A group of LGBT party planners will be the focus of an upcoming series on BBC Three.
The Big Proud Party Agency, from Northern Irish production company Alleycats, will see the planners tasked with creating an extravagant event for a “party star” with an important date to celebrate.
Each episode will see the planners given a brief and then have to pitch their idea before one is chosen, with the star’s best friends on hand to help them create a successful event.
Cultural producer and event curator Ryan Lanji, model and businesswoman Teddy Edwardes, and “party architect” Christopher Mills feature among the group.
Each is expected to bring their own expertise to the show and help craft a party to remember.
Lanji runs a queer Bollywood and hip hop night that champions LGBT South Asians, while Mills has been planning luxury parties for more than a decade and is the founder of his own studio.
According to the BBC, Edwardes is a “huge advocate for queer women and runs an event solely for women and non-binary people in order to create a safe and relevant space for Gay, Bi, Queer and Trans women”.
Hope you’re ready to party, babes. ⁰⁰
(When we're allowed ofc)@RyanLanji , @TeddyEdwardes and Christopher Mills are going to be throwing parties you can only dream of in a new show coming to @BBCThree soon. 🥳 pic.twitter.com/or0YJmg0Ic
— RuPaul's Drag Race UK (@dragraceukbbc) March 30, 2021
It comes after the corporation announced BBC Three is to return as a broadcast TV channel in 2022 after going online-only in 2016.
The BBC has also committed to doubling the investment on BBC Three commissions over the next two years following the success of shows including Normal People and Fleabag.
Des Henderson of Alleycats said: “At Alleycats we’re all about celebrating individuality and we’re thrilled to be bringing fabulous queer parties to life on BBC Three.”
Fiona Campbell, controller BBC Three, said: “We first heard about this idea through our partnership with BBC Northern Ireland and Northern Ireland Screen and loved it so much we had to bring it to series straightaway.
“After a year with no parties, The Big Proud Party Agency is here to bring the BBC Three audience some much needed joy.”
Eddie Doyle, head of commissioning at BBC Northern Ireland, said: “We know how to throw a party in Northern Ireland – and it’s the perfect time to commission this exciting new series from Alleycats.
“We’re delighted to be working with Northern Ireland Screen and BBC Three to support the local independent sector, and it’s fantastic to see innovative new formats like this moving to full commission.”
Richard Williams, chief executive of Northern Ireland Screen, said: “When we launched the Youth Content Development scheme in conjunction with BBC Northern Ireland and BBC Three, we were confident it had the potential to unlock a lot of opportunities for our vibrant indie sector.
“Alleycats’ Big Proud Party Agency being commissioned to go straight to series proves that this model works, and we look forward to sharing details of the winning commission soon too.”