Shaftesbury grows kids and family portfolio with McCann appointment Canada’s Shaftesbury has hired veteran producer Jennifer McCann for the newly created role of executive producer for kids and family. Reporting into Shaftesbury CEO Christina Jennings, McCann will lead the company’s kids and family entertainment division, overseeing original series as well as the recently launched Shaftesbury […]
K7 Media’s APAC manager Michelle Lin breaks down the shifting life cycles for formats out of Asia, and predicts which territories could next have its moment on the international stage. Japan, without a doubt, is the pioneer in the Asian TV industry as far as format sales are concerned. It is the only Asian country […]
Chinese state broadcaster CCTV has acquired ITV kids series Thunderbirds Are Go, bringing the iconic property into the Asian territory for the first time. Thunderbirds will air on CCTV-14, a children’s-focused channel, after the deal for exclusive terrestrial rights. The 50-year-old brand has not been present in China to this point, but 26 episodes of […]
NHNZ and China’s CCTV will coproduce several new projects including two animated kids series. Kiwi prodco NHNZ is best known for its factual output, but is also making kids fare. Under the terms of the 2014 Sino-NZ coproduction pact, it will team with CCTV animation to make 52x12mins Panda and Kiwi (WT). It will follow […]
China’s CCTV-1 has commissioned an 11x90mins version of Dutch format The Eureka Moment, which FremantleMedia sells internationally. FremantleMedia China is co-developing the series with CCTV Creation, which a wholly-owned production subsidiary of Chinese state broadcaster CCTV. Locally, The Eureka Moment will debut in June in a Sunday evening primetime slot. FremantleMedia-owned Blue Circle originally developed […]
Broadcasters in Asia have acquired scripted programming such as Dead Rising: Watchtower and Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn from UK-based distributor Content Television. Fox International Channels Asia Pacific has acquired action drama Dead Rising: Watchtower, which is based on the Dead Rising video game franchise. Halo 4, also based on a successful game franchise, has […]
Sony-backed Chinese prodco Huaso has sealed a deal for a local version of comedy series Mad About You with media giant Shangha Media Group. Huaso Film/TV Digital Production is a joint-venture between Sony Pictures Television and pubcaster CCTV’s HuaCheng Pictures. SMG’s Dragon TV channel will put out the Chinese version of Mad About You, which […]
BBC Worldwide wants an on-the-ground production base in China, the company’s country manager Kelvin Yau has told TBI. Worldwide, the commercial arm of UK pubcaster the BBC, has been actively coproducing with Chinese partners in recent years and is now looking to take the next step and set up a China production base. Yau joined […]
Chinese subscription on-demand platforms have acquired animated programming from Canada’s DHX Media in two separate deals. iQiyi has taken AVOD and SVOD rights to more than 400 half-hours, including the original Teletubbies, Paddington and Caillou (pictured). iQiyi rival LeTV has taken English- and Mandarin-language OTT television rights (for smart TV and set-top boxes) and web […]
UK drama production company Left Bank Pictures is to begin targeting the Chinese market after signing a co-development deal with the China International Television Corporation. This pact will see Sony Pictures Television-owned Left Bank, which is producing Netflix royal drama The Crown, and CITVC working up English-language scripted programming for the Chinese and international markets. […]
