Mentorn Media has been commissioned by BBC Three to make a fast turnaround documentary on the incredible story of the three women in Cleveland, Ohio, found alive 10 years after they went missing.
Amanda Berry, Gina DeJesus and Michele Knight were discovered after a neighbour heard screams from Ariel Castro’s house. The three women who had been missing were found with a six year-old girl at the home of the 52 year-old school bus driver on Monday, May 6. .
The programme will examine claims that police and law enforcement agencies failed to find the girls despite visiting the house and receiving complaints from neighbours. Both maintain they did all they could and deny receiving information that could have led to an earlier discovery.
The 1 x 60 is commissioned by Fiona Campbell of the BBC and the Executive Producer for Mentorn is Steve Anderson. The team now filming in Cleveland includes Producer/Directors Rachele Dryden-Smith, Suzie Samant, and Producers Tom Goudsmit and Sarah Hunt.
Mentorn made BBC Three’s recent fast turnaround, Oscar Pistorius: What Really Happened?, which looked at the events leading to the death of the athlete’s girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp. The documentary drew an audience of over 1million to the channel and has been sold to 68 territories worldwide by Passion Distribution. The Cleveland documentary will also be pre-sold internationally by Passion Distribution.
Fiona Campbell, Commissioning Editor for Independents at BBC News and Current Affairs, said: “BBC Three has proven their audience has a great appetite for fast turnarounds on big global news stories. Following on from the success of Mentorn's Oscar Pistorius film for the channel we look forward to hearing new insight and exclusive interviews on the captive Cleveland women’s stories.”
Steve Anderson added: “The world is following every moment of this unbelievable story. These women were missing presumed dead for 10 years; now they are discovered alive. And all the time they were being held captive in an ordinary house in a city neighbourhood, yet no-one knew. We’ll tell the most comprehensive story yet, with fresh interviews and new information.”
The programme, The Cleveland Captives: What Really Happened? will air on BBC Three Tuesday 21st May at 9pm.
For more information please contact Sally Kent at Plank PR on 020 8995 3945 or sally@plankpr.com
BBC One's political debate programme, Question Time, is being hosted from Coventry on Thursday, May 9th.
David Dimbleby chairs the programme from the historic Warwickshire city which sees Business Minister and Liberal Democrat MP for East Dunbartonshire, Jo Swinson; Conservative MP for Haltemprice and Howden and former Shadow Home Secretary, David Davis; Shadow Education Secretary and Labour MP for Stoke-on-Trent, Tristram Hunt; academic and feminist writer Germaine Greer, and former Conservative MP and criminal barrister Jerry Hayes, face questions from the audience.
To apply for a seat in the audience you can register your question at www.bbc.co.uk/questiontime
For further information please contact Louise Plank on 020 8995 3936 or lou@plankpr.com
Channel 4 has today ordered a brand new one-off documentary from Mentorn Media called 'I Heart One Direction (w/t)' meeting some of the boy band's biggest and most passionate young fans from around the world.
In just two years, UK boy band One Direction has become the biggest global pop phenomenon since The Beatles. Harry Styles, Liam Payne, Niall Horan, Louis Tomlinson and Zayn Malik have over 10 million followers on Twitter and have enjoyed extraordinary success since grouping together on a TV talent show becoming the first British group ever to enter the US Billboard chart at Number 1 with their debut album.
The boys' youthful enthusiasm and clean-cut style has earned them an army of female fans - both young and old - who refer to themselves as the 'Directioners.' These fans are a very different breed to the boy band fans that came before them, when social media websites didn't exist. Through the likes of Twitter, Facebook and web chats, the 'Directioners' are closer to their idols than ever before and can even message and interact with them directly.
Directed by the award-winning Daisy Asquith, this 1x60' documentary will air this summer as part of Channel 4's flagship documentary strand Cutting Edge. It will get under the skin of this new 21st century style of young fans to find out what it means to be a true 'Directioner.'
