guest to be a master manipulator to keep the cash tip.

In Season 3 of “Love on the Spectrum” fan favorite Connor found his “demigoddess” after one season of unsuccessful pursuits, while Abbey and David talked about the future of their relationship. Newcomer...

Netflix will continue to find love and uncover secrets as the streamer renewed Love on the Spectrum and Million Dollar Secret for new seasons.

Love on the Spectrum will return to Netflix with Season 4 following a successful third season on the streamer. The reality series is insightful and warm-hearted, following people on the autism spectrum as they navigate the world of dating and relationships.

Throughout its run, Love on the Spectrum has been awarded five Primetime Emmy Awards, including Outstanding Unstructured Reality Program in 2022 and Outstanding Casting for a Reality Program in 2024.

The most recent season ranked in the Global Top 10 for two weeks. The format also has a spinoff set in Australia, with two seasons produced.

Love on the Spectrum is produced by Northern Pictures with Karina Holden and Cian O’Clery serving as executive producers.

Million Dollar Secret is set to return for Season 2 at Netflix following its debut season.

Archstone Boards ‘Chili Finger’ With Greer, Astin, Cranston and Goodman

Exclusive: Archstone has taken over international sales duties from Moonstone Entertainment to dark comedy Chili Finger ahead of the Cannes market. Set to shoot this summer in Central Illinois, the film is due to star Judy Greer, Sean Astin, Bryan Cranston and John Goodman. Gersh will continue handling domestic. Chili Finger tells the story of a recently empty-nested mother Jess (Greer) who discovers a human finger in her bowl of chili. When she blackmails the restaurant for a cash payout, the situation spirals out of control and her life descends into chaos. Edd Benda and Stephen Helstad, who wrote the script, will co-direct. Sam Sandweiss and Jo Henriquez are producing. Goodman and Greer will executive produce alongside Archstone’s Jack Sheehan, Scott Martin, and Michael Slifkin.

Brendan Gleeson Making West End Debut

Brendan Gleeson is to make his West End...

Exclusive: With Million Dollar Secret riding high in the charts, Brent Montgomery’s Wheelhouse is looking to lean into the creator economy and YouTube talent in a big way.

Glenn Hugill, the newly-promoted Chief Content Officer and President of the international Wheelhouse Studios, said the indie is in the process of signing off on a “massive project that involves creator-led talent” and was the subject of a bidding war. “It’s got huge creators and a structure that involves live, structured and reality,” he explained. “It feels like the kind of show that would never have existed three years ago and right now feels inevitable.”

Further to this project, Hugill revealed Wheelhouse is deep in the weeds striking a string of talent deals with digital creatives that will be unveiled in the coming weeks. This, he said, came after Jimmy Kimmel’s indie Kimmelot divested its equity stake in Wheelhouse...

Hulu has released the official trailer and key art for its upcoming Original reality competition series Got to Get Out. All eight episodes of the series will premiere on Friday, April 11.

Hosted by Simu Liu, Got to Get Out features “reality TV royalties” and breakout “reality TV rookies” as they face off to win $1 million. The series will put twenty people under one roof. To win the competition, they’ve Got to Get Out… but that is much easier said than done.

Lies and lunacy collide in this exhilarating competition series where an outrageous mix of reality icons and crafty gamers must conspire to get out.

In this house, time is money. As the clock ticks up, so does the prize money. The longer they stay, the greater their chance to earn more. They can split the money equally in the end or, at any point in time, try to...

Simu Liu hosts ‘Got to Get Out’ (Photo Credit: Hulu)

Hulu’s ready to launch a new reality TV star-fueled competition with Got To Get Out. Simu Liu (Barbie) is on board as host of the unscripted competition series that pits 20 reality show veterans against each other, with $1 million in prize money on the line.

