Simon Cowell's company to make first show for the BBC

Called The Greatest Dancer, it will see dancers from across all genres of the medium competing

Clarisse Loughrey
Tuesday 27 March 2018 16:19 BST
Comments

Simon Cowell's company is set to produce its first show for the BBC.

It's the first time the broadcaster has ever had a partnership with the producers of ITV's flagship Saturday night talent shows, The X Factor and Britain's Got Talent.

Syco Entertainment, owned by Cowell, and Thames, the entertainment arm of FremantleMediaUK, are set to produce a new Saturday night dance talent series.

Called The Greatest Dancer, it will see dancers from across all genres of the medium competing in hopes to be crowned as the country's finest talent.

"With the continued success of Strictly Come Dancing, the BBC is undoubtedly the home of dance. By launching The Greatest Dancer we want to give the vast array of dance talent across the UK the chance to shine," said Kate Phillips, the BBC's Controller of entertainment commissioning.

"I can't wait to work with Syco and Thames to uncover the talent out there and let our audience critique and celebrate the nation's unsung dance heroes."

Syco's global head of television, Nigel Hall, said: "The auditions for the pilot episode saw some of the most jaw-dropping, heartfelt and moving auditions I've ever seen on a dance show. There are some spectacular moments and we are beyond thrilled to have secured this commission over fierce competition."

"We look forward to working with the BBC team on something just a little bit special."

Thames TV's managing director, Amelia Brown, added that the format was "full of warmth and heart with the pilot revealing some incredibly magical moments" and expressed hope that the Saturday night show would become an unmissable event.

However, if the BBC is intent on airing The Greatest Dancer on Saturday nights, that could well see Cowell's productions become each other's competition. It also seems clear the BBC is keen to find another format to accompany BBC One's flagship show Strictly Come Dancing, which has dominated Saturday night ratings for the last few years.

The Greatest Dancer will also air on BBC One. No other details about air dates have been confirmed.

Follow Independent Culture on Facebook for all the latest on Film, TV, Music, and more.

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in