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Six Tees Valley creatives share their love for Hartlepool as it welcomes the world-famous Tall Ships race

Posted on 5 July 20236 July 2023 by North East Screen

North East Screen in partnership with Hartlepool Council, have provided six Tees Valley creatives with an opportunity to develop their own unique ‘Postcard from Hartlepool’ taking inspiration from their surrounding area and the arrival of the Tall Ships as the race comes to the town for the second time on 6-9^th July.

The six creatives represented a broad spectrum of talent, from experienced content creators to promising new talent. They all received a bursary from North East Screen as well as mentoring support from project lead, Jen Bradfield, to enable them deliver their short showcasing Hartlepool and why it makes a great place to live and visit. The format of the shorts was entirely at the discretion of the creatives which has resulted in some truly brilliant Postcards from Hartlepool.

North East Screen’s Head of Talent and Business Development, Lisa Laws, said:

“This has been a fantastic partnership with Hartlepool Council allowing us to support six brilliant Tees Valley creatives to deliver a short taking inspiration from Hartlepool, the Tall Ships and its tall tales.

“The slate of shorts developed give a rounded audience experience from corporate to comedy and everything in between, highlighting some very personal and touching experiences of Hartlepool.

“This opportunity has given these creatives a launch pad into the North East screen industries and allowed them to share their love for their local town. We are really looking forward to seeing what’s next for them.”

The creatives include experienced content creators, 33mm Ltd; entrepreneur photographer and drone operator, Jamie Bulman; emerging comedy talent, Jess McDonagh and Beth Chapman; Tees Valley Screen Fast Track recipient, Chris Tritschler; and BBC Comedy Creator Bursary recipient, Scott Turnbul, aided by the superb directorial talent of Teesside local Andy Berriman.

Each short is between 90 and 120 seconds and will be shared across digital platforms in and around the Tall Ships event.

Click here to learn more about the creators.

A new series of the beloved TV classic, Byker, in development with Fulwell 73 and Mitre Studios

Posted on 4 July 20234 July 2023 by Jo Macleod

17 years after Byker Grove closed its doors for the last time, the North East based TV classic is set to make a comeback. Emmy award winning entertainment company, Fulwell 73, the team behind Friends: The Reunion, The Kardashians and Gavin and Stacey: Christmas Special, and Ant and Dec’s Mitre Studios, who co-produce BAFTA-award winning Saturday Night Takeaway, DNA Journey and Limitless Win, announced they are entering into a development period to relaunch the celebrated show, which will be entitled BYKER, and will be filmed and produced in and around the North East.

Originally broadcast between 1989 – 2006, Byker Grove became a household favourite as it told the story of a youth club in Newcastle. Celebrated for its handling of hard hitting and controversial storylines, the programme ran for 18 series and launched many famous faces both in front of and behind the camera, including Ant and Dec themselves as fun-loving duo ‘PJ & Duncan’.

Now the reboot, aimed at a primetime audience, will return as BYKER, engaging with a new generation of teenagers navigating the different challenges faced by young adults today. Touching on youth and adult storylines, the series will serve a cross generational audience including stories for a nostalgic audience of past fans as well as teenagers today, all set against the backdrop of Newcastle and the North East.

Fulwell 73’s Leo Pearlman and Heather Greenwood will serve as Executive Producers with Ant McPartlin & Declan Donnelly as Executive Producers and Creative Consultants for Mitre Studios.

Leo Pearlman, Co-founder & Managing Partner at Fulwell 73 said:

“Working in collaboration is vital to the North East’s success. Partnering through our Sunderland office with Ant and Dec’s company Mitre Studios, an unlikely and yet dream team of Mackems and Geordies, to bring back a series starring and made by local people, is something we’re incredibly proud of at Fulwell 73. We can’t wait to share BYKER with new and old fans alike, showcasing the very best of our region to the world as part of our long-term commitment to a sustainable industry in the North East.”

Declan Donnelly said:

“Byker Grove will always be very special to us as the show which gave us our break, so we are beyond excited to be working together with Fulwell 73 on bringing it back. We are looking forward to bringing this fresh incarnation to a whole new generation as well as those who remember it as fondly as we do.

As proud Geordies, we’re looking forward to help shine a spotlight on the North East and the talent the region has to offer both in front of the camera and behind it.”

Ant McPartlin said:

“We owe such a lot to Byker Grove and the North East so we can’t wait to start working with Fulwell 73 and the team to bring this iconic series back to life. The original series was the starting point for a lot of North East talent so we’re excited to see what the new team will bring.”

