Endemol acquires TV Land’s Hot In Cleveland

Endemol is to distribute Betty White-fronted TV Land sitcom Hot in Cleveland after striking a deal with the MTV Networks-owned cable network.

The deal marks a significant step in Endemol’s push into the scripted programming world.

The sitcom, which stars the Golden Girl alongside Frasier’s Jane Leeves, Touched By An Angel’s Valerie Bertinelli and Just Shoot Me’s Wendie Malick as a group of older ladies living togther, launched on TV Land earlier this month and received just under 5 million viewers, a record high for the network. It is produced by Hazy Mills Production and exec produced by Frasier’s Suzanne Martin.

The deal was inked by Endemol Group’s executive VP, acquisitions, North America Philippe Maigret and MTV Networks Entertainment Group’s senior VP, content Eddie Dalva.

It comes as part of Endemol’s continued move into the scripted programming business; the company recently had a western pilot greenlit from US cable network AMC – Hell on Wheels, written by Joe and Tony Gayton.