‘The Crown’s Jason Watkins Leading Channel 5 Cat-And-Mouse Thriller; Lisa Campbell Takes Creative Cities Helm; Mediawan Diversification Hire; Eccho Rights Turkish Drama – Global Briefs

‘The Crown’s Jason Watkins Leading Channel 5 Cat-And-Mouse Thriller

The Crown star Jason Watkins is leading his second Channel 5 drama of 2024, a cat-and-mouse thriller about a policeman haunted by a case he failed to solve. Catch You Later [working title] also stars Robson Green and Sunetra Sarker. Watkins leads as Huw Miller, a detective haunted by a stalker who taunted his town, mercilessly toying with his victims before eventually killing them. As Huw attempts to settle into retirement, the case is never far from his mind – and when new neighbour, Patrick Harbottle (Green) moves in and utters the chilling phrase ‘catch you later’ – the sign off the stalker used to taunt Huw during the investigation – Huw is determined he’s finally got his man. Channel 5 is re-teaming with Watkins after he led thriller Coma for the Paramount UK network earlier this year. Clapperboard Studios, a long-time collaborator with Channel 5, is producing, while newly-rebranded Sphere Abacus is distributing. “Really excited to do another Channel 5 thriller, after the success of Coma,” said Watkins, who played Harold Wilson in The Crown. “This is a different prospect but has all the ingredients for another thrilling ride.”

Lisa Campbell Takes Creative Cities Helm

Creative Cities Convention chief Ruth Pitt is stepping down to be replaced for the next event by ITN comms boss Lisa Campbell. The confab, which is hosted in a different UK city each year and focuses on British TV outside London, was founded in 2018 by Pitt and Pact boss John McVay. Pitt will move on to chair a newly-formed advisory body while Campbell takes on the convention alongside her current position at ITN via a secondment until the end of this year, before taking on the Creative Cities role full time until May 2025. “I’m thrilled that we’ve secured someone of Lisa’s calibre for the post of director and she brings unrivalled expertise to the role,” said Pitt. Campbell added: “Growing up in Lancashire, dreaming about a career in the media, I felt I had no option other than to go to London to pursue it. What Ruth and the team at Creative Cities Convention have done is to demonstrate that the media industries don’t have to be so London-centric.” Last year’s convention was held in Bristol with talks from the likes of Netflix UK scripted boss Anne Mensah, Baby Reindeer star Jessica Gunning and Mr Bates vs the Post Office director James Strong.

Mediawan Signs Commercial Exec To Oversee Diversification

Mediawan is pushing into new areas with the hire of a manager overseeing diversification. Pablo Nakhlé Cerruti will examine how Mediawan’s IP can be leveraged for podcasts, branded content and immersive experiences, along with how best to monetize digital content. He was previously MD of business tourism outfit Viparis and joins alongside Caroline Le Masne, who has become General Counsel of the Plan B owner. Mediawan said the appointments are part of the growth and innovation strategy of the group and “illustrate its desire to expand into new territories.” The French major most recently partnered with LeBron James & Maverick Carter’s SpringHill Company on a content pact. Mediawan has been pushing deeper in to the English language space of late, having bought Plan B and presented movies including Beetlejuice Beetlejuice and Wolfs.

Eccho Rights Takes Global On Turkey’s ‘A Journey To Belong’

Eccho Rights has taken international distribution on Turkey’s A Journey to Belong in the wake of MIPCOM. With Turkish shows set to play a big role at MIPCOM, the daily drama series from Royal Pictures for Kanal D will be on show at the Cannes confab. It follows the life-changing events that come after a knock on Mrs. Münevver’s door. Yasemin arrives with her five-year-old sister, Mine, and declares that the child will live there from now on. Münevver, shocked, refuses until she notices a necklace around Mine’s neck and faints. “We are really excited for A Journey to Belong, a multi-generational family drama that will grip audiences day after day,” said Handan Özkubat, Director of Turkish Drama at Eccho Rights. “The international demand for daily drama series with a premium feel has been growing over the years, and this title perfectly fits the brief.”