This site is no longer being updated

TVMole started as a way to share industry intelligence with a small but dedicated band of factual TV developers, at a time when development was barely recognised as a discrete discipline, with its own unique skillset and challenges, let alone a viable career choice. Over time, TVMole’s subscriber base gradually expanded from London, NYC and LA to reach development people in Sydney, Johannesberg, Buenos Aires and Lagos.

In the last eight years the broadcast landscape has changed in all kinds of ways: keeping up with ever increasing platforms has become increasingly challenging and time consuming, and the site is in serious need of updating. At the same time exciting new projects have started to take shape, so difficult decisions have had to be made about where to expend the most energy and attention. It’s time to bow out. The weekly newsletters will cease, and the site will no longer be updated but for the time being at least, TVMole will remain online so that you can still see the archives.

Greenlit: Tree of the Year, Channel 4

Tree of the Year (1 x 60′) – Ardal O’Hanlon, in conjunction with the Woodland Trust, announces the winners of 2016’s Tree of the Year competition, revealing the four national winners chosen by the public in an online poll and, in a first for the competition, the overall winner of UK Tree of the Year […]

Greenlit: Nude, Starz

Nude (1 x feature-length) – Documentary following treats! magazine founder Steve Shaw and photographer David Bellemere’s NU Muses project. The documentary explores modern perceptions of modeling, nude photography, and body image connected to the evolving social media landscape documenting a group of women working as professional models today. The film chronicles the casting and creation […]

Greenlit: Call the Cleaners, ITV

Call The Cleaners (6 x 30′) – Follows extreme professional cleaners as they help people get back control of their homes. Platform: ITV Producer: Curve Media TX: 2017 Source: Broadcast

In: Michael Welsh, VP Production and Development for North America, ITN productions

Michael Welsh has been appointed as Vice President of Production and Development for North America at ITN Productions, based in Washington. Source: TBI Vision

Out: Michael Klein, EVP Original Programming, MTV

Michael Klein is leaving his post as Executive Vice President of Original Programming at MTV. Source: Realscreen

Up: Nick Andrews, Head of Commissioning, BBC Wales

Nick Andrews has been appointed as Head of Commissioning at BBC Wales, leading commissioning across television, iPlayer and interactive platforms. As Head of Commissioning, he will join the Board of BBC Wales, as well as the newly-formed Commissioning Group which brings radio, television and online together for the first time to share cross-platform ideas and […]

In: Christine Shuler, Travel Channel

Christine Shuler has been appointed as Director of Programming at Travel Channel, based in New York and reporting to Neil Regan, Vice President, Programming. For the past year, as a consultant for the network, she lent her vast storytelling talents and passion for entertaining television to such popular series as Booze Traveler, Food Paradise and […]

Greenlit: Celebrity Fat Fighters, TLC UK

Celebrity Fat Fighters – Seven British celebs undergo an extreme boot camp with Galia Granger in order to lose their excess weight. Platform: TLC UK Producer: Chalkboard TV TX: January 2017 Source: Broadcast

Greenlit: The Big Food Rescue, BBC1

The Big Food Rescue (5 x 45′) – Follows the anti-food waste movement as it aims to make a dent in the 10 million tonnes of food thrown away in the UK every year. David Cairns and Robin Aitken set up a charity to stop edible food going to landfill and began delivering it to […]

Greenlit: Behind The Scenes At Watford, BBC3

Behind The Scenes At Watford (4 x ) – Show what life is really like behind the scenes of a Premier League football club. The series captures the drama and humour, both on and off the pitch, of the side’s journey alongside the Premier League’s elite. Narrated by former England striker and Match of the […]

Up: Michael Lang, EVP International Development and Digital, Discovery Networks International

Michael Lang has been promoted to the role of Executive Vice President of International Development and Digital at Discovery Nordics, reporting to Jean-Briac Perrette. Source: Realscreen

Greenlit: Dance Dance Dance, ITV

Dance Dance Dance (6 x 90′) –  Celebrates the most iconic pop video and dance movie sequences of all time. In a truly spectacular celebration of dance and music, each week celebrity dancers and their partners will perform and be marked by a panel of three expert judges. Hosted by Alesha Dixon and Will Best […]

