(L-R) AJ Odudu and Emma Willis
Thursday 24 June 2021
UKTV today announces the commission of brand-new series Emma and AJ Get To Work (4x60') for its premium entertainment channel, W. Produced by Firecracker Films, the four-part series will follow Emma Willis and AJ Odudu as they set out on a mission to help deserving families, from all over the UK, who are desperate to get their businesses back on track.
The UKTV Original series will see the dazzling duo meet families who have struggled over the past year and offer a helping hand in their hour of need. However, it's not as straightforward as it sounds. Each family will be facing their own unique challenge which will require Emma and AJ to learn a brand-new set of skills. They'll have to think on their feet and bring their A-game, as they immerse themselves in new worlds and jobs and help families, who are at make or break time, bounce back.
From getting stuck into sheep shearing on a remote hill farm, helping launch a pop-up shop, or mucking in at a family-run adventure hostel, Emma and AJ will be thrown into a whole host of situations that will take them outside of their comfort zone. This exclusive access will also allow viewers to see more of Emma and AJ's friendship, as they take some much-needed quality time together on the most heart-warming of adventures.
Emma and AJ Get To Work is commissioned for UKTV by Helen Nightingale, senior commissioning editor, and ordered by Adam Collings, channel director for W. Steve North is genre general manager for comedy and entertainment and Hilary Rosen is head of factual and factual entertainment. Executive producer for Firecracker Films is Jes Wilkins, with series producer Susan Crook and director Lizzie Hardy. The series will be distributed by Passion Distribution.
Helen Nightingale said:
We are thrilled to be working with Firecracker on this heart-warming new series. Emma and AJ have such a brilliant dynamic and their warmth and approachable nature are the perfect mix for this show. We can't wait to get this road trip underway.
Adam Collings added:
W viewers are huge fans of the brilliant Emma Willis, thanks to the award-winning Delivering Babies, and we are over the moon to be welcoming AJ Odudu to the channel too. We're excited to see what challenges are instore.
Jes Wilkins, chief creative officer for Firecracker, said:
Emma and AJ are an amazing double act and are going to be a real treat for W viewers.
Emma and AJ Get To Work will air on W later this year and joins a stunning line-up of other UKTV Originals for 2021. These include Extreme Food Phobics with Dr Ranj Singh and the recently announced observational documentary series Nurses Down Under, from ITV Studios Australia.
_
For more information, please contact:
Kelly Phelps, Senior Publicist
About W
Sky 109/809, Virgin 125/191, BT 311/383, TalkTalk 311/ On demand on Sky, Virgin, BT and TalkTalk
W is UKTV's premium entertainment channel, offering audiences a dazzling mix of UKTV Original series with some of the UK's most-loved talent in front and behind the camera.
Part of the W family, Emma Willis trains as a maternity care assistant in Emma Willis: Delivering Babies, while Emily Atack asks herself some big questions in Emily Atack: Adulting and Stacey Dooley spends some time with extraordinary families in Stacey Dooley: Sleeps Over. For its first foray into scripted original series, W welcomed Lorna Martin's Women on the Verge and celebrity PR drama Flack, starring Academy award winner Anna Paquin.
W will also delve into the world of babies and weddings with My Famous Babysitter and The Wedding Fixer later this year, while channel favourite Inside The Ambulance continues to shine a light on paramedics across the UK. Inside the Operating Theatre takes that relationship further, getting to the heart of the surgeons saving lives inside the hospital. Debut series Ski A&E will look at the heroic actions of emergency ski services. And finally, W's hit acquisitions MasterChef Australia, MasterChef USA and MasterChef USA Juniors round out the offering.
About UKTV
UKTV has been at the forefront of branded television for over 25 years, entertaining the nation with programmes they love. Its leading brands - Dave, Gold, W, Drama, Alibi, Eden and Yesterday - span comedy, entertainment, natural history, factual and drama, and are delivered to audiences through UKTV Play, Freeview, Sky, Virgin Media, BT, TalkTalk, YouView, Freesat and Amazon Fire. The broadcaster is a significant investor in British creativity and is committed to working with new and established writers, directors and programme-makers.
UKTV is part of BBC Studios, the UK's most-awarded production company, a world-class distributor with international branded services, and a commercial subsidiary of the world's leading public service broadcaster, the BBC.