Disney+ unveils Italian romcom Mad Love, Spencer Matthews doc in Edinburgh

ETVF: Disney+ used the Edinburgh TV Festival to announce a clutch of original commissions, led by romantic comedy-drama Mad Love (working title), a documentary following Spencer Matthews’s seven-continent triathlon challenge plus a second season of comedy Alice & Steve.

Mad Love, a 6×45’ Hulu original scripted series, is created and written by playwright Kate Cortesi and produced by Fremantle-owned Element Pictures and Sinestra. Set in the Italian countryside, it follows a British wedding planner who fled London in shame.

Christopher Aird, exec producer and head of TV at Element Pictures, said: “Kate has created a wonderfully warm and attractive world you want to spend time in,” while Lee Mason, VP of scripted at Disney+ EMEA, called the series “exactly the kind of bold, distinctive storytelling we want to champion as we continue to grow our UK originals slate.”

The series was commissioned by Angela Jain, head of content at Disney+ EMEA, and Mason.

Disney+ also announced Breaking Spencer Matthews (w/t), a feature-length Hulu original documentary produced by Whisper that follows television personality Spencer Matthews attempting seven full-distance triathlons across seven continents in 21 days.

The film follows Matthews’s earlier documentary Finding Michael, released via Hulu three years ago, and explores men’s mental health, addiction and grief, including the death of his brother on an Everest expedition.

Matthews said: “This challenge has become about far more than completing seven Ironmans across all seven continents. What began as an extreme physical pursuit has evolved into a journey of self-discovery and transformation that has tested me in ways I could never have anticipated.”

The documentary was commissioned by Jain and Sean Doyle, VP of unscripted at Disney+ EMEA, and is directed by Whisper’s Chris Grubb.

Disney+ also confirmed a second season of comedy Alice & Steve, created and written by Sophie Goodhart and produced by Clerkenwell Films, part of BBC Studios. The series stars Nicola Walker, Jemaine Clement, Yali Topol Margalith and Joel Fry.

Disney also announced television personality Maura Higgins as the host for its upcoming reboot of classic dating show Blind Date, based on The Dating Game from Sony Pictures Television, and a second season of reality series Raising Chelsea from Dorothy St Pictures and Jampot Productions.

The titles join a growing slate of UK original commissions for Disney+, alongside comedy Dad from A24 and award-winning drama Rivals, produced by Happy Prince.