ITV buys rights to new US series Lethal Weapon, made famous by Mel Gibson, for primetime
Telly series is the channel's first US purchase for Autumn primetime slot in three years
ITV isn’t content with just airing award-winning local dramas – it is also going back to its favourite old trick of buying up huge American shows.
The home of Downton Abbey and Broadchurch has splashed out on the rights for the new series Lethal Weapon — its first US purchase for primetime in three years.
The reboot of the hit Eighties and Nineties movie franchise which starred MEL GIBSON, and DANNY GLOVER, will hit screens in October.
And it’s a familiar tactic.
In the Nineties ITV bosses bought the rights to Baywatch, in the Noughties they acquired Pushing Daisies featuring ANNA FRIEL and, more recently, in 2013, it snapped up the rights to spy drama The Americans.
An insider said: “This is a significant move and shows how competitive ITV is getting.
“It is going for whatever works and Lethal Weapon is an exciting show that has the potential to draw in large amounts of viewers. People are watching these huge US shows on streaming services Netflix and Amazon, so why shouldn’t ITV show it in an evening slot?
“Buying the rights for American shows in the past has worked well.”
The series will see CLAYNE CRAWFORD and DAMON WAYANS play police partners Martin Riggs and Roger Murtaugh.
They will be joined by Mad Men’s KEVIN RAHM and Fast And Furious star JORDANA BREWSTER.
It is the latest big move by the channel’s new director of TV Kevin Lygo. He was the force behind the announcement last Wednesday that Corrie will go to six episodes a week next year.
GREGG'S JIG SORE
GREGG WALLACE and former Strictly Come Dancing professional ALIONA VILANI won’t be having a pint together any time soon.
The MasterChef judge, who was paired with Aliona on the BBC1 show in 2014, has laid into both the ballroom show and his former partner.
He told OK! magazine: “I didn’t particularly enjoy Strictly. I love dancing but if I were paired with somebody who liked me, then I would have done better.”
After the two became the first to be voted out of the competition, Aliona retweeted a load of viewers’ complaints slamming the show for pairing her with older blokes.
She should be thankful she didn’t get JOHN SERGEANT like KRISTINA RIHANOFF.
BIZ BIT
TOM DALEY is returning to TV in an “intimate” doc about his life post- London 2012. Tom Daley: Diving For Gold will give an insight en route to Rio 2016, as well as how Tom came out in public and his engagement to DUSTIN LANCE BLACK.
WATCH CHANGES AT BBC
WATCHDOG is getting its third overhaul in as many years.
Last year ANNE ROBINSON left after 15 years as host and SOPHIE RAWORTH took over, then last month co-host CHRIS HOLLINS quit.
And now there are plans to turn the consumer show into a more pre-recorded affair.
Ediot Gareth Collett is working on a pilot which is expected to include more segments shot on location, as the BBC moves away from broadcasting the show live from studios in London.
The changes are likely to be rolled out as part of the next series of the weekly show when it returns in the autumn.
The reboot began last September when host Anne stood down to work on Britain’s Spending Secrets.
Last month the BBC unveiled a new line-up including BBC disability correspondent NIKKI FOX and business reporter STEPH McGOVERN.
MUST WATCH
WHAT? Life Stripped Bare. Channel 4, 9pm.
WHY? Groups in Cardiff, London and Manchester relinquish all their stuff – including clothes – for 21 days as an experiment. Nothing like a bit of nudity to draw in viewers.