Viacom gains first third-party commission from ITV
Details
Editor
| 17 June 2019

Viacom International Studios (VIS) UK has revealed the details of its first ever third-party commission, a two-part series for ITV titled Trevor McDonald’s Indian Train Adventure.

The 2 x 60' documentary series will see the legendary British journalist and newsreader Sir Trevor McDonald invite viewers to join him on an epic train journey across India on the Maharajas’ Express, travelling from Mumbai to Delhi on board one of the world’s most luxurious trains. From Maharaja to young entrepreneur, Sir Trevor disembarks to meet people from all walks of life along the thousand-mile journey and share the rich variety of sights, sounds and tastes he encounters, to provide fascinating insight into rapidly changing modern India.

VIS says that the commission supports the company’s wider ambitions to grow its international studio business as it moves to expand production output for its own network of international channels, as well as third party broadcasters and VOD platforms.

Prior to this, the BAFTA-winning production studio had produced content solely for Viacom’s UK channels, including Channel 5, MTV and Comedy Central. Following the new documentary's transmission on ITV, the VIS content sales team will distribute the two-parter internationally.

Trevor McDonald’s Indian Train Adventure was commissioned for ITV by Jo Clinton-Davis, ITV controller of factual, and Sue Murphy, ITV head of factual entertainment. It will be executive produced by Ed Taylor, creative director and Jeff Anderson, director of factual for VIS UK, and directed by John Holdsworth.

“Trevor’s infectious curiosity makes him the perfect travel guide for this journey that sweeps you along on board the elegance of the Maharajas’ Express and reveals the colours, contrasts and surprises that India offers,” Clinton-Davis remarked.

Taylor added: “Sir Trevor visited India regularly as a foreign correspondent and has borne witness to its transformation over recent decades. In this series he will give viewers a fascinating insight into India today. It’s an exciting first third-party commission for VIS UK and we’re currently in talks with other UK and international broadcasters to seek out further opportunities.”