TV: The Happenings

UKTV’s leading entertainment channel, Watch, continues its focus on bringing bigger and noisier shows to air by commissioning a brand new 4 X 60 mins series, The Happenings, which demonstrates how large-scale illusion can lead a whole community to believe in unexplained phenomenon.

Co-created by Objective Productions, the team behind Derren Brown’s BAFTA award-winning TV specials, and Crook Productions, airing December 2013, The Happenings, follows magicians, Barry and Stuart as they set about making the unbelievable believable to the unsuspecting residents of towns across the UK and America.

Each episode is a self-contained narrative event and features a number of mysterious incidents that play out over the course of a few weeks in four different towns. Whilst the local population are in the dark, the viewer is in on the act from the start, however, they can expect to be amazed and surprised by the incredible events as they unravel before them.

UKTV’s Commissioning Editor Richard Watsham says

“The Happenings is a new type of narrative magic show that brings the most extraordinary movie scenes to life in front of bewildered onlookers. The outcome is a truly spectacular series that shows Watch can be as bold and innovative in entertainment as any other channel around.”

General Manager for Watch, Steve Hornsey adds

“We’re delighted to be working with Objective Productions on this fantastic piece of event TV. The programme contains all the elements which makes Watch a unique viewing destination. Extraordinary and surprising content, that’s out of the ordinary.”

Executive Producer, Matt Crook from Crook Productions said

"It's always exciting to bring a big new ambitious idea to Watch and push magic in an interesting and new direction."

The Happenings will be Executive Produced by Richard Watsham for UKTV, Matt Crook from Crook Productions and Andrew Newman from Objective Productions and will be overseen by Commissioning Editor, Richard Watsham.

Episode 1 Preview
Watch, Monday 9th December, 9pm

Episode one is set in the quiet English town of Stamford. The aim is to make the residents think that aliens have arrived. As Barry and Stewart begin their tricks, locals begin to believe that along with strange lights in the sky, aliens have actually been monitoring them for years.