“Lies and lunacy collide in this exhilarating competition series where an outrageous mix of reality icons and crafty gamers must conspire to get out. In this house, time is money. As the clock ticks up, so does the prize money. The longer they stay, the greater their chance to earn more,” reads Hulu’s synopsis. “They can split the money equally in the end, or at any point in time, try to make their escape with the accumulated money all for themselves, leaving others to start again at $0.

From wild strategies and temptations to shifting alliances and unbelievable escape attempts,...

A new reality competition show is coming to Hulu. On Thursday, the streamer announced an escape room-inspired show, Got to Get Out, hosted by Simu Liu and featuring reality television legends, including Omarosa, Spencer Pratt, and DWTS’ Val Chmerkovskiy as competitors.

The new show, scheduled to be released on April 11, will follow twenty competitors as they fight for $1 million prizes while trying to get out of a house.

“Lies and lunacy collide in this exhilarating competition series where an outrageous mix of reality icons and crafty gamers must conspire to get out.

Hulu has announced the host and cast for its upcoming Original unscripted series Got to Get Out. All eight episodes of the series will premiere on Friday, April 11 on Hulu.

Hosted by Simu Liu, Got to Get Out features “reality TV royalties” and breakout “reality TV rookies” as they face off to win $1 million.

The series will put twenty people under one roof. To win the competition, they’ve Got to Get Out… but that is much easier said than done. Lies and lunacy collide in this exhilarating competition series where an outrageous mix of reality icons and crafty gamers must conspire to get out.

In this house, time is money. As the clock ticks up, so does the prize money. The longer they stay, the greater their chance to earn more.

They can split the money equally in the end, or at any point in time, try to make...

Hulu has tapped Simu Liu to host its new reality TV competition Got To Get Out, which premieres on Friday, April 11.

The series pits reality TV royals against reality TV rookies, who live under one roof and fight for a chance to win $1 million.

Liu will be joined by reality TV veterans like Cynthia Bailey (The Real Housewives of Atlanta), Demi Burnett (The Bachelor), Val Chmerkovskiy (Dancing with the Stars), Clare Crawley (The Bachelor), Rashad Jennings (former NFL running back), Susan Noles (The Golden Bachelor), Omarosa (The Apprentice), Spencer Pratt (The Hills), and Kim Zolciak-Biermann (The Real Housewives of Atlanta).

Related: ‘The Valley’ Season 2 Cast Photos, Trailer & Premiere Date Set At Bravo

The rookies include Jill Ashlock, Lindsey Coffey, Yahné Coleman, Shane Dougherty, Steven Giannopoulos, Steve Helling, Nick Metzler, Stein Retzlaff, Rob Roman, Athena Suich, and Athena Vas.

Lies and lunacy collide in this competition series where a mix of...

Imagine you are a dreamer. Every night, you have rich and detailed dreams about your best life — you have the ideal partner (or single life), you're wealthy and fulfilled, you have a strong cocktail of varied friends mixed into a great social group, and enough emotional deviations and conflict to keep things from becoming boring. It's perfect, and you're happy there. Imagine waking up each day from those idyllic dreams, retaining all the joy and love and fun you've had in them as you go about your very different reality. It's kind of disappointing, then, this world and its people.

How's (real) life? Are you financially secure, and do you love your job? How often do you see your thriving group of friends, or does that not exist for you? Do you come home to a spacious place filled with the warmth of your loved one? Do you enjoy life?...

Wheelhouse Entertainment is making changes in its C-suite.

The unscripted-focused studio founded by Brent Montgomery has named Courtney White president. White will add oversight of all Wheelhouse U.S production labels including Spoke Studios, new True Crime production venture Twist and Wheelhouse DNA, the company’s digital and audio division. She will also help manage Wheelhouse’s physical production partnerships, including Chef David Chang’s Majordomo Media, and NBA star Anthony Edwards’ Three Fifths Media.

White will also continue to run lifestyle firm Butternut, the venture she launched with Wheelhouse in 2022.

