BBC Studios Acquires Unscripted Production Company Mothership TV

BBC Studios Productions, a unit of BBC Studios, has boosted its investment in Mothership TV, the unscripted production firm founded by former Channel 4 deputy director of programs Kelly Webb-Lamb, to take full ownership of the company.
In late 2022, BBC Studios Productions had taken a 25 percent stake in the company.
More from The Hollywood Reporter
Andrew Tate and Brother Tristan Charged With 21 U.K. Crimes, Including Rape and Human Trafficking
Susie Wolff Is Putting the F(emale) in F1
Guillermo del Toro to Host Canadian Horror Film Festival (Exclusive)
The transaction unveiled on Thursday marks the second deal for an unscripted indie by the unit of the commercial arm of the BBC following its acquisition of Voltage TV (Amanda and Alan, Tempting Fortune) in 2022. Mothership will be part of BBC Studios' newly announced Unscripted Productions, led by Kate Ward, managing director, Unscripted Productions.
Financial details weren't disclosed. Under the terms of the deal. BBC Studios will have first-look global distribution and format rights to Mothership's output.
Mothership launched in 2022 to make 'entertaining, warm and witty unscripted formats of scale.' Currently in production by it is Secret Genius, a new competition format for Channel 4 in which 'Alan Carr and Susie Dent will test Britain's brainpower like never before to uncover the country's most gifted and unsung minds.' Mothership has also produced Around The World in 80 Weighs and Sandi's Great British Woodland Restoration for Channel 4, with 'a raft of new programs in development.'
Said Webb-Lamb: 'What matters most to me is being able to make great telly with great people and I've really enjoyed and valued Mothership's relationship with BBC Studios over the past three years. I'm looking forward to deepening this relationship going forward.'
Added Ward: 'As demand for unscripted formats continues to grow both in the U.K. and around the world, we are thrilled to be strengthening our successful partnership with Kelly and Mothership and look forward to a very exciting future.'
BBC Studios Productions also houses six scripted labels, namely Lookout Point (Gentleman Jack, Happy Valley 3), Baby Cow Productions (Brian and Margaret, Changing Ends), House Productions (Conclave, Sherwood), Clerkenwell Films (Baby Reindeer, The End of the F**king World) Sid Gentle Films (Killing Eve, Rain Dog) and Firebird (Wild Cherry, Outrageous). It also holds minority investments in a five others, namely Various Artists Limited, Expectation Entertainment, Turbine and Boffola Pictures.
Best of The Hollywood Reporter
How the Warner Brothers Got Their Film Business Started
Meet the World Builders: Hollywood's Top Physical Production Executives of 2023
Men in Blazers, Hollywood's Favorite Soccer Podcast, Aims for a Global Empire

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Learn with AIFact CheckingText to SpeechAI Summary

Related Articles

Yahoo

4 days ago

• Yahoo

BritBox Greenlights Contemporary Adaptation of Agatha Christie's ‘Tommy & Tuppence'

BritBox has green-lit a six-part contemporary adaptation of Agatha Christie's Tommy & Tuppence. The series, following adaptations of Towards Zero and Murder Is Easy, will be produced by Lookout Point (Happy Valley, Gentlemen Jack), part of BBC Studios, in association with Agatha Christie Limited. Phoebe Eclair-Powell will write the show in her first drama series commission for television. More from The Hollywood Reporter Al Pacino Meets Pope Leo XIV, Becoming First Movie Star to Get an Audience With American Pontiff Colombian 'Narcos' Producer Dynamo Hires Angélica Guerra to Drive International Growth (Exclusive) Israel-Iran Conflict Dominates Global News 'Tommy and Tuppence are a detective duo for the ages,' a synopsis reads. 'They fall in love, fall out of it, and tumble back in, all while solving some thrilling, entertaining mysteries along the way.' BritBox North America president and general manager at BritBox International Robert Schildhouse said: 'Tommy & Tuppence is a contemporary twist on Agatha Christie's beloved sleuthing duo. With Phoebe Eclair-Powell's superb writing and Lookout Point's stellar production team, this series promises to be a fun blend of romance and mystery.' 'We can't wait for BritBox audiences to fall in love with Tommy and Tuppence all over again as they navigate murder, mystery, and mischief.' Eclair-Powell added: 'As an Agatha Christie superfan, this job is a dream come true. I am eternally grateful to James Prichard and Agatha Christie Limited for having me on board. With the excellent teams at Lookout Point and BritBox, who are clear Christie fans too, it's a perfect combination.' 'Christie's detective duo are witty, sharp and raring to solve lots and lots of murders whilst asking if they should really be more than just partners in crime… To bring Tommy and Tuppence into the twenty-first century is truly an honour.' The series was commissioned by Robert Schildhouse, Jon Farrar and Stephen Nye on behalf of BritBox. Laura Lankester, Katie Draper, and Louise Mutter from Lookout Point, along with James Prichard from Agatha Christie Limited, also executive produce. Production is scheduled to begin later this year. BBC Studios will handle global sales. The streamer's extensive collection of Agatha Christie adaptations include Agatha Christie's Towards Zero, Murder is Easy, Why Didn't They Ask Evans?, Poirot, Marple, and The Pale Horse. Best of The Hollywood Reporter 'The Studio': 30 Famous Faces Who Play (a Version of) Themselves in the Hollywood-Based Series 22 of the Most Shocking Character Deaths in Television History A 'Star Wars' Timeline: All the Movies and TV Shows in the Franchise

