Channel 4 announces one-off Guy Martin show for Christmas

10 December 2014

Channel 4 today announced a new Guy Martin show for Christmas - Guy Martin’s Passion For Life - in which Guy reveals his love for engines, mechanics and most of all, speed.

Inspired by the successful Channel 4 Shorts series made exclusively for 4oD in partnership with Alfa Romeo, Maxus Partnerships and North One Television, this one-off programme to be broadcast on Saturday 27th December at 6.30pm, has been remade for broadcast on Channel 4 and will feature the entire short form series in one show.

Guy is one of the Isle of Man TT’s most popular competitors but away from the media glare, this film offers a snapshot into some of his favourite things: motorbike racing, engines, MOTs, Radio 4 and his day job as a truck mechanic.

Nothing else in life gives Guy quite as much satisfaction as an immaculately presented toolbox and he is at his happiest when surrounded by spanners and grease. In this programme viewers see him hard at work as a lorry mechanic, a job he's cycled to every day since he was 12 years old. He admits he’d choose a day at work over an all-expenses-paid trip to Las Vegas!

It has also long been Guy’s dream to own his very own Merlin, the iconic engine that was the heart of the nation’s favourite plane: the WW2 Spitfire fighter. Despite many wild goose chases he never gave up, and recently struck gold. In the film Guy proudly shows off his prized possession in all its glory by firing it up – despite his last attempt resulting in him nearly blowing up his house!

On his love for high performance, precision and authenticity, with conviction Guy reveals: “You've got to be into something, haven't you?” 

Richard Davidson-Houston, Channel 4’s Head of Online and editorial and commissioning strategy lead for Shorts commented: “We have had a universally positive response from viewers, indies and advertisers to 4oD Shorts. We’ve had over 3m views of the content in just a few weeks - and really strong ideas are coming in every day from both new and established indies. The creative opportunity seems to be firing people’s imaginations. The huge success of Guy Martin’s original series for 4oD and the fact that it’s now - unexpectedly - transferring to the main channel is proof of Channel 4’s willingness to take risks and to be a crucible for original ideas across all its platforms.”

Simon Wells, Partnership Controller, Funded Content & Creative Solutions at Channel 4 said: “Guy Martin’s Passion for Life being made for Channel 4 is a testament to the quality of our branded Shorts content on 4oD.”

Guy Martin’s Passion For Life Shorts series on 4oD has so far amassed over 500,000 views following its launch in August. It was produced by North One Television and managed by Channel 4 senior online producer, Lizzy Keene, in partnership with Alfa Romeo and Maxus Partnerships.

All of Channel 4’s Shorts series are available to watch on 4oD and designed to be enjoyed on the move on mobiles and tablets when viewers only have five minutes to spare. Other Shorts series include: Educating Binky in partnership with Rimmel London; Two Players; Tattoo Twists; Craic Addicts; Taxi Gags; and many more, with new original short form programmes being added to the collection all the time.

 

Notes to editors

• Channel 4’s new digital brand All 4 will replace the 4oD brand on all platforms from the end of Q1 2015. All 4’s new user interface and functionality will launch initially on PC and iOS devices and will be extended to other digital platforms across 2015. See press release for further details: http://bit.ly/1uVNfEu
• Guy Martin’s Passion For Life Shorts series on 4oD is available at www.channel4.com/guymartin