Wheelhouse also promoted Glenn Hugill to chief content officer and president of Wheelhouse Studios, its international content hub. Hugill will oversee creative development and production of global formats, based in London. Both White and Hugill will report to Montgomery.

“Our goal is to always blaze new trails and by fortifying our core business with the incredible leadership of Courtney and Glenn,...

Wheelhouse Entertainment is making some promotions.

The company, which was founded by Pawn Stars creator Brent Montgomery in 2018, has promoted Courtney White and Glenn Hugill.

White, who joined the company in 2022 with the launch of her label Butternut, has been named President of Wheelhouse Entertainment.

Hugill, who joined in 2023 to head up its UK operations, has been named chief content officer and President of Wheelhouse Studios, the company’s new international content hub.

Former Food Network President White, who will continue to run Butternut, will now add oversight of all Wheelhouse U.S production labels including flagship Spoke Studios, new True Crime prodco Twist and Wheelhouse DNA, the company’s digital and audio division. During her tenure, she has produced series such as Food Network’s Last Bite Hotel, HGTV’s Divided by Design, Roku’s Celebrity Family Food Battle and Discovery ID’s Bodies in the Water and is...

Brent Montgomery’s Wheelhouse Entertainment has promoted Courtney White to president and Glenn Hugill to chief creative officer of the company and president of Wheelhouse Studios.

In addition to continuing to run Butternut, White’s role will expand to include oversight of all Wheelhouse U.S production labels, including Spoke Studios, new true crime production company Twist and Wheelhouse DNA, the company’s digital and audio division. White will also help manage Wheelhouse’s physical production partnerships, including those with chef David Chang’s Majordomo Media and NBA star Anthony Edwards’ Three Fifths Media.

Hugill will now be chief creative officer at Wheelhouse Entertainment and president of Wheelhouse Studios, the company’s new international content hub, in addition to his role heading up the company’s UK operations and serving as chief content officer, which he’s held since January 2023. Hugill will continue to be based out of the company’s London offices,...

More money, more problems. That seems to be the motto of Netflix’s brand new competition series, in which one contestant is saddled with a $1 million prize as the other 11 players fight to hunt them down and claim it for themselves.

The series, with the working title “Million Dollar Secret,” will be hosted by Peter Serafinowicz, the British comedian and actor whose credits include “Guardians of the Galaxy,” “Shaun of the Dead,” “John Wick: Chapter 2” and “Spy.”

Here’s how the competition works, in Netflix’s own words: “The million-dollar prize is won by one of 12 players right at the start of the first episode. Now, the others will hunt them down – eliminate the millionaire and the money moves to someone new. When should they strike? Too soon and they become the target; too late and they may never get the money. Meanwhile, the millionaire can try to...

Could renowned attractions such as the London Eye or the Sea Life aquariums be getting their own TV shows?

That’s part of the plan following a new partnership between Brent Montgomery’s media company Wheelhouse and Merlin Entertainment.

Under the deal, announced Thursday, Wheelhouse and Merlin will develop “original entertainment” programs inspired by the various global attractions in Merlin’s portfolio, including The London Eye and Sea Life, plus Alton Towers, Chessington’s World of Adventures and Warwick Castle. The companies said the programs developed would “span a diverse range of genres, including reality, documentary and game show.”

Merlin owns over 140 attractions across 23 countries, more landmarks than any other entertainment destinations company. Wheelhouse, meanwhile, is behind original series for Netflix, Hulu and Max, as well as a wide variety of U.S. cable and broadcast networks. Prior to launching Wheelhouse, Montgomery was CEO of ITV America, which produces international...

Wheelhouse is getting ready for a rollercoaster ride.

Brent Montgomery’s company has entered into a partnership with UK-based theme park and attractions firm Merlin Entertainments. This will see the pair working to develop a slate of original unscripted TV programs based around Merlin’s suite of attractions.

Merlin owns 140+ attractions in 23 countries. Its most notable operations are theme parks such as Alton Towers and Thorpe Park, and its Gateway Attractions brand portfolio, which includes Sea Life, The London Dungeons, Legoland, Warwick Castle, Madame Tussauds and the Peppa Pig Theme Park.

