‘A Spy Among Friends’ & ‘Litvinenko’ Producer Patrick Spence Leaving ITV Studios

A detective who nailed two thugs for the brutal abduction and murder of Lynda Spence has spoken of his regret at not finding her body.

Joe Otterson TV Reporter A series version of the comic book “Hellicious” is in development at TBS with “Red Hot Chili Peppers” frontman Anthony Kiedis attached to star and executive produce, Variety has learned exclusively. In addition to starring, Kiedis will executive produce along with Bob Forrest and Ron Burkle via their newly formed production company, Said and Done Entertainment. The series is inspired by the comic book series created by Mina Elwell, Alan C. Medina, Kit Wallis, and Simon Oré. Per the official logline, the show “follows Cherry, the Devil’s precocious 7-year-old granddaughter, who steals the Heaven-bound soul of rock-goth icon Briggy Bundy (Kiedis). The unlikely duo stumble upon forgotten realms of the afterlife while evading Cherry’s mother and an agent from heaven sent to reclaim Briggy’s soul.”

Joe Otterson TV Reporter Amazon is developing a series version of the Philip K. Dick novel “Clans of the Alphane Moon,” Variety has learned exclusively. The project is being developed under Electric Shepherd Productions and Patrick Moran’s first look deals with Amazon Studios. Moran, via Patrick Moran Productions, is executive producing the project along with John Leguizamo, as well as as Isa Dick Hakcett, the CEO of Electric Shepherd. Bradley Kaplan will also executive produce. “Clans of the Alphane Moon” is described as a “a subversive, genre-bending, sci-fi comedy about desperately trying to escape, and ultimately having to embrace our flaws, told through the prism of a Latinx family en route to a new, faraway moon.”

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief C More has commissioned a second, six-episode season of ITV Studios Finland’s glossy detective drama “Helsinki Crimes” (aka “Harjunpää”). The first season of Helsinki Crimes became one of C More’s most-watched crime series to date. After its launch on Netflix last year, in regions across CEE, Benelux, Austria and the Nordics, the series was one of the top ten most-watched series, and the third most-watched in Finland.  In the new season, Chief Constable Timo Harjunpää, portrayed by Olli Rahkonen, and his murder team investigate bloody clashes between street gangs, love scams and a wave of burglaries.

Ellie Spence has voiced her cosmetic surgery plans after soaring to fame on Love Island earlier this year. Ellie starred on the most recent series of the ITV2 show and entered the villa as a bombshell. Her time in the villa was short lived however, with the blonde beauty being dumped from the South African villa in week four alongside Jordan Odofin.

Love Island's Ellie Spence has weighed in on the online drama that has been going on between former Islanders since leaving the villa.The 24 year old, who entered the villa as a bombshell on Day 10 and was dumped on Day 26, has been vocal about her support for Olivia Hawkins, as an online feud between her and two other female Islanders has rumbled on outside of the show.There has been drama between Tanyel Revan, Zara Lackenby-Brown and Olivia, after Tanyel accused Olivia, Shaq and Tanya of influencing Jordan's decision to recouple with Ellie during the show, meaning Tanyel was dumped from the villa. During a recent podcast appearance, Olivia denied Tanyel's accusations that she had anything to do with Jordan's decision, and instead accused Tanyel her of "putting other girls down to boost a lie".

K.J. Yossman Former Amazon Studios Europe boss Georgia Brown has revealed her first industry role since leaving the streamer last year. She is set to chair a skills task force for the U.K. screen industry with the intention of focusing on critical labor shortages in the production sector. Joining her on the task force will be senior representatives from major U.K. broadcasters BBC, ITV and Channel 4 as well as international studios and streamers including Prime Video, Netflix, Disney and NBCUniversal, key orgs such as ScreenSkills, PACT and the British Film Commission and national screen agencies. The British Film Institute (BFI) have convened the task force following a skills review commissioned by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport showing crew shortfalls will soon reach breaking point. Its remit is to produce and support a plan of action that will result in growth, training and increased retention in the screen sector as well as improvements in equity, diversity and inclusion and mental health. Where appropriate, the task force will make recommendations to the U.K. government.

Former Amazon Studios Europe boss Georgia Brown is to chair the BFI’s Skills Task Force, which has been assembled to address major skills shortages in the UK film and TV sector over the next five years.

Ben Affleck had some fun with his co-star Jason Bateman at the premiere of their movie AIR!

Naman Ramachandran BAFTA-winning producer Patrick Spence is leaving ITV Studios after three years, Variety has confirmed. Spence, who serves as creative director, will leave at the end of March, ITV Studios managing director Julian Bellamy told staff via an internal memo on Thursday. Spence will continue to partner with ITV Studios on upcoming projects including “People vs. Post Office” (working title). Spence joined ITV Studios in 2020 and secured several acclaimed commissions, including the BBC’s drama-romance “Ralph & Katie,” a spin-off of “The A Word,” about the lives of a couple with Down syndrome; ITVX’s “Litvinenko,” about the investigation into the death of Russian defector Alexander Litvinenko; the BAFTA-nominated Cold War spy drama “A Spy Among Friends,” also for ITVX; and post-pandemic frontline medical drama “Maternal” for ITV.  

Vera star Kenny Doughty has announced he is leaving hit ITV drama Vera after eight years. The actor, who plays DS Aiden Healy, has left fans gutted with the news as he released a statement in which he paid tribute to his co-star Brenda Blethyn, who plays Vera Stanhope.

Playing a Disney Princess is a dream role, and it turns out that at least four other stars were interested in landing Anika Noni Rose‘s role as Princess Tiana in 2009′s The Princess and the Frog.

EXCLUSIVE: Laurie Zaks and her Rosewood Television banner are adapting a series of novels from Roselle Lim after striking a development deal with ITV Studios America.

Best friends Matt Damon and Ben Affleck hit the red carpet outside The Paramount Theater for the premiere of their new movie AIR during the 2023 SXSW Conference and Festivals on Saturday (March 18) in Austin, Texas.

This Morning fans were left asking 'what's going on' as Alison Hammond and Dermot O'Leary wrapped up another week of the ITV daytime show. The pair were back on-screen on Friday (March 17) for the latest two-and-a-half-hour-long episode of the week and it was all about celebrating St Patrick's Day.

St. Patrick’s Day act might just be The Prodigals, a long-running Celtic punk band that will play four back-to-back gigs in Manhattan and Queens this Friday.One of those stops will be iconic Irish pub Paddy Reilly’s in Kips Bay, where the band have had a weekly residency for 26 years.It was right before St.

St Patrick's Day is a huge celebration in cities across the globe, and Manchester is no exception.

Nope‘s Keke Palmer is set to produce and star in the feature comedy The Backup in development at Universal Pictures, which also has Kevin Hart on board to produce, Deadline can confirm.

EXCLUSIVE: Angel Studios — the producer and distributor of the equity-crowdfunded, faith-based series The Chosen, which has done major business both online and in movie theaters — has today announced its launch of a theatrical division, as well as its appointment of Brandon Purdie as Vice President of Theatrical Distribution.

Love Island star Ellie Spence revealed that she was robbed on the London tube, with the incident leaving her in tears.The 25 year old was left devastated after her camera was stolen from her bag while on the public transport. Ellie was left particularly upset by the robbery as she had loads of footage on her camera, before it was taken. She told her followers during a Q&A on her Instagram as she revealed: “My camera got stolen out of my bag on the tube a few days ago with SO MUCH footage on it.