Mitre Studios said:

“We’re delighted that Mitre Studios and Fulwell 73 are joining forces to bring Byker back to life. The show obviously holds a very special place in the heart for Ant and Dec as it was where it all started for them. The North East is a hotbed of emerging talent both on and off screen, so we’re extremely proud to be able to tap into that and help give something back to the region.”

Speaking of the news that BYKER will be rebooting, North East Screen Chief Executive, Alison Gwynn said:

“Byker Grove was such an iconic North East TV show and I’m delighted to see Fulwell 73 and Mitre Studios announce that they are developing the reboot. We are looking forward to working with them to bring their vision to life, and the opportunities it will bring for those already working in the North East screen industries, and those looking to get into the industry.”

Behind the scenes, BYKER will aim to be a returnable series providing sustainable training both in front and behind the camera, including new talent in a North East focused writers’ room and work placements. Fulwell 73 and Mitre Studios will unite to film across Newcastle and Sunderland as part of both companies’ commitment to their home region and North East based production offices. Ant and Dec will also look to integrate their successful Prince’s Trust, Making it in Media course as part of the production to help give experience and confidence to young people in the North East who are looking to pursue a career in the media.

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Top North East location features in newly released Indiana Jones film

Posted on 28 June 20233 July 2023 by North East Screen

The fifth and final instalment of the Indiana Jones franchise, that filmed in the North East in 2021, is in now in cinemas.

The production took over Bamburgh Castle in the summer of 2021 to shoot the opening sequence of the film.

The North East Screen Film Office support this production when they filmed in Bamburgh by helping them source crew, locations and permissions from the relevant local authorities.

When speaking to BBC Radio Newcastle, Locations Director Duncan Broadfoot said, “When we brought our director [to Northumberland], he immediately knew that Bamburgh was the right choice.

“We were there for two weeks dressing the castle and it looked really fantastic when we came to film.

Duncan continued: “We had two key hooks that we were looking for that would tie us into a specific location.

“One was a castle – we needed a castle that had a nice entrance, grand court yard and grand interior space, and we found that in Bamburgh.

“It has such a diverse, rich tapestry of locations up there – we are spoilt for choice really.”

Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny is in cinemas now.

New original drama supported by the North East Production Fund begins filming in the North East

Posted on 19 June 202320 June 2023 by North East Screen

New original drama, The Red King, has recently begun filming in the North East, joining an array of productions using the North East as their filming base.

The six-part series, supported by the North East Production Fund, is written by Toby Whitehouse (Being Human, The Game) and produced by Quay Street Productions, has been commissioned by UKTV for leading crime drama channel, Alibi.

North East Screen Chief Executive, Alison Gwynn, was thrilled to hear that The Red King had started filming in the North East. She said,

“I am delighted to welcome Quay Street Productions to the North East to film their new original drama, The Red King. Having this production based in the region not only shows faith in the adaptability of our stunning locations, but also supports our highly-skilled crew who are based here, being able to work in the region and sleep in their own homes.”

Following the successful North East Production Fund pilots, children’s TV series Cooking With the Gills (MCC Media Ltd), and feature film, Jackdaw (Anton Corp); The Red King is the last North East Production Fund pilot which is managed and delivered by North East Screen on behalf of the North East Screen Industries Partnership. The Production Fund is now open to expressions of interest and those interested parties should complete the form on our Production Fund page.

Open to both local and national companies, the fund aims to catalyse the sustainable growth of the North East’s film and TV production sector by investing in a portfolio of distinctive, high-quality project that will collectively contribute to the region, increasing the on-screen visibility and actively contribute to employment of locally based crew, spend in the region and improved equality, diversity and sustainability.

Speaking about the North East Production Fund being open, Alison Gwynn said,

“With the North East Production Fund now live, we will attract more high-end TV productions, feature films and returning series to the region. For every £1 we give out, we expect productions to spend at least £10 in the region driving inward investment and developing the region’s reputation as a destination for high level TV and film production.”

In the past year, North East Screen’s Film Office has supported 57 productions filming in the region, including The Old Oak, The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry, Vera, The Dumping Ground, Robson Green’s Weekend Escapes, Danny and Mick, who have in turn spent over £12 million in the region. These join a growing list of feature film and tv productions who have filmed in the North East including Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, Dungeons & Dragons: Honour Amongst Thieves, Blue Jean, I, Daniel Blake, 1917, The Last Kingdom, Emmerdale and Inspector George Gently.