These will be the basis for TV programs that will span several genres, including reality, documentary and game show.

Glenn Hugill, Wheelhouse’s Chief Content Officer and President of the company’s UK division, will oversee the Wheelhouse-Merlin slate.

Furthermore, the collaboration will integrate talent and digital strategies through Wheelhouse DNA, Wheelhouse’s creator-focused division, and talent-management arm Additive Creative.

Hulu has ordered a new social experiment competition series “Got to Get Out” from Wheelhouse.

The format will showcase participants living in a mansion for 10 days as they vie for a cash prize that increases by $1 each second they’re in the game. As contestants compete in physical and mental challenges, more money will be added to “the pot,” with up to $1 million at stake.

Upon completing the series, participants will be given the choice to take an equal share of prize money, or they can attempt to steal it all for themselves. To steal the pot, they’ll have to escape the mansion via its front gate — but in this game, getting out is easier said than done.

At random intervals, the gate will open and a getaway car will appear for contestants to attempt to leave with “the pot” while contestants will have opportunities to block others’ attempted exits.

Hulu has ordered Got to Get Out, a competition series from Wheelhouse that was created by Glenn Hugill, the president of Wheelhouse’s UK arm.

The Big Brother-like series will consist of 10, hour-long episodes and feature participants living together in a mansion for 10 days while they compete in physical and mental challenges. Participants can stick together and take an equal share of the prize money at the end of their stay, or they can choose to go rogue and attempt to steal the full pot of money for themselves.

To win the $1 million prize, contestants have to escape the mansion via a single exit: the front gate. However, in this game, getting out is easier said than done. At various times during the game, the gate will open and a getaway car will arrive, presenting an opportunity for cast members to betray their comrades...

Hulu is jumping into the competition-series game with a series that will put people in a house and pit them against one another for a big cash prize.

Big Brother? Nope. The Traitors? Also no. The Disney-run streamer has ordered Got to Get Out, a competition show/”social experiment” with echoes of the prisoner’s dilemma — the thought experiment where people can work together for mutual benefit or go solo for a potentially greater reward. The show comes from creator Glenn Hugill and the U.K. arm of Jimmy Kimmel and Brent Montgomery’s company, Wheelhouse. A premiere date hasn’t been set.

Got to Get Out will feature contestants living in a mansion for 10 days, with a pool of prize money rising by $1 every second (there are 864,000 seconds in 10 days). The players will also work together on challenges to increase the prize money up to $1 million. They can stick...

Hulu has ordered 10 episodes of a new social experiment series from Glenn Hugill, creator of “Deal or No Deal,” “The Mole” and “Puzzling.”

The competition series, currently titled “Got to Get Out,” will “test the loyalties of a group of strangers vying for a major payday,” according to the official logline. Participants will live in a mansion together for 10 days as they compete for a cash prize that increases by $1 per each second that the contestants are there. A total of $1 million is at stake as physical and mental challenges add even more cash to the prize.

Throughout the competition, “participants can stick together and take an equal share of the prize money at the end of their stay – or they can choose to go rogue and attempt to steal the full pot of money for themselves,” per the logline.

To win the full pot, participants have to exit the...

Wheelhouse UK Wins First Commission With Channel 5’s ‘Puzzling’

Jimmy Kimmel and Brent Montgomery’s Wheelhouse has secured its first UK commission, a Channel 5 quiz format produced with ITV Studios-backed 12 Yard. In Puzzling [working title], broadcaster and historian Lucy Worsley will challenge Britain’s brightest minds across five rounds on language, calculation, lateral thinking, visual intelligence and memory. In a dramatic plot twist, the winning team then turn on each other to be named the ‘Best of the Best’ and earn a place in the series Grand Final, where the winner will be crowned. The series is the first revealed commission for Wheelhouse’s UK arm, which is helmed by former Deal or No Deal producer Glenn Hugill, who set it up earlier this year. 12 Yard is co-producer. Channel 5 rarely dabbles in quiz formats but recently picked up Eggheads, another high-end quizshow that used to air on BBC Two.

