After more than 35 years of operation, TBI is closing its doors and our website will no longer be updated daily. Thank you for all of your support.
Author
Mark Layton
Recent articles by this author
2 min read
ITV orders Ross Kemp-fronted search for Michael Jackson’s zoo
UK broadcaster ITV has commissioned a primetime documentary following actor and presenter Ross Kemp as…
2 min read
Nat Geo poaches BBC Studios’ Tom McDonald to lead global factual & unscripted
National Geographic has hired senior BBC Studios factual exec Tom McDonald as EVP of global…
2 min read
News round-up: Hulu & Amazon bite into ‘Reginald The Vampire’; HBO preps Jodie Comer drama; Rai orders political thriller
Hulu & Amazon bite into ‘Reginald The Vampire’ Disney-owned streamer Hulu and Amazon Prime Video…
2 min read
Netflix to trial subscriber account sharing in Lat Am
Netflix is to test new plans that allow out-of-household sharing for an extra fee in…
1 min read
Propagate’s Greg Lipstone resurfaces at American Song Contest
Veteran producer Greg Lipstone, the former president of Propagate Content, has been appointed as president…
2 min read
NBCUniversal expands content pact with US producer-director Judd Apatow
Judd Apatow, the US director, producer and screenwriter behind The 40-Year-Old Virgin and The King…
2 min read
Starzplay Arabia acquired by pay-TV operator E-Vision & ADQ in $420m deal
The owner of Middle East pay-TV operator E-Vision and Abu Dhabi-based investment group ADQ is…
2 min read
Universal Int’l Studios & Buendía Estudios strike Spanish-language development & co-pro deal
Universal International Studios has partnered with Spanish prodco Buendía Estudios to co-develop and co-produce Spanish-language…
2 min read
Netflix expands preschool offering with Dr Seuss projects
Netflix has partnered with Dr Seuss Enterprises to boost its preschool offering with five new…
2 min read
News round-up: Pluto TV sets Nordics launch; ZED to sell Zelenskyy doc; Federation shops ‘Good People’
Pluto TV sets Nordics launch Paramount Global’s AVOD service Pluto TV will launch in Sweden,…
1 min read
Fox-owned AVOD Tubi to double originals output, but retain acquisition focus
Fox-owned AVOD service Tubi plans to double its originals output to around 80 projects in…
1 min read
C4 alum Phil Morrow’s Retinize lands $2.6m investment to fund VR animation
Retinize, the Belfast-based tech company co-founded by former Channel 4 and Mentorn exec Phil Morrow,…
2 min read
Formats round-up: Be-Entertainment hires sales exec; Fremantle takes ‘Fame In The Family’ rights; Magnify sells ‘Love Raft’
Be-Entertainment hires sales exec Belgian distributor Be-Entertainment has hired Jack Solesbury as VP of finished…
2 min read
Paramount+ uncovers paranormal & true crime shows in first UK unscripted originals slate
Paramount+ has unveiled its first UK unscripted originals slate, ahead of the launch of the…
1 min read
Fremantle ups Jane Atkinson to director of global entertainment production
Fremantle has promoted Jane Atkinson to the role of director of global entertainment production. Reporting…
2 min read
NBCU Launch & Telemundo team to support Hispanic female directors
NBCU Launch, the umbrella brand that houses the diversity, equity and inclusion efforts across NBCUniversal’s…
1 min read
Endeavour-backed Blink49 Studios to adapt Marissa Stapley novel
Toronto-based Blink49 Studios, the recently launched, Endeavor Content-backed firm, has acquired the rights to adapt…
1 min read
David E Kelley & Andrew Zimmern link for natural history docuseries
Producer and writer David E Kelley has partnered with Andrew Zimmern and his Intuitive Content…
1 min read
UCP boss Beatrice Springborn named president of Universal Int’l Studios
Beatrice Springborn, president of Universal Content Productions (UCP), has expanded her remit to include president…
1 min read
Boat Rocker merges scripted & unscripted divisions, restructures leadership
Canada’s Boat Rocker Media is combining its scripted and unscripted content divisions into one single…
2 min read
Amazon snaps up outgoing BBC diversity boss Miranda Wayland
Amazon has hired BBC diversity head Miranda Wayland to work across Prime Video and Amazon…
2 min read
BBCS, Eureka, Tern TV & more snag ‘Race Against The Tide’ rights
Producers in Australia, Belgium, France, Germany, New Zealand, and the UK & Ireland have optioned…
3 min read
CDN highlights UK industry’s “lack of real progress” in improving diversity
There has been “a lack of real progress” in increasing diversity on and off screen…
2 min read
News round-up: Off The Fence takes Auschwitz doc global; EPIX renews ‘Domina’; Rightsline acquires REAL
Off The Fence takes Auschwitz doc global Off The Fence has acquired the documentary series…
1 min read
Amazon AVOD IMDb TV orders ‘Western’ comedy pilot from ‘Spider-Verse’ execs Lord & Miller
Amazon’s ad-supported streamer IMDb TV has ordered a pilot for a new scripted comedy set…
1 min read
Amazon Studios sets animated comedy in first-look deal with Ramy Youssef
Amazon Studios has signed a first-look deal with actor, director and comedian Ramy Youssef. Under…
2 min read
ScreenSkills to fund training to support disabled UK talent and crew
UK TV skills body ScreenSkills is to fund training for new accessibility coordinators to support…
1 min read
Netflix invests $221m in French originals for 2022 slate
Netflix has unveiled its French originals slate for 2022, investing more than 200m euros ($221m)…
3 min read
Kids round-up: Execs call for Ukraine support; Paper Owl opens doors to autistic animators; WarnerMedia & Sesame Workshop expand partnership
Children’s execs call for Ukraine support US-based volunteer organisation KEPYR (Kids Entertainment Professionals for Young…
2 min read
Sky Studios hires Netflix & Working Title execs as UK drama team expands
Sky Studios, Sky’s original programming arm across Europe, has boosted its UK drama commissioning team,…