WBD UK announces slate of new and returning series
March 19, 2024
Warner Bros Discovery UK & Ireland has ordered nearly 100 hours of new and returning series that will debut across its linear channels, before dropping on discovery+, in the second half of 2024 and early 2025.
The French Antiques River Cruise is a new 8×60 series for Quest, coming to the channel later this summer. The show will see antique dealer brothers Henry and Edward Vaughan set sail on an idyllic river cruise on the hunt for French treasures to take home to Stratford Upon Avon, where they’ll auction off for a profit. Produced by True North, The French Antiques River Cruise will showcase French antiques at unbeatable prices, as these savvy brothers seek the best bargains.
STV Studios-produced The Derbyshire Auction House is a new 10×60 series coming to Really in July. Building on the success of the Auction House franchise,which has seen a record-breaking audience for The Yorkshire Auction House S3, viewers will now be introduced to auctioneer Irita Marriott as she builds her auction business in the heart of South Derbyshire. As one of the few women in the country to helm an auction house, the series follows Marriott as she unveils Britain’s newest saleroom.
Also produced by STV Studios,The Yorkshire Auction House returns for a fifth season on Really. Starting in October, viewers will see renowned auctioneer Angus Ashworth travel across the UK clearing homes of unique treasures, whilst discovering the stories behind the objects and the people who owned them. Over the course of 23, hour-long episodes, viewers will witness Ashworth’s team delve into the origins of their finds and strive to secure the biggest bids for their clients. In addition, fans of the show can look forward to the upcoming fourth season of Celebrity Yorkshire Auction House in November. The 7×60 Really series will see Angus alongside some famous and well-loved faces, as he hunts through their cupboards for forgotten heirlooms and oversees the auctioning of their prized possessions.
Really viewers can also look forward to the return of the seventh season of The Bad Skin Clinic. Dermatologist Dr Emma Craythorne is back in action, transforming the lives of those suffering from debilitating skin conditions. Filming at the private medical practice of One Welbeck London, each story will be driven by the tension that builds up before, during and after Craythorne works her magic, with patients experiencing transformational treatments in her highly capable hands. The 10×60 series produced by Full Fat TV will air later this year.
On Quest, motoring fans will see the return of the longest-running car magazine series on air, Fifth Gear, later this year. Fronted by Jason Plato, Vicki Butler-Henderson and Rory Reid. The new series will feature exclusive first drives of the latest models, fan-favourite items including high speed head-to-head track tests, secondhand heroes, iconic road trips and even the occasional special guest. This 6×60 series is produced by North One.
Also returning to Quest, Outback Opal Hunters is back for its eighth season with 20×60 episodes of the new season produced by Prospero Productions, set to air later this summer. Fans of the long-standing format will witness the emergence of new partnerships and new generations adopting cutting-edge technology to unearth the most elusive gemstone on the planet.
Charlotte Reid, VP Commissioning at WBD UK & Ireland, commented: “We’re delighted to be welcoming a slate of new and returning series for our linear portfolio. The brand-new The French Antiques River Cruise series coming to Quest adds to our existing lineup of antique and salvage titles, so too does a bumper line-up of the Auction House format with the fifth season of the Yorkshire Auction House, the third season of Celebrity Yorkshire Auction House and the new spin-off series The Derbyshire Auction House. We are also excited to see the return of some of our most popular franchises, including Bad Skin Clinic and Outback Opal Hunters, as well as the return of Fifth Gear.”