Good afternoon Insiders, Max Goldbart here penning the weekly mailer a day after Cannes revealed its long-awaited lineup. Read on for all the details and plenty more, and sign up to the International Insider here.

Cannes Lineup Roars

Few surprises: Zac Ntim here reporting on Cannes …Cannes General Delegate Thierry Frémaux announced 52 titles Thursday morning that will debut at the festival’s 76th edition, which runs May 16-27 on the Riviera. There were few surprises in the Official Competition lineup, with festival favorites such as Wes Anderson, Ken Loach, Nanni Moretti and Hirokazu Kore-eda vying for the Palme d’Or alongside long-rumored entries from Alice Rohrwacher, Jonathan Glazer and Aki Kaurismäki. The festival did, however, clock six films with women filmmakers playing in competition, a new record for Cannes. With 19 competition titles announced, however, six still remains far below that elusive 50% parity mark. Progress has been slow. This year’s...

The Traitors has done for formats what Top Gun: Maverick “did for the summer blockbuster,” says Glenn Hugill, with barely a hint of hyperbole.

Deal or No Deal exec Hugill, who was not involved with the creation of the The Traitors, believes its success “benefits all of us in the business.” He is one of several unscripted creatives and sellers who tell Deadline they are bullish about the state of the sector.

As these execs gear up for next week’s Mip TV confab in Cannes, Hugill does not refrain from talking up The Traitors’ impact, a show that has now made waves in the U.S., UK, Australia, France and a number of European territories, along with its home country of The Netherlands where it was forged by All3Media label Idtv.

“I think if it had failed, the entire genre would have stalled,” says Hugill. “As it is, formats...

Rat in the Kitchen will not be cooking up a second season.

TBS has ended the show, which has been described as a cross between The Masked Singer and Hell’s Kitchen, after one season. It premiered in March 2022.

Kathleen Finch, Chairman and Chief Content Officer of Warner Bros. Discovery’s U.S. Networks Group, revealed the show had been canceled during her Deadline-moderated keynote session at Realscreen in Austin, Texas.

Related Story TV Series Fading To Black In 2023 & Beyond: Photo Gallery Of Canceled Shows Related Story 'Power Slap: Road To The Title' Generates Controversy Online By Concussion Specialist: "What's Next, Who Can Survive A Stabbing?" Related Story Premieres Of TBS' 'Miracle Workers' & 'The Cube', TNT's 'The Lazarus Project' Pushed Amid TNets Original Programming Overhaul

She was talking about the second season of The Cube, which has been pushed to later in the year,...

Launch

Jimmy Kimmel and Brent Montgomery’s media company Wheelhouse has launched London-headquartered Wheelhouse U.K. “Deal or No Deal” producer Glenn Hugill, formerly with ITV Studios’ Possessed TV, will serve as president of the U.K. entity and as chief content officer at Wheelhouse Entertainment, working closely with chief creative officer Scott Lonker and programming executive VP Will Nothacker, across Wheelhouse’s U.S.-based production entities, Spoke Studios, Kimmelot, Butternut, Campfire Studios and Portal A.

From Possessed, Hugill brings with him to Wheelhouse U.K. Nick Mather, who will serve as creative director, Matt Floyd as head of development and Jack Borgeat as development producer.

Wheelhouse U.K. and ITV Studios have inked a multi-year production and distribution deal through which all series developed by Hugill and commissioned in the U.K. will be produced by ITV Studios-housed labels. The team will work with ITV Studios’ director of unscripted Angela Jain on U.

Celebrities will live in the dark for a week in a Channel 4 format from British formats veteran Glenn Hugill’s Possessed and MultiStory Media, the latest to be commissioned by the network’s Global Format Fund.

