Channel 5 has ordered a duo of four-part dramas from Chalkboard founder Mike Benson’s fledgling scripted indie Clapperboard Studios.
C5 has greenlit Deadline and Teacher from the indie, which was unveiled in October as it picked up its debut C5 order– Intruder.
The ‘mainstream noir’ Deadline follows a journalist who falls in love with the femme fatale he is profiling for his newspaper.
The series is being produced in association with German indie Night Train Media and written and directed by Gareth Tunley, who is also penning Intruder. International sales are being handled by Abacus Media Rights.
Meanwhile, psychological thriller Teacher from Timewasters writer Barunka O’Shaughnessy tells the story of Jenna, who is accused of a drunken sexual encounter with one of her students.
As she tries to prove her innocence with no memory of the night in question, her only hope lies in uncovering the truth about a dark incident in her past.
Both have been greenlit by ViacomCBS deputy director of programmes Sebastian Cardwell and are being exec-produce by Benson, with Teacher expected to begin filming early in the new year, followed by Deadline.
According to Cardwell, the pair of commissions demonstrates C5’s “continued commitment to the genre”, as the channel seeks to further expand its offering.
Prior to setting up Clapperboard, Benson was behind C5 drama Cold Call for Chalkboard.
