Channel 4 Commission New Chocolate Media Series

Channel 4 has announced the commission of a new Chocolate Media series, Restoration of the Year.

Every year millions of pounds are raised to save extraordinary historic buildings. Restorations which we, the public, often help fund. Restoring these national heirlooms is work on a truly grand scale.

Each of the nominated buildings on the long list is a labour of love, craftsmanship, time and money. From castles to cottages, forts to follies, music halls to watermills; every year historic British buildings are saved and loving restored by a surprising range of people including: Chartered Surveyors, project managers, architects, and structural engineers.

Channel 4's Restoration of The Year will be presented by Kevin McCloud (Grand Designs) with historian, Dr. Anna Keay, Director of the Landmark Trust (Restoring Britain's Landmarks). They will be joined by Historic Building Surveyor, Marianne Suhr and Architectural Historian, Jonathan Foyle as they explore and reveal the significance of each building

This new series will go behind-the-scenes at a host of multi-million pound projects revealing to viewers the bespoke building techniques and incredible skills deployed in each incredible transformation. The series will be made in collaboration with the RICS (Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors) who will judge the projects.

Each episode represents a historical era and features the very best restorations for that period. At the end of each programme the projects that have made it onto the final short-list are revealed by the judges of the RICS. In the final episode, the judges will award one project the title of Restoration of The Year.

The series was commissioned by Alex Menzies for Channel 4. It will be executive produced by Alan Brown for Chocolate Media and the series producer is Emma Vulliamy. The series will be distributed by NBCUniversal International Distribution.

Alex Menzies, Deputy Head of Features at Channel 4 said: "Together the buildings that make up the Restoration of the Year shortlist tell a fascinating story of the UK's past at its most ambitious, intriguing, hard-working and creative. To be able to champion the master craftspeople, dedicated individuals and institutions teams who are protected this slice of the nation's heritage is a real treat."

Alan Brown, Creative Director of Chocolate Media also said: "The sheer scale of the projects on this list is on another level to anything we have seen before in restoration programmes. I'm delighted to work with Dr Keay again and to have Kevin McCloud on the series is a great reflection on the quality of our work'"

Matt Howell, Managing Director UK and Ireland RICS, added: "We are delighted to be part of Restoration of the Year. The projects are fantastic and it's a rare opportunity for the public to see what the roles of the varying members of the restoration teams, including Chartered Surveyors, are behind the scenes. A great deal of technical expertise is involved. The judges, both experienced RICS professionals, are experts in their field and the winning project will certainly be more than worthy of their new accolade."