UK studio Fawkes Digital rebranded, reveals dating format as first linear commission

Street-dating format Date Me Right Now launches on MTV next month

UK indie Fawkes Digital has rebranded as Studio Fawkes as it expands its slate of content aimed at brands, creators, platforms and broadcasters, and also announces its first linear commission.

MTV has ordered street-dating format Date Me Right Now from the Leeds-based entertainment IP studio and will debut it on November 23.

Presented by Kimberley Cumberbatch, the 11-part series sees Gen Z singles search for genuine romantic connections on the streets, with cameo appearances by creators Georgia Wood and Mason Blake. Date Me Right Now first screened on MTV UK’s YouTube channel over the summer.

Founded by CEO Lucy Smith in 2024, Studio Fawkes creates original entertainment formats “built as IP universes.” Its work includes YouTube fashion entertainment series Make It Iconic, the Texture Talks podcast and LinkedIn series CEOs Go Wild.

Lucy Smith

Earlier this year, Smith predicted that by 2031 every UK broadcaster will be commissioning for YouTube first and their TV channels second.

Smith said: “I launched Fawkes with a belief that the next generation of entertainment formats would be grown around creators, communities and ideas that reach audiences beyond traditional platforms.

“Studio Fawkes is the evolution of that thinking, with our IP spanning digital and linear channels, international territories and tangible products. Our first linear commission from a digital-first series is testament to how digital and television are no longer two separate entities.”