ITV Orders Three-Part Bullying Drama ‘The Man’, Ken Nwosu To Star
ITV is getting back into business with Mike Bartlett. The commercial broadcaster has given the green-light to a The Man, a new three-part drama exploring the corrosive effects of bullying from the writer behind such shows as Trauma and Doctor Foster. Ken Nwosu (Christopher Robin, Killing Eve) is attached to star. The Man is set in a business park in Reading and follows the personal and professional life of Thomas Benson; a hard-working father and husband. Reliant on bonuses and winning pitches, Benson often finds himself leading the team when trying to win new business. When he freezes during a pitch the fall out is monumental. Determined to win back the client Thomas goes to increasingly desperate lengths to remain successful. But as he does, he begins to feel undermined, under attack and out of control. Has he lost his confidence and just feeling paranoid or is his own team, and maybe the wider world, now out to get him? 
BBC Four has acquired Spanish period drama The Plague in a deal with international distributor Sky Vision and given the green-light to The Dead Room, a new one-off ghost story from Mark Gatiss starring Simon Callow, Anjli Mohindra, Susan Penhaligon and Joshua Oakes-Rogers. Additionally, the channel has ordered a new factual series about the Yorkshire Ripper and a science documentary about eugenics. The programming announcements were made today by BBC Four Controller Cassian Harrison during a joint Meet The Controller session with BBC Two Controller Patrick Holland at the Edinburgh TV Festival. You can see the BBC Two shows that were announced 
It was BBC Two's turn at bat at the Edinburgh TV Festival today, with Controller Patrick Holland taking the opportunity to announced a slew of new commissions for the channel. Leading the new slate is a The Ranganation, a topical weekly show fronted by comedian Romesh Ranganathan. While other highlights include The Amazing Race style series Race Across The World; and two documentary series: one on the invasion of Iraq in 2003 and a three-part series about the rise of the Nazi's in Germany in the 1930s. Rounding things off is a new Mary Beard series on nudity. 
Andrew Scott, best known for his role as Moriarty on Sherlock, is joining the cast of Phoebe Waller-Bridge's BBC Three comedy Fleabag for its second season, which has now started filming. Details about the character he will be playing are being kept under wraps. "I can’t believe they let me do this AGAIN. I’m so happy to be back with the incredible Fleabag team and I’m as surprised as anyone about where this series has taken us… thank God for Andrew Scott", Fleabag creator and star Phoebe Waller-Bridge said in a statement. 
Save Me is crossing the pond. International distributor Sky Vision has sold the Lennie James and Suranne Jones fronted drama to Starz - the U.S. premium cable network behind such shows as Outlander and The White Princess. It will premiere state-side on September 6th. 
Channel 4 has hired Shine TV's Nicola Brown to serve on their Special Factual team as a Commissioning Editor. The broadcaster said that her appointment would further bolster the Factual commissioning team that is overseen by Head of Factual Danny Horan. 
The recent wave of royal events (two weddings and the birth of Prince Louis) has been good for business for DRG. On the back of that, the international distributor has racked up a slew of sales of royal themed programming to various international broadcasters. 
ITV is set to put some of the biggest names from the England football team during the 80s and 90s through their paces. The commercial broadcaster has ordered a two-part entertainment special, titled Match Fit, that challenges them to get back in shape and onto the pitch one last time. This England team, led by manager Harry Redknapp, is a who’s who of former 80s and 90s legends including: John Barnes, David Seaman, Robbie Fowler, Mark Wright, Matthew Le Tissier, Chris Waddle, Rob Lee, Ray Parlour, Lee Sharpe, Mark Chamberlain, Paul Merson, and Razor Ruddock.