Sky announces biggest ever line-up of new and exclusive original TV shows & films in 2021

In 2021, Sky is bringing you more than 125 new Sky Originals, our biggest ever line-up of TV and film that you won’t want to miss.

For the first time ever, this year we’ll be bringing you 30 new Sky Original films and 30 new Sky Original documentaries, on top of our great drama, comedy, entertainment and arts series. Altogether that’s 50% more original TV and film than last year, packed full of great stories and your favourite stars.

Movie fans are in for a treat as Sky Cinema becomes the home of Sky Original film with at least two new original films every month and this is set to rise to one a week from next year.

For 2021 there’s an exciting mix of films featuring some of the biggest stars Judi Dench, Eddie Izzard, Hugh Bonneville, Keeley Hawes, Michael Caine, Lena Headley, Rita Ora, Raff Law, Patrick Stewart, Meera Syal, Andy Serkis, Noel Clarke, Adam Devine, Ken Jeong, Maggie Smith, Kristen Wiig, Samantha Morton, Tom Felton, Jonathan Pryce, Jim Broadbent, Morgan Freeman, Robert DeNiro, Janelle Monae, Alicia Vikander, Julianne Moore, Allison Janey, Mila Kunis, Juliette Lewis, Fiona Shaw, Kate Beckinsale, Stanley Tucci, Laverne Cox and more.

With films for everyone to enjoy, there’s A Boy Called Christmas, the origin story of Father Christmas, re-imagined in Gil Keenan’s live action adaptation of Matt Haig’s best-selling novel, and family favourites such as Extinct and Monster Family 2. There are films inspired by true stories and real people with Save The Cinema, Creation Stories, Six Minutes to Midnight and The Glorias, action adventures with Jolt and SAS: Red Notice, comedies with The Comeback Trail and Breaking News In Yuba County and thrillers with Antebellum.

And if real life, eye opening stories are your thing we’ve got you covered with Sky Documentaries, Sky Crime and Sky Nature. Our new Sky Original documentaries include  an exploration of how Liverpool became the epicentre of a drugs boom that was to change Britain forever (Liverpool Narcos),  a revealing look at newly discovered footage from the Chernobyl disaster (Chernobyl 86),  a look back at Britain’s 40-year struggle with HIV/AIDS (Positive) and a forensic examination of the case of Jeremy Bamber and the White House Farm Murders (The Bambers: Murder at the Farm), executive produced by Louis Theroux and Aaron Fellows.

These new documentary announcements follow the recently announced Murder At The Cottage; a must-see documentary series by six-time Academy Award nominee, Jim Sheridan, looking at the case of Sophie Toscan du Plantier.

There’s good news for anyone wanting to get their teeth into high-end drama too. After clinching the BAFTA for best mini-series for the last two years (Chernobyl and Patrick Melrose), there are three new series on their way from acclaimed TV writers Paul Abbott (Shameless, No Offence) with Wolfe, David Farr (The Night Manager) with The Midwich Cuckoos and Joe Barton (Giri/Haji, The Batman) with Extinction.

Zai Bennett, Managing Director, Content, Sky UK & Ireland, said: “This year on Sky and NOW TV we’ve got an epic variety of entertainment for everyone, adding a brand-new slate of Sky Original films and Sky Original documentaries to our line-up of award-winning drama, comedy, entertainment and arts series.

 “If you love film, Sky Cinema is the place for you with the latest box office movies alongside our new and exclusive 30 Sky Original films, including A Boy Called Christmas and Save The Cinema and A list stars from Judi Dench and Eddie Izzard through to Morgan Freeman and Robert De Niro. And if real life stories are your thing, we’ve got compelling documentaries on everything from the drugs trade in 1980s Liverpool to the White House Farm Murders, alongside unmissable drama from world class writers including Paul Abbott, David Farr and Joe Barton.”

This bumper schedule for 2021 and beyond is part of Sky’s commitment to more than double its investment in original content by 2024.  And work is underway on Sky Studios Elstree, our new state-of-the-art TV and film studio in North London, which is set to be the most sustainable in the world when it opens in 2022. We’re also making all future Sky Originals net zero carbon as well.

Sky is also the place you can watch some of the best of US TV, with shows from HBO, Showtime and many more. The new Sky Original TV shows and films announced today are:

Original Drama: 

• Wolfe: Babou Ceesay (Guerilla, Rogue One) stars as a lauded forensic pathologist in this new drama written by Paul Abbott (Shameless, No Offence, Clocking Off). Coming Autumn 2021
• The Midwich Cuckoos (TX 2022) : John Wyndham’s classic science fiction novel is given a modern adaptation for the screen by David Farr (The Night Manager). Coming in 2022
• Extinction: A propulsive action thriller about a man who keeps reliving the same day over and over again. Written by Joe Barton (Giri/Haji) and starring Paapa Essiedu (I May Destroy You), Tom Burke (Strike), Anjli Mohindra (Bodyguard) and Caroline Quentin (Men Behaving Badly).  Coming in 2022

Wolfe, The Midwich Cuckoos and Extinction join a line-up of high-quality Sky Original dramas already coming in 2021 including Landscapers starring Academy Award®-winner Olivia Colman, new prison break drama Intergalactic and returning favourites Britannia and Temple.

