Latest in Edinburgh International TV Festival

Secrets & Lies star Brenda Blethyn and Arrow star Jimmy Akingbola will front a sitcom for British broadcaster ITV. The pair will star in six-part series Kate and Kolo from Flack producer Hat Trick. Kate and Kolo, which launches next year, centers on a working-class woman who runs an old-fashioned café in a neglected…

Wheel of Time and The Haunting of Hill House writers Michael and Paul Clarkson are writing an eight-part horror series for the BBC. The British broadcaster's youth-skewing network BBC Three has commissioned Red Rose from Sex Education and The Enfield Haunting producer Eleven Film and eOne. The Clarkson twins have also…

David Attenborough is heading back to the BBC with a documentary on extinction. BBC One has commissioned hour-long doc Extinction: The Facts from BBC Studios' Science Unit. The series, presented by the Blue Planet star, will investigate what the future holds for the planet. It comes after a WWF report, published last…

BBC One has unveiled its latest programming slate including a death row drama from Doctor Who and Sherlock writer Steven Moffat and a period thriller from Barry writer Sarah Solemani. Inside Man is a four-part mini-series produced by Sherlock producer Hartswood Films and written by Moffat.  A prisoner on death row in…

Amazon is set to develop a series from a fledgling British writer after setting the five finalists of its WriterSlam contest. The SVOD service has selected five new writers as part of the scheme, run in association with the TriForce Creative Network. Georgia Brown, is Director of European Originals, Amazon Studios…

House and The Night Manager star Hugh Laurie is to play a British politician in a four-part drama for the BBC. The actor will star in Roadkill, written by Collaterel's David Hare and produced by National Treasure and Kiri producer The Forge. The thriller is about self-made, forceful and charismatic politician Peter…

The Grand Tour's Richard Hammond and Mythbusters star Tory Belleci have scored an adventure series with Amazon. The SVOD service has commissioned a six-part series, currently untitled, from Chimp Productions, the production company co-run by the former Top Gear presenter. In the show, Hammond and Belleci find…

The Brits have long cooked up food competition formats and tended to gardening battles, now cleaning the house is set to make it to the small screen. BBC Three, the British public broadcaster's youth-skewing network, has commissioned Fight Dirty from production company Fizz, which is part of Banijay's RDF and Northern…

Simon Pegg and Nick Frost are to produce a sitcom for the BBC starring British comedian Sara Pascoe. The pair's Stolen Picture banner, which is backed by Sony Pictures Television is behind the untitled six-part series for BBC Two. It is their latest TV commission since forming the production company, after Deadline…

Peter Capaldi is to star in a Mark Gatiss-penned ghost story for the BBC. The Doctor Who star is to feature in Martin's Close, an adaptation of the M.R. James story, for BBC Four alongside Wilf Scolding, Simon Williams, Sara Crowe, Fisayo Akinade and Elliot Levey. Written by Doctor Who and Sherlock writer Gatiss, who…

YouTube is in a "little bit of a transition" in terms of its original commissioning strategy, according to its European content exec Luke Hyams. Hyams, who is Head of Originals, YouTube, EMEA, confirmed that the digital platform is not looking for scripted projects and has commissioned a slew of non-scripted…

Comcast-owned Sky is launching two new linear networks and has extended its relationship with its parent company via a programming deal. The pay-TV broadcaster is launch Sky Crime and Sky Comedy. The crime network, which will be the home of programming from NBCU-owned cable network Oxygen and true crime docs from HBO…