Brain Games


Fox takes streaming service to Hong Kong

Fox Networks Group Asia has hooked up with pay TV provider Now TV to launch its streaming service in Hong Kong. Now TV subscribers will get exclusive access to Fox+ in the Chinese territory, with non-subscribers offered a free trial period and a subsequent HK$188 monthly fee. The service has been made widely available in […]

Turkish drama on Fox sales slate

Fox International Channel Content Sales is taking a trio of Turkish drama series to Cannes as part of its MIPTV slate. In Love Again (Aşk Yeniden), romantic novella That is My Life (O Hayat Benim) and rom-com Cherry Season (Kiraz Mevsimi) are among key new titles on the FICCS slate. In Love Again is a […]

Howard Owens leaving Nat Geo

National Geographic Channels president Howard Owens is leaving the factual channel in June. The Nat Geo boss will leave in June having been in charge of the channel since late 2011. Prior to joining Nat Geo, Owens was at US prodco Reveille and announcing his departure to staff, NGC’s US CEO David Lyle said Owens […]

Discovery freaks out with mind control series

Discovery Networks International has ordered The Mind Control Freaks, a ten-part fact-ent series from All3Media’s Objective Productions. The series will be fronted by four experts in the field and examine various mind control techniques including hypnosis and peer pressure. It will roll out across DNI’s international channels from next month. National Geographic has recently had […]

Beyond Duck Dynasty…

Stuart Carter, Pioneer Productions So what would you do if you suddenly won US$1 million dollars on the lottery? To help give you some ideas, one million is enough to buy you a Pagani Huayra supercar capable of 230mph. Very tempting. A Hublot Big Bang watch (hideous but there are those that buy them) or […]

Major international lift-off for Fox’s Cosmos

Fox plans to give a day-and-date launch to its upcoming factual series Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey in more than 200 territories. The 13-part series, which counts Family Guy creator Seth MacFarlane as an exec producer, will premiere on all 90 National Geographic Channels in 180 territories and on 120 Fox International Channels-branded networks in 125 […]

Smartertainment: clever is cool for Nat Geo

National Geographic is on the hunt for more brainy and interactive projects following its recent success with Brain Games and a range of smart shows. Speaking at NATPE Miami last week, Nat Geo Channels president Howard T. Owens (left) told the assembled TV folk that ‘smartertainment’ is a key focus for his programming teams. Traditional […]

Nat Geo Television poaches BBC Worldwide Productions exec

National Geographic Television has reeled in BBC Worldwide Productions’s VP, factual production and programming, to take up an executive VP role. Tim Pastore has joined the factual-focused company to become EVP, programming and development, based in New York and reporting into NGT president Brooke Runnette. “Over the next few months, Tim and I will be […]

Nat Geo goes to UK producers for brain shows

National Geographic Channels International has ordered a new series and four special about the human mind from a range of UK producers. Brain Games has been a big hit for Nat Geo in the US, where the launch of the second season garnered 1.5 million viewers. Ahead of the season two launch internationally later this […]

East meets West as Japan opens its Treasure Box

The double whammy effect of not importing formats and lengthy primetimes filled with original shows means Japanese broadcasters are prolific producers of entertainment series. Takeshi’s Castle, Dragon’s Den, America’s Funniest Home Videos and Iron Chef are huge properties that originated in Japan, but the number of hit international formats is small in proportion to the […]