Coldplay Performance to Open Brit Awards Show – Global Bulletin

In today’s Global Bulletin, Coldplay to open Brit Awards show; Channel 4 drama “Screw” sets cast; NATPE and Banijay Rights appoint senior personnel; and Red Arrow Studios International and TV Asahi set co-development partnership.

A performance by Coldplay, one of the world’s biggest bands with over 100 million album sales worldwide to date, will open this year’s Brit Awards show on May 11.

The awards will take place at London’s The O2 arena, exclusively broadcast on ITV and ITV Hub and hosted by comedian and actor Jack Whitehall. Coldplay’s first TV performance in over a year will see the band performing on a pontoon on the Thames near The O2, and will follow the release of their new single “Higher Power” which releases May 7.

Coldplay joins an array of stellar acts including Arlo Parks; Dua Lipa; Griff, this year’s Rising Star winner; Headie One; Olivia Rodrigo and Rag’n’Bone Man; and P!nk with the Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Trust Choir.

The Brit Awards last month announced that it will be the first major indoor music event to welcome back a live audience.

CASTING

Nina Sosanya (“His Dark Materials”), Jamie-Lee O’Donnell (“Derry Girls”), Stephen Wight (“I May Destroy You”), Faraz Ayub (“Line of Duty”), Ron Donachie (“Game of Thrones”) and Laura Checkley (“King Gary”) will lead the cast of U.K. broadcaster Channel 4’s six-part drama “Screw.” Created by BAFTA-nominated writer Rob Williams (“The Victim,” “Killing Eve”), the series is billed as the uncensored, shocking and often darkly funny reality of life as a prison officer in an all-male prison in 21st century Britain.

“Screw” is an STV Studios production for Channel 4, commissioned by Caroline Hollick, Channel 4 head of drama and overseen by Lee Mason, Channel 4 commissioning editor and Gemma Boswell, Channel 4 head of development. Rob Williams is creator, lead writer and executive producer, with Karla Crome and Roanne Bardsley completing the writing team. Sarah Brown is executive producer for STV Studios (“Elizabeth is Missing”) and Brian Kaczynski, producer (“Peaky Blinders”). Banijay Rights will manage global distribution for the series.

Meanwhile, Vice Distribution, the global distribution division of Vice Media Group and Channel 4, have renewed their partnership for over 120 hours of content, including 70 hours of new programming, to air on streamer All 4. New content from across Vice Media Group includes “Criminal Planet,” “Dark Side of American Football,” “Dark Side of The 90s” and “The Deep End” as well as licensing all previous and brand new seasons of “Dark Side of The Ring,” “Black Market” and “The Devil You Know.”

APPOINTMENTS

The National Association of Television Program Executives (NATPE) has announced the election of Sarah Aubrey, head of original content, HBO Max; Dan Cohen, president, global distribution group, ViacomCBS; Sean Cohan, chief growth officer and president, international; Nielsen; and Laura Kennedy, CEO, Avalon to its board, effective immediately.

The announcement was made by Andy Kaplan, NATPE chair of the Board and J.P. Bommel, president and CEO of NATPE. The new appointees will serve a term of three years.

NATPE International Budapest, one of the largest marketplaces in central Europe, will take place both virtually and at the Intercontinental Budapest, Aug. 30 – Sept. 2.

Elsewhere, Banijay Rights has promoted Claire Jago to EVP, EMEA sales and acquisitions, reporting to the division’s CEO, Cathy Payne.

In her expanded role, Jago will now take responsibility for the team and activity across the entire region. She takes on the role following eight months as SVP, Nordics at Banijay Rights. Prior to the acquisition of Endemol Shine Group by Banijay, she was a senior sales director for Endemol Shine International. Since joining the business in 2006, she has worked across much of EMEA, building a client base spanning Nordics, Benelux, Greece, Middle East, Turkey and Africa. Now expanding her remit, she will oversee the group’s cross-genre sales and acquisitions strategy in the region, representing its 100,000 hour-strong catalogue.

PARTNERSHIP

Red Arrow Studios International and Japanese commercial broadcaster TV Asahi have signed a co-development partnership to develop new entertainment formats for the international market.

The first project in development is “Crazy Elevator” (w/t), a comic gameshow in which players try to reach the top of a tower to claim the treasure that awaits them. However, each floor presents a different hilarious challenge they must successfully complete and make it back inside the elevator before the doors close.

TV Asahi will distribute the format in Asia, while Red Arrow Studios International will handle distribution rights for the rest of the world.

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