Series Distributed Internationally by Content Media
For Immediate Release:
London – Monday 26th September 2016 – Woodcut Media and The Development Partnership have been commissioned by A+E Networks® UK to produce a two-part documentary: Alfie Allen’s Story of Football (working title), which reveals the birth and evolution of the UK’s favourite game which will air on HISTORY®.
Actor Alfie Allen has been featured in numerous movies and TV series, but is probably best known for his role as Theon Greyjoy in the global hit series Game of Thrones. Besides acting, football has always been his greatest passion. As a boy he played Sunday league and attended Arsenal’s youth camp, as well as charity matches alongside his actor-father Keith.
As a child of the 90s, Alfie’s passion and knowledge of the sport is defined by the Premiership era, but the show explores the stories, moments and characters that have defined football over the past century. We follow Alfie’s geographical, cultural and historical journey across the United Kingdom in search of football’s roots and discover how the game evolved through a broad range of themes including the fans, stadiums, FA, leagues, gender, diversity and chants.
Alfie Allen’s Story of Football (w/t) (2 x 60’) directed by Mike Christie (Sir Alex Ferguson: Secrets of Success, Darcey’s Ballet Heroes,) is produced by Woodcut Media and The Development Partnership, alongside co-producers Krempelwood Entertainment. Derren Lawford (Woodcut Media) and Robert Taylor (The Development Partnership) are co-executive producers, with Di Carter as Executive Producer for A+E Networks UK’s HISTORY®.
The series will be presented to buyers for the first time at the upcoming MIPCOM market by distributors Content Media.
Alfie Allen says: “Football has been a big part of my life from an early age and the opportunity to work with Woodcut for HISTORY UK to uncover the secrets of the game is a really exciting one for me. This project also marks my first time in documentary, both as a presenter and associate producer, and so for all those reasons it is very exciting indeed.”
Woodcut Media’s Chief Executive Officer and Executive Producer for the series, Kate Beal, says: “We are proud to be collaborating with A+E Networks UK again, and producing what we believe will be one of their standout shows for 2017. It is also a joy to be working with such high-profile talent as Alfie, especially as the whole Woodcut team are Game of Thrones fans!”
Alfie Allen’s Story of Football was commissioned by Rachel Job Director of Programming for HISTORY and H2 at A+E Networks UK. The 2×1 hour programme will be broadcast in the UK then on HISTORY channels operated by A+E Networks UK across Europe, Middle East and Africa.
Rachel Job, says: “Like Alfie Allen, HISTORY’s viewers are big fans of the beautiful game. So we are confident that this show will build on the success of other talent-led projects on HISTORY, including Sean Bean on Waterloo and the upcoming Ronnie O’Sullivan’s American Hustle (TX Jan 2017), by taking a novel approach to a subject that both the star presenters and our viewers are passionate about.”
ENDS
About Krempelwood Entertainment:
Krempelwood was founded in 2008 by Blair Krempel and Mark Wood to act as branded content agents for production companies. The business was expanded in August 2015 with the launch of Krempelwood Entertainment offering broadcasters and production companies an alternative source of programme finance. Programmes announced financed by Krempelwood Entertainment include Treasures of the British Library for Sky Arts, Tour de Celeb for Channel 5 and Rocket Ronnie’s American Hustle for A+E Networks owned History.
About The Development Partnership:
The Development Partnership is the producing arm of London Talent Agency, The Artists Partnership. Founded to capitalise on the incredible wealth of talent represented by The Artists Partnership, they develop work across film, television and theatre, both factual and scripted.
About Woodcut Media:
With offices in London and Hampshire, Woodcut Media, a member of the family of Bob & Co businesses, is one of the fastest growing indies in the UK producing a broad range of factual programming. In addition to being one of the leading true crime producers in the UK (Holloway: Women Behind Bars, The Krays: The Prison Years and Murder Casebook), Woodcut Media’s rapidly growing catalogue also includes specialist factual series (Defenders of the Sky and Combat Trains),premium one off docs (The Ivy, Cut From A Different Cloth and Mandela, My Dad and Me featuring Idris Elba) and factual entertainment shows (Around the World in 80 Tricks and Animal Antics). Woodcut Media’s operations are spearheaded by leading doc producer Kate Beal, alongside former BBC exec Derren Lawford as Creative Director and former Lion TV founder Jeremy Mills as Chairman.
About A+E Networks UK:
A+E Networks® UK is a joint venture between A+E Networks® and Sky. Its portfolio of high-quality, ground-breaking factual and entertainment channels includes HISTORY®, Lifetime®, Crime + Investigation® and H2®. A+E Networks® UK launched in November 1995 and now operates 19 channels, with 121 million subscriptions, broadcasting into 45 million homes across 90 countries in the UK, Scandinavia, Benelux, Central & Eastern Europe, Sub-Saharan Africa and the Middle East.
Media Contacts:
David Clifton, A+E Networks UK
Tel: +44 (0)7715 799967 david.clifton@aetn.co.uk
