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The BBC and Netflix have garnered the most nods at the upcoming Royal Television Society (Rts) Craft & Design Awards with 31 and 16 nominations respectively.

BBC series “Lost Boys & Fairies” led the way with four nominations while Netflix’s “Baby Reindeer” garnered three.

Other Netflix shows to be nominated including the recently-canceled mythological series “Kaos” and the adaptation of David Nicholls’ “One Day.”

The ceremony will take place on Dec. 2 at the London Hilton.

“On joining this year as chair of the awards I was extremely confident that the calibre of entries would be high,” said Emma Gormley, chair of the Rts Craft & Design Awards. “However, the submissions we subsequently received have exceeded all expectations, further demonstrating how U.K. creatives are global leaders in the television and streaming space. The nominations we have announced today highlight the incredible range of diverse, genre-defining content that is being created by U.K.

Tuesday afternoon, a joyful crowd of industryites gathered at the Grand Auditorium in Cannes for the 8th Mipcom Cannes Diversity TV Awards, introduced on stage by Mipcom director Lucy Smith as “the industry’s only awards to champion and promote diversity and inclusion in all its forms in the international television industry.”

Standing next to her, Mark Garner, head of Global Fast for A&e Networks, and Mip Markets’ Diversity Advisory Board member added: “I’m proud to be a continuous founding sponsor of the Awards, highlighting the “stumbling” debuts of the awards “in a hidden cocktail bar in Cannes.” Garner underscored that since then, diversity voices have grown, and his group’s mission is to mentor those of the future. “When we commit to elevate authentic voices, we get spectacular voices,” he said.

The ceremony was again hosted by Femi Oke, media expert and co-founder of the diverse moderators’ bureau “Moderate The Panel,...

MIPCOM Cannes‘ Diversify TV Awards kicked off Tuesday afternoon at the Grand Palais, with A Different Man actor and activist Adam Pearson, drag star Nicky Doll and host Femi Oke.

The Behind the Scenes Impact Award went to Banijay Launch, a program that works to spotlight emerging women in the industry and pair them with the best of Banijay’s global network of creatives. Endemol Shine North America CEO Sharon Levy said: “Thank you so much. It was super important for us to try to really open up opportunities for women. We really wanted to help women come up with some new ideas and have a seat at the table that maybe they don’t normally get.”

The Representation of Disability in the scripted category was awarded to French series One of Us which airs on TF1. “Authentic representation of disability enhances storytelling,” Pearson said before announcing the winner. “It...

Netflix has announced a new series from writer Julie Gearey (Intergalactic, Cuffs, Prisoners Wives) ‘Out of the Dust’ which is set to star Asa Butterfield and Molly Windsor.

The series is a 6-part psychological thriller set in a conservative Christian sect. The story follows Rosie, a dutiful wife and mother who is propelled into a dangerous journey of female emancipation and sexual awakening following a fateful encounter with escaped convict, Sam.

Also in news – First look at Ciarán Hinds as Dark Wizard in season 2 of ‘Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power’ revealed

Rosie lives with her husband Adam and daughter in a cloistered Christian community. The fateful arrival of escaped prisoner Sam into her life, reveals the reality and restraints of her world; perhaps this hidden religious community doesn’t have her best interests at heart. And, as the cracks begin to appear in her marriage, Sam presents as her saviour.

Acorn TV has unveiled a first look at three-time Olivier Award-winner and Tony Award-nominee Sharon D Clarke starring in the chilling and feature-length detective drama Ellis.

Set to premiere this November on Acorn TV, the riveting three-part series follows Dci Ellis (Clarke), a tenacious cop parachuted into failing investigations.

Each two-hour episode will see Ellis, accompanied by her right-hand man DS Harper, played by Andrew Gower, arrive at a different local police station, where she will have to win over the local detectives and immerse herself in the cases she’s come to solve.

As a Black female cop, Ellis is used to being dismissed and overlooked but remains focused on her work as a first-class murder detective, fueled by a determination for justice and a deep well of compassion for those who need it.

From Company Pictures, in association with Northern Ireland Screen, Ellis was commissioned for Acorn TV by Catherine Mackin,...

E! has released the trailer for Season 2 of “House of Villains,” the Joel McHale-hosted reality show that sees 10 of reality TV’s most infamous “villains” come together to outsmart and out-manipulate each other in a series of challenges to win a cash prize, and the title of “America’s Ultimate Supervillain.”

The show has been slated for a two-night premiere, with the first episode to be broadcast live on E!, Bravo, Syfy and USA on Oct. 9 at 10 p.m. Et/Pt and the second on the same time on Oct. 10. Following the premiere, the series will air in its regular Thursday timeslot at 10 p.m. Et/Pt on E! and will be available to stream on Peacock.

