Round-up: Intl’ broadcasters enter ‘Dark Woods’; C4 orders Woodcut serial killer doc; BBC builds ‘Jay’s Workshop’

Dark Woods

Intl’ broadcasters enter ‘Dark Woods’

Broadcaster in the US, Canada, Spain and France have acquired German crime thriller mini-series Dark Woods, following deals with distributor Global Screen.

Canal+ Group, French leading pay-TV group, acquired the show for its thriller channel Polar, while First Look Media’s streaming service, Topic, will release the series as part of its exclusive programming this May in the US and Canada.

In Spain, the series was sold to Cosmo TV for its pay-TV channel and SVOD service.

Inspired by true events and unsolved for almost 30 years, the story centres on a high-ranking police officer’s increasingly desperate search for his sister. It was directed by Sven Bohse, written by Stefan Kolditz and produced by ConradFilm and Bavaria Fiction.

Surviving A Serial Killer

C4 orders Woodcut serial killer doc

UK comcaster Channel 4 has ordered Surviving A Serial Killer, a new true crime series from indie Woodcut Media.

The 6 x 60-minute show is set to debut on FTA channel More 4 on 28 February and will delve into the personal stories of people who have survived a face-to-face meeting with a murderer and lived to tell the tale; from the likes of Rhonda Stapley who was attacked by one of America’s most notorious killers Ted Bundy, and university student Mo Lea who managed to survive at the hands of Peter Sutcliffe – aka the Yorkshire Ripper.

Executive producers are Matt Blyth and Koulla Anastasi, with Nick Mavroidakis as series producer for Woodcut Media.

“True crime about serial killers tends to focus on the perpetrators, however this time, we have switched the usual narrative to give a voice to those individuals who narrowly escaped death instead,” said Woodcut Media co-founder Blyth: “Each episode provides viewers with a moving and sometimes chilling account of their traumatic experiences, and we hope the contributions they made to the series will provide some kind of catharsis as well.”

Worldwide sales of the series will be handled by Woodcut International.

Jay Blades

BBC builds ‘Jay’s Workshop’

The UK’s BBC Two has commissioned Ricochet to produce a new six-part furniture craft series, with the working title of Jay’s Workshop.

Emma Walsh and Robi Dutta will exec produce the 6 x 60-minute series for Warner Bros. International Television Production-owned Ricochet, which will follow presenter Jay Blades and a gang of volunteers as they build beautiful furniture for deserving local people in a workshop set within the heart of a community.

“So many people up and down the country have given back to their communities, now it’s time for my community workshop to give back to them,” commented Blades.

Jennifer Dodge

Spin Master rejigs leadership team

Canada-based children’s entertainment company Spin Master has made a number of high-profile executive promotions.

Following her own recent appointment as president of Spin Master Entertainment, Jennifer Dodge has upped Laura Clunie to SVP of development & feature film, while Toni Stevens has been named SVP of production and operations.

Dan Mokriy has meanwhile been named VP of production, while Jonah Stroh is now VP of creative production.

The moves were made to support of the continued growth of the company’s entertainment slate, with numerous titles currently in production, including the upcoming Paw Patrol: The Movie, in collaboration with Nickelodeon Movies and distributed by Paramount.

“In the last 12 years, Spin Master Entertainment has developed into a fully imagined entertainment company, capable of everything from development through distribution, franchise management and our latest achievement – feature film production,” said Dodge. “We’re fortunate to have an exceptionally talented team who can step into these expanded roles in support of our continued pursuit of developing innovative content that resonates with kids and families globally.”