I Heart One Direction (w/t) was ordered by Emma Cooper, Commissioning Editor at Channel 4 who says, 'I am incredibly excited about this Cutting Edge film and proud to call myself a fellow 'Directioner.' It's brilliant to have Daisy Asquith involved who I know will make a young and joyful documentary that will give a voice to the millions of the 1D fans who love and follow them obsessively.'
Tayte Simpson, Director of Factual at Mentorn Media adds, 'We are delighted to be making this film showing what it is like to be a 'Directioner.' It will offer a fascinating insight into a new breed of idol worship. Social media has created huge communities which connect millions of fans in a way that was never possible before. One Direction's use of social media to diarise their inner thoughts gives fans a sense of intimacy and ownership, fuelling strong emotions.'
The Director is Daisy Asquith and the Executive Producer is Tayte Simpson.
For more information please contact either Sally Kent sally@plankpr.com
BBC One's political debate programme, Question Time, is being hosted from Dartford on Thursday, May 2nd.
David Dimbleby chairs the programme from the Kent borough on the night of the local elections which sees Deputy Leader of the Labour Party, Harriet Harman MP; Lib Dem peer, Shirley Williams; historian David Starkey; Conservative MP and Secretary of State for International Development Justine Greening, and broadcaster and columnist, Victoria Coren, face questions from the audience.
BBC Three has commissioned Mentorn Media to make a factual entertainment series, Hotel of Mum and Dad (working title), about the growing trend of young coupleshaving to move back in with their parents or in-laws, it has been announced.
1 in 10 young people have moved back home with their partner - that's a staggering 300,000 couples. But with sky-high house prices, fewer jobs, rent through the roof, crippling debts and extortionate childcare costs, it's a growing trend for multiple generations to live under one roof. The 6x60' series gets a first-hand look at the various compromising situations faced by the couples who have had to 'bunk up' with the parents or in-laws.Each episode then challenges couples to test drive a place of their own that fits their budget. The series contrasts the potential nightmare of the family dynamics between two generations when shacked up under one roof with the effect on everyone involved when the couple move out.
Will the young lovebirds cope in the real world? Do mum and dad miss them? Or do they all get on better when there's some distance?
Whether they live with parents to bring down child care costs or because they like their mother's home cooking too much to leave, the series will explore a range of family dynamics and relationships through this very 21st Century phenomenon.
Mentorn Media's Director of Programmes, Hannah Wyatt, said: "We're delighted to be making this programme and working with the team at BBC Three. This is designed to be a funny and heart-warming series, exploring a very 21st century phenomenon in a humorous and insightful way."
Zai Bennett said: "In Hotel of Mum and Dad we're going to see what life is really like living as a couple under the same roof as your mum and dad and if we can't coax you to take those first steps to independence with your own home".
The series has been ordered by Zai Bennett, Controller, BBC Three; Alan Tyler, Executive Editor, Entertainment Commissioning and Fiona Campbell, Commissioning Editor for Independents at BBC News and Current Affairs, and will be made by Mentorn Scotland.
After the incredible success of one-off documentary, The Fried Chicken Shop: Life in a Day, Channel 4 has commissioned a three-part series from Mentorn Media set in the same chicken shop, it has been announced.
Building on the original Cutting Edge this 3x60 series will return to Rooster Spot in Clapham to delve deeper into the world of fried chicken, the staff who serve it and the huge variety customers who buy it.
Filming across three weeks The Fried Chicken Shop Series (w/t) will use the same mix of mini-rig fixed cameras and retrospective interviews to capture stories inside the Chicken Shop. The series will also incorporate a new element by following take- away customers home, giving viewers a completely new perspective on the people who eat there and the worlds they inhabit.
Favourite characters from the first programme will return alongside new customer stories capturing a wider variety of regulars. The madness of the weekend passing trade and late night revellers will continue to celebrate this very unique slice of British life and once again allow lovers of fried chicken to get involved online.
An impressive 2.1 million viewers tuned in to the original Cutting Edge broadcast, and the online presence was outstanding - peaking at 1,700 tweets per minute - The Fried Chicken Shop was the most tweeted about show of the week and was the top three out of four trending topics on Twitter and still trending the next day.