 Original Documentaries

• Liverpool Narcos: In the 1980s, Liverpool became the epicentre of a drugs boom that was to change Britain forever. With unprecedented access to some of the biggest players, this is the story of how drugs went mainstream and dealing became a multi-billion pound business. Coming in Spring 2021
• Bambers: Murder at the Farm: Using first-hand testimony and unseen archive footage to re-examine the shocking events at White House Farm, this documentary explores evidence that has emerged since the original trial of Jeremy Bamber. From Executive Producers Louis Theroux and Arron Fellows. Coming in 2021
• Positive: Positive marks Britain’s 40-year struggle with HIV/AIDS, through interviews with some of the earliest HIV patients and real-life heroes. Coming in Winter 2021
• Gangs of Macaque Island: A light-hearted animal docu-soap, following the daily lives of rival black-crested macaque troops in the remote forests of Sulawesi’s Tangkoko National Park in Indonesia. Coming in Winter 2021
• Chernobyl 86: Chernobyl ’86 tells the story of Chernobyl through newly discovered archive footage and original interviews with those who were there. Directed by Emmy Award winner James Jones. Coming in 2022

These five new Sky Original documentaries join a raft of factual programming already coming to Sky Documentaries, Sky Crime and Sky Nature in 2021, including Murder at the Cottage, Bruno v Tyson, and Shark with Steve Backshall.

Original Entertainment and Comedy

• Safe Space: A psychotherapist in a small market town dispenses advice to his clients to suit his own desperate need to control them. Starring, written and created by BAFTA-winning comedian Greg Davies.
• Russell Howard’s Antipodean Adventure: Russell Howard will be travelling around New Zealand and Australia in this new travelogue punctuated by stand-up comedy.

These new Sky Original commissions join returning comedy favourites Breeders (Martin Freeman, Daisy Haggard), Code 404 (Stephen Graham, Daniel Mays) Intelligence (David Schwimmer, Nick Mohammed), and Brassic (Joe Gilgun, Michelle Keegan),  as well as BAFTA Award-winning A League of their Own (Jamie Redknapp, Freddie Flintoff, Romesh), The Russell Howard Hour  and the previously announced The Deirdre O’Kane Show, which will begin filming as Live from Dublin’s Olympia Theatre this May. The show suffered a setback when Covid-19 struck but looks set to finally get underway with the same big names and is set to hit screens this autumn.

Original Film:

• Save The Cinema: Samantha Morton, Jonathan Pryce, Adeel Akhtar, Susan Wokoma and Tom Felton star in this new British film based on true events. Liz Evans makes it her mission to stop her local cinema from being demolished.
• Kindred: A psychological thriller about a vulnerable mother-to-be who is taken in by her recently deceased boyfriend’s mother and stepson, who seem increasingly obsessed with her every move. Starring Fiona Shaw (Killing Eve), Tamara Lawrence (The Long Song) and Jack Lowden (Mary Queen of Scots, Dunkirk).
• Creation Stories: Written by Irvine Welsh and Dean Cavanagh, Creation Stories charts the true story of the rise and fall of Creation Records and its infamous founder Alan McGee, who signed generation-defining bands such as Oasis and Primal Scream.
• Breaking News in Yuba County: A dark and twisted comedy that explores the outrageous lengths some people will go to in order to garner some much-desired attention. Starring Allison Janney, Mila Kunis and Awkwafina.
• Six Minutes to Midnight: Emmy Award ® winner Eddie Izzard and Academy Award® winner Judi Dench battle to protect a group of students from the grip of Hitler in this World War II thriller.
• The Comeback Trail: Two movie producers who owe money to the mob set up their aging movie star for an insurance scam to try and save themselves. Starring Robert DeNiro, Morgan Freeman, Tommy Lee Jones and Zach Braff.
• Antebellum: A terrifying new thriller with a kiss of horror from the producer of the acclaimed films Get Out and Us, starring Janelle Monáe.
• The Glorias: The Glorias is the female led story of feminist icon Gloria Steinem; known for her world-shaping activism, guidance of the revolutionary women’s movement, and writing that has impacted generations. Written and directed by Julie Taymor.
• Every Breath You Take: Academy Award-winning actor Casey Affleck stars as a psychiatrist who finds his life in turmoil following the sudden suicide of his patient. When he invites his patient’s surviving brother (Sam Claflin) into his home to meet his wife (Michelle Monaghan) and daughter, his family life and career are suddenly torn apart.
• Extinct Op and Ed are two adorable donut-shaped animals — FLUMMELS — who accidentally time-travel from 1835 to modern-day Shanghai. Starring Rachel Bloom, Adam Devin and Ken Jeong.

• Monster Family 2 To free Baba Yaga and Renfield from the clutches of Monster Hunter Mila Starr, the Wishbone Family once more transforms into a Vampire, Frankenstein’s Monster, a Mummy and a Werewolf. Starring Jason Isaacs, Emily Watson and Nick Frost.
• The Secrets We Keep In post-WWII America, a woman rebuilding her life in the suburbs with her husband kidnaps her neighbour and seeks vengeance for the heinous war crimes she believes he committed against her. Starring Noomi Rapace, Chris Messina and Joel Kinnaman. 

