Helena Bonham-Carter, Greg Davies Star in BBC Comedy ‘The Cleaner’ – Global Bulletin
In today’s Global Bulletin, BBC comedy “The Cleaner” sets cast; EFP’s ‘Producers on the Move’ program sets May dates; NBCUniversal’s reality streamer Hayu expands in Europe; Indian multiplex chain PVR announces release slate; and MTV International’s “Celebrity Bumps: Famous & Pregnant” to debut in March.
Helena Bonham-Carter (“The Crown”) and Greg Davies (“The Inbetweeners”) lead the cast of “The Cleaner,” an adaptation of long-running German comedy series “Der Tatortreiniger” (Crime Scene Cleaner), created by Ingrid Lausund, that will air on U.K. broadcaster BBC.
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Written by Davies, “The Cleaner” follows Paul ‘Wicky’ Wickstead (Davies), a state-certified cleaning technician with a very special field of work: he is a crime-scene cleaner responsible for the removal of any signs of death.
The cast also includes David Mitchell (“Upstart Crow”), Stephanie Cole (“Still Open All Hours”), Donald Sumpter (“Game Of Thrones”), Shobu Kapoor (“Four Weddings And A Funeral”), Ruth Madeley (“Years And Years”), Layton Williams (“Everybody’s Talking About Jamie” musical), Zita Sattar (“Casualty”), Georgie Glen (“The Crown”), Bill Skinner (“Ted Lasso”) and Esmonde Cole (“Still So Awkward”).
The six-part series is produced by Studio Hamburg U.K., and was commissioned by Charlotte Moore, chief content officer for the BBC, and Shane Allen, commissioning controller for BBC Comedy. From Studio Hamburg U.K. the executive producer is Vivien Muller-Rommel and the producer is Sam Ward. The director is Tom Marshall and the casting director is Tracey Gillham. The commissioning editor for the BBC is Ben Caudell. BBC Studios will distribute the series globally, excluding German-language markets.
PRODUCERS ON THE MOVE
European Film Promotion‘s (EFP) annual ‘Producers on the Move‘ program will run online from May 17-21, during the original Cannes dates for the year. Additionally, EFP is organizing a program of two half-days for producers to physically attend in July, if the festival does go ahead during that period. EFP will take a final call on this in early May. Meanwhile, the talent call for the program is now open.
EXPANSION
NBCUniversal International‘s SVOD service Hayu, which specializes in reality content, has launched in 11 more European countries including Spain, Portugal, France, Italy, Switzerland, Lithuania, Estonia, Latvia, Poland, Hungary, and the Czech Republic.
Hayu offers over 8,000 episodes of reality TV content including “Keeping Up With the Kardashians,” “The Real Housewives,” “Below Deck” and “Million Dollar Listing.” The service is now available in 27 territories.
RETROSPECTIVES
Visions du Réel, the non-fiction film festival in Nyon, Switzerland, will celebrate the body of work of the Mexican-Salvadoran director Tatiana Huezo Sánchez (“Tempestad”) and the Italian director Pietro Marcello (“Martin Eden”) by holding two retrospectives and public masterclasses, as part of its Ateliers program.
Sánchez will present her first fiction feature “Noche de Fuego” this year, while Marcello’s latest film “For Lucio” will play at the upcoming Berlinale.
RELEASE DATES
As most Indian cinemas are now operating at 100% capacity, the country’s leading multiplex chain PVR has announced a release schedule. Films with concrete dates include “Breaking News in Yuba County” (Feb. 19), “The Courier” (March 19), “Six Minutes to Midnight” (March 26) and “Sooryavanshi” (Apr. 2).
Meanwhile, Indian studio Yash Raj Films have also announced release dates for some of their 2021 line-up including
“Sandeep Aur Pinky Faraar” (March 19), “Bunty Aur Babli 2” (Apr. 23), “Shamshera” (June 25), “Jayeshbhai Jordaar” (Aug. 27), and “Prithviraj,” which will bow Nov. 5 during the Diwali holiday frame.
REALITY SHOW
MTV International‘s “Celebrity Bumps: Famous & Pregnant,” a nine-episode series following six celebrity couples on their journey to becoming parents, will premiere March 3. The show began life as a short-form initiative before being expanded into a full series.
Viewers will enter the reality of what pregnancy is like through filmed observational content, interviews and self-shot video diaries of the couples’ lives.
The cast includes: MTV “Ex on the Beach” star Charlotte Dawson and her fiancé Matt Sarsfield; Olympian Perri Shakes-Drayton and “Big Brother Nigeria”’s Mike Edwards; “Big Brother U.K.” winner Kate Lawler with her fiancé Boj; “Love Island” star and former Blazin’ Squad rapper, Marcel Somerville, and his girlfriend Rebecca Vieira; former cast members of “The Only Way is Essex,” Shelby Tribble and Sam Mucklow; and “The X Factor” star, Jake Quickenden, and his girlfriend Sophie Church.
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