Emma Cooper, Commissioning Editor at Channel 4 said: "The Fried Chicken Shop really struck a chord with the nation. The team worked hard to make a film that felt significantly fresh and innovative for us to want to serve up more of it."
Mentorn Media's Director of Programmes, Hannah Wyatt, said: "Chicken Shop really captured the imagination of viewers. The enthusiastic response on twitter showed the immediate support - including John Prescott, Boy George and Lily Allen all loving it. We saw that it really was a talking point and we're delighted that we'll be able to offer all those fans more views from the shop and beyond."
Yonni Usiskin is Series Director
For more information contact Sally Kent sally@plankpr.com
To watch the original check out 4Od:
http://www.channel4.com/programmes/the-fried-chicken-shop-life-in-a-day/4od
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David Dimbleby presents Question Time this Thursday, 11th April, from Baroness Thatcher's former constituency of Finchley.
Joining the panel is: Conservative Cabinet Minister, Ken Clarke MP; Labour's former Home Secretary, David Blunkett MP; former leader of the Liberal Democrats, Sir Menzies Campbell MP; Guardian columnist Polly Toynbee and Baroness Thatcher's authorised biographer Charles Moore.
Executive Producer Steve Anderson, said: "To reflect the death of Baroness Thatcher, we are changing our scheduled location and taking Question Time to her constituency of 33 years. Our audience will include people who voted for and against Baroness Thatcher, plus many young people who weren't old enough to vote at that time, and our panel comprises colleagues and opponents of Baroness Thatcher throughout her 11 years as Prime Minister."
This week's edition was due to record in Rochdale. A new date is being arranged for later this year.
Question Time is produced by Mentorn Media for BBC Scotland and transmits on BBC One at 10.35pm.
For more information please contact Louise Plank on 07801 321965 or lou@plankpr.com
Mentorn Media has produced a fast-turnaround documentary on Pope Francis for National Geographic Channels International (NGCI). Taking a close-up look at the new Pope and his challenges ahead, Pope Francis: Road to the Vatican will begin premiering in the UK on Good Friday, 29th March at 8pm and over Easter weekend on National Geographic Channel in 170 countries.
NGCI asked Mentorn to reversion an existing documentary, Vatican: Life Within; however, with the election of Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio of Argentina on March 13, it turned into a much more ambitious project. The initial programme, Vatican: Life Within, gained rare access, interviewing staff and revealing how they manage daily life for the Pope. The new 1 x 60 special was commissioned by Hamish Mykura, Executive Vice President and Head of International Content for NGCI after Pope Benedict resigned.
"National Geographic Channel has experienced lots of success in developing strong, fast-turnaround specials that examine gripping current events, and are produced in the moment. From our most recent special World's Biggest Festival: Kumbh Mela to Superstorm New York and now Pope Francis: Road to the Vatican, we can present shows which feel up to the minute. It's superb to have a documentary on the new Pope ready to run worldwide over the Easter weekend," said Mykura.
After the ratings-busting fast turnaround for BBC Three on Oscar Pistorius, Mentorn Media was asked by NGCI to supply fresh material to update and reversion the existing documentary, which was made around Pope Benedict, who announced his retirement in February.
The new programme, Pope Francis: Road To The Vatican showcases to a global audience the Pope who declared that the Church had gone "to the end of the world" to find him. Pope Francis is the first Latin American Pope. The son of a railway worker in Argentina, Pope Francis says he wants a "poor church… for the poor".
Steve Anderson, Executive Producer for Mentorn said: "The election of Pope Francis was unexpected and made it a far bigger story.
"We sent a team to Buenos Aries to film interviews with people who have worked with Bergoglio over many years. We were also in the main square of Buenos Aries, the Plaza del Mayo, to film thousands of people watch the Pope's inauguration in the Vatican, being beamed live to big screens that had been erected specially for the occasion.
"It was a massive event for Argentina. The new film is now able to reflect that, along with the reasons why Pope Francis has a reputation for being a 'Pope of the Poor'.