In Scared of the Dark (working title), the celebrities will base themselves in a specially-created pitch-black reality space, living in complete and total darkness.

They will have to endure the unique pressures of light deprivation as well as adapting to performing daily tasks and undertaking a series of thought-provoking challenges. If they can quell their fears and perform well in the intense challenges, these celebrities could earn themselves a brief respite in the light.

“Channel 4 has always been home to some of the most outlandish and boundary-pushing reality creations and Scared of the Dark is a commission firmly in that tradition,” said Head of Entertainment and Events Phil Harris, who commissioned the series from the Global Format Fund,...

The long wait for Rat in the Kitchen is almost over.

The highly anticipated TBS reality series debuts on Thursday, March 31, at 9 pm Et.

In the premiere episode, “The Case of The Fishy Sauce,” co-hosts Chef Ludo Lefebvre and comedian Natasha Leggero welcome six new chefs to compete for a shot at $50,0000 in this culinary whodunnit.

Will a fishy faux pas be enough for the rat to avoid being identified and scurry home with the dough?

TBS describes the series as "far more than a cooking show hosted by iconic roasting queen and comedian Natasha Leggero and celebrity chef Ludo Lefebvre, is a game of high stakes cat and mouse where viewers get to play detective."

Over the course of the 10-episode season, a mix of professional chefs and passionate home cooks compete in a series of creative cooking challenges, earning cash in their bank for every dish that impresses Chef Ludo,...

A handful of crew of TBS’ upcoming cooking competition series Rat In The Kitchen have gone on strike over healthcare benefits.

The series, which is produced by ITV America’s Thinkfactory Media, has been shooting in Atlanta, Georgia, but certain members of the IATSE crew downed tools this week.

They say that they are not being provided healthcare benefits. Crew stood down on Thursday saying that producers have been “unresponsive” for requests for recognition. It’s thought that the crew is a mix of ITV America staff and folk from the Warner-owned studio complex.

We understand that around 10% of staff are striking but production is continuing.

The series, which is based on a buzzy British format, is fronted by Natasha Leggero. The ten-part series, which also features celebrity chef Ludo Lefebvre as a judge, follows a group of cooks competing to win a cash prize across a series of challenges.

Amazon Signs Channel 4 Commissioner

Channel 4 documentaries commissioner Fozia Khan has joined Amazon Prime Video unscripted team in the UK. She will report to head of unscripted Dan Grabiner, who is responsible for shows including All or Nothing: Tottenham Hotspur. Khan will join Amazon in the summer and news of her departure follows a commissioning restructure at Channel 4. Her appointment was first reported by UK trade Broadcast.

ITV Studios Producers Team For Game Show ‘Moneyball’

ITV Studios producers Potato, known for making The Chase, and Possessed, which is behind TBS-bound Rat In The Kitchen, are combining forces for Moneyball. Presented by former soccer player Ian Wright, Moneyball is a game show in which the difference between winning life-changing money and going home with nothing rests entirely on the bounce of a ball. In a twist on the genre, players may wish to exit the game with their prize, but...

Exclusive: A buzzy British entertainment format that’s described as a cross between The Masked Singer and Hell’s Kitchen is the latest show to cross the pond after TBS ordered a U.S. version of Rat In The Kitchen.

Comedian Natasha Leggero is to host the 10-part series for the WarnerMedia-backed network with celebrity chef Ludo Lefebvre as judge.

The series is produced by ITV America’s Thinkfactory Media and was devised by Glenn Hugill and his UK-based ITV-owned production company Possessed.

The series follows a group of cooks competing to win a cash prize across a series of challenges. However, all the while, one of them is trying to sabotage their efforts – the rat in the kitchen.

It is a whodunit cooking format and a game of high stakes cat and mouse where viewers get to play detective. In each episode, a mix of professional chefs and...

