Channel 4 announces new commissions in Formats, Education and Music

6 March 2014

Channel 4 has announced three new commissions across Formats, Education and Music:  a new eight part constructed reality series for E4, Taking New York; a 60 minute film for Channel 4 following young British Silicon Valley entrepreneurs, Techs in the City (W/T); and a five part music documentary series in collaboration with Dazed, Music Nation (W/T), charting the rise and fall of the UK’s seminal music scenes of the last twenty years.

 The new shows were commissioned by Head of Formats, Dom Bird and his team, including Jilly Pearce, Commissioning Editor, Formats; Jonathan Rothery, Commissioning Editor, Music; and the newly appointed Bec Milligan, Editor, Education.

 Announcing three new series this week Dom Bird said: “These three new commissions reflect the our goal to bring broad range of programming covering issues and topics that resonate with younger viewers to the peak time schedule across Channel 4, E4 and online”.

 

Taking New York - Formats

Channel 4 Formats has commissioned Taking New York, an 8 x 60’ constructed reality series for E4 which will chronicle the lives of a group of twenty-something British friends striving to make their American dream come true.

 Some will already be making a name for themselves, others will have just arrived and will need to figure out the etiquette of life in the Big Apple … fast. The cameras will capture the highs, the lows, the heartbreaks, the competition, the clashes and the insecurities that come with life and love in New York City.

Taking New York has been commissioned by Channel 4’s Head of Formats Dom Bird and Commissioning Editor, Formats, Jilly Pearce and will be produced by Twofour with Executive Producers David Clews, Andrew Mackenzie and Sharyn Mills.  Filming will begin later this year.

 

Techs in the City (WT) - Education

Techs in the City (W/T), a 1 x 60 documentary for Channel 4 will follow the efforts of bright young high flying British entrepreneurs chasing, making, and spending their fortunes in Silicon Valley, California.

 Silicon Valley is home to the hottest new tech companies in the world. It’s a place where youth and brains count for everything with some investors considering those over thirty over the hill. Techs in the City (W/T) will show the highs and lows, glitz and glamour, stresses and strains of running a multimillion dollar company when you’re not even old enough to legally buy yourself a cocktail.

 Commissioned by Education Editor Bec Milligan, Techs in the City (W/T) is one of the first tranche of commissions from Channel 4’s Education team since a recent restructure. Techs in the City (W/T) will be produced by multiplatform producer The Connected Set and is Executive Produced by Jason Mitchell. 

 

Music Nation (W/T) - Music

Channel 4 and Dazed join forces to co-produce Music Nation (W/T),  5 x 30 minute documentary films dedicated to charting the rise and fall of the UK's seminal music scenes of the last twenty years.

 Each individual film will be made up of personal stories and archive, put together by directors who lived and breathed the music of each period. The films will cover Triphop to Grime looking at the key players, fashion, subculture and lasting impact these scenes had on British society.

 Commissioned by Jonathan Rothery, Executive Produced by Ravi Amaratunga for Dazed Vision, the in-house Video arm of Dazed.

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