Solent TV launches new season

14 February 2023

Solent TV kicks off its new season on Valentine’s Day, with ‘Couples Conundrum’ - a show that dares couples to answer some very honest questions about their relationships

Solent TV kicks off its new season on Valentine’s Day, with ‘Couples Conundrum’ - a show that dares couples to answer some very honest questions about their relationships! 

Other films launching this year include:

‘Boots off, Bows On’, which sees rugby player Tom try his hand at cheerleading with Solent's very own Kestrel's cheerleading squad - can he learn all the moves required to perform at a major basketball match in just two weeks?
‘Amy's Life Swap’, following a Solent University student as she gives up her partying lifestyle to volunteer for with Southampton local charity, The Big Difference. 
And, ‘Budget Banquet’, where contestants have to cook a meal to win over a blind date - on a tight budget.

Launched in 2015, Solent TV is a student-led online broadcasting channel, which is recognised as a flagship innovation by Screenskills, an industry focused organisation working to develop skills and talent within the UK screen industries. Solent TV allows regular production and distribution of student videos - via social media and YouTube - of short form content that is both commissioned and created by TV Production students. The commissioning process and delivery of programmes is modelled on the industry, to give the students a real-world learning experience.

Kate O’Driscoll, head of Solent TV, and senior lecturer for BA (Hons) TV Production explains how it works: “Each year second-year students are asked to come up with ideas for a new season of films. They are commissioned by content managers of the channel, who are final-year students. Working as both commissioners and content creators teaches the students core skills that will improve their job prospects on graduation.”

During his time at University Jake Warner, who graduated seven years ago, was commissioned by Solent TV, to make Jake’s Week, looking at what it was really like to live and learn in Southampton.

Jake says, “Over the course of my three years at Solent, experiences like this helped me land my first job for QVC as a Technical Broadcast Operator. I then secured my dream job, as a camera operator at Liverpool Football Club.”

Jake Warner standing on Liverpool Football Club ground

Abbey Blackmore, who graduated last year, and was the recipient of the Woodcut Media post-production internship that is awarded to one post-production graduate every year, says, “The film I made in my second year was called ‘Cup of positi-TEA’ - a flavourful exploration of the world of tea, with independent company ‘Bird and Blend Tea co’. The film challenged me both creatively and professionally and helped me to develop new skills that I now use in my day-to-day life as an assistant editor for Woodcut Media.

‘Cup of positi-TEA’ pushed me to try out new things - directing, editing and presenting (not just different types of tea!) - and without that experience I would not have been able to come into this job with the wide skill set I have today.”