Simon Heath: Last News

Welcome to Deadline’s International Disruptors, a feature where we shine a spotlight on key executives and companies outside of the U.S. shaking up the offshore marketplace. This week, we present Simon Heath, World Productions CEO and exec producer of Line of Duty, the biggest UK TV drama of the decade.

Ian Katz has said there is “real buzz about Channel 4” within the UK’s drama production community since Ollie Madden took charge, while addressing why hit streaming drama The Gathering was axed.

The family of Brian McCardie, the actor who portrayed mob boss John Thomas 'Tommy' Hunter in the BBC's Line of Duty, have revealed the cause of his sudden death at the age of 59.

Channel 4 earlier this week, titled The Gathering.Created by the team behind Line Of Duty, the series follows a group of teenagers from different backgrounds who all become suspects in an assault case after a girl is attacked at a Merseyside rave.The drama, which aired on Tuesday (May 14) stars Saltburn’s Sadie Soverall, newcomer Eva Morgan, Vinette Robinson of Sherlock and Boiling Point fame, and Richard Coyle, best known for playing Aberforth Dumbledore in 2022’s Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets Of Dumbledore.The six-episode series was executive produced by Line Of Duty’s Simon Heath, and was directed by Gareth Bryn, known for directing episodes of Last Tango In Halifax, Line Of Duty and Hidden, and The Windsors director Amanda Blue.The series has received critical acclaim upon its release, with The Guardian praising “some fine performances – especially from Morgan as Kelly, with her poignant blend of brashness and vulnerability, and Soverall, who never lets Jess descend into spoiled-little-rich-girl territory.”The Standard, which also praised the “killer performances” and called it a “deftly-told exploration of being a teen in the digital era” praised the series’ soundtrack.

Outlander's Lauren Lyle is among those cast as part of the forthcoming factual drama Lockerbie. The six-part series will focus on the harrowing events of the 1988 Lockerbie bombing.

Naman Ramachandran World Productions (“Vigil,” “Line of Duty”) is producing a new season of hit series “Showtrial” for BBC One and iPlayer. Writer and creator Ben Richards (“The Diplomat”) returns for the series. In the show, when high-profile climate activist Marcus Calderwood is left for dead in a violent hit and run, he uses his dying moments to identify his killer – a serving policeman.

Line of Duty maker World’s BBC thriller Showtrial has been renewed for a second season with a fresh cast.

EXCLUSIVE: A second major transatlantic drama series on the Lockerbie bombing terror attack is in the works — this time at the BBC and Netflix.

EXCLUSIVE: Channel 4 has set cast for The Gathering, the show from Line of Duty producer World Productions about a violent attack on a teenage girl during a rave.

EXCLUSIVE: Suranne Jones and Ruth Leslie are headed to the skies for the second season of BBC ratings hit Vigil, while Dougray Scott and Romola Garai are among nine new cast members joining them.

EXCLUSIVE: Line Of Duty star Anna Maxwell Martin and Vigil actor Shaun Evans are to headline an ITV true crime series about a woman who escapes a near-fatal relationship with a murderer.

It’s been another challenging year in the world of content creation and the climate has arguably demanded more gumption and savviness from its leaders than ever before. With the business increasingly looking beyond U.S. shores for revenues and opportunities for growth, Deadline’s International Disruptors column continues to highlight some of the key executives and companies shaking up the offshore marketplace. These are the leaders who are thriving in the midst of the tidal changes so take a look back at 2022’s standouts below.