In today’s Global Bulletin, U.K. film bodies respond to AMPAS’ new diversity requirements, ITV details its upcoming virtual TV festival, For Film’s Sake announces the 13 projects selected for its inaugural Attagirl lab, Mexico’s Pixelatl and Cartoon Network Latin America announce their third annual Girl Power winner, Switzerland’s Zurich Film Festival reveals its 2020 Hashtag sidebar, and full casting for Canadian comedy series “Lady Dicks” is confirmed.

Representation

The U.K.’s leading film bodies have weighed in on the Oscars’ recently announced diversity requirements. On Tuesday, following several years of a membership drive designed to increase diverse representation, the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) announced new eligibility standards requiring enhanced diversity in both above and below the line talent.

“We welcome AMPAS’s announcement of representation and inclusion standards inspired by our own BFI Diversity Standards,” said British Film Institute chief executive Ben Roberts.

Exclusive: One of the most buzzed-about formats of the UK Screenings is being pitched to international buyers as a cross between The Masked Singer and Hell’s Kitchen — and is currently in development with BBC One.

ITV Studios-owned producer Possessed TV, run by Glenn Hugill, who played The Banker on the UK version of Deal Or No Deal, introduced global broadcasters to Rat In The Kitchen on Wednesday during a polished pitch at the Roundhouse in Camden, London.

The format centers on a group of six cooks who are competing to win a cash prize across a series of challenges, but all the while, one of them is trying to sabotage their efforts — the rat in the kitchen. The idea is that viewers play along, whodunnit-style, to try and guess the chef wreaking havoc, while the show is fronted by a big-name chef who judges the dishes.

To illustrate the idea,...

Former Sky One and Sky Living programming chief Adam MacDonald has joined Possessed, and will be the ITV-owned production banner’s first chair. The U.K.-based unscripted producer has also hired Lesley Davies, former head of international production at Warner Bros. She will head up production.

The double hires follow a recommission of gameshow “5 Gold Rings,” season one of which was coproduced by John de Mol’s Talpa and Possessed in the U.K. Free-to-air broadcaster ITV has placed a two-season order for more runs of the show. It is also faring well internationally, with versions in territories including France and Vietnam. Talpa handles distribution.

“From the very outset, Possessed has been defined by the originality of our ideas and the quality of our delivery,” said company founder Glenn Hugill. “Adam and Lesley joining up, followed by confirmation of a double recommission of ‘5 Gold Rings,’ speaks volumes as...

Possessed, the ITV Studios-backed company behind Nickelodeon gameshow Keep It Spotless, has brought in former Sky exec Adam MacDonald as chairman and scored a bumper order for ITV format 5 Gold Rings.

The label, which is run by former Deal or No Deal exec producer and “banker” Glenn Hugill, has secured two more runs of 5 Gold Rings, the primetime ITV gameshow hosted by Philip Schofield.

The show, which was previously piloted in the U.S. by NBC, is a physical game show that’s played out on a giant interactive Led floor. Players are given a quintet of rings and must answer questions over five levels. A projection on the floor forms the basis of each question. Players must put the rings on the correct answer, but the rings become smaller throughout the game making it more challenging. At-home viewers are also able to ring answers on their phone and become part of the experience.

Take Me Out and Phoenix Nights star Paddy McGuinness is to front a quirky BBC One gameshow from the producers of The Weakest Link and 5 Gold Rings.

Catchpoint is a physical gameshow, which will air on Saturday evening, where contestants must get their hands on answers using their brains and balls. They must answer a series of questions before needing to catch balls of various sizes, which will be dropped from the studio ceiling.

The Wipeout-meets-Millionaire-style quiz is produced by ITV-owned indie Possessed, which is run by former Deal or No Deal banker Glenn Hugill, and Andy Culpin-run 12 Yard. The six-part series is exec produced by Culpin and Hugill and was commissioned by Kalpna Knight-Patel.

ITV Studios Global Entertainment will rep the format and will likely start talking to international broadcasters soon.

