Holidaying with Jane McDonald execs unveil travelogue-focused indie

Kieron Collins and Mark Powell to target ad-funded programming in lifestyle genre
The exec producers of numerous Channel 5 travelogues featuring Susan Calman and Jane McDonald have joined forces to launch an indie specialising in travel programming.
Kieron Collins and Mark Powell’s Manchester-based JetSetTV will initially target ad-funded travel shows to alleviate broadcaster budget constraints, with a yet-to-be-revealed commission already in the works.
Collins, the former managing editor for entertainment in the north at BBC Studios, said in a post on LinkedIn: “Because we’ve both been making travel shows for many years, we’ve decided to concentrate on producing even more travel shows.
“And because broadcasters need to make their budgets go further these days, all our shows will be advertiser funded. We’ve also decided to try and have fun doing it and see what happens.”
The pair, who will jointly hold the title of creative director, have both focused on travel shows since 2016, although they have previously worked on factual, entertainment, documentary, archive, and lifestyle programmes for the BBC, ITV and Channel 4.
Collins has spent the past three years as the exec producer for four series of Viacom International Studios’ C5 travelogue Cruising with Susan Calman. His other Calman credits include series editor on True North-produced Susan Calman’s Antiques Adventure and BBC1 quiz show The Boss. He has also exec produced C5’s ad-funded show Britain’s Best Places to Live, from Paramount and Sky Media.
He spent 12 years at BBCS, which he left in 2018, having looked after major shows including A Question of Sport, Dragons’ Den, Mastermind and The Planners.
Powell’s most recent exec producer credits include Channel 5 titles The Canary Islands with Jane McDonald, Jane McDonald: Lost In Japan, Jane McDonald’s Caribbean and Cruising with Jane McDonald also from Viacom International Studios. Collins worked with him as executive editor on several of these series.
He started his career at ITV Studios where he produced This Morning.
This article first appeared on our sister site, Broadcast.
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