Betty


Discovery preps Everest search and rescue

Discovery has ordered a series looking at the work of the search and rescue team working on Mount Everest. The 6x60mins series, Everest Rescue, will go out on Discovery Channel in the US and its international channels. Discovery-owned prodco Betty will make the series. It will follow the search and rescue helicopter teams and medical […]

Betty hires Optomen development chief

Discovery Communications-owned indie Betty has hired Optomen Television’s head of development. Damian Pitman will take the same post at the Bear Grylls: Mission Survive producer, where he will work closely with managing director Neil Smith. At Optomen, he helped develop the upcoming primetime series The Miracle for ITV and Employ Me for BBC Two. In […]

Discovery prodco hires for features, male shows

Discovery Networks International’s UK-based prodco Betty has hired a pair of executives as part of moves to ramp of production of features and male-skewed programming. Adventure programming showrunner David Harrison, who has worked at companies such as Tern TV and Zodiak Media and run his own indie, Ambition Productions, will look to expand Betty’s adventure […]

Discovery’s Betty opening US office

Betty TV is opening a US division. The UK prodco is owned by Discovery and the new US unit will be run by Discovery Networks International head of production and development Jon Sechrist. Sechrist (right, below) joins Betty this month and will oversee the current slate and projects in development. Based in New York, he […]

Discovery names Kaplan int’l content president

Discovery Communications veteran Marjorie Kaplan has been named president of content Discovery Networks International. The newly created role will see Kaplan relocate from New York to London, starting this October. She has been with Discovery for more than 20 years, and is noted as for having launched Discovery Kids, running Animal Planet and, more recently, […]

Lee Bartlett leaving Discovery

Discovery Studios boss Lee Bartlett is leaving the company. Bartlett has been at Discovery for five years and will exit the US-listed channel operator later this year. Broadcast broke the news and Discovery confirmed Bartlett’s imminent departure. The Discovery exec joined the company in 2010, soon after exiting his London-based role as boss of ITV […]

Channel 4 launches on-demand service with Thorp

Channel 4 and Jason Thorp are due to launch a new on-demand service dedicated to “the very best foreign-language series” this autumn in the UK, with more roll-outs to follow in other markets. 4World Drama (WT) will be available for free in the UK through Channel 4’s new digital hub, All 4, and will feature […]

Betty founder leaving after 14 years

Liz Warner is leaving Discovery Communications-owned producer Betty 14 years after she founded the business. She exits in April and her CEO position will not be replaced, with senior management now reporting into creative director Neil Smith. A director of programmes will additionally be hired. Four years ago, Warner sold Betty to Discovery in what […]

Core’s Graboff resurfaces at Discovery

Ex-Core Media Group president Marc Graboff has joined pay TV giant Discovery Communications. Graboff (pictured left) will be president, global business and legal affairs, production management and studios – a role that includes the duties of former Discovery Studios chief Eileen O’Neill, whose exit was revealed last month. Among Graboff’s duties are day-to-day management of […]

M6 takes UK’s Undateables to France

French network M6 has ordered a local version of UK documentary format The Undateables. Pernel Media will produce the French version, Mon Partenaire Particulier. The show will run in primetime with an unspecified number of 70-minute episodes. Discovery Communications-owned prodco Betty originally created the format, which runs on Channel 4 in the UK. The producer […]