Sky Studios Taps CBS Studios’ Meghan Lyvers for Director of Original Drama

An apocalyptic drama from the makes of Deutschland 83, a retelling of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein and an emotionally-driven series set in Alabama are European giant Sky Deutschland’s latest trio of original dramas.

Sky has put a darkly comic drama about a foul-mouthed supermarket worker in Belfast into production. Roisin Gallagher (The Fall, The Dry) and Johnny Flynn (Beast, Emma) take the leading roles in The Lovers, which is from Doctor Foster and Pure producer Drama Republic.

Sky regularly switches up its TV package offers but for viewers signing up this month there's even bigger savings to be had as the company has done deals with major streaming services Netflix and the newly-launched Paramount+ that will see them incorporate them at no additional cost into customers' bundles.

Megan McKenna made her debut at Glastonbury Festival over the weekend and called it a moment she had “dreamt of”. The former TOWIE star, 29, who went on to win X Factor: Celebrity in 2019 previously called the event “possibly THE biggest moment of my life yet” .

Nick Vivarelli International CorrespondentGangland warfare and a Romeo and Juliet romance with a twist are the main elements of Sky Studios’ first Italian in-house production ‘Blocco 181,’ which is set against the backdrop of a gritty multi-ethnic Milan that has never appeared on screen before.The eight-episode show – which launches this week on Sky in the U.K. after making a splash in Italy – is lead-directed by London-based Italian director Giuseppe Capotondi, best known for art-heist thriller “The Burnt Orange Heresy” starring Mick Jagger as a shady art collector.“It’s a dark fable combining crime, romance, sex, and coming-of-age elements,” said Capotondi who besides directing the series, also co-penned the “Blocco 181” screenplay.

My Policeman, in which the singer plays a married police officer involved in a secret gay love affair in 1950s Britain, was released June 15, stirring up even more public interest in the Queer love story.In a recent appearance on The Howard Stern Show, Styles spoke about the challenges he faced while performing the film’s sex scenes.“It does feel vulnerable. I’d never kissed anyone on camera before and it felt like giving a part of myself away in some ways,” Styles said.“I was naked in My Policeman.

Duran Duran have announced the full line-up for their BST Hyde Park show next month, with AURORA and Laura Mvula among some of the additions.The pop legends headline the show at London’s Hyde Park on July 10, with Nile Rodgers & Chic previously confirmed to support. Now, Warmduscher, Charlotte Adigéry, Rozzi, Stacey Ryan, Faux Real and Love Sick have been confirmed as additional supports alongside AURORA and Mvula.Duran Duran frontman Simon Le Bon said: “It’s an extraordinary line-up – it so happens that I’ve featured five of the acts on my radio show, WHOOOSH! – looks like I’ll be spending the entire day dipped in music.”Bassist John Taylor added: “We are incredibly excited for Hyde Park with so many sensational guests like Aurora and Warmduscher, and our old friends Nile Rodgers & CHIC.

EXCLUSIVE: SonyLIV has ordered its most ambitious original series to date, an adaptation of Indian independence non-fiction book Freedom at Midnight, as the streamer gears up to become a global service within three years.

EXCLUSIVE: After exiting Fast X, it didn’t take Justin Lin long to rev up another franchise. He’s set to direct One Punch Man for Sony Pictures., Scott Rosenberg & Jeff Pinkner, who teamed on Jumanji: The Next Level, and Venom, are set to write the live-action film adaptation of worldwide hit manga series. Sony Pictures acquired the film rights from Shueisha.

Mum-to-be Jorgie Porter suffered a dress drama en-route to The British Soap Awards. The Hollyoaks star last week revealed the joyous news that she is expecting a baby with her fiance Ollie Piotrowski.

Veteran international media exec Kathryn Fink has become Director of Television at public broadcaster SBS in her home country, Australia.

EXCLUSIVE: Two-time Academy Award winner Anthony Hopkins (Armageddon Time) has boarded Rebel Moon—the sci-fi adventure film that Zack Snyder (Army of the Dead) is directing for Netflix.

Sky Studios has hired CBS Studios international co-pros chief Meghan Lyvers as it seeks to significantly scale up its original UK drama output.

EXCLUSIVE: Joe Port and Joe Wiseman, the executive producers and showrunners of the breakout comedy Ghosts, have signed a three-year overall deal with CBS Studios.

Scott Disick is making a vintage dad move: celebrating his son’s worthy achievement and embarrassing the poor guy all at the same time! Ha!