Greenlit: The Keith and Paddy Picture Show, ITV

The Keith and Paddy Picture Show (5 x 30′) –  An affectionate and humorous tribute to some of Keith Lemon and Paddy McGuinness’s favourite movies of all time. Each week they will attempt to recreate an iconic film, with the help of an all-star celebrity cast. Each episode will be a mix of high-end film […]

Greenlit: The Nightly Show, ITV

The Nightly Show (40 x 30′) –  A week night entertainment series with award winning comedian and writer David Walliams hosting the first week. The daily entertainment show will see the series stripped over five nights a week, featuring a different big name host each week. The famous faces hosting the show will oversee a […]

Greenlit: Walk of Shame Shuttle, E4

Walk of Shame Shuttle – Some of the UK’s biggest party animals in need of a lift are offered a taxi ride and in the true confessional style of all good cab rides the passengers share details of their wildest night out. From Tinder dates gone wrong and dance floor shame, to awkward sexual encounters, […]

Greenlit: How To Retire At 40, Channel 4

How To Retire At 40 (TX pilot) – Mseet the growing band of Brits coming up with ingenious, innovative, risky and at times weird ways to either save or make their fortune, all with the goal of retiring by the time they’re 40. The show will uncover secret tips and tricks that everyone can use […]

Greenlit: Thrifty Ways To… Channel 4

Thrifty Ways To… (TX pilot) – Shows Brits everywhere how to live the high life for a fraction of the price. Whether on a budget or not, each episode will tackle a different popular area of British spending; from summer holidays to cooking, getting married to anti-ageing, health to fashion. In each episode, a team […]

Greenlit: Big Ben, Channel 4

Big Ben w/t (3 x 60′) – Documents the epic transformation of the Elizabeth Tower, the Great Clock and the Great Bell, also known as Big Ben, as it undergoes the most extraordinary and extensive conservation and refurbishment in its 157-year history. Three prime-time documentaries, broadcast over the three-year conservation period, capture in intricate detail […]

Greenlit: Legend of Croc Gold, Discovery Channel

Legend of Croc Gold – On the island of Bougainville, nestled just miles off of the coast of Papua New Guinea, sits one of the largest untapped gold reserves in the world. Miners from around the world have dreamt of prospecting Bougainville’s legendary rivers of gold, but few have dared come face to face with […]

Greenlit: Sacred, PBS

Sacred (1 x feature-length) – Documentary that explores religious ritual at birth, adolescence, marriage, aging and other key milestones of human life. The film is an experiment: a sweeping global film for which the director, Academy Award® winner Thomas Lennon, never once left his office in New York, instead commissioning or sourcing contributions from top […]

Greenlit: Billion Oyster Project, Discovery Channel

Billion Dollar Oyster Project w/t  (1 x ) – A film chronicling the work of a group of young environmentalists in New York City. On New York’s Governor’s Island, an unprecedented program has an ambitious goal: to restore once-bountiful oysters and the environmental benefits they bring to New York Harbor. What’s more, the foot soldiers […]

Greenlit: The Dancing Town, BBC2

The Dancing Town w/t (5 x 60′) – Choreographer Steve Elias helps create a dance spectacular in four towns in Yorkshire, in which local residents tell the story of their town through choreography. Platform: BBC2 Producer: Twenty Twenty TX: TBC Source: Broadcast

Greenlit: Mary Berry Everyday , BBC2

Mary Berry Everyday (6 x ) – Mary Berry celebrates the food and ingredients she turns to most as she proves that you don’t need an exotic larder or a chef’s repertoire to create delicious dishes every night of the week. To celebrate some of the recipes that have formed the cornerstone of her cooking […]

Greenlit: The Micky Flanagan Detours, Sky 1

The Micky Flanagan Detours  (6 x ) – Comedian Micky Flanagan declutters his mind of the big questions that keep us all up at night. The series is a comical polemic – where Micky lets his mind wander through the past and present to explore the big themes in life. Is there really such a […]