The trailer features the season’s malicious cast, all reunited at the iconic lair (mansion) from Season 1, with “RuPaul’s Drag Race’s” Kandy Muse iconically declaring, “You are going to come into the house of villains?...

Exclusive: BAFTA-nominated Rocks co-writer Theresa Ikoko is no longer attached to Channel 4 drama series Dance School, a show the network said she was co-creating two years ago.

Deadline is told that Ikoko is no longer involved with the project, although details were scant. Discovery of Witches scribe Lisa Holdsworth is now sole creator. Reps for Ikoko and the show declined comment.

The series was unveiled with fanfare almost two years ago to the day. Produced by Lost Boys and Fairies maker Duck Soup Films, it follows an eclectic group of dance students as they navigate the intense highs and lows of coming of age in today’s complex world. With shades of the Ikoko-penned Rocks although set in the north of England, Channel 4 said at the time that Dance School would “champion characters who have been meticulously workshopped and inspired by true stories.” Adjacent to the production was 10 industry...

Inzwischen sind alle Preise auf dem Seriencamp Festival & Conference in Köln vergeben. Der Hauptpreis des Wettbewerbs ging an die BBC-Serie „Lost Boys & Fairies“.

V.l.: Mia Spengler, Daf James, Zetha Asafu-Adjaye und Hüseyin Tabak (Credit: Seriencamp/Johannes Klingel)

Während beim Publikumspreis des prestigeträchtigen Seriencamp Festival & Conference noch die Auszählung läuft und wohl erst am Montag ein Titel verkündet werden soll und sich am Sonntagvormittag auch noch nicht die Gewinner-Serie des Critics Choice Award herumgesprochen hat (Nachtrag am Mo. 10.6.: Es gewann die spanische Near-Future-Serie „Déjate Ver“), hält Spot die bisherigen Gewinnerinnen und Gewinner fest.

In einer starken Konkurrenz, in der auch der Series-Mania-Gewinner „Rematch“ von Arte vertreten war und mit „Ich bin Dagobert“ und „Concordia“ auch zwei deutsche Produktionen resp. Koproduktionen dabei waren, gewann den Hauptpreis im Internationalen Wettbewerb die britische BBC-Serie „Lost Boys & Fairies“.

Den Preis nahm von der Jury um Mia Spengler, Zetha Asafu-Adjaye...

British drama series Lost Boys & Fairies has won the Seriencamp Official Competition Award here in Cologne.

The BBC series, which is from Duck Soup Films and sold internationally by All3Media International, is billed as “tender, glittering story of gay couple Gabriel and Andy’s journey to adoption, filled with humour, music, redemption and love.”

Starring Sion Daniel Young (Slow Horses) and Fra Fee (Rebel Moon), it follows Gabriel and Andy, who long to adopt a child and to do so they must convince their social worker Jackie (Elizabeth Berrington) that they’re up to the task. However, Gabe masks demons: the effects of decades of shame having grown up in a society that overwhelmingly treated being gay as a sin.

Welsh playwright Daf James was on the ground to collect the award, which was part of the Seriencamp Conference and Festival Awards Ceremony earlier today. Lost Boys and Fairies was his debut TV project.

A musical drama, ‘Lost Boys & Fairies’ follows the story of Gabriel, a singer at a queer club in Cardiff, and his partner Andy, as they embark on their journey to adopt a child. BBC’s new three-part series ‘Lost Boys & Fairies’ premieres on BBC iPlayer on Monday, 3 June 2024. The series is written […]

Lost Boys & Fairies Premieres Monday 3 June on BBC iPlayer...

Exclusive: Producers behind the BBC’s Lost Boys & Fairies are hopeful that the heartwarming show can re-spin narratives around adoption, as they reveal they are working with White Lotus star Will Sharpe and Censor director Prano Bailey-Bond on new projects.

Welsh playwright Daf James’ debut premieres Monday and This is England alums Bekki Wray-Rogers, Jessica Brown Meek and Libby Durdy, who run the show’s production outfit Duck Soup Films, said nuanced representation was integral to the story about a gay couple adopting for the first time.

Wray-Rogers is an adopter and said she wanted to turn the tables on previous representations of adoption in TV and movies.

“The trail of adoption so far has very much been about people being stolen away and that’s not really what it is,” she told Deadline. “People should know that adoption is a really great thing and there should be this...

BBC One presents the highly anticipated premiere of “Lost Boys and Fairies,” with Season 1 Episode 1 titled “We’re All Just Children,” airing this Monday at 9:00 Pm. The series follows the journey of queer performance artist Gabriel and his partner Andy as they navigate the complexities of adoption while grappling with Gabriel’s own haunting past of childhood trauma.

