British broadcaster Sky have announced their hope to commission and develop more original Irish television for Sky Ireland, in a move that will see the company's channel heads visit Ireland once a month to meet with independent Irish talent and producers.
Key executives from Sky's four entertainment branches - Sky 1, Sky Living, Sky Atlantic and Sky Arts - are to be regularly available to meet with Irish writers, directors and producers with the aim of investing in further home-grown productions across both Ireland and the UK.
In addition to the International Emmy and IFTA-winning ‘Moone Boy’, and upcoming Christmas-scheduled 'Moonfleet', Sky 1 has also commissioned a factual entertainment show ‘50 Ways To Test Your Mammy’ starring Baz Ashmawy and his mother, Nancy. The series is currently in production and is expected to air mid-late 2014.
"We have already built up an impressive list of Irish successes," says Sky Ireland's Managing Director, JD Buckley. "The regular presence of Sky channel heads in our Dublin office will help Irish talent better understand what Sky is looking for and how to create the sort of content that will prove popular with both Irish and UK audiences.”
By 2014, it is estimated that Sky will have invested €700m per year on home-grown content for its variety of channels, including documentaries, dramas and comedies encompassing myriad genres.
Sky Entertainment Director Stuart Murphy, who gave the inaugural IFTA Television Lecture, expressed delight at being able to announce the news, dubbing the move a significant one as it "highlights our recognition of the pool of creative talent available to us in Ireland."
