Red Planet Pictures & ITV Announce Devin Doyle As Red Planet Prize Winner
Red Planet Pictures and ITV have announced Dublin-based Devin Doyle as the winner of this year's Red Planet Prize - the talent discovery initiative that was launched by Tony Jordan's indie a decade ago to find writers that can create fresh, original and inspiring popular dram. As the winner, Doyle will get a script commission and development opportunities with ITV for his family drama Devoted Wife And Mother. It tells the story of a woman whose life is turned upside down when her debt dealing husband is kidnapped with a 500k ransom deadline for 5pm that day. 
ITV has given the greenlight to Sandition, an adaptation of Jane Austen's unfinished novel that was written only months before Austen’s death in 1817. Andrew Davies, the award winning scribe behind House Of Cards and War & Peace is penning the adaptation. 
BBC One and Red Planet Pictures are shaking up the cast of Death In Paradise. Original cast member Danny John-Jules, who plays Officer Dwayne Myers, is exiting the Caribbean-set murder mystery drama after seven seasons. Additionally, Shyko Amos (A Very English Scandal) is joining the cast as a series regular for season eight. 
Red Planet Pictures is adding two titles to their development slate. The indie has optioned the rights to Joanna Cannon’s second novel Three Things About Elsie, with plans to adapt it as a serial drama. The second project, Denim, is a dramedy about a drag queen girlband. 
BBC One's Barbara Windsor biopic is starting to take shape. Jaime Winstone (After Hours) and Samantha Spiro (Game Of Thrones) have been set to play Windsor in Babs. In total there will be four actresses tackling the role in the 90 minute drama from Death In Paradise executive producer Tony Jordan. Winstone will play a 20-30 year old Barbara, while Spiro will play her in her 50s. Two child actors will play her at a younger age. 
Channel 5 has ordered Secrets Of The SAS: In Their Own Words, a four part factual series about the UK's elite special forces group, from Tony Jordan's independent production company Red Planet Pictures, TVWise has learned. 
Red Planet Pictures is restructuring their senior management team as the independent production company set up by Tony Jordan continue to expand. As part of said restructuring, Tony Jordan is stepping aside as MD and will assume the position of CEO; while Belinda Campbell and Alex Jones will succeed him as joint Managing Directors.