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Discovery streaming service will be the main home for BBC nature shows
Discovery is widening the scope of its streaming service plans, although it might not be great news for nature buffs. The network has unveiled a deal with BBC Studios that will see the BBC's history, nature and science documentaries form one of the "pillars" of a Discovery streaming service due to launch by 2020. On top of that, the service will be the exclusive streaming home for BBC nature docs outside of the UK, Ireland and China, including series like Blue Planet, Life and Planet Earth -- it's not clear what will happen with existing titles on sites like Netflix, but you might not want to count on them sticking around.
A second TV show about video games is coming to Dave
The glory days of GamesMaster might be long gone, but finally it seems there's renewed interest in video game-focused programming. Broadcaster UKTV has announced the second series of Go 8 Bit will begin airing on Dave on May 15th, and what's more, it'll be joined by a new spin-off show that takes a slightly more serious approach to games coverage. Go 8 Bit, hosted by Dara Ó Briain and games journo Ellie Gibson, pits button-bashing comedians and other celebs against each other in various video game challenges. The appropriately titled Go 8 Bit DLC, on the other hand, will complement that with "lively debates and reviews."
Facebook Live will host a collaborative escape room game today
If you enjoy live action room experiences (think zombies, puzzles etc) or fancy yourself as a bit of an armchair detective, it might be worth tuning into a first-of-its-kind Facebook Live stream later today. To celebrate the launch of its new crime drama, UK TV channel Alibi will host Framed, the "world's first livestreamed escape room", at 3pm ET/8pm BST -- and it's open to all.
UKTV will copy Amazon, ask viewers which shows it should make
When it comes to choosing which new TV shows to make, British broadcaster UKTV is taking a leaf out of Amazon and the BBC's playbook. The company behind Dave, Really and Watch will produce pilot episodes of shows, asking users of its UKTV Play on-demand platform to vote on which one should become a series. Emma Boston, the executive behind the scheme, believes that the move will enable the company to take more risks and produce shows that'll cater to different audiences. Recombu is also reporting that the company has asked Sky and Virgin Media to share detailed ratings data in order to help UKTV produce more tailored content. Presumably the company is looking at Netflix's vast reserves of viewing data with envious eyes.
