Manchester Possessed by ITV prodco

ITV Studios-owned label Possessed is launching a regional UK hub in Manchester that will be the production base for recently commissioned ITV quizshow The Switch.

Caroline Roberts-Cherry

The new Man Possessed hub will be headed up by former BBC commissioner Caroline Roberts-Cherry, the creative director and founder of Manchester-based multi-genre prodco Saffron Cherry. Roberts-Cherry has previously worked with Possessed on three seasons of ITV daytime quizzer Cash Trapped.

Man Possessed will house production for The Switch, presented by Sanjeev Bhaskar, the new ITV daytime series that sees participants accrue cash by answering quickfire ‘easy money’ questions. However, to take home the prize money, they must negotiate ‘The Switch’ – a series of three difficult multiple-choice questions that each have only one incorrect answer.

Whichever contestant selects the wrong answer is removed from play and must hope for a mistake from one of the others to switch places with them. Whoever is switched out at the end of each round leaves the show empty-handed.

“We cannot wait to create more opportunities for regional commissions and The Switch is the perfect show to launch Man Possessed,” said Glenn Hugill, MD and founder of Possessed, adding that Roberts-Cherry had “the Possessed gene” and was a welcome addition to the prodco’s team.

Prior to setting up her own firm, Roberts-Cherry was a commissioner for BBC Learning, where she ordered titles such as Our War, The Great British Sewing Bee, Exploring India and Inside the Houses of Parliament.

Her appointment follows the arrival of Adam MacDonald and Lesley Davies as Possessed chair and head of production, respectively.