"Filming finished on the Tuesday and producer/director Paul Russell flew back to London with the material. We edited through the night Thursday and Friday to deliver the programme to Washington DC on Saturday."
The producer is Charlotte Fisher, the picture editor is Stephen Prince and the Production Executive is Emily Freshwater. Editing took place at Clear Cut, Hammersmith.
Carolyn Payne is Executive Producer for NGCI.
Pope Francis: Road To The Vatican will air on Friday 29th March at 8pm in the UK.
For more information please contact Plank PR on 020 8995 3936 or lou@plankpr.com or sally@plankpr.com
Newly appointed Controller of Radio 5 live, Jonathan Wall, has today announced changes to the station's schedule, which will see increased emphasis on its news and political output along with an unprecedented collaboration with BBC One's Question Time.
From 16 May, BBC 5 live will simulcast Question Time hosted by David Dimbleby on Thursday nights as part of a new commitment to politics. The 5 live show will start from the earlier time of 10pm, with Stephen Nolan and John Pienaar following up with live debate on the topics addressed in the show. Then, from early September, popular Sunday politics programme Pienaar's Politics moves to a more prominent 10am Sunday morning slot.
John Pienaar says: "With a coalition government in office, and the country still in an economic hole, it's important to watch our politicians, explain what they're up to, and hold them to account - while also allowing them to speak for themselves. I'm delighted to be a part of these schedule changes, which will allow us to put an even greater emphasis on strong political debate, and hopefully bring programmes to as many listeners as possible."
Steve Anderson, Executive Producer of Question Time for Mentorn Media, says: "It's a testament to Question Time's importance that Radio 5 live now wants to broadcast the programme as it transmits on BBC One. We are delighted the BBC wants to bring even more people to the show and to extend the debate after David Dimbleby has said goodnight."
Weekend Breakfast will also have a new look from Saturday 11 May as Tony Livesey joins the early morning team. Eleanor Oldroyd will co-present on Saturdays while Radio Manchester's Sam Walker joins Tony for the extended Sunday morning show, which will run until 9am. Gary Richardson's iconic Sportsweek will move to a later slot of 9am.
Phil Williams will move from weekends to late nights with his own show on Monday to Wednesday's from 10.30pm to 1am, starting on Monday 13 May.
These schedule changes follow the recent introduction of Bump Club, 5 live's biggest ever female-audience-targeted project, and the announcement of a second Big Day Out, the most ambitious outside broadcast ever undertaken by the station, which will take place in Liverpool on 1 June.
Controller of Radio 5 live, Jonathan Wall said: "We want to create some really exciting new shows that showcase our news journalism - from a dynamic Thursday night around Question Time to an agenda-setting Sunday morning show. I believe all of these changes will make us even better and more distinctive and I know I've got great presenters and programme teams in place looking forward to creating something special for our listeners."
Question Time is a Mentorn Media production for BBC Scotland.
Mentorn Media's Superstorm USA: Caught on Camera delivered successful ratings on Thursday 15th November.
BBC Three's fast-turnaround documentary, Superstorm USA: Caught on Camera, which was on at 10pm, averaged at 752,000 viewers. Building from 540,000 to 895,000 it overtook ITV 2's I'm a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here, winning the end of the slot.
Mentorn Media's Editorial Director, Steve Anderson, said: "The audience watched the programme that the audience made. We asked for first-hand eye-witness footage and received some unforgettable material. People were fascinated to see images of Superstorm Sandy that they had not seen anywhere else."
Superstorm USA: Caught on Camera, a 1 x 60' special commissioned by Fiona Campbell, Commissioning Editor for Independents at BBC News and Current Affairs, saw how young people took to social media sites like Facebook, Instagram and Twitter to record Superstorm Sandy, from first dark warnings to devastating reality and chaotic aftermath. The first great natural disaster documented and shared on the social network, the programme spoke to those who captured history with mobile phones and mini-cameras.
Producers and researchers sent to New York by Mentorn had to make do with nights in makeshift accommodation as fuel shortages paralysed roads from the airports into the city.
For more information please contact Plank PR on 020 8995 3936 or lou@plankpr.com