Stvg Regulatory News (STVG)

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SKY RECOMMISSIONS PRISON: FIRST & LAST 24 HOURS FROM STV PRODUCTIONS AND GROUPM ENTERTAINMENT

26 April 2016

Sky has commissioned STV Productions and GroupM Entertainment to return to Scotland's prisons to make a second documentary series about life behind bars in the 21st century.

The new eight-part series of Prison: First & Last 24 Hours will continue to bring viewers the compelling and sometimes eye-opening stories of convicted criminals as the production team is given exclusive access to four Scottish prisons; HMP Low Moss, HMP Barlinnie, HMP Greenock and HMP Edinburgh.

The series focuses on two groups of prisoners: those starting the first day of their jail sentence, and those experiencing their final 24 hours locked up, as they contemplate freedom and a return to the outside world they left behind.

Prisoners and members of prison staff will share their insights into the prison system in thought-provoking interviews, and tell the often poignant stories of their incarceration and working lives respectively.

Mick McAvoy, head of documentaries at STV Productions said: "It is a privilege to be back filming inside Scotland's prisons and to document the lives of prisoners as they go through the most dramatic days of their jail sentence. The first series was a great success and we're looking forward to working with GroupM Entertainment and Sky to yet again examine the complex lives of those who find themselves behind bars, reveal the challenges that face the staff in prison and show the reality of life in jail."

Tom Fox of the Scottish Prison Service said: "This successful series is one of the most authentic portrayals of prison life we've ever seen."

The second series of the documentary was commissioned for Sky by Siobhan Mulholland, who commented: "We hope viewers will again be gripped by the dichotomy Prison: First & Last 24 Hours presents them with; insightful, often sad personal stories juxtaposed with the reality of what can be brutal criminal acts. This thought provoking documentary series provides a fascinating look into institutions rarely exposed in non-scripted television."

The Series Producer for STV Productions is Louise Say.

The Executive Producer for STV Productions is Mick McAvoy.

The Executive Producer for GroupM Entertainment is Melanie Darlaston.

Prison: First & Last 24 Hours will be distributed internationally by Sky Vision.

In October 2015, STV Productions and GroupM Entertainment announced a format deal for the series with leading Australian broadcaster Nine Network, who will produce a compelling 8 part series for Australian viewers.

Ends

For further information, please contact the STV press office:-

Richard Holligan

0141 300 3416

richard.holligan@stv.tv

Anna Hendry

0141 300 3830

anna.hendry@stv.tv

STV Productions

STV Productions is one of the UK's leading content businesses with ambitious plans for growth both domestically and internationally. 

The company has a record of success across a range of genres including drama, entertainment and factual for a wide range of broadcasters. Ratings winner Antiques Road Trip has run for twelve series on the BBC, with a further five series of sister programme Celebrity Antiques Road Trip also produced. In entertainment, the company produces Catchphrase for ITV, Safeword for ITV2, The Link for BBC Daytime and The Lie for STV, TV3 in Ireland and S4C in Wales.

Specialist factual successes have included Tutankhamun: The Truth Uncovered for BBC1 and Swallowed By The Sea - Ancient Egypt's Greatest Lost City for BBC2. Documentaries have been another strong growth area. Fire in the Night, a feature documentary to mark the 25th anniversary of the Piper Alpha disaster, won a BAFTA Scotland Award for Best Single Documentary and the Audience Award at the Edinburgh International Film Festival. Since then we have produced The Lockerbie Bombing for the Smithsonian Channel in the US and ITV, The 7/7 Bombing: Survivors' Stories for ITV, Rollermania for BBC Scotland and BBC4, The first series of Prison: First and Last 24 hours and Dunblane: Our Story for BBC2.

STV Productions has a track record of producing quality returnable drama series including Taggart and Rebus and intends to build on this solid reputation. In the last five years it has produced Fast Freddie and The Poison Tree, both for ITV. It currently has script commissions from the BBC, ITV and Channel 4.

STV Productions has a partnership with Red Arrow International which co-invests in and co-develops projects as well as distributing STV Productions' completed programmes and formats, outside the UK.

In August 2015, STV Productions entered a strategic development partnership with Group M Entertainment Ltd to create new entertainment, factual and drama projects for the UK and international markets.

About Sky

Sky is Europe's leading entertainment company. The group serves 21 million customers across five countries: Italy, Germany, Austria, the UK and Ireland. We offer the best and broadest range of content, deliver market-leading customer service and use innovative new technology to give customers a better TV experience, whenever and wherever they choose.

Sky has annual revenues of over £11 billion and is Europe's leading investor in television content with a combined programming budget of over £4.6 billion. The company employs 31,000 people and is listed on the London Stock Exchange (SKY). For more information visit www.sky.com/corporate