C4 announces the return of The Jump and raft of commissions for 2015

1 September 2014

Channel 4 Factual Entertainment Head, Liam Humphreys, announces the return of The Jump and raft of bold commissions for 2015

Following the success of the first series earlier this year the most dangerous show on TV, The Jump, will return to Channel 4 in early 2015. The series will again air live from Innsbruck, Austria and another eclectic group of famous faces will take on the thrills and spills of adrenaline filled winter sports, including a terrifying live ski jump to secure their place in the competition.

Filled with diamanté encrusted cat suits, high speed adrenaline pumping races and Winter Olympic legend Eddie ‘The Eagle’ Edwards, the series averaged 2.4 million viewers and was up 18% on the slot average.

A host of celebrities, including Sir Steve Redgrave, Sinitta and Amy Childs, battled it out to win the competition. After weeks of gruelling training the celebrities competed in a series of high-octane winter sporting disciplines including bobsleigh, skeleton, slalom, speed skating, ski-cross and speed skiing with the bottom two facing a live ski jump each night. It wasn’t all smooth sailing with a few bumps, bruises and broken bones along the way. Singer Joe McElderry was crowned The Jump Champion 2014, but who will be brave enough and skilled enough to take on the challenge and steal his crown?

Details for the new series are still under wraps. Further information will follow in the coming months.

The second series of The Island With Bear Grylls will have two islands - one for men and one for women. The two groups will be completely separate during the process.  The two islands will create two individual series which will be aired alongside each other on C4 in 2015. The Island With Bear Grylls series 2 will remain true to the experiment that was conducted in the first series asking the question – can you survive, completely alone on a deserted island when stripped of the conveniences and luxuries of 21st century living? As with the last series, the groups will include trained cameramen and women who will record the experience on the island, living under the same conditions as all of the islands inhabitants. 

Troy is set to return for a second series in 2015.  Filled with more astonishing stunts and illusions, the series will once again be filmed on the streets using hidden cameras to capture the genuine reactions of unsuspecting members of the public. The first series of Troy aired earlier in 2014 averaging an audience of 660k and 3.64% share of viewers per episode. The series more than doubled E4’s slot average for its key demographic of 16-34 year olds and was up by over +50% compared with the channel’s slot average for individuals. Troy was E4’s highest launch of a UK origination in 7 years (since Skins in 2007).

For Richard Ayoade all holidays are hell. In a new series. Wish You Weren't Here (wt),  he will attempt to be convinced otherwise, but it won’t be easy. In each episode Richard will be joined by a famous holiday companion and together they will embark on a voyage of discovery to some of the most aspirational destinations in Europe. From otter hotels to ice palaces, underwater bedrooms and guest houses on top of cranes, the series will feature some of the most bizarre yet wonderful places you can visit.  As the travel lovers take it all in, Richard, the eternal pessimist, will simply ask why would you ever want to go there?

 

Sex Educator and UNFPA goodwill ambassador Goedele Liekens wants to drag Britain’s sex education into the 21st century. Statistics show that Britain has the highest teenage pregnancy rate in Western Europe, sexually transmitted infections are rising and 70% of teens believe that porn is a reliable source of information. Goedele  thinks our hopelessly out-of date sex education is to blame. Her belief is that sex should be taught properly and comprehensively so she’s campaigning to not only improve sex education across the board but also to introduce a GCSE in sex. In a new one off programme called Sex in Class (wt) Goedele will work with year 11 students in British schools to pilot different modules that could potentially become a properly ratified GCSE.

A new four-part series, Kevin McCloud:  Escape to the Wild (wt), will see Kevin uncover the incredible stories of ordinary people who have abandoned the rat race and chosen instead to move to some of the most remote places on earth.  As our cities become ever more crowded and lives even more stressful, Kevin wants to find out if a simpler life out in the wild could make you happier.  He’ll delve into lives of these brave individuals to discover what life is really like in these remote places -  revealing what can be learnt from this.  They’ll be no VIP treatment, he’ll have to immerse himself into this alternative way of living where they’ll be harsh challenges as well as the rich and joyful experiences that come from being away from the mad and stressful life of the modern city.

Channel 4 also announced the  commission of a ground-breaking new 3x60’ series from Twofour and GroupM Entertainment called Dementiaville (wt) earlier this year, which will explore a progressive approach to the care  of people with dementia.  The series will explore the latest thinking in dementia care which aims to alleviate the anxiety and confusion of people with the condition and their families, whilst celebrating the person they once were.

Led by experts in dementia care, Dementiaville (wt) will uncover dramatic real-life stories, using archive to re-discover the person behind the dementia. Families in crisis will be empowered as they discover emotional and practical progressive care showing them it is possible to cope and live better with dementia.

 

Production Information:

 The Jump, Channel 4

Executive Producer: Melanie Leach and Andrew Mackenzie

Production Company: TwoFour and GroupM Entertainment

Commissioning Editors: Liam Humphreys and Tom Beck

 

The Island with Bear Grylls, 6x60’, Channel 4

Executive Producer: Tim Whitwell

Production Company: Shine

Commissioning Editors: Liam Humphreys

Troy series 2, 4x60’, E4

Executive Producer:

Production Company: Zig Zag and GroupM Entertainment

Commissioning Editors: Liam Humphreys and Tina Flintoff

 

Wish You Weren't Here (wt)  4x60’, Channel 4

Executive Producer: Steve Gowans

Production Company: North One Television

Commissioning Editors: Liam Humphreys and Tina Flintoff

 

Sex in Class (wt), 1x60’, Channel 4

Executive producer: Joanna Ball

Production Company: Ricochet

Commissioning Editors: Liam Humphreys and Lucy Leveugle

 

Kevin McCloud: Escape to the Wild (wt), 4x60’, Channel 4

Executive Producer: Sue Murphy, Patrick Furlong

Production Company: Optomen

Commissioning Editors: Liam Humphreys and Ian Dunkley

 

Dementiaville (wt), 3x60’, Channel 4

Executive Producer: David Clews

Production Company: Twofour and GroupM Entertainment

Commissioning Editors: Liam Humphreys and Lucy Leveugle