DOCUMENTARY “Hijack” star Idris Elba is set to front a new documentary for the BBC exploring the U.K.’s knife crime academic. “Idris Elba: A Year of Knife Crime” (working title) will see the star explore the reality of knife crime and potential solutions to solving it. As part of the doc he’ll speak to offenders, […]

The streaming platforms of European broadcasters are outgunning the global streamers when it comes to depth of content, research agency Glance reported in Cannes during TV market Mipcom this week. “Everyone is a streamer, even the broadcasters,” Frédéric Vaulpré, senior VP at Glance, told Variety in a café in the Riviera resort, referring to a […]

Former BBC anchor Michael Buerk has criticized the extensive media coverage of Liam Payne’s death, calling him “a drugged up, faded boy band singer.” Buerk, who was the face of BBC News for almost 30 years until his semi-retirement in 2002, was speaking on Radio 4 show “Today” about how foreign reporting had changed over […]

ScreenSkills, the U.K.’s screen industry skills body, has unveiled an ambitious five-year strategy aimed at developing a robust workforce to support the nation’s £13.48 billion ($17.4 billion) screen sector. The organization’s blueprint, which follows recommendations from the Screen Sectors Skills Task Force in 2023, emphasizes data-driven decision making and strategic partnerships with industry heavyweights including […]

Ricky Gervais’ career-launching mockumentary series “The Office” is getting a Mexican remake with Prime Video, Amazon MGM Studios and Gary “Gaz” Alazraki’s Máquina Vega leading the charge. Alazraki, who proved his comedy chops directing and producing major hits “Nosotros los Nobles” and “Club de Cuervos” serves as director and executive producer of “La Oficina” while […]

Chelsea Peretti is among a bevvy of guest stars set to appear on the second season of Daisy May Cooper’s BBC hit comedy “Am I Being Unreasonable?” In addition to the “Brooklyn Nine-Nine” actor, fellow guest stars will include Tom Davis (“Wonka”), Denise Black (“Queer as Folk”), Jamali Maddix (“Never Mind the Buzzcocks”), British rapper […]

Canadian director, writer and producer Alvin Rakoff, best known for directing Laurence Olivier in “A Voyage Round My Father,” has died at the age of 97. The cause of death was “old age,” his agent told Variety. He died on Oct. 12 at home, surrounded by his family. Over a career spanning more than four […]

Apple TV Europe boss and BFI chair Jay Hunt engaged in a rare public Q&A hosted by “The Traitors” U.K. presenter Claudia Winkleman during the BFI London Film Festival, where she discussed her lengthy career in U.K. public service broadcasting, move to streaming and the U.K. screen industry at large. Among the advice Hunt shared […]