News Broadcasting
BBC looks to take hit comedies to big screen
MUMBAI: UK pubcaster the BBC is looking to turn its comedy shows into feature films. Kenton Allen, an Oscar-winning producer who produced this year’s Academy award winning short film Six Shooter will lead the development initiative for the comedy department that produces shows like Little Britain, Extras, Ideal and Funland.
Alongside exploring the potential to develop existing brands into feature films, Kenton Allen and the Comedy team will also work with a wide variety of writers and writer/performers to develop feature films. Allen said, “Many of the comedy talent we work with ultimately want to paint on a bigger canvas, and this relationship with BBC Films means that we can now offer them that opportunity.
“From initial development in Radio and the Internet, through Television and on to Film, BBC Comedy can offer the best comedy talent the best possible development path for their work.
“BBC Comedy has a fine tradition of developing iconic comic voices from Ronnie Barker to Ricky Gervais and I’m confident that this opportunity will lead to some truly original film making.”
BBC Films head David Thompson said: “I am very excited about working with Kenton and The BBC Comedy team. Comedy is very much a target area for us at the moment, with several interesting projects in development, the recent successful releases of Debbie Isitt’s Confetti and Michael Winterbottom’s A Cock & Bull Story.”
News Broadcasting
CNN-News18 to host Fury in the Gulf conclave on West Asia crisis
Three-hour summit to unpack geopolitical fallout and impact on India
MUMBAI: CNN-News18 is set to host a special three-hour broadcast, Fury in the Gulf – War Conclave, on April 7, aiming to decode the escalating West Asia crisis and its far-reaching implications for India.
Scheduled from 4:00 PM to 7:00 PM, the conclave comes at a time when tensions between Iran and the United States are reshaping global geopolitics and triggering economic uncertainty. With India’s deep energy ties, trade links and large diaspora in the Gulf, the developments carry significant domestic relevance.
Built around the theme ‘Conflict, Consequences, and The Future,’ the programme will feature six curated sessions combining one-on-one interviews and panel discussions. The focus is to cut through the clutter and offer viewers a clearer understanding of the fast-evolving situation.
Key sessions include ‘Diplomacy in Times of War’ featuring Shashi Tharoor, and ‘World After the Iran Conflict’ with voices such as Ram Madhav, Reuven Azar, representatives from the European Union and the Iranian Deputy Envoy. Another session titled ‘Another Dunkirk?’ will bring together K. J. S. Dhillon and Jitin Prasada among others.
CNN-News18 editorial affairs director Rahul Shivshankar said, “In times of war, clarity becomes the most powerful tool. Fury in the Gulf – War Conclave brings together credible voices to address the questions and confusion that arise amid an overwhelming influx of information.”
He added that the initiative is aimed at delivering “facts, perspective, and insight” at a time when misinformation can easily cloud public understanding.
Echoing the sentiment, CNN-News18 CEO– English and business news Smriti Mehra said the conflict marks a defining global moment, with consequences that extend well beyond the region. She noted that the conclave seeks to present the crisis with “depth, nuance and responsibility” so audiences can better grasp its real-world impact.
As geopolitical tensions continue to dominate headlines, the conclave positions itself as an attempt to bring order to the noise, offering viewers a structured, insight-led look at a complex and rapidly shifting global situation.
