Gateshead based companies are bidding for first place in the Broadcast Factual Entertainment category at this year’s RTS North East and Border Awards, held at the Hilton Newcastle Gateshead at the end of February.
Signpost Entertainment with Rivers Meet Productions are going head to head with Twentysix03 in this year’s battle for top spot.
Twentysix03 are on a roll with hit daytime shows. At the beginning of 2025 The Big Idea Works launched on BBC1 supported by the North East Production Fund. Starring TV favourite Sara Davies, the 14 episode series was shot in a studio set up in Hoults Yard, Newcastle.
In February 2025 at the RTS regional awards, they won the Broadcast Factual Entertainment award for Joanna Page’s Wildlife, a 15 part series combining Joanna’s lifelong passion for wild live and her infectious personality.
Towards the end of last year, Twentysix03 launched their latest series on BBC1, Sara Davies’ Christmas Craft Off, once again supported by the North East Production Fund, where celebrities are taught how to turn a room into the perfect festive setting. This time the series was filming on location in Darlington.
Signpost Entertainment with Rivers Meet Productions have now completed four series of Robson Green’s Weekend Escapes – a love letter to the North East and a showcase of calming activities, green spaces and stunning locations across the region and beyond. This and their long running series See Hear, a magazine show for the deaf community highlighting the latest issues, are both nominated in the Broadcast Entertainment category.
TV production is on the up here in the North East. These shows are helping to ensure that crew based here are securing high quality jobs and are keeping them in the region rather than seeking jobs elsewhere. Roles span from producer to runner, camera operator and digital imaging technician to researcher roles. This activity and North East Screen’s support with trainees is helping to drive growth in the industry.
Who will win the battle at this year’s awards? We’ll keep you posted with winners on the night.
