SMOTHERED + BEN MAGAHY + TOM GANDER + SUSANA MOTA
17th April 2026
Reading time: 1.9mins
SMOTHERED + BEN MAGAHY + TOM GANDER + SUSANA MOTA
Talent
The trailer for Smothered is HERE!
Cinematography by Ben Magahy, Production Design by Tom Gander and Hair & Makeup Design by Susana Mota. Created by Monica Heisey (writer on Schitt’s Creek) and directed by George Belfield.
Sammy (Vitalis) is a fiercely independent young woman who is done with dating apps, sick of immature men, and here for a good time. Tom (Pointing) has never been inclined to swipe left or right; he’s a settled man with a warm heart but carries his fair share of baggage. On a night out, the two strangers meet, and end up singing out their drunken souls in a karaoke booth. Then the inevitable happens (they hook up). What seems like a great idea at the time, the strangers agree to have a no strings attached affair for three weeks – but on the condition that they never speak again. What was supposed to be a few weeks of great sex, pasta in bed and first names only, the sparks flying around them cannot be ignored. But Sammy soon makes a shocking discovery that there is another woman in Tom’s life… his six-year-old daughter Ellie. The show also stars Aisling Bea, Mercury Prize nominee Rebecca Lucy Taylor, also known as Self Esteem, Blair Underwood, Rizzle Kicks’ Jordan Stephens, TikTok stars Harry Trevaldwyn and Coco Sarel, and Lisa Hammond.
The series is out 7th Dec on Sky!
Susana Exton-Mota
Originally from Lisbon, Susana Exton-Mota is a London-based Hair & Make Up Designer working in film, TV drama and commercials for the past two decades. Some of her notable design credits include the feature Drift starring and produced by the Oscar-Nominated Cynthia Erivo and directed by Anthony Chen (which premiered at Sundance), BBC Three’s BAFTA winning Juice starring and created by Mawaan Rizwan, the feature Ish directed by Imran Perretta.
Ben Magahy
Drama includes the BBC’s Life scripted by Mike Bartlett and directed by Iain Forsyth & Jane Pollard, and Smothered for director George Belfield. Ben shot the Disney+ feature documentary If These Walls Could Sing (which received its World Premiere at Telluride Film Festival) alongside director Mary McCartney, and has also shot a series of documentaries with music as the central theme, incl. Music Liberates Music with directors Iain Forsyth & Jane Pollard. Short films include Burial directed by Georgia Lee & Hannah Daniels, Glance directed by Conkerco and Grounds directed by Phoebe Torrance.
Ben has been twice nominated for Best Cinematography at the British Arrows Craft Awards, and has also been nominated at the MTV VMAs.
Tom Gander
Tom has worked with directors including Tom Green, Simon Ratigan, James Rouse, Neil Gorringe, Joshua Neale and Guard Brothers, and a major build on a Kooks promo won him Best Production Designer at the UK Music Video Awards. Drama includes Smothered S1 directed by George Belfield, and Urban Myth: Grace Under Pressure. Shorts include Sunny Life Farm and Bank, both directed by Ben Liam Jones, and Tusky directed by Steven Boyle.
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