click here for press release

23rd May 2007

THUMBS UP PRODUCTIONS SECURES ITV1 COMMISSION AND UK DVD DEAL

Thumbs Up Productions, one of the UK’s leading independent production companies, are pleased to announce the commission of a 5x 60’ factual entertainment series for ITV1.

‘Wright Across America’ sees footballing legend Ian Wright travel coast to coast across the USA on a Harley Davidson. Ian explains, ‘Since retiring from football, my biggest passion is bikes – and for any biker there is one ultimate dream….to ride across America!”

Ian is joined on his 3000 mile trip by Nicky Bootz, an all American crazy chopper builder and wild man of the road! Their exhilarating journey takes Wrighty from Florida to California meeting a host of characters and having the American adventure of a lifetime!

The Wright Across America series was originally commissioned by Joe Talbot as a 10 X 60 minutes series for Men & Motors and was broadcast back in December 2005. This 5 X 60 minutes ITV1 series is a faster-paced edited-down version of the original Men & Motor series and was again commissioned by Joe Talbot for ITV1. It is executive produced by Marty Redman, produced by Cheryl Snelling and directed by James Macdonald.

Lazarus Consulting, the media business consultancy, on behalf of Thumbs Up Productions, has successfully placed the series with Liberation Entertainment, the UK DVD distributor, for release later this year.

Transmission dates are to be confirmed later this year, but “Wright Across America” will mark Ian Wright’s return to ITV1 after an absence of two years.

ITV1 are now seeking a broadcast sponsor for this series and any interested parties should contact Steve Lazarus at Lazarus Consulting in the first instance.

Davo Swannell, Chairman of Thumbs Up Productions said, “Whilst we have had considerable success with commissions from multichannel broadcasters, this is our first major commission from ITV1. We have absolute faith that Wright Across America will be a resounding success with viewers and will firmly establish Thumbs Up as a producer of high quality entertaining shows. We are especially pleased that we have already agreed a DVD deal and we are confident that Liberation Entertainment will do a great job with this title.”

Spencer Pollard, Managing Director of Liberation Entertainment said, “I am delighted to be working with Ian Wright again and Thumbs Up on this Series, which no doubt will prove to be hugely popular both on television and as a DVD proposition. You only have to look at the popularity of “The Long Way Round” and “Race To Dakar” to realise that well made, interesting and entertaining series in this genre are a hit within the UK DVD market”.

- end -

Notes:

About Thumbs Up Productions

Thumbs Up Productions launched in 2004 bringing together a pool of industry talent backed by City investment.

By 2005 Thumbs Up was Flextech Television’s biggest supplier of original programming with credits including, ‘Celebrity Snappers’, ‘Ultimate Guinness World Records’ and ‘Cilla Live’. In late 2005, Thumbs Up Productions were selected by CBS/Paramount and Living to produce the hugely popular brand of ‘Britain’s Next Top Model’.

In 2006, series 2 made TV history by becoming the first UK made reality series to have a terrestrial airing in the US, screening on the CW channel. Series 2 was also nominated for ‘Best Multichannel Show’ at this year’s Broadcast Awards and was runner up to ‘I’m a Celebrity…’ in the Televisual Award for ‘Best Reality Series’. Series 3 is currently in production and airs this July.

About Liberation Entertainment

Los Angeles and London based Liberation Entertainment is an integrated independent entertainment distribution company, primarily engaged in the business of acquiring and selling film and television content and maximizing the value of its catalogue worldwide via DVD distribution, digital distribution and TV broadcast sales.

Launched in 2006, Liberation Entertainment owns the rights to a wide variety of audio-visual content, including over 250 feature films, two and a half thousand hours’ of classic television series, a large animation library, Sport, Special Interest, Interactive DVD and Music DVD from artists such as Stereophonics, Paul Weller, Beach Boys, Carlos Santana and The Beatles.