Greenlit: The World’s Most Wanted Leopard, Nat Geo Wild

The World’s Most Wanted Leopard (1 x 60′) – Photographer Adrian Steirn travels across Azerbaijan in an attempt to capture footage of the rare Caucasian Leopard. Platform: Nat Geo Wild Producer: Ginkgo Agency TX: 8th December 2016 Source: Realscreen

In: Elspeth O’Hare, Creative Director, Firecracker Scotland

Elspeth O’Hare has been appointed as Creative Director of Firecracker Scotland, based in Glasgow. Source: Realscreen

In Development: My Hotter Half, E4

My Hotter Half (1 x 30′ TX pilot) – Couples compete to see which half of the couple is seen as hotter by strangers, based on their selfies. Platform: E4 Producer: Naked Entertainment TX: TBC Source: Broadcast

Greenlit: Homicide for the Holidays, Oxygen

Homicide for the Holidays (4 x 60′) –  Delves into the terrifying twists, turns and tell-alls that reveal how tumultuous the holiday season can be. F For most, the winter holidays mean bringing family and friends together to eat, drink, and create joyous memories to last a lifetime; but, for others, it’s a time where […]

In Development: Love to Hate, Oxygen

Love to Hate w/t ( x 60′) – In the fast-paced world of celebrity culture, salacious photos, erroneous tweets, viral rumors and criminal allegations can tank a white-hot career in an instant. Celebrities like Justin Bieber, Lindsay Lohan and Amanda Bynes all had the world as their stage – until a few wrong moves flipped […]

In Development: Review Rage, Oxygen

Review Rage w/t – Bad service can be a business killer and often a customer’s version of events is the only one we ever hear about…until now. This new comedic series gives businesses and online reviewers the opportunity to vent their frustrations through hilarious reenactments of both sides of the story revealing two wildly different versions […]

In Development: Social Girls, Oxygen

Social Girls w/t – There’s a new type of celebrity on the rise as influential social media millennials dominate the feeds of their millions of followers who anticipate their every post. Cameras will follow these selfie queens and their sought after squads as they redefine what it means to be Insta-successful and compete in a […]

In: Mike Odair, SVP Creative Affairs, Gurney Productions

Mike Odair has been appointed as Senior Vice President of Creative Affairs at Gurney Productions, reporting to Deirdre Gurney and Scott Gurney. Source: Realscreen

In: Laura Gibson, Head of Development, Talkback

Laura Gibson has been appointed as Head of Development at Talkback, reporting to Leon Wilson, Managing Director. Source: Broadcast

Greenlit: Pearl Harbor: 75 Years Later, History

Pearl Harbor: 75 Years Later – Takes us on a journey through the “day that will live in infamy,” by exploring the biggest stories and lesser known details that still surprise us 75 years later. Accounts from experts, military minds, and even those who lived through it, will show how this tragedy continues to shape our […]

Greenlit: Pearl Harbor: The Truth, History

Pearl Harbor: The Truth – Based upon the book, A Matter of Honor – Betrayal, Blame & a Family’s Quest for Justice by Anthony Summers and Robbyn Swan.  ‘Smoking Gun’ documents expose the serious intelligence and military blunders that allowed the early warning signs of the Japanese attack to be missed.  This film cracks open […]

Greenlit: Frontiersmen, History

Frontiersmen (8 x 60′) – Follows the stories of iconic pioneers such as Daniel Boone, Lewis & Clark, Tecumseh, Davy Crocket and Andrew Jackson as they set forth across the untamed land of North America Platform: History Producer: Appian Way Productions / Stephen David Entertainment TX: TBC Source: History press release

Greenlit: Animal Review, Animal Planet

Animal Review w/t ( x 60′) –  Emmy-nominated actor and comedian, Anthony Anderson host a weekly comedy- variety series that will celebrate all the amazing ways animals have captivated our hearts, minds and funny bones. Channel: Animal Planet Producer: Comedy Dynamics TX: 2017 Source: Discovery press release

