Tony Robinson to rewrite history with 'irresistible' new content venture
Blackadder star Sir Tony Robinson is teaming up with newly-formed Radar Studios for an "irresistible" new content venture, Tony Robinson Rewrites History.
Sir Tony Robinson is teaming up with newly-formed Radar Studios for a new content venture.
The Blackadder star, 80, and the company are to launch Tony Robinson Rewrites History, which will have its own YouTube channel later this year.
According to Deadline, the channel will feature 12 30-minute episodes, and Radar Studios will also introduce a six-part TV series, with one-hour episodes, to international buyers at MIPCOM Cannes next month.
Tony - best known for playing Baldrick in BBC sitcom Blackadder - will revisit defining events of the past in the new series, including the advent of COVID-19 and the story of the Spanish Armada.
The Time Team star will also explore how certain historic events might have panned out differently had a pivotal moment gone in another direction.
Tony is no stranger to working with Radar Studios' parent WTFN Group in Australia, after doing so on shows including Tony Robinson’s Time Walks and Tony Robinson’s Tour of Duty.
He said in a statement to Deadline: "I’ve known the team at WTFN for more than 15 years and we’ve made some terrific television together, so the opportunity to do something genuinely new with Radar Studios was irresistible.
"History is about the way things were, isn’t it? It’s written in stone and it couldn’t have happened any other way. Well, no.
"It’s actually full of tiny moments where everything hung in the balance. One different decision, one mistake, even a gust of wind and you have to rewrite history.
"And the great thing about this partnership is that we’re no longer thinking about history as something that has to fit into one particular television slot. We can tell stories in different ways, for different audiences and across different platforms.
"There is an enormous amount to explore and I’m hoping these first six hours are just the beginning."
Derek Dyson, Radar Studios' Chief Commercial Officer, added: "There could hardly be a better partner than Tony to lead off our originals strategy.
"He is one of the most recognisable and trusted faces in popular history, with an extraordinary ability to make the past entertaining, accessible and relevant to audiences around the world.
"Significantly, Tony Robinson Rewrites History demonstrates exactly why we created Radar Studios.
"Instead of making a series and then deciding where it might live, we are developing IP from the outset with multiple audiences, platforms and distribution opportunities in mind.
"We are creating original content for a dedicated, managed YouTube channel; developing additional digital opportunities around that content; and producing a standalone six-part television series for international buyers."
