Dom Bird‘s new indie EarlyBird has landed its first commission, an extended edition of BBC series The Marvellous Miniature Workshop.

The Gladiators exec and former Amazon MGM Studios UK unscripted chief is behind a 20-episode order of the show that sees a team of expert miniaturists recreate cherished buildings and locations tied to contributors’ personal histories. 

The episodes have been extended to 45 minutes and there are now 20 of them compared to eight in the first season. Sara Cox, who just replaced Scott Mills as presenter of the BBC Radio 2 Breakfast Show, its most listened to radio program, returns to host The Marvellous Miniature Workshop.

Bird was producing the first season of the show when he was at Amazon. It has now switched to EarlyBird, which has a first-look studio deal with Amazon. Deadline revealed Bird had launched his new outfit earlier this year, making “innovative, audience-captivating formats.” He will continue to exec Gladiators and the BBC’s version of The Apprentice.

Bird said: I’m delighted Sara’s returning to BBC One for this new run. Seeing audiences respond so positively to The Marvellous Miniature Workshop has been a real pleasure and I’m thrilled that the BBC has commissioned EarlyBird to deliver this super-sized order. These extended 45-minute episodes will enable Sara to immerse viewers even further into the extraordinary artistry of our miniaturists, showcasing the programme’s exceptional ability to capture the magic in the minutiae.”

Cox added: “I’m absolutely over the moon about the new series of Marvellous Miniature Workshop, it’s easily the most heartwarming & wonderful programme I’ve ever been involved with.”

The Marvellous Miniatures Workshop was commissioned by Rob Unsworth. The commissioning editor is Rachel Platt. Bird and Stoker will executive produce on behalf of EarlyBird, and it was developed by Phoebe Thompson.