Yahoo

4 days ago

• Yahoo

Melanie Rumani, BBC Studios and UKTV Global Head of Acquisitions, Dies at 50

Melanie Rumani, global head of acquisitions for BBC Studios and UKTV, has died after a long battle with cancer. She was 50. Rumani joined BBC Studios in 2006, holding various positions within sales and acquisitions until her most recent role. Her contribution to the business has been described as immense, sourcing content for 40 individual pay TV channels and SVOD BBC-branded services globally, as well as helping to launch new channels across multiple territories including BBC Earth, BBC Brit and BBC First. More from The Hollywood Reporter 'Before/After' Explores Transformation as Two Men Bond Over Baldness (Exclusive KVIFF Trailer) 'Wicked,' 'Anora,' More 'Poker Face,' Record Number of Local Originals on SkyShowtime Slate (Exclusive) Locarno Film Festival: Lebanon's Abbout Productions to Receive Producing Award The exec, as global head of acquisitions for BBC Studios and UKTV, delivered a raft of global deals with a number of studios. 'Mel's contribution to BBC Studios and the wider BBC Group cannot be underestimated, and it was a privilege to work with her,' said BBC Studios CEO Tom Fussell. 'She was fearless and tenacious in her approach to deal-making, and this translated into how she approached everyday life too. We are all in total admiration of how she tackled her illness and her determination to continue working despite the challenges that presented. 'Mel is going to be hugely missed by all those who had the pleasure of working with her and our thoughts are with Mel's husband Hass and her wider family and friends.' Marcus Arthur, CEO at UKTV, added: 'Mel had incredible resilience, and she brought a fast-paced energy and determination to everything she tackled. Her wealth of knowledge was incredible, and she was highly regarded in the industry for her expertise and professionalism.' 'Mel was also funny, kind and passionate,' he continued. 'She was an inspiration to all of us and our thoughts are with Mel's husband and our much-loved colleague Hass, at this terribly sad time.' Best of The Hollywood Reporter Most Anticipated Concert Tours of 2025: Beyoncé, Billie Eilish, Kendrick Lamar & SZA, Sabrina Carpenter and More Hollywood's Most Notable Deaths of 2025 Hollywood's Highest-Profile Harris Endorsements: Taylor Swift, George Clooney, Bruce Springsteen and More

Forbes

6 days ago

• Forbes

UFC Removes Hall-Of-Famer From Roster, Fans React To Update

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - NOVEMBER 14: UFC President Dana White speaks during the UFC 309 press ... More conference at The Theater at Madison Square Garden on November 14, 2024 in New York City. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC) It's official—no, really official. Jose Aldo is no longer a part of the UFC's active roster. While Aldo made it clear after his recent loss to Aiemann Zahabi at UFC 315 that he was done competing in the Octagon and in mixed martial arts, it's now been confirmed. However, it hit different on Monday morning when this post dropped from UFC Roster Watch. By the afternoon, the post was liked almost 12,000 times. It had nearly a million impressions and one of the first comments came from social media celebrity, Andrew Tate. Others used memes of a despondent Aldo sitting in the Octagon following the controversial unanimous decision that saw him lose to Zahabi after the Brazilian legend missed weight. Almost every comment was one of praise for one of the greatest featherweight champions and fighters—regardless of weight class—in mixed martial arts history. Normally when a fighter of Aldo's ilk walks away, you hear comments on their career and situation from Dana White. That hasn't happened as of yet, but it would be interesting to hear what White has to say about one of the biggest stars in the promotion's history. Barring a highly unlikely return to the Octagon, Aldo, 38, walks away with a 32-10 record. He lost his last two fights to Zahabi and Mario Bautista, but I scored both of those fights for Aldo. He just didn't get the nod from the official judges. RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL - MAY 04: Jose Aldo of Brazil poses for a portrait after his victory during ... More the UFC 301 event at Farmasi Arena on May 04, 2024 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. (Photo by Mike Roach/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images) According to Tapology, Aldo is listed as the No. 7 MMA Striker of All-Time, the No. 3 Fan-Favorite fighter and the eighth greatest MMA Fighter of All Time. Aldo was a perfect 8-0 with WEC and their reigning featherweight champion before the promotion was absorbed by the UFC. Aldo had seven finishes in those bouts, including memorable wins over Cub Swanson, Mike Brown, Urijah Faber, and Manny Gamburyan in a relentless 15-month run from June 2009 to September 2010. Aldo made his UFC debut in April 2011 when he scored a unanimous decision win over Mark Hominick in a fight that earned him a Fight of the Night bonus. Aldo would begin his UFC career with a spectacular seven-fight win streak, with victories over Kenny Florian, Chad Mendes (twice), Frankie Edgar, Chan Sung Jung, and Ricardo Lamas. Junior's reign came to a crashing halt when he was knocked out by Conor McGregor in 13 seconds at UFC 194 in December 2015. For the remainder of his career, Aldo went 7-8. Aldo was inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame in 2023 during his first retirement. However, after competing in three boxing matches in 2023, he returned to the UFC with an impressive unanimous decision win over Jonathan Martinez in May 2024 in his native Brazil. The victory positioned Aldo as a potential dark horse challenger for the UFC bantamweight title. Alas, his momentum was stopped with the losses to Bautista and Zahabi. Combined with the brutal weight cut ahead of the fight with Zahabi, Aldo chose to call it a career. LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - APRIL 11: Jamahal Hill is seen on stage during the UFC 300 press conference at ... More MGM Grand Garden Arena on April 11, 2024 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images) The UFC will be in Baku this weekend for a Fight Night event that figures to have a spirited crowd considering its a first for the region. Here's a look at the lineup of fights.