THE SMOKE: New eight-part drama series exclusive to SKY 1 HD
Sky 1 HD today (Friday 22 June, 2012) announces THE SMOKE – a brand new drama series following the day to day lives of a crew in a London fire station. THE SMOKE will tell the adrenaline-fuelled and gut-wrenchingly emotional stories around the crew’s working and personal lives. Production will start in early 2013 for transmission later in the year exclusively on Sky 1 HD.
THE SMOKE is an eight part series from Kudos Film and TV written and created by Lucy Kirkwood (Skins). At the heart of the story is a family of firemen and women who, no matter what, always have each other to fall back on. But being a hero isn’t easy, especially in a world that regularly disregards them, and it certainly doesn’t pay. Many crew members are forced to hold down other jobs on the side, taking some of them into the city’s after dark world. The stakes are high but, in THE SMOKE, it’s the very lives and souls of the White Watch crew that are at risk.
THE SMOKE has been commissioned by Anne Mensah, Head of Drama at Sky. The Executive Producers are Jane Featherstone and Noelle Morris for Kudos Film and TV and Anne Mensah for Sky.
Anne Mensah, Head of Drama, Sky, says “We wanted to bring a new, modern view of heroism to Sky 1 HD. THE SMOKE was a perfect fit. It has all the huge scale action and adrenaline that a show about fire can bring to the screen, but in Lucy’s hands there is also a beautiful depth and complexity to the characterisation. This is a show that asks real questions about what it means to be a man in today’s world. ”
Jane Featherstone, Kudos Film and TV, says “We are so pleased to be making our first series for Sky 1 HD whose ambition matches our own. In THE SMOKE, Lucy Kirkwood has created a rich, layered world and with Noelle Morris will bring these characters and stories to life in a bold and surprising way. You’ve never seen a fire show like this before.”
This latest commission is part of Sky's commitment to increase its investment in original British content by 50% over the next three years. By 2014, Sky expects to invest £600 million a year in British programmes across its portfolio of channels. This commitment follows the success of home-grown comedies such as TROLLIED, the BAFTA award winning SPY and STELLA, entertainment hits GOT TO DANCE and A LEAGUE OF THEIR OWN, dramas such as STRIKE BACK and MAD DOGS, and factual shows including ROSS KEMP EXTREME WORLD, AN IDIOT ABROAD and the BAFTA-winning documentary FLYING MONSTERS 3D.
Further information:
Sarah Aspinall Claire Wilson
Senior Publicist, Sky 1 HD Publicist, Sky 1 HD
Sarah.aspinall@bskyb.com / 020 7032 1488 claire.wilson@bskyb.com / 020 7032 3071
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About Sky
Sky entertains and excites more than 10.4 million homes through the most comprehensive multichannel, multi-platform television service in the UK and Ireland. Sky continues to break new ground with its own portfolio of channels: Sky 1 combines its commitment to UK production with the best of the US; Sky Living pushes ahead with fresh and innovative entertainment formats; Sky Arts is the UK's only dedicated arts channel brand; Sky Atlantic is the home to HBO and other iconic drama and comedy, Sky Sports is still raising the bar in sports broadcasting; Sky News remains a pioneer in television news; and Sky Movies is leading the way in High Definition and on-demand.
Sky also works with dozens of other broadcasters on the satellite platform, as well as online and on mobile through the ground-breaking Sky Go service. Sky has also led the UK into the age of high definition television, launched Europe's first 3DTV channel, Sky 3D, and offers customer even more flexibility and choice through Sky Anytime+, its internet-delivered video on demand service. Since launching Sky Broadband and Sky Talk in 2006, the company has also been the UK's fastest-growing home communications provider.
Sky believes in making a wider contribution to the communities in which it operates, not least by increasing participation in, and access to, the arts, supporting grassroots sports, and taking positive action on the environment.
About Sky 1 HD:
Sky 1 HD is the most watched non-terrestrial channel in Sky homes, attracting more than 20m unique viewers every month and, according to the latest tracker results (October – December, 2011), was the third highest valued channel amongst all Sky subscribers behind only BBC1 and ITV1.
Sky 1 HD distinguishes itself from rival networks with original drama and comedy, talked about entertainment formats, distinctive factual programming and award-winning exclusive US drama.
About Kudos Film and TV:
Kudos Film and Television is the UK’s most successful and original producer of popular, award-winning scripted television, supplying broadcasters domestically and internationally. Shows include the era-defining Spooks, Hustle, Life on Mars and Ashes to Ashes; successful, returning series Law & Order: UK, M.I. High and Lip Service and critically acclaimed mini-series and single films such as Occupation and We’ll Take Manhattan. Forthcoming productions include Hunted, from X-Files creator Frank Spotnitz (BBC One/Cinemax), Utopia (written by Dennis Kelly for Channel 4) and the second series of the Abi Morgan-penned The Hour (BBC Two). In 2007, 2010 & 2011 Kudos was voted the UK’s most admired independent production company by its peers in Broadcast magazine. Formed in 1992, it has been part of the Shine Group since 2007.
For further information please contact
Sarah Aspinall - Senior Publicist, Sky
T:
E: Sarah.Aspinall@bskyb.com
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T:
E: claire.wilson@bskyb.com