Parade’s End


BBC Worldwide buys into Lookout Point

BBC Worldwide has bought a 35% stake in drama producer Lookout Point. Worldwide, the commercial arm of the UK pubcaster the BBC, and Lookout Point have inked a five-year distribution and coproduction pact as part of the deal. The UK-based prodco, which was founded by Simon and Justine Vaughan in 2009, and Worldwide have worked […]

Russian sales first, CEE deals, for BBC Worldwide

BBC Worldwide has cut its first deal with Amedia, the fledgling Russian broadcaster dubbed ‘the Russian HBO’, TBI has learned. AMedia launched its channels and on-demand service last year, snagging an exclusive output deal with HBO and content deals with Fox, Showtime and Starz among others. It has picked up a thirty-hour package from BBC […]

BBC Worldwide’s Ben Donald launching drama indie

BBC Worldwide drama boss Ben Donald is launching Cosmopolitan Pictures, a new UK-based indie. The prodco will be partnership between Donald, Clerkenwell Films and Worldwide, the commercial arm of the UK public broadcaster. It will make scripted shows for the UK and international markets. Clerkenwell is the producer of UK-originated drama Misfits and will coproduce […]

BBC Worldwide delivers ‘steady’ performance as programme sales top £300m

BBC Worldwide’s programme sales revenues topped £300 million (US$453 million) for the first time in its latest financial year with distribution a key profit and revenue driver for the commercial arm of the UK public broadcaster. Worldwide’s Sales and Distribution unit recorded revenues of £312.3 million in the 2012/2013 period compared with £292.7 million a […]

Miniseries strike back

A few years ago, it looked like scripted miniseries were heading for the scrapheap. With networks favouring TV movies, returning series and fast-moving factual entertainment franchises, miniseries started to look expensive to produce and hard to schedule. Things are very different now, reports Andy Fry.   A run of well-received projects such as Rome, Pillars […]

Tax breaks fuel UK’s global production hub ambitions

When UK Chancellor George Osborne sat down on March 20 having presented his Budget, the huzzahs of television producers should have been heard even above his own backbenchers, but the picture is a mixed one, reports Tim Adler. This year’s Finance Bill in the UK finally approved tax breaks for high-end drama production, animation and […]