The king of magic, Dynamo, returns to TV screens in an explosive new Sky original

Thursday 22 August 2019

After five years away from TV due to a career-threatening illness, award-winning magician Dynamo returns to screens next year with a new, jaw-dropping three part special, Project 7 (w/t), for Sky One and NOW TV that promises to change the face of magic on television.

The Sky original will take viewers on a journey across the globe to watch Dynamo perform close-up miracles, impossible predictions and unbelievable feats of magic that will have a lasting effect both on him and the people he interacts with.

The ambitious, visually stunning special co-produced by Phil McIntyre Television, Inner Circle Films and Motion Content Group will air on Sky One and streaming service NOW TV in the UK and Ireland in 2020.

Dynamo says: “This show has been a passion project of mine for almost 3 years and represents a whole new approach to the genre. I believe that now more than ever people need a sense of magic in their lives so I can’t wait for everyone to see what I’ve been working on.”

Phil Edgar-Jones, Director of Sky Arts and Sky’s Head of Entertainment says: ”Dynamo has carved out an illustrious reputation in the world of magic and his skill and mastery is going to astound our viewers beyond belief. I can’t wait to see him in action.”

Abigail Adams, Executive Producer at Motion Content Group said:  “We’re thrilled to be bringing Dynamo and his unique take on magic to Sky.  After five years without Dynamo on our screens, this series will be a long-overdue treat.” 

Dynamo’s ascent from a working-class magician, hailing from the poverty stricken Delph Hill estate on the outskirts of Bradford, in the north of England, to multi award-winning, global star, has been nothing short of miraculous.

His critically acclaimed live tour ‘Seeing is Believing’ quickly erupted from a 10-date run into a three year-long behemoth, selling out across the world, and with two Sunday Times best-selling books and the only non-American in Forbes magazine’s ‘top 5 magicians’ list... it’s a far cry from his humble roots as the eldest son of a local Bradford hairdresser.  

A recipient of the prestigious ‘Magician of The Year’ award from the Academy of Magical Arts and The Magic Circle’s Maskelyne Award for services to British Magic, Dynamo has redefined the shape of modern magic for the millennial generation.

The show was commissioned by Zai Bennett, Managing Director of Content at Sky UK and Ireland, and Phil Edgar Jones, Director of Sky Arts and Sky’s Head of Entertainment. Shirley Jones is the commissioning editor and the series will be executive produced by Lucy Ansbro for Phil McIntyre Television, Dan Albion for Inner Circle Films and Abigail Adams for Motion Content Group.

The special is the latest in a string of recent commissions as Sky continues to invest in original productions. Forthcoming Sky originals include Catherine The Great starring Helen Mirren; Code 404 with Stephen Graham and Daniel Mays; Brassic with Michelle Keegan and Joe Gilgun; Hit Men, Mel and Sue’s first scripted comedy series and a second series of movie panel show There’s Something About Movies, hosted by Alan Carr.

2019 has been a record year for Sky originals with 19-time Emmy-nominated Chernobyl becoming the most watched original ever with over 4 million viewers of the season finale. And away from the screen, Sky secured a record BAFTA haul with seven awards, including A League Of Their Own winning Comedy Entertainment Programme.

ENDS

For more information please contact:

katy.sykes@premiercomms.com 0207 292 8351

jenny.carroll@premiercomms.com 0207 292 8346

 

About Sky

With 24 million customers across seven countries, Sky is Europe’s leading media and entertainment company and is proud to be part of the Comcast group. Our 31,000 employees help connect our customers with the very best of Sports, News, the arts and to our own local, original content. Following the success of Sky originals like Chernobyl, Patrick Melrose, Das Boot and Gomorrah we launched Sky Studios and now plan to more than double our investment in original drama and comedy over the next five years.

Our technology allows customers to watch what they want, when they want, how they want, and as we connect millions of families to content they love, it is our responsibility to do it safely – that’s why we offer services like Sky Broadband Buddy and the Sky Kids app. And our online streaming service, NOW TV, brings viewers all the enjoyment of Sky with the flexibility of a contract-free service.

We also believe that a company of our scale has a responsibility that goes beyond our business, and into the community. Our Sky Ocean Rescue campaign has reached millions across Europe, we’re on track to be free of single-use plastic by 2020, we’re investing £25million over five years in ocean-saving tech and we’re a proud employer – recognised by The Times and Stonewall for our approach to inclusivity.


About NOW TV

NOW TV is a pick and mix TV streaming service that lets you choose from a range of passes contract free.

Available anytime, anywhere in the UK, you can watch through a NOW TV Box or NOW TV Smart Stick, or on the web. The NOW TV app is also available on over 60 devices.

Whether you’re into big dramas, blockbuster movies, live sports or even just some extra TV for the kids, NOW TV offers four passes which include the latest and best TV and movies: Entertainment, Sky Cinema, Kids and Sky Sports.

This includes Sky Atlantic, over 300 Box Sets on demand, all 10 Sky Sports channels and over 1,000 movies – all available with no contract.

For more information:

• Visit nowtv.com

• Follow us at facebook.com/NOWTV

• Join the conversation on twitter @NOWTV

• Visit us at Youtube.com/nowtvofficial

ABOUT MOTION CONTENT GROUP

Motion Content Group is a global content investment and rights management company. It invests and partners with the world’s leading talent, producers and distributors to fund, develop, produce and distribute premium content. Motion supports editorially and commercially vibrant networks and platforms by helping meet the ever-increasing demand for premium content, for the benefit of advertisers and its content partners. Headquartered in London and Los Angeles, Motion currently operates in 26 countries worldwide and has a broad range of award-winning programming distributed globally. Motion Content Group is part of GroupM, the world’s leading full-service media investment management operation, a WPP company.

 

ABOUT DYNAMO

Steven Frayne aka Dynamo emerged into the UK’s magic scene in 2004 after moving to London to pursue the creation of the first ever magic ‘mixtape’. Performing his magic on the streets of London - Dynamo’s fan base exploded as he fast became the hottest performer on the party circuit; amazing A-Listers whilst continuing to grow his online fanbase via YouTube.

Dynamo's subsequent debut TV series Dynamo: Magician Impossible became a huge international hit, enthralling over 250 million viewers across 193 territories. The show was awarded TV Show of the Year at the 2013 Virgin Media Awards as well as Best Entertainment Programme at the 2013 Broadcast Awards and gained a hat-trick of BAFTA nominations, with three subsequent nominations for Best Entertainment Show.

Meanwhile, Dynamo remains the first magician in history to headline world famous arenas such as the O2 in London (3 nights), Manchester’s MEN arena and the Rod Laver arena in Sydney. His critically acclaimed live tour Seeing is Believing erupted from a 10 date run into a 3 yearlong behemoth, selling over 750,000+ tickets and filling arenas across the UK, South Africa, Australia & New Zealand. Both of Dynamo’s book releases ‘Dynamo – The Book of Secrets’ and ‘Nothing is Impossible – My Story’ reached no1 on the Bestsellers Lists, making him a Sunday Times Bestselling Author.

Dynamo’s worldwide following has continued to grow online, with a social media footprint of 8.2 million making him one of the most followed magicians in the world. Most recently, Dynamo was included in Forbes list of The World’s Highest-Paid Magicians in both 2016 and 2017, cementing his status as one of the most prolific magicians of all time.