GREASY ITV........

ITV has unveiled its latest collaboration with Simon Cowell. In a brand new primetime entertainment series, ITV will be staging the biggest casting call the UK has ever seen to find the starring roles of Sandy and Danny for a new stage production of the worldwide hit musical Grease which will open in London’s West End in 2007. ITV will be filling summer nights with the search for two unknown performers to take the highly coveted roles of Sandy Dumbrowski and Danny Zuko. ITV today confirmed that the UK’s leading theatre producer, David Ian, will be a judge on the show and will also be producing the West End version of the stage show, together with producing partner Paul Nicholas. Simon Cowell said: “We’ve been thinking about making this programme for years. Grease in my opinion is the best musical of all time and I am incredibly excited to be given this opportunity.” Duncan Gray, Controller of Entertainment at ITV said: “Grease and ITV are a perfect fit – the hunt for the new Sandy and Danny to star in the world’s best known musical produced by the crack team behind the X Factor.”ITV also announced this week a new three year deal with Simon Cowell as a performer, exclusive to the channel until the end of 2009. Under the terms of his new ITV deal, Simon Cowell will be exclusively contracted to the channel in the UK and will be starring on ITV with a number of different projects including a fourth series of X Factor in 2007 and the UK version of Simon Cowell’s latest number one hit series in the US this summer, America’s Got Talent. The UK series, Britain’s Got Talent devised by Simon Cowell’s production company SYCO TV and co-produced with Talkback Thames, will see talents of all kinds invited to try their luck in front of a panel of judges including not only Simon Cowell himself, but also Piers Morgan, fresh from judging the show state-side.