Sky Arts introduces …Talks Music
Deborah Harry, Chris Stein, Boy George, Jeff Beck, Nile Rodgers and other influential musicians join legendary Music TV producer Malcolm Gerrie in a new music interview series
10 x 60’ to TX Autumn 2013
13/06/2013 Sky Arts is delighted to announce a brand new music series, …Talks Music, a unique and exclusive insight into the careers of some of the world’s most iconic music legends. Premiering in Autumn 2013, confirmed guests so far include American guitarist, songwriter and producer Nile Rodgers, Boy George, Jeff Beck and the creative force of Blondie: Deborah Harry and Chris Stein. Talks Music is a 10 x 60’ series for Sky Arts from Whizz Kid Entertainment.
…Talks Music takes an in depth look at key artists who have shaped modern music and shows them in a previously unseen light. Each week legendary music-TV broadcaster and producer Malcolm Gerrie, whose extensive credits include The Tube, The Brit Awards and The White Room, will be joined by a legendary guest for an exclusive hour-long interview. They will talk to Gerrie about their music, craft, passions and inspirations, explaining how they write, perform, and survive the pressures of being a popular music star. …Talks Music will feature a diverse mix of artists from different decades and different music genres who have all helped turn the pages of music history.
The series is directed by Jeff Wurtz, the acclaimed director and producer of the series Inside the Actors Studio. …Talks Music will be filmed live in front of a studio audience consisting of music students and fans that are looking for insights and inspirations in order to start their own music careers. Gerrie and his guest take questions from the floor giving the audience members a once in a lifetime opportunity to interact with their music idol.
James Hunt, Channel Director, Sky Arts says“If you can pin-point one legend who has defined the parameters of music TV it’s got to be Malcolm Gerrie. Combine his talents with the exceptional Jeff Wurtz, the man who produced and directed one of the world’s greatest TV brands Inside the Actors Studio, …Talks Music not only has a phenomenal pedigree it’s going to be the must watch series for Sky Arts viewers who love music icons.”
Malcolm Gerrie, Executive Producer and Host adds “When Sky Arts asked me if I’d like to change my day job and talk to some of the coolest artists on the planet…in front of the camera not behind…I was pretty gobsmacked! The whole experience of talking music to some of my personal music heroes has been a labour of love and I’m delighted that Talks Music will be part of a channel so committed to music and musicians.”
…Talks Music marks a further development for Sky Arts which champions innovative and original art programming, underlining Sky’s promise to deliver high-quality, exclusive content to customers, supported by a commitment to increase investment in home-grown programming to £600 million by 2014.
…Talks Music will TX on Sky Arts in Autumn 2013
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT
Dominic Collett Sky Arts Publicist, Sky Press Office
T: 0207 032 4892
E:
NOTES TO EDITOR
About …Talks Music
For Whizz Kid
Host and Executive Producer - Malcolm Gerrie
Director and Executive Producer - Jeff Wurtz
Executive Producers - Sally Atkins & Lisa Chapman
Producer- Shawn Tesser
For Sky
Commissioning Editor – Barbara Lee
About Sky Arts
Sky Arts offers an eclectic mix of the best music, arts, biographies, chat shows, film, drama and comedy. Sky is the only broadcaster in the UK and Ireland with channels dedicated solely to the arts, with 48 hours of the best arts content from around the world across Sky Arts 1 and Sky Arts 2 daily. Sky Arts now reaches more than 6 million viewers every month.
Recent highlights include Playhouse Presents… a series of one-off comedies and dramas starring renowned talent including Jon Hamm, Daniel Radcliffe, Kylie Minogue, Anna Friel, Idriss Elba and Matt Smith. The channel was also responsible for resurrecting the much-loved South Bank Show and The South Bank Show Awards. Sky Arts also encourages new formats and methods for accessing the arts, working with the ENO and National Gallery to beam the world’s first live opera and first live opening night of an exhibition in 3D to cinemas across the UK and Ireland.
Sky Arts also seeks to connect with culture on the ground; creating and collaborating with the best of the arts in the UK and Ireland to bring new experiences to life. Sky Arts has collaborated with a number of arts organisations including the English National Ballet and has supported the Hay Festival as broadcast partner since 2006. The Sky Arts Ignition Series launched in in 2011 to invest in the arts landscape of the UK. The Series will seek to collaborate with six arts organisations over the next three years in the creation of brand new works; Sky Arts Ignition Series: Futures Fund will support five young artists with a bursary of £30,000 each, enabling Sky Arts to back the creation of new works of art as well as nurture emerging talent.
Follow us on twitter @skyarts. See sky.com/arts
About Sky
Sky is the UK and Ireland’s leading home entertainment and communications company. Around 40% of all homes have a direct relationship with Sky through its range of TV, broadband and home telephony services.
Sky is the UK’s biggest investor in television content, investing more than £2.3 billion a year in channels such as Sky 1, Sky Atlantic, Sky Living, Sky Arts, Sky Sports, Sky Movies and Sky News. Around two-thirds of Sky’s content spend is invested in the UK and Sky is the fastest-growing source of investment in original British programmes. More than 30 million people watch Sky content each week. Alongside its commitment to offering customers a greater choice of high-quality content, Sky is a leading innovator. Customers enjoy total control and flexibility over their favourite TV through Sky+, watch TV on the move through Sky Go, and enjoy the best quality TV experience at home through High Definition and 3D.
Sky distributes its content broadly over several platforms, including satellite, cable, IPTV, mobile and WiFi. NOW TV, Sky’s second consumer brand, builds on the company’s leadership in internet TV. Sky is also the UK's fastest-growing home communications company and favourite ‘triple-play’ provider of TV, broadband and home phone.Sky believes in making a wider contribution to the communities in which it operates by taking positive action on the environment, supporting grassroots sport, opening up the arts to more people and raising the aspiration of young people in schools. Sky employs 23,500 people, has annual revenues of £6.8 billion and is estimated to support a £5.4 billion contribution to UK GDP. Sky is listed on the London Stock Exchange (BSY).
About Whizz Kid Entertainment
Whizz Kid Entertainment is owned jointly by Ingenious Media Active Capital Limited (IMAC) and CEO Malcolm Gerrie (former CEO of Initial, part of the Endemol Group). The Chairman is Patrick McKenna (CEO Ingenious) and Lisa Chapman is Managing Director.
The company produces a range of high-quality programmes specialising in formatted entertainment programmes, live events, music, digital and arts programming. Production highlights include: Let’s Dance for Comic/Sport Relief (BBC1), the EE British Academy Film Awards (BBC1, BBC2 and BBC3), Being… N-Dubz (Channel 4), Camp Bestival and Bestival 3D (Sky Arts / Sky 3D), The Nokia Green Room (Channel 4), U2 Live On YouTube (YouTube, Sky1HD), Stand Up To Cancer (Channel 4), The Moonlight Signing of Harry Potter & the Deathly Hallows (Bloomsbury Publishing on-line), George Michael the Road to Wembley (Channel 4) Jools Holland: My Life In Music (BBC2), Titanic: A Commemoration In Music & Film (BBC2)and MSN: Exclusives (MSN).
Please visit www.whizzkid.tv for more information on our shows and team.