As Gabriel and Andy embark on the path to parenthood, their hopes and dreams are met with unforeseen challenges stemming from Gabriel’s turbulent upbringing. His unresolved trauma threatens to unravel their plans, casting a shadow over their quest to build a family and confront the demons of the past.

Against the backdrop of Gabriel’s struggles, “Lost Boys and Fairies” offers a poignant exploration of love, resilience, and the enduring power of the human spirit. Viewers are invited to join Gabriel and Andy on their emotional journey as they confront...

The BBC will look to further cost cuts, growth initiatives and transformation to help it fund its operations and public duties amid financial and sector challenges and return it to a financial surplus after a deficit that will balloon in the new fiscal year, the U.K. public broadcaster said in its annual plan and annual report Thursday.

Led by Director General Tim Davie, the broadcaster in its annual report outlined priorities for the new fiscal year 2024/2025 starting in April. “Our financial plan includes a transformative approach to savings to enable delivery of our strategic ambitions,” it said. “This will require a number of difficult decisions over the course of the year, including one-off transformational costs. Ultimately savings will help to deliver reinvestment in our audience offering and set the BBC up to succeed as audience consumption patterns change.”

For the fiscal year, the license fee for U.K. taxpayers...

Enough with the winter gloom: Feel-good shows are about to take over TV market London Screenings, as distributors echo Russell Crowe’s Maximus iconic words: “Are you not entertained?”

“Most platforms are looking for entertaining shows. Escapism is a big thing,” says Fremantle International CEO Jens Richter.

“You want to take the audience somewhere else and make sure they forget about their reality for a minute. ‘We want to entertain you.’ That’s the headline, basically.”

Beta Group’s chief distribution officer Oliver Bachert agrees – in a world challenged by many conflicts, watching something “accessible and easy” feels more appealing than ever.

“We see things that are maybe not that ambitious, but they work as entertainment. A bit of blue sky helps us deal with everyday news. Even up north, Nordic Noir just got lighter.”

Crime and thrillers are still “major export genres,” notices Rachel Glaister of All3Media International, but...

Picking up on Berlinale Series Market hits, such as “Lost Boys & Fairies,” and teasing some of the big main competition swings at Series Mania – “Apples Never Fall,” “Rematch,” “So Long, Marianne” – the 2024 London TV Screenings are a powerhouse showcase of some of the biggest TV highlights of 2024, plus the trends shaping TV markets.

To help you cut through the slates, here’s Variety’s picks of 20 shows that will whet buyers’ appetites.

“Apples Never Fall” (NBCUniversal Global TV Distribution)

One highlight for NBCU, hosting the first London TV Screenings showcase on Monday Feb. 26 evening, is “The Day of the Jackal,” starring Eddie Redmayne, produced by “Top Boy” showrunner Ronan Bennett and directed by Brian Kirk (“Game of Thrones”). Highest profile, however – given its cast and now status as the biggest swing in Series Mania main competition – may be Peacock limited series “Apples Never Fall,” with Annette Bening as the...

Martin Scorsese is going down as one of the most consistent directors ever, for no matter how you receive a movie of his, he still maintains his vision and his passion for the craft. The director has cemented himself in film culture with movies like Taxi Driver, Goodfellas, Raging Bull, etc. At 81 years old, Scorsese is still garnering acclaim and accolades for his latest film, Killers of the Flower Moon, which is also featuring a breakout performance by Golden Globe-winner Lily Gladstone. Scorsese would recently receive a special Best Director Award from the National Board of Review, which would bring his former Gangs of New York star, Daniel Day-Lewis, into the public spotlight.

Variety is reporting that Scorsese is set to be honored at the Berlin Film Festival next month with a Golden Bear Award. His ceremony will also be screening his film The Departed. Interestingly, The Departed is also...

When Martin Scorsese is lauded with Berlin Film Festival’s Honorary Golden Bear next month, the awards ceremony will be accompanied by a screening of his 2006 film “The Departed.”

The crime thriller, which won four Oscars including best picture and director, stars Leonardo DiCaprio, Matt Damon, Jack Nicholson and Mark Wahlberg. The film tells the story of an Irish mob boss who plants a spy within the Massachusetts State Police just as the police assign an undercover cop to infiltrate the gang. What follows is a race to expose the other’s identity first.

The Berlinale on Wednesday also announced that Levan Akin’s “Crossing” will open this year’s Panorama section, which will focus on “bridges between lived experiences and cinematic possibilities.” “Crossing” follows an unlikely duo who travel “from Batumi, Georgia to the urban, labyrinthine Istanbul in search of a young trans woman named Tekla,” according to the fest’s description.