RENEWAL
World Productions (“Vigil,” “Line of Duty”) is producing a new season of hit series “Showtrial” for BBC One and iPlayer. Writer and creator Ben Richards (“The Diplomat”) returns for the series.
In the show, when high-profile climate activist Marcus Calderwood is left for dead in a violent hit and run, he uses his dying moments to identify his killer – a serving policeman. From the victim’s last breath to the jury’s final verdict, “Showtrial” delves into the worlds of cocky officer Justin Mitchell (Michael Socha, “Chernobyl”); Sam Gill (BAFTA winner Adeel Akhtar, “Sherwood”), an anxious defense solicitor with a reputation for winning lost causes; and Leila Hassoun-Kenny (Nathalie Armin, “The Batman”), a rigorous lawyer leading the case against the accused.
The first season aired on the BBC in the U.K. in 2021 and found a U.S. home in Sundance Now.
“Showtrial” (5 x 60′) is directed by Julia Ford (“Everything I Know About Love”) and produced by Ken Horn (“Line of Duty”). Executive producers are Simon Heath and Emma Luffingham for World Productions (an ITV Studios company), with Nawfal Faizullah for the BBC. It is produced with support from Northern Ireland Screen, in association with ITV Studios which will also handle international distribution. Filming begins in November in Belfast.
APPOINTMENT
ITV Studios has become an associate member of the TV Access Project and Bethany Matthews has been appointed as its first in-house access coordinator, reporting into Julie Clark, director of production, drama and Sam Tatlow, creative diversity partner at ITV.
Matthews will sit across all seven in-house ITV Studios’ drama labels, working alongside production teams to ensure solutions are in place that remove barriers to accessibility requirements. This includes: ensuring all production teams, crew and cast complete accessibility training, reviewing the accessibility of production sites and working with post-production to ensure accessible editing facilities.
FIRST LOOK
The first look of Saif Ali Khan in Indian film “Devara” has been revealed. The film is headlined by “RRR” star NTR Jr and also features Janhvi Kapoor. It is directed by Koratala Siva. The film is produced by Kosaraju Hari Krishna and Sudhakar Mikkilineni under the banners NTR Arts and Yuvasudha Arts respectively and is presented by Nandamuri Kalyan Ram.
POLL
“Sholay”
Everett Collection
Ramesh Sippy‘s iconic 1975 curry western “Sholay” has topped Indian entertainment portal Film Companion‘s first Best Indian Films Forever List. Taking a leaf out of the revered Sight & Sound poll playbook, the list canvassed the rankings of Indian filmmakers and actors including Mira Nair, Karan Johar, Zoya Akhtar, Hrithik Roshan, Anil Kapoor, NTR Jr and Yash and several critics and cinephiles.
- “Sholay” (1975), Ramesh Sippy
- “Pather Panchali” (1955), Satyajit Ray
- “Pyaasa” (1957), Guru Dutt
- “Jaane Bhi Do Yaaro” (1983), Kundan Shah and “Meghe Dhaka Tara” (1960), Ritwik Ghatak (tied)
- “Mughal-e-Azam” (1960), K. Asif
- “Charulata” (1964), Satyajit Ray
- “Nayakan” (1987), Mani Ratnam
- “Satya” (1998), Ram Gopal Varma
- “Iruvar” (1997), Mani Ratnam
- “Garm Hava” (1974), M.S. Sathyu and “Guide” (1965), Vijay Anand (tied)