TBI Scripted

Wildside is developing an Audrey Hepburn drama

Fremantle’s Wildside is developing a drama series on Audrey Hepburn’s life, based on a story by Hepburn’s son Luca Dotti and Luigi Spinola. Dotti and Spinola are the scribes behind New York Times bestseller Audrey At Home, which explores Hepburn’s passion for life as a muse, a mother and a humanitarian. In developing the new […]

iQiyi takes Fremantle’s My Brilliant Friend to China

iQiyi is set to take Fremantle’s critically-acclaimed drama My Brilliant Friend to China. My Brilliant Friend follows Elena Greco as the most important friend in her life seems to have disappeared without a trace. She met Raffaella Cerullo, whom she has always called Lila, in the first year of primary school in 1950. Set in a dangerous Naples […]

In the spotlight: Simon & Stephen Cornwell

The Ink Factory founders, and sons of author John le Carré, discuss the changing face of television and bringing their father’s stories to new audiences. Andy McDonald reports Stephen and Simon Cornwell set up production company The Ink Factory in 2010, with a core part of their strategy to adapt the work of their father. LA-based […]

Fremantle to develop South African drama with Multichoice

Fremantle is set to join forces with African pay TV operator Multichoice to develop an eight-part contemporary South African investigative crime thriller, Reyka. Set against the tropical coastline and vast sugarcane field of KwaZulu Natal, the story follows the life of Reyka Gama, a flawed but brilliant female detective, who is haunted by her past. […]

A+E to develop first int’l scripted copro

A+E Networks International has begun development on its first international, scripted coproduction, Miss Scarlet and The Duke, a crime drama about the first-ever female detective in 19th century London. The project, which stars Kate Phillips (Peaky Blinders), originated with Element 8 Entertainment’s production team, including Patty Ishimoto (Rogue), Todd Berger (Wynonna Earp) and Patrick Irwin […]

Viaplay to launch original comedy drama Love Me

Nordic streaming service Viaplay, owned by Nordic Entertainment Group (NENT), is set to launch new original series Love Me by Josephine Bornebusch (Welcome to Sweden). The six-part comedy drama explores how love changes people’s lives whether in the form of friendship, grief or romance. It highlights these relationships through the lives of three generations of Stockholmers. […]

Tiger Aspect hires Wrong Mans producer Myfanwy Moore

Endemol Shine-owned Tiger Aspect has hired former BBC controller of comedy production and The Wrong Mans producer Myfanwy Moore as its new head of comedy. Moore will oversee all comedy production for the indie and report to newly appointed MD Damian Kavanagh, who takes up his position in the new year. As part of the shuffle, Tiger […]

Canada’s CBC takes Fremantle mini-series Butterfly

Canadian national broadcaster CBC has acquired Butterfly, a mini-series the follows the story of an 11-year old boy as he transitions into a female. The 3×60-minute series will launch on CBC in late winter of 2019. Created and penned by BAFTA award-winning screenwriter Tony Marchant, and starring International Emmy winner Anna Friel (Marcella), Butterfly is a […]

Barclays doubles TV investment fund to £200m

Barclays has doubled its subscription video-on-demand (SVOD) investment fund for UK TV producers to £200m (US$256m), after reporting “exceptional demand”. Barclays Corporate Banking said that it has already paid out more than £100m ($128m) to production companies in the 18 months since its initial £100m fund has been active. To date, the bank has […]

Acorn TV secures US rights to DCD drama My Life is Murder

Acorn TV has secured US rights to DCD Rights’ primetime drama My Life is Murder, ahead of its premiere in 2019. My Life is Murder will make its US debut on RLJ Entertainment’s Acorn TV following its premiere broadcast on Australia’s Network Ten in 2019. The title is a CJZ production with investment from Network Ten, […]