BBC greenlights Twenty Six 03’s Emergency Vets 

Northern England–headquartered prodco Twenty Six 03 Entertainment has received the greenlight from the BBC for a new series, Emergency Vets (w/t), a co-commission from BBC Daytime and BBC England.

The 10 x 30-minute series is set in the Veterinary Referral Hospital in Stockton-on-Tees in northeastern England, and follows the dedicated veterinary team round the clock as they help people from both the surrounding area and further-distant regions who are seeking medical care for their furry and feathered friends.

The new commission is the most recent offspring of the partnership between the BBC and North East Screen, which rebranded itself today (June 8) from its former name of Northern Film + Media. The organization was established in 2002 to help build film and television production in England’s northeast, and to ensure that the region is better represented on screen both domestically and internationally.

“BBC England is growing, developing and expanding its scope to make sure we’re reflecting people in every corner of the country,” said Aisling O’Connor, head of commissioning for BBC England. “BBC England already has a good working relationship with Twenty Six 03, and we look forward to expanding our work with them in the northeast with this new series.”

Emergency Vets was co-commissioned by O’Connor for BBC England and Lindsay Bradbury for BBC Daytime. Antonia Hurford-Jones and Duncan Gray are executive producers for Twenty Six 03, while Tony Parker serves as EP for BBC England and Helen Munson for BBC Daytime.

Don’t Forget the Lyrics! returns to Poland

Following a 10-year hiatus, Don’t Forget the Lyrics! is returning to Poland courtesy of Banijay affiliate Endemol Shine Poland, which will be reviving the local version of the format that was previously produced by Mastiff Poland.

Celebrity couple Sławomir and Kajra (pictured) will host the new Polish edition of the show, which challenges contestants to correctly fill in missing song lyrics for a chance at a cash prize. The series will air on TVP2.

“Don’t Forget the Lyrics! is the ultimate singing game show — with a feel-good atmosphere, a live band and upbeat music, it is primetime entertainment for all ages,” commented Lucas Green, global head of content operations for Banijay. “With continued success around the globe and strong returns to key markets including the U.S. and Italy, we’re delighted the format has returned to Poland.”

As Green notes, Lyrics! returned to air in both Italy and the U.S. earlier this year, the latter under the auspices of Jeff Apploff’s Apploff Entertainment and Banijay’s Bunim/Murray Productions. In France, the format has been running continuously since it debuted just a few months after the original U.S. version in 2007, and last year saw it hitting the milestone of 5,000 episodes.

Armoza’s Who’s Asking? to be adapted for Cyprus

Armoza Formats, part of ITV Studios, has confirmed that its studio game show Who’s Asking? has been commissioned for Cyprus, where it will be produced by Galinis Production Studio for public broadcaster CYBC.

In this twist on the traditional quiz show, contestants don’t pick the category that they want to answer questions about but instead pick the person who asks the question, selecting their “asker” from a pool of everyday people. Making their decision based solely on the faces of the potential askers, the contestants have to trust their gut and select the ones they think will provide them the easiest path to victory.

Originally produced by United Studios Israel, the format has since been adapted for 10 territories, including Greece, Thailand, Hungary and U.S. Hispanic.

“Who’s Asking? offers a unique approach to game shows where truly everyone can take part,” said Armoza COO Amos Neumann in a release. “By combining the winning combination of thrill and knowledge that is most loved in game shows with the ability for people on the street to ask the questions, this format is an exciting and relatable experience for viewers everywhere, and we look forward to seeing it in Cyprus.”