Parade expands unscripted slate UK and Singapore-based distributor Parade Media has added 40 unscripted shows to its catalogue, including five factual documentary launches. The 1 x 60-minute Koala Rescue, from Essential Media, follows workers at the Port Macquarie Koala Hospital on the eastern seaboard of Australia, who rescued, treated and rehabilitated the koalas who survived […]
Australia’s Essential Media and Entertainment has appointed Network Ten’s Kate Brady as commercial director. Brady joins from her former role as network business affairs manager at Network Ten to focus on commercial interests and business affairs for Essential’s TV, theatrical and digital content. She will report to Essential’s CEO Chris Hilton. Brady has held senior […]
FremantleMedia has acquired a majority stake in the drama wing of Australian producer Essential Media, and is relaunching it as Easy Tiger Productions. Essential co-founder Ian Collie is to become managing director of Easy Tiger, alongside fellow Essential alumni Rachael Turk and Tanya Phegan. Essential’s current drama projects are transferring over to Easy Tiger, along […]
Australian factual producer and distributor WildBear Entertainment has recruited veteran exec Alan Erson as its managing director. Erson had been running the Australian division of prodco Essential Media before starting, this week, in the newly-created role out of WildBear’s Sydney office. Prior to Essential, he was head of docs and factual at Australian pubcaster the […]
Australia’s ABC Television has hired an LA-based Essential Media & Entertainment executive to become its commissioning editor, factual. Michael O’Neill (pictured) will join the Australian pubcaster on April 4 to join its factual team, which ABC TV head of factual Steve Bibb runs. At Essential, he was VP, unscripted development. On his watch, more than […]
We asked the industry whether the drama golden age had hit its peak and it’s safe to say, received varying opinions, from “no, it’s just getting started” from Amazon UK’s film and TV strategy director Chris Bird, to Barcroft Media founder Sam Barcroft’s unequivocal: “Yes, it is over.” For others, the golden age continues but […]
France Télévisions has acquired MY:24, an upbeat social media-inspired show from Australia. The show will be dubbed into French following the acquisition from the Australian Children’s Television Foundation. Essential Media produced the show, in which 26 young people tell stories of days that changed their lives and fundamentally altered their attitudes. Each episode runs to […]
DCD Rights to bringing character-driven drama The Principal. The 4x60mins SBS drama