‘Mamma Mia! I Have A Dream’ Competition Set At ITV
ABBA musical Mamma Mia! is seeking its next lead via an ITV entertainment show from The X Factor producer Thames and Littlestar. Mamma Mia! I Have a Dream will see contestants whittled down to two to be leads Sophie and Sky, who were played by Amanda Seyfried and Dominic Cooper in the movie version. The show will be filmed in the Greek Islands and final will take place in London’s West End. Contestants will be mentored by guest industry stars through unique workshops and judged by a panel of well-known industry experts in both music and theater. The show has shades of BBC series Any Dream Will Do, which found the next Joseph star, and I’d Do Anything, which did the same for Oliver towards the end of the Noughties. ITV Head of Entertainment Commissioning Katie Rawcliffe said Mamma Mia! I Have a Dream is “everything we could want in an entertainment show.” Rawcliffe is commissioner alongside Lily Wilson and Louise Major. Amelia Brown, Charlie Irwin and Ashley Whitehouse are exec producers for Thames and Judy Craymer for co-producer Littlestar.
Kylie Minogue & Jason Donovan To Feature In Stock, Aitken Waterman Channel 5 Doc
Kylie Minogue and Jason Donovan are to contribute to a documentary from Paramount-owned Channel 5 on Stock, Aitken and Waterman, the UK pop trio and producers who helped launch their careers. Stock Aitken Waterman: Step Back in Time will tell the story of how a handshake outside a pub launched the trio’s career as they were drawn together by their unique talent combined with a belief and love in the power of pop music. The likes of Minogue and Donovan will be interviewed for the doc alongside musicians including Rick Astley and the original trio, brought together on TV exclusively for the first time. Johnny Cash: The Man in Black in Britain indie Lonesome Pine Productions is producing. “Stock Aitken Waterman created the soundtrack to the ‘80s and ‘90s,” said Channel 5 Commissioning Editor Greg Barnett. “Without their expertise and talent, the world would not have enjoyed the huge success of so many amazing performers.”
Banijay’s Carlotta Rossi Spencer Lands New Branded Content Role
Banijay Head of Format Acquisitions Carlotta Rossi Spencer has been promoted to the newly-created role of Head of Branded Content Business Development, effective immediately. Rossi Spencer, who has been Head of Format Acquisitions for seven years, will oversee the delivery and fulfilment of new branded content deals in order to drive growth. Reporting into Chief Strategy Officer Marie Schweitzer, she will work with Banijay’s talent networks as the French-headquartered super-indie pushes further into the space. “While our labels around the world have worked in the branded content space for some time, there was a need to take a holistic view on this area of the business and explore innovative ways to drive further opportunity,” said Schweitzer. “Carlotta was always a determined acquirer and we’ve no doubt she’ll now be an impressive force in this field as we collectively build out our strategy.”
