Sky Drives Off With Globe-Trotting Entertainment Format From Warner Bros’ Twenty Twenty
Manfred Bail/imageBROKER/REX/Shutterstock EXCLUSIVE: Sky is speeding up its multi-million-pound ent..
Manfred Bail/imageBROKER/REX/Shutterstock
EXCLUSIVE: Sky is speeding up its multi-million-pound entertainment drive with a new globetrotting car competition series. I understand that the British pay-TV broadcaster has ordered Faster: Race The World, a six-part series from Warner Bros-backed producer Twenty Twenty.
The show, which will air on Sky One later this year, is the broadcaster’s first entertainment commission since it unveiled its initial tranche of non-scripted orders in July 2017 as it made a major move back into the genre. At the time, it ordered Cat Deeley-fronted Sing: Ultimate A Cappella, which aired last year to underwhelming numbers, and “Mad Max-meets-Wacky Races” format Carnage, formerly known as Carmageddon, from Mat Steiner and Adam Wood’s Lionsgate-backed firm Primal Media and Rollerball-style contest Revolution from Natalka Znak’s eponymous indie. The latter two have yet to air.
Faster: Race The World will aim to tap into the “urban glamour” and car culture of some of the world’s major cities. It will follow six drivers as they fly out to a different car-crazy location each episode, where they will be immersed in its local car culture. They will then perform a series of driving challenges, based on skill and speed before one is crowned the winner.
It is the first major Sky order for Twenty Twenty for a number of years. The company is best known for producing series such as First Dates and The Choir. It comes after former BBC Commissioner Emma Willis was named MD of the firm at the end of last year following Tim Carter’s move to head up ITV-owned Shiver.
It’s believed that the series was commissioned by Sky head of entertainment and arts Phil Edgar-Jones, Sky One director Adam MacDonald and Sky Entertainment UK and Ireland director of programmes Zai Bennett.