The North East Screen Film Office supports both indigenous and incoming productions to the region with a vast network of locations, crew, facilities, studios, and a wealth of local knowledge. With a filming friendly agreement in place with all 12 local authorities, they can support facilitating productions in gaining permissions, road closures, parking permits and securing locations. For more information head to www.northeastscreen.org/film-office

Alibi commissions Toby Whithouse drama The Red King

Posted on 12 June 202312 June 2023 by North East Screen

UKTV’s catalogue of original drama continues to grow, with the latest commission of The Red King (6×60’) for leading crime drama channel Alibi, which is currently filming in the North East.

The six-part series is created and written by Toby Whithouse (Being Human, The Game) and produced by Quay Street Productions, in association with ITV Studios, which will handle international distribution, and supported by North East Screen.

Filming starts today and features a star-studded line up with Anjli Mohindra (The Lazarus Project, Vigil) playing Grace Narayan, Adjoa Andoh (Bridgerton, Queen Charlotte) as Lady Heather Nancarrowand Marc Warren (Van Der Valk) as Dr Ian Prideaux.

Further cast include Jill Halfpenny (The Long Shadow, Everything I Know About Love) as Ann Fletcher, Mark Lewis Jones (Keeping Faith) as Gruffudd Prosser, Oliver Ryan (Steeltown Murders, Pennyworth) as Mihangel Pugh, Sam Swainsbury (Mum, Fisherman’s Friend) as Father Douglas Carrisford, Lu Corfield (Showtrial) as Lowri Bain, James Bamford (Luther: The Fallen Sun) as Owen Parry and Maeve Courtier-Lilley (The Outpost) as Winter Bain.

Toby Whithouse said: “Working with Quay Street and UKTV has been a genuine joy. This has been a passion project for all of us. A genre bending mystery, combining drama, suspense and horror, starring some of the best actors in television. We’re so excited to share these characters and their stories with you.”

Smart, capable and by the book Grace Narayan (Mohindra) was flying high as an inner-city police sergeant before being forced into a ‘punishment posting’ on the small, antiquated island of St. Jory. Confronted by the forgotten and unsolved case of missing teenage boy Cai, Grace quickly discovers that she must overcome scarce evidence, extraordinary local characters, and the island’s strange cult history to uncover the truth.

The Red King is a character-driven mystery-thriller, that combines the powerful story of a knotty police investigation with chilling, atmospheric folk-horror through the island’s eerie past devotion to a pagan God called the Red King and the cult of the True Way.

The UKTV Original series has been commissioned by Philippa Collie Cousins, senior commissioning editor, with Pete Thornton, head of scripted, and ordered for Alibi by Emma Ayech, channel director, and Hilary Rosen, director of commissioning. Executive producers are Nicola Shindler (Nolly, It’s A Sin, Stay Close) and Davina Earl (Men Up, Safe, Come Home) for Quay Street Productions (part of ITV Studios), Philippa Collie Cousins for UKTV and Toby Whithouse. The series will be directed by Daniel O’Hara (Stay Close, The Stranger, Brassic), who is also executive producer, and produced by Guy Hescott (Without Sin, Whitstable Pearl).

Hilary Rosen said: “Toby Whithouse has created a clever and ambitious crime drama set in a vivid island location, and this dark and original tale will have audiences gripped. We are delighted to be collaborating once again with Nicola Shindler and her fantastic team at Quay Street Productions.”

Emma Ayech added: “We’re so excited to be working with the team at Quay Street Productions on this brilliant new series. The ensemble cast will perfectly bring the story to life, making this a fantastic addition to our growing portfolio of UKTV Original dramas on Alibi.”

Davina Earl, Executive Producer, Quay Street Productions said: “The Red King has been such an exciting project to bring to the screen, working with the team at UKTV. Toby Whithouse has a wonderfully distinctive voice, and his scripts are deeply intriguing, darkly funny and truly scary. The cast are a stellar mix of some of our most well-known and beloved actors. Plus, we get to showcase the North East as we create this compelling and atmospheric drama, which, as a North Easterner, is incredibly rewarding.”

The Red King is the latest UKTV Original for Alibi and will air in 2024. Other original dramas include The Diplomat, produced by World Productions, and Annika, which stars Nicola Walker and will return to Alibi for a second series later this year.

Two North East organisations awarded BBC Comedy grants

Posted on 26 May 202326 May 2023 by North East Screen

Laurels and Felt Nowt have both been selected to receive £5,000 from BBC Comedy to support their comedy outreach and inclusion projects.

The recipients of the comedy grants were announced by Jon Petrie at the BBC Comedy Festival in Cardiff on Thursday the 25th of May. The grants are an opportunity for BBC Comedy to increase engagement with companies and organisations that want to support growth and access opportunities in comedy.