In: Rebecca Howard, SVP Emerging Platforms and Partnerships, Discovery VR

Rebecca Howard has been appointed as Senior Vice President, Emerging Platforms and Partnerships at Discovery VR, based in Los Angeles, reporting to Karen Leever, EVP and General Manager of Discovery Digital Media. An established digital executive, Howard will be responsible for leading strategy, programming and production for Discovery Communications’ Webby- and Shorty-award winning Discovery VR brand […]

Greenlit: Until Proven Innocent, Investigation Discovery

Until Proven Innocent (1 x 120′) – Hannah Overton is a mother, a woman of God, a former nurse and, in Texas’s prison system, known as Overton 1478117. In October 2006, a four-year-old from Corpus Christi named Andrew Burd died mysteriously of salt poisoning. Overton, his foster mother, was charged with capital murder, vilified from […]

In: Claudia Lewis, Science Development Executive, BBC Studios

Claudia Lewis as been appointed as Development Executive for Science at BBC Studios. Home to the highly claimed Forces of Nature with Brian Cox, Stargazing LIVE, Trust Me I’m a Doctor, How To Stay Young and Horizon, BBC Studios has a global reputation for outstanding science programming, combining creative story telling with the latest research, […]

Greenlit: Art of France, BBC4

Art of France (3 x 60′) – Andrew Graham Dixon takes viewers on a stunning visual journey through French Art history; from French gothic and Enlightenment via Versailles, to French Revolution and national collapse in 1870 and 1871, and finally to the rise of impressionism and existentialism Platform: BBC4 Producer: BBC Studios TX: TBC Source: […]

Greenlit: A Very British History, BBC4

A Very British History – Lucy Worsley explores how the history of three of Britain’s founding national events are in fact carefully crafted mythologies. The Wars of the Roses, the Glorious Revolution and the creation of the British Raj are all revealed as carefully-constructed narratives created by the victors at the time and embellished by […]

Greenlit: The Science of Pop – Can you find the Perfect Pop Song? BBC4

The Science of Pop – Can you find the Perfect Pop Song?  –  Can science find the perfect pop song? Using big data analysis of British pop music over the last 50 years, this special programme will uncover the major evolutions in chart music, and find out whether hit songs can be reduced to numbers […]

Greenlit: The Garden – Life and Death on your Doorstep, BBC4

The Garden – Life and Death on your Doorstep (1 x 90′) –  Take a typical English garden, complete with a lawn, flowerbeds, trees, pond and compost heap. It’s a familiar setting . . . or so you might think. Look a little closer and you’ll discover a microcosm of Planet Earth – where life and […]

Greenlit:The Flying Scotsman, BBC 4

The Flying Scotsman (1 x 60′) –  A trip from the driving seat of the Flying Scotsman, with a signal-by-signal guide to life on the footplate of the nation’s favourite steam engine. In a special one-off slow tv treat for Christmas, the crew take locomotive 60103 down the Severn Valley Railway, cutting through stunning landscapes […]

Up: Zai Bennett, Director of Programmes, Sky

Zai Bennett has been promoted to the new role of Director of Programmes, Sky Entertainment UK and Ireland, effective immediately. In this newly created role Zai will take on overall leadership of the UK Entertainment team which includes Director of Sky 1 and Sky Living Adam MacDonald, Director of Sky Arts and Non-Scripted Phil Edgar-Jones, […]

In: Richard Bond, Creative Director, Dragonfly

Richard Bond has been appointed as Creative Director at Dragonfly, based in London and reporting to Kim Shillinglaw, director of Factual Endemol Shine UK. Source: Televisual

Greenlit: What’s the Right Exercise for You? Channel 4

What’s the Right Exercise for You? w/t (1 x 60′) – The programme will look at the latest fitness trends to help viewers identify which exercise is right for them. Presented by Anna Richardson and Amar Latif and featuring cutting edge sport scientists, the show will be packed with specialist factual content and stunts designed […]

Greenlit: Back to the Brothel, Channel 4

Back to the Brothel w/t (1 x 60′) – Documentary that returns to Sheffield’s City Sauna, revealing more of the day-to-day workings of the only licensed massage parlour run by a mother and daughter duo on the city’s ‘golden mile of sex’. Operating in a converted pub, owner mum Kath and manager daughter Jenni specialise […]