Paramount UK content chief Ben Frow has said he has no qualms about scrapping shows to protect contributor welfare amid a legal battle over a collapsed 5 drama series.
In an interview at the Edinburgh TV Festival, Frow was asked about Deadline’s story on Tuesday, which revealed that Paramount’s British network 5 is fighting a lawsuit from an established producer.
Blackbox Multimedia, which has produced series for 5 including The Ex-Wife and Benidorm is Murder, alleges that the network wrongfully terminated a production deal and it is owed money.
The dispute centers on a series that collapsed at an advanced stage of production earlier this year. The drama was originally based on true events relating to abuse and criminal offenses. Blackbox and 5 are not being specific about the details of the series to protect the identity of a person involved.
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Frow declined to comment on the specifics of the case, but said Paramount takes “contributor welfare very seriously.” He added that shows will be “written off” when significant concerns are raised.
As Deadline reported, 5 pulled the series following a complaint from an individual connected to the project during production. This person told 5 that the drama was affecting their safety and wellbeing. 5’s position is that it was not made aware of these concerns by Blackbox prior to production. The broadcaster felt it had little choice but to walk away because of its duty of care to the complainant.
Blackbox’s position is that it delivered the series in line with its contractual obligations and is entitled to payment for its work on the project. In Blackbox’s telling, it was brought on to the project as a trusted supplier after the drama was first developed by 5 and Spirit Studios. Blackbox soon established that the complainant did not wish to participate, and alleges that 5 was aware of the individual’s reluctance to be the subject of a series based on their experience.
In its legal claim, Blackbox will argue that it developed the project into a fictional drama. No character, relationship or storyline in the series was based on or intended to represent any specific individual or case, Blackbox will contest. 5 maintains that it was a factual drama.
Blackbox Multimedia has been a key production partner on two seasons of The Ex-Wife for 5, while its John Hannah drama Benidorm is Murder premiered last month. Blackbox was also involved in 2023’s The Castaways, starring BAFTA-winner Sheridan Smith.