Laurels, a popular entertainment venue in Whitley Bay, North Tyneside, will be using their BBC Comedy grant to help move comedy talent from lower socio-economic backgrounds off social media and into larger-scale development.

Felt Nowt plan to use its grant to extend its programme to focus on workshops for LGBTQ+ comedy performers in the region. They said: “We were delighted to receive this grant, it will help us on our mission to bring more comedy to the region and we are excited to find some exciting new comedians from underrepresented communities”

Lisa Laws, Head of Talent and Development at North East Screen said: “I’m really excited to see what Laurels and Felt Nowt can bring to the region’s emerging comedy scene supporting talent and audiences to imagine possibilities for crossing over from theatre to screen. They are both already doing some amazing work, and I looking forward to seeing what’s next.”

Deadline extended for Skills Cluster Evaluation Manager role

Posted on 25 May 202325 May 2023 by North East Screen

You now have until the 13^th of June to apply for the Skills Cluster Evaluation role with Screen Alliance North.

This role is full time (37 hours per week) on a three year fixed contract. You can be based at any of the partner offices in Sunderland, Hartlepool, Manchester, Liverpool or Leeds and will see work across all of the partner regions.

Screen Alliance North, a new £2.3m BFI Skills Cluster led by Screen Yorkshire, Liverpool Film Office, Screen Manchester and North East Screen, has been created to support the development and training of the screen sector workforce across the North of England.

Visit our careers page to learn more about this role.

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The BBC and Middlechild Productions bring career workshops to Sunderland and Hartlepool Colleges

Posted on 18 May 202318 May 2023 by North East Screen

BBC Academy and Middlechild Productions visited two colleges in the North East today, bringing an interactive Q&A workshop for students looking to start a career in factual filmmaking and production.

The visit was to celebrate the launch of BBC Three’s Therapy: Tough Talking documentary, which features North East actor and rapper Kema Sikazwe (aka Kema Kay). The film follows Kema’s journey through therapy as he faces his past traumas. Students at Sunderland College and Hartlepool Sixth Form got to speak with the producers about job opportunities and gaining experience for a career in television.

Students also pitched their own ideas for factual programmes, inspired by their own lives in the North East, and received feedback from television professionals. A special recorded message from Kema was also played for each college, and his therapist Hayley Tyson- Adams discussed the importance of mental health support and finding help.

This workshop is part of the BBC’s Across the UK Strategy, which seeks to invest more in training and production outside of London to better represent and serve the whole UK. This comes after the BBC announced to commit £25 million to the North East, partnering with companies like Northern Child, Middlechild’s sister company, to increase production and opportunities in the region.

Diana Hare, Commissioning Editor at the BBC, said: “Therapy: Tough Talking is a unique project. Kema’s courage, in allowing cameras in the therapy room, will help demystify and destigmatise the process. We’re grateful that we can continue to foster creativity in the North East by bringing this workshop to local colleges.”

Andrew Eastel, Creative Director at Middlechild, and the director of the documentary, said, “Everyone on the team has felt extremely privileged to have worked on Therapy: Tough Talking. To be granted the unique access to film Kema’s therapy has been both enlightening and fulfilling. By bravely allowing cameras into the room, Kema and Hayley have shone a light on the power of therapy and addressed many of the misconceptions associated with it, especially amongst younger people. We’re delighted to have this opportunity to screen the film to students in Sunderland and Hartlepool. Not just because some of them may relate to the subject of the film, but also to highlight the power of documentary filmmaking, and hopefully inspire some filmmakers of the future.”

Ruth Magnus, Director of Student Services at Education Partnership North East, which includes Sunderland College and Hartlepool Sixth Form College, said: “We were pleased to be among the select number of colleges involved in the screening of the Therapy: Tough Talking documentary. Across our colleges, we have a responsibility for the positive mental health of our students.

“Through this experience, we will be able to challenge the misconceptions of mental illness, raise awareness of symptoms and demonstrate compassion.”

Watch Therapy: Tough Taking on BBC iPlayer here.

Former Channel 4 Commissioner joins Wander Films

Posted on 10 May 2023 by North East Screen

Former Channel 4 commissioner and Big Brother Producer, Ramy El-Bergamy, has been appointed as Head of Development by industry trailblazers, Wander Films. With nearly 20 years of experience in the TV industry, Ramy brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to Wander, taking the well-established Middlesbrough based content marketing agency to the next level.

