Lucky Giant


NBCU closing Tellycopter in unscripted rejig

NBCUniversal is set to close its central development unit Tellycopter as part of a wider rethink of its international unscripted strategy, TBI understands. The news follows the exit of David Mortimer. Tellycopter is NBCUniversal’s centralised creative and development unit, based in London and working across its wider network of entertainment prodcos, which include Chocolate Media, […]

BBC Two delivers Victorian medicine comedy

UK terrestrial BBC Two ha ordered a comedy from Lucky Giant about four pioneering young medical professionals in Victorian England. Quacks will star Mathew Baynton (The Wrong Mans) as a psychiatrist, Rory Kinnear (Skyfall) as a showman surgeon, Tom Basden (Plebs) as a hedonistic anaesthetist, and Lydia Leonard (River) as a head strong social campaigner. […]

NBCU Int’l Studios moves Coan to UK

NBCuniversal International Studios has promoted Tom Coan to senior VP and will relocate the LA executive to London. Coan (pictured) was most recently VP, scripted programming for the global NBCU production arm, but will now work on strengthening scripted from the Comcast Communications-owned firm’s London base. He will continue to report to executive VP, scripted […]

NBCUniversal buys into Canuck prodco

NBCUniversal International Television Production has acquired a stake in Canadian producer Lark Productions. The move formalises a four-year strategic production partnership NBCUI has had with Lark, which creates the Real Housewives of Vancouver format for Shaw and crime series Motive for CTV. Under terms of the deal, NBCUI becomes a minority shareholder in Lark and […]

NBCU hires international scripted boss

NBCUniversal International Television Production has hired JoAnn Alfano as executive VP, scripted programming. Alfano will be based in LA and run the international scripted business overseeing development and production at NBCU-backed prodcos Carnival, Lucky Giant and Matchbox Pictures. She will also work with Working Title Television and Lark Productions, both of which NBCU has production […]

Hollywood Studio formats

Plans are underway to make some of the most iconic US shows ever for local broadcasters with international versions of 24, Breaking Bad, ER, Glee and Gossip Girl planned in countries as far afield as Israel and China. Shows including Prison Break, Law & Order and Desperate Housewives have already had the remake treatment and […]