• Jolt A female driven action-comedy that follows Lindy (Kate Beckinsale), a bouncer with a murderous anger management problem that she controls with the help of an electrode-lined vest to shock herself back into normalcy whenever she feels homicidal. Starring Stanley Tucci and Laverne Cox.

This new line up of Sky Original films, joins Twist  with two-time Academy Award winner Sir Michael Caine, Dragon Rider, voiced by Felicity Jones and Patrick Stewart and To Olivia starring Hugh Bonneville and Keeley Hawes.

All of these exclusive shows and films sit alongside aggregated content on Sky’s award-winning Sky Q platform, including shows and films from Amazon and Netflix, as well as apps such as Disney+, and FiiT.

Doubling our investment in original productions

Sky has announced plans for Sky Studios, a new Europe-wide development and production capability.

With the backing of new owners Comcast, under the Sky Studios plan Sky’s investment in originals will more than double from the current level over the next five years.

The announcement comes after the recent smash hit success of Chernobyl, which has been the most successful Sky original production ever, a record number of BAFTA winners for Sky, as well as several other European successes such as Das Boot and Gomorrah.

Sky’s increasing success with original productions, coupled with the ability to partner with NBC and Universal, puts Sky in a strong position to extend its leadership in this increasingly global, profitable, and strategically important area.

Sky Studios will create new productions for Sky channels, NBC Broadcast and cable, and Universal Pictures as well as for other distribution outlets.

Jeremy Darroch, Group CEO, said: “This is a transformational development for us. Sky Studios will drive our vision to be the leading force in European content development and production. Our ambition is to make Sky Studios famous for quality content and a place where Europe’s top creatives will want to do their best work.

“Being part of Comcast enables us to increase our investment and to maximise the advantage and leverage of the Sky Group and our partners, NBCUniversal. This is a clear signal of Comcast’s belief in our commitment to producing the best original content in Europe.”

Sky Studios will produce and develop original content across all genres, with a focus on drama and comedy. With the emphasis firmly on quality, Sky Studios plans to double the amount of originals currently produced by Sky. It will work in close collaboration with local Sky leadership teams.

Production will begin next month on Sky Studios’ first international project, a six-part drama called The Third Day, a co-production with HBO and starring Jude Law.

Sky Studios will be led by Gary Davey, CEO, who is currently Sky UK’s Managing Director of Content.

Gary Davey, CEO Sky Studios, said: “This exciting new venture is perfectly timed to meet the growing content demands of our customers. We look forward to working with the whole creative community, from individual creators to the big independent producers to produce more of the original content our customers love.”

David Schwimmer stars in new comedy series for Sky One

Intelligence is a new Sky original production set in the UK’s Government Communications Headquarters, a weedier, geekier, more bureaucratic version of MI5 and MI6

The six-part series is a workplace comedy series based in Cheltenham and set in the UK’s highly regarded Government Communications Headquarters. When a power-hungry, maverick NSA agent (Schwimmer) comes over to join an inept and tactless computer analyst (Mohammed) and a newly-formed team tackling cybercrime, everything they know is shaken up.

Jon Mountague, Head of Comedy, Sky Entertainment, said: “Nick Mohammed has written a brilliantly funny comedy series in Intelligence. David & Nick are hilarious together and so perfectly represent the special relationship between our two great nations. I can’t wait.”

David Schwimmer said: “I have no idea what this show is about but if it’s called Intelligence, naturally I’m going to be part of it.”

Nick Mohammed said: “Getting to work with David has been an absolute dream come true. He’s collaborative, honest and exquisitely funny and I couldn’t be more delighted and flattered by his involvement. On saying that, we did initially offer the part to the local shoplifter from Blackpool, but he wasn’t available sadly. Either way, we hope that everyone at GCHQ is as excited about this series as we are. I presume they were aware of this series being green-lit way before we ever were…”

Nerys Evans, Expectation’s Creative Director, Comedy, said: “Even though the stakes are really high for the team, fighting cyber-crime, our six-part comedy series reveals the reality is not dissimilar to any other office environment, from temperamental photocopiers to meeting rooms being double booked. David Schwimmer and Nick Mohammed have a fantastic ‘odd couple’ chemistry and the scripts are brilliantly funny, we can’t wait to see the world of Intelligence come to life.”

Mohammed (The Martian and Christopher Robin) will write, star and executive produce the six-part series. Schwimmer (Friends and American Crime Story: The People v. OJ Simpson) will also star and executive produce.

Intelligence is a co-production with Expectation and Dark Harbor Stories. Executive producer is Nerys Evans for Expectation. Commissioned by Jon Mountague, Sky’s Head of Comedy and Zai Bennett, Director of Programming for Sky Entertainment UK & Ireland. The commissioning editor is Morwenna Gordon for Sky.

Intelligence will be internationally distributed by Sky Vision.