Over the last 5 years, the team of 20 has had incredible growth, creating social media content for brands around the world such as KPMG, Hampton by Hilton and McDonalds. The agency feels like now is the perfect time to break into the world of TV, developing IP and original, groundbreaking formats in the factual entertainment genre.

Before joining Wander, Ramy served as the On-Screen Diversity Executive at Channel 4, where he was responsible for promoting diversity and inclusivity in on-screen talent, before moving into commissioning in the Daytime team, where he looked after some of the channel’s biggest brands, including Four in a Bed, Come Dine With Me and A Place in the Sun.

“I’m very excited to join the team at Wander and help them grow their ambition of moving into TV and digital. The North East has some huge creative potential, and I’m very excited to be working with such talent in an already strong and sound infrastructure in Wander”

Under Ramy’s leadership, Channel 4’s On-screen Year of Disability initiative in 2016 saw a significant increase in diverse representation, with more than 20 of the network’s flagship programmes featuring double the number of individuals with disabilities than in previous years. Ramy brings this same dedication and passion to his new role at Wander, where he will continue to positively impact the TV industry, aligning with Wander’s values of an inclusive culture where everyone has the opportunity to be seen and heard.

The expansion to TV has always been part of Wander’s long term strategy, selected as a Pact Future30 company for being one of the UK’s most exciting up and coming indies, Wander was also recently in paid development with BBC Three. Founders Lou Tonner and Chloë Clover are excited to continue scaling and developing Wander.

“We’re stoked to have a proper TV legend like Ramy join the team! It’s a super exciting time with a lot of momentum in Wander. The TV & digital space right now is ready to be shaken up and we’re going to be part of the movement, 100%.”

This appointment has been supported with match-funding from the REACH Film and TV Development Grant Award. The grant from North East Screen is designed to support the development of exceptional content for screens and support the growth of creative businesses based in the North East of England.

Lisa Laws, Head of Talent and Business Development at North East Screen, is focused on providing support to the region’s creative business talent who are making waves on a range of platforms.

Speaking on Ramy’s appointment, she said:

“Ramy’s appointment, with his exceptional track record, feels like the perfect fit to drive Wander’s broadcast TV development slate forward. He has the connections and experience to develop and win broadcast commissions. Wander brings a new voice, fresh perspectives and a real appetite for television that audiences and commissioners will love. We cannot wait to see what new formats and stories the supercharged team uncover for our screens.”

Newcastle based TV Post-production house lands work for BBC Comedy short film

Posted on 9 May 2023 by North East Screen

The Church Post, an editing facility in Byker, Newcastle has completed the post-production of a BBC Comedy short film, ‘Where it Ends’ for London production company Tiger Aspect.

‘Where It Ends’, a short film produced by Tiger Aspect was written, developed and shot entirely in the North East of England with all cast and crew from the region. The Church Post was commissioned by Tiger Aspect to complete the post-production of the comedy short making it a fully North East produced programme.

Lisa Laws, Head of Talent and Business Development at North East Screen said;

“We are delighted that The Church Post along with East Wing Sound were contracted to deliver this work which shows we have the talent and drive in the North East to grow businesses that will support more commissions to be developed, filmed and edited in the region.”

The Church Post provided Tiger Aspect with the Offline Edit, Online Edit, Colour Grade, VFX, Dubbing mix, ADR, QC and Dispatch. Their new editing suite in Newcastle has three offline edits running Avid and Premiere and one finishing suite in Resolve alongside the dubbing and ADR suite.”

Sheree Black, Production Executive at Tiger Aspect Productions said;

“This was our first time working with The Church Post and it has been an excellent one. It is a top end facility with a knowledgeable, creative and helpful team which helped make our BBC short, ‘Where it Ends’, something we’re extremely proud of. We are looking forward to working with the team again.”

James Baxter, Founder of The Church Post said;

“We are looking to expand to five edit suites over the next year and we have employed post-production producer Emily Ballantyne to support us in our growth. We are also looking to bring on two trainee editors/ edit assistants from the North East and invest in the infrastructure of the building with faster internet connection and a larger storage space.

I am delighted with how ‘Where it End’s has turned out which is thanks to our hardworking and talented team of Mark Lediard, Rich McCoull, Emily Ballantyne and David Scott. We would welcome more post-production in the North East.”

Lisa Laws continued;

“To have this sort of facility here is exactly what we’re aiming for as part of the wider North East Screen Industries Partnership as it shows a real commitment from broadcasters and out of region production companies to grow not only our talent and companies but also our infrastructure. It ensures that once a production company has filmed here, they can stay to complete the editing, keeping investment in the region and sustaining work for our talented and specialist post production crew.”