News


Spike goes for Gold

Viacom-owned Spike TV has created a senior VP, scripted original series post and named the television president at Crossbones prodco Parkes+Macdonald in the role. Ted Gold will lead a newly-created scripted development team and oversee all scripted programming at the male-skewed network, reporting to executive VP, original series Sharon Levy. His team will include VP, […]

Swiss Netflix rival launches, preps original comedy

Liberty Global-owned Swiss operator UPC Cablecom has launched a subscription video-on-demand offering, MyPrime, that is to offer an original comedy series. The service will also offer several thousand classic films, series, children’s programmes and documentaries as well as programming from public broadcaster SRF. The move comes ahead of Netflix’s imminent launch in the country. MyPrime […]

Sky 1 looks to TNT’s Legends

UK satellite channel Sky 1 HD has acquired TNT cop drama Legends. The deal with Twentieth Century Fox Television Distribution hands the BKSyB channel exclusive UK rights to the US drama. Legends counts Homeland and 24 producer Howard Gordon among its executive producer roster. It follows Sean Bean (Game of Thrones)as an undercover agent with […]

NBC to remake Korea’s Grandpas

US broadcast network NBC has ordered an American remake of Korean entertainment travel format Grandpas Over Flowers. The deal with distributor Small World IFT is thought to mark the first time a Korean format has been taken to a broadcast network in the US. Known locally as Better Late Than Never, the US show will […]

Netflix to leave Hemlock Grove

Netflix is to end horror drama Hemlock Grove after its third season. The streaming service has unveiled a third season of the show, which will comprise 10 episodes and debut in 2015. This will be the Gaumont International Television-produced show’s last, Netflix’s VP, original programming Cindy Holland confirmed. “We, along with the fans, are looking […]

Michel’s Cottonwood bags Ollie, Squish

Cottonwood Media, the indie set up by former Marathon Media boss David Michel, has bagged its first shows. These are Ollie & Moon, a preschool series based on a book property from US author and illustrator Diane Kredensor, and Squish, a 6-11-targeted show based on a best-selling comedic graphic novel. Michel set up Cottonwood earlier […]

Globo has a Super Star Ding Dong

Brazil’s Globo TV has acquired local rights to Banijay International format Super Star Ding Dong. Originally from Irish prodco Vision Independent Productions for TV3, the musical game show will be remade in-house at Globo as a 13x40mins series that will launch later this year. The Brazilian version will feature as a segment on entertainment variety […]

Luck’s in at Off the Fence

Producer-distributor Off the Fence has appointed National Geographic Television producer Geoffrey Luck (pictured) as executive producer. Luck is credited with factual series for the likes of PBS, Discovery, Showtime, and the Sundance Channel. In his new role at UK-headquartered Off the Fence, he will report to founder and CEO Ellen Windemuth. “We pride ourselves on […]

CBS Action finds Freeview home

Drama channel CBS Action is to launch on UK free TV platform Freeview. The CBS Studios and AMC Networks International-owned net is already on BSkyB, Freesat and Virgin Media in the territory, but is now also distributed via digital television. CBS Action programming includes CBS series such as NCIS and Star Trek: Next Generation, and […]

EC leaves Canal+ call to local watchdog

The European Commission is to leave a decision on the acquisition of Canal+ España by Telefónica to Spanish competition watchdog the CMNC. The development comes as the CEO of Vodafone Spain warned of the risk of Telefónica gaining a dominant position in the pay TV market in the country through the deal. The CNMC’s chairman […]