Buyers swing into action at the LA Screenings

Over 1,300 international acquisition execs have arrived in Los Angeles for this year’s LA Screenings with Canadian broadcasters already snapping up a raft of US series.

Many buyers spent the weekend screening a selection of US series picked up by the major networks.

Canada’s CTV picked up Warner Bros International Television Distribution’s comedies ?@#$ My Dad Says and Mike & Molly, Sony Pictures Television International’s Matthew Perry-fronted series Mr. Sunshine, NBC Universal-distributed spin off Law & Order: Los Angeles as well as CBS Studios International’s cop drama Blue Bloods and legal comedy The Defenders.

The annual Screenings kicked off with Disney hosting their annual International Upfronts event with talent including Cougar Town‘s Courtney Cox, Forest Whitaker and Melissa Joan Hart.

Meanwhile, HBO invited buyers to watch one of its most ambitious series to date – the Martin Scorsese-directed drama Boardwalk Empire.

The 12 episode series, which is set in Atlantic City during the Prohibition, reportedly cost US$50 million to produce and is set to air on the premium cable network in the fall. In the UK, it is thought that pay TV broadcaster Sky will acquire the rights to air the series on its revamped movie channels, with a host of other international channels interested.