McGuinness said, “I’m thrilled to be hosting Catchpoint. It’s always exciting being part of a new show,...

The identity of the 'Deal or No Deal' banker has been revealed. 'Pointless' host Richard Osman has confirmed that the Channel 4 gameshow's producer, Glenn Hugill, is the voice of the mysterious Banker. Speaking about how he comes up with new ideas for quiz shows, he told the Metro newspaper: ''['Two Tribes'] was an idea that Glenn Hugill - the banker on 'Deal or No Deal' - and I had been thinking about for a long time. ''We kept coming back to it and thought, 'Hang on, this really works, let's pitch it.''' The Channel 4 show, presented by Noel Edmonds, sees contestants aim...

The identity of The Banker on Deal or No Deal has been confirmed.

The mysterious man speaking to presenter Noel Edmonds on the end of the telephone has been revealed as the Channel 4 gameshow's producer Glenn Hugill.

In an interview with Metro, Endemol producer and Pointless host Richard Osman confirmed long-held fan suspicions that Hugill is The Banker.

Asked about how he came up with new quiz ideas - such as BBC Two's Two Tribes - Osman said that the new show "was an idea that Glenn Hugill - the Banker on Deal or No Deal - and I had been thinking about for a long time".

He added: "We kept coming back to it and thought, 'Hang on, this really works, let's pitch it'."

Hugill is best known for playing policeman Alan McKenna in Coronation Street from 1996-97, and also presented two series of Channel 5's The Mole.

Last year, the London Film Festival was bookended by a pair of Tom Hanks movies. This year, the fest is going in a different direction with opening- and closing-night films set during World War II. The event will open with The Imitation Game on October 8 and now has set David Ayer’s Fury as the capper on October 19. The pic stars Brad Pitt, Shia Labeouf, Logan Lerman, Michael Peña, and Jon Bernthal. Pitt and Ayer are confirmed to attend the closing-night festivities in Leicester Square with screenings to be simulcast to cinemas across the UK. The film is set in April 1945 as the Allies make their final push in the European Theater. A battle-hardened army sergeant named Wardaddy (Pitt) commands a five-man Sherman tank crew on a deadly mission behind enemy lines where they face overwhelming odds in their heroic attempts to strike at the heart of Nazi Germany. Written and directed by Ayer,...

Last year, the London Film Festival was bookended by a pair of Tom Hanks movies. This year, the fest is going in a different direction with opening- and closing-night films set during World War II. The event will open with The Imitation Game on October 8 and now has set David Ayer’s Fury as the capper on October 19. The pic stars Brad Pitt, Shia Labeouf, Logan Lerman, Michael Peña, and Jon Bernthal. Pitt and Ayer are confirmed to attend the closing-night festivities in Leicester Square with screenings to be simulcast to cinemas across the UK. The film is set in April 1945 as the Allies make their final push in the European Theater. A battle-hardened army sergeant named Wardaddy (Pitt) commands a five-man Sherman tank crew on a deadly mission behind enemy lines where they face overwhelming odds in their heroic attempts to strike at the heart of Nazi Germany. Written and directed by Ayer,...

So Channel 5's director of programmes Ben Frow wants to bring 'classic' karaoke show Night Fever back to television, and you lot actually seem pretty keen on the notion...

"Fantastic idea," said Scott Peacock, "Awesome," agreed Mark Whiley, "Night Fever is still my favourite homegrown Channel 5 show!!" enthused Neil Martin.

But which other gems from Channel 5's back catalogue should be revived? What have been the broadcaster's best programming efforts since it launched in 1997? Here's 5 shows that 5 could bring back to our screens...

The Mole

Based on an international format, high-tension game show The Mole was hosted by Glenn Hugill and had viewers hooked with its combination of physical tasks, mental challenges and devious sabotage. The show - which saw one team member secretly derail his fellow contestants' efforts - ran for just two series in the UK, but is overdue a modern makeover.

Fort Boyard

Another physical endurance game show,...