THE TRAITORS, MR BATES VS THE POST OFFICE AND MORE AT EDINBURGH TV FEST

By K Monroe 

THE Traitors, Mr Bates vs the Post Office, and Late Night Lovett are just some of the shows up for an award at Screen Scotland’s The Edinburgh TV Festival (ETF), the UK’s leading television industry event. 

The annual event in August which brings a host of big names from behind the scenes and front of camera to Edinburgh has announced the shortlist for its prestigious TV Awards, which are supported by Cast & Crew.  

Despite an unbelievably challenging year for many, the television industry has proven to be an impactful force for good for both viewers and society at large, setting the news agenda with the likes of Mr Bates vs The Post Office, creating water-cooler moments with entertainment series like The Traitors, and providing escapism and laughs with programmes like Late Night Lycett. The TV Awards list of nominees reflects the creativity, innovation, passion and resilience of this community, with the UK’s traditional broadcasters dominating the shortlist.  

Double BAFTA Award winning British television personality, chef and musician Zuhair Hassan, otherwise known as Big Zuu, will take the helm as 2024 Jury President, overseeing the voting via juries made up of industry names. Since Big Zuu’s Big Eats launched on UKTV in 2020, he has become a household name and has gone on to host Big Zuu’s Breakfast Show on ITV and Big Zuu’s 12 Dishes in 12 Hours on ITV. Most recently Zuu fronted BBC Two documentary Big Zuu Goes to Mecca, he has also acted in UKTV’s Sneakerhead, hosted the 1Xtra Residency, released a cookbook and launched his own podcast, Feast is Feast. Zuu is a co-founder of Big Productions, an entertainment label specialising in factual and music content with the goal of nurturing and developing diverse talent in the industry.  

Big Zuu said: “It is an honour to be asked to chair the Jury for this year’s TV Awards. Between the pandemic, the strikes and the recession, it has been a really challenging couple of years for our industry. The talent on display in this shortlist is a timely reminder of how valuable our sector is, so I am really excited to be a part of this year’s process.” 

The shortlist for this year’s Awards is packed full of the best acting and producing talent in the television industry from across the UK and internationally. With a broad range of broadcasters and streamers nominated, the BBC leads the shortlist with 23 nominations across the broadcaster and individual talent categories. Channel 4amassed 19 nominations and ITV 10, with global streamers Apple TV+ and Disney+ securing 6 nominations each.

The Edinburgh TV Awards will be held at the EICC on Thursday 22nd August

BLACKPOOL IS NOW THE UK’S CAPITAL OF DANCE

Blackpool Tower Ballroom has always been a favourites destination of any professional or budding dancer, so it comes as no surprise to see that the British seaside town has now been titled the UK’s Capital of Dance!

 

Theshowbizlion.com has always championed the rock-ing resort and die to its unrivalled heritage in both social and competitive dance and reputation as the nation’s favourite place to trip the light fantastic, it made sense for it to gain the new title. 

Lytham based theatre producers and festival promoters Martin and Marina Blore from Fit The Bill Limited, are now hosting a pilot event this and next month to officially declare the town as the Dance Capital!

 

And Strictly star Karen Hauer has already pledged her support and will be in Blackpool for the event. Theshowbizlion.com briefly caught up with Karen during her last trip to Glasgow and she is committed to the cause. 

 

Taking place between June 14 and July 14, the month-long event will feature more than 100 different activations, from live performances, workshops with celebrity dancers, theatre shows, dance themed art exhibitions, community events and dancing in the streets!

 

Live dance performances will pop up in unusual spaces across the town, cafes will be offering ballerina cakes and there will even be themed cocktails in bars and festival themed window displays!

Karen will be delivering workshops herself on Saturday 29th June at the Winter Gardens, Blackpool.

 

To be a part of this you just need to visit: www.capitalofdance.com

 

Karen said: “There really is no-where quite like Blackpool when it comes to dancing.

 

“I have had the privilege of dancing on the famous Blackpool Tower ballroom floor for many years and every year it just gets better.

 

“This is an incredible initiative, and it is fantastic to see Blackpool finally getting the recognition it deserves – it is well and truly the UK’s – Capital of Dance!”

 

Marina also said today her ambition is to build on the success of this year and return in 2025 with what will be the UK’s first dance-based fringe festival.

 

The vision for the festival is to transform theatres, art venues and unusual spaces across the town, into dance hubs - filling them with dance workshops and shows – catering for all ages and abilities.

 

With 22M annual visitors, Blackpool remains the UK’s most popular seaside resort.

 

Marina added: “Capital of Dance will promote and build on the town’s fantastic dance heritage – there really is nowhere quite like Blackpool.”

 

The town already plays host to dozens of international dance competitions every year, the world’s longest running ice dance production at Pleasure Beach Resort, together with the famous names who grace The Grand Theatre and Winter Gardens throughout the year.

 

Marina said: “Since the Victorians arrived at the resort by train to dance on the piers, Blackpool has continued to welcome thousands of enthusiasts. This passion for dance has grown in the resort throughout the decades. During the war years, soldiers from both sides of the Atlantic met future spouses whilst dancing to the music of the big bands in the two most iconic dance venues in the world, Blackpool Tower Ballroom and the Empress Ballroom at the Winter Gardens.

 

 “There was swing dancing and jiving on the piers, and every summer season theatre shows until the late 1980s included a line-up of dancers as part of their twice nightly performances.

 

“Then came Northern Soul, the super-clubs and today, Blackpool Tower’s spectacular ballroom with its sprung dance floor, remains the aspiration for every Strictly Come Dancing professional and their celebrity partners.”

 

The Capital of Dance pilot project has been part funded by the UK Government through the UK Shared Prosperity Funding (UKSPF) and also by Blackpool Tourism Business Improvement District (TBID). 

 

TBID is made up of key businesses across the resort and takes a lead role on projects which are deemed to make a positive impact on the local economy and help to attract and retain staying visitors in Blackpool.

 

Kate Shane, chair of TBID Blackpool said: “Blackpool and dancing have been hand in hand for generations, providing magical experiences for everyone, whether they’re a competitor, spectator or just love to take to the floor.  The resort has the best array of venues and this, combined with our world class hospitality, makes Blackpool the perfect location to be the UK’s Capital of Dance.”

 

Dancers, dance creatives, producers and choreographers are being encouraged to pledge their support for both this year’s event and next year’s, which will take place from June 13 – July 13, 2025.

 

Anyone who is interested should visit: www.capitalofdance.com  Capital of Dance or email marina@fitthebill.com