CHANNEL 5 COMMISSIONS TWO NEW CLAPPERBOARD DRAMAS TO AIR IN 2022

LONDON 28th February 2022: Channel 5 have today announced two brand new dramas from Clapperboard, Chalkboard’s scripted sister company, set to air in 2022. Both series were ordered by Sebastian Cardwell, Deputy Chief Content Officer UK, at Paramount.   

The first series is Desperate Measures (4 x 60”), which follows diligent bank clerk Rowan, who has raised her teenage son Finn on a lawless estate whilst paying off her absent father’s debts. Rowan’s life spirals when Finn is coerced into a botched drug deal by a local gang. With Finn’s life on the line and a violent gang leader encroaching on her life, Rowan is faced with recuperating the money that Finn lost. Desperate to save her son and having exhausted all options, Rowan commits to a dangerous heist at the bank she works in. Desperate Measures will be produced in association with international distributor Eccho Rights. Mike Benson and Julie Ryan team up again as executive producers for Clapperboard, whilst Adam Barth and Nicola Söderlund serve as executive producers for Eccho Rights.  Helen Ostler (The Last Kingdom) is the producer, whilst Anthony Philipson (Our Girl) will be the director of the series.   

The second offering from Clapperboard, produced in association with Chapter One and Endeavor Content, is The Winter Child (4 x 60”). The series follows Claudia, a lonely single mother and school nurse, longing for connection. Her opportunity to be a hero comes when a young child in her community – Emily Winter – goes missing. Claudia becomes embroiled in the case and fixated on uncovering the truth. However, her fascination quickly begins to turn to obsession, not only with what happened to Emily, but also with the Winter family at the heart of the case. Emily’s grief-stricken father, Owen; her cold mother, Sabine, and her twelve-year-old brother, Dean. Mike Benson and Julie Ryan serve as executive producers for Clapperboard, whilst Sophie Gardiner and Toby Bentley are executive producers for Chapter One. Giula Sandler (White House Farm) is the writer of The Winter Child, whilst Cormac Fox (Animals) joins the team as producer and Dominic Leclerc (The Teacher) will direct. Endeavor Content handles worldwide distribution on the title outside the UK.   

On the expansion of Channel 5’s 2022 drama slate Sebastian Cardwell said: “I’m delighted to be working with the talented Clapperboard team again on these exciting additions to our scripted slate. These new commissions for 2022 illustrate the continued growth of Channel 5’s thriving drama portfolio, and I’m looking forward to seeing them come to fruition over the next year.”   

Mike Benson, Managing Director, Clapperboard added: “Desperate Measures will be our first foray into producing an action thriller, which asks how far you’d be prepared to go in protection of your loved ones? Quite far it turns out! In The Winter Child our brilliant writer Giula has created a fascinating, flawed protagonist at the heart of the narrative which I loved from first reading the pilot. We’re of course thrilled to be working again with the Paramount Global team and our brilliant distribution partners who do such a fantastic job of supporting us and our productions.”   

Both series will commence shooting on location in 2022. Casting details will be announced in the coming months.   The additional commissions follow a string of successful drama series from Clapperboard for Channel 5, including Sally Lindsay’s The Madame Blanc Mysteries (co-produced with Saffron-Cherry Productions) and most recently The Teacher with Sheridan Smith.   

ENDS 

For further enquiries please contact:

Amanda Browne | amanda.browne@vimn.com

About Channel 5:   Channel 5 is a public service broadcaster and the UK’s third largest commercial TV station. Launched in March 1997, Channel 5 has been owned by Paramount since September 2014. Channel 5, 5STAR, 5USA, 5Select and My5 TV reach 3 in 4 of the UK viewing public each month with a diverse schedule including issue-led documentaries, popular factual, accessible history, stunning natural history, inclusive entertainment and reality, top level sport, high quality scripted programming and critically acclaimed children’s, news and current affairs programming. Through its agenda-driving commissions, Channel 5 has led on societal issues from inequality to inner city gang life, homelessness to mental health, aiming to tell the story of modern Britain by reflecting the lives of people across the nation.  My5 is an on-demand service allowing viewers to watch content online for free from Channel 5, 5STAR, 5USA, 5Select and 5Spike, as well as selected third-party channels. In 2018, Channel 5 won its first BAFTA for Cruising with Jane McDonald and was named ‘Channel of the Year’ at the Edinburgh TV Festival. In 2019, Chanel 5 won best documentary award for The Abused at the RTS Awards, Edinburgh TV Awards and the Association of International Broadcasters Awards. In 2020, Channel 5 was crowned Channel of the Year at the Broadcast Digital Awards and Channel of the Year at the RTS awards.   

About Clapperboard:   Clapperboard Studios was set up in 2020 as the partner company of Chalkboard – Producers of 2019’s Cold Call - and Storyboard Studios. Since its inception Clapperboard have gone on to produce a diverse range of dramas including the critically acclaimed The Teacher, the ratings winning Intruder and co-produce the hit comedy drama The Madame Blanc Mysteries. The company is headed up by Exec Producer and MD Mike Benson.   Clapperboard is part of iZen is the Producer-led content group comprising of a network of independent production companies in Spain, the Middle East and the UK. iZen’s experience in scripted also extends to one of Amazon Prime Video’s largest original scripted series in Europe, El Cid.   

About Chapter One:   Chapter One is a UK-based production house launched in June 2018 and is backed by Anonymous Content, Casarotto and United Agents. Bringing together three unique companies with a common purpose, Chapter One has created an opportunity to more easily identify and collaborate with both established and emerging international talent and to deliver premium content, both within the UK and on a global scale.  Their passion is for authored and entertaining work with a sense of purpose that places the writers and directors at the heart of everything we do, across all genres, broadcasters, and platforms. Chapter One is currently developing a slate of high-quality content for film and television both in the UK and internationally, and has a few shows in production in 2022 including: Best Interests, written by Jack Thorne for BBC1 and Boy Swallows Universe, based on Trent Dalton’s best-selling novel (co-produced with Anonymous Content and Brouhaha). 

About Endeavor Content   Endeavor Content is a global leader in the creation, production and distribution of premium film and television content. The studio’s film titles include “In the Heights” and “Just Mercy” for Warner Bros., “Book Club” for Paramount Pictures, “Blue Miracle” for Netflix, Oscar nominated “The Lost Daughter” for Netflix, “Ambulance” with Universal Pictures, “My Best Friend’s Exorcism” for Amazon, and Sundance Film Festival Audience Award winner “Cha Cha Real Smooth” for Apple TV+. The studio produces premium TV series such as “Severance,” “Roar,” “See” and “Truth Be Told” on Apple TV+, “Wolf Like Me” for Peacock, “Nine Perfect Strangers,“ “Life & Beth” for Hulu, and “Tokyo Vice” for HBO Max. Endeavor Content also handles global distribution for hit series including “Killing Eve,” “The Morning Show,” “Normal People” and “The Night Manager.”   

About Eccho Rights: Eccho Rights is a global rights management company with offices in Stockholm, Istanbul, London, Madrid and Seoul. We work with independent producers to empower creativity worldwide. Since 2018 Eccho Rights has been a part of CJ ENM, one of Asia’s largest media and entertainment companies.