U.K. Longform Outlet Tortoise Media Inks First Look Deal with Sky Studios

variety.com:

K.J. Yossman London-based longform news and podcasting outlet Tortoise Media has inked an exclusive first-look deal with Tortoise Media.

The multi-year deal will see Sky potentially adapting Tortoise’s original podcasts including their investigative podcast “The Slow Newscast” into scripted and factual high-end series and/or features in the U.K., Italy, Germany and more.

Tortoise will collaborate with Sky Studios during the development purpose on the Sky Original projects. Among the podcast series Tortoise Media has put out are “Sweet Bobby,” an investigation into one of the world’s most sophisticated catfishes, and “Hoaxed,” a multi-part series about one of Britain’s most   Since 2019, Tortoise Media has produced chart-topping podcast series such as “Sweet Bobby” and “Hoaxed,” their latest multi-part series exploring one of Britain’s most unusual conspiracy theories, in which an affluent London school community was torn apart by allegations of a satanic paedophile ring was in operation. “We’re hugely proud to develop this partnership with Sky Studios and excited at the prospect of seeing our journalism developed into film and television by one of the best screen storytellers in the world,” said editor and Tortoise Media co-founder James Harding. “At Tortoise, we hope that by taking the time to investigate stories and report them in full, we can get to the heart of things.

And, together, we hope those stories will reach even more people.” Sky Studios’ director of factual Barnaby Shingleton added: “Tortoise Media has built an enviable position as one of the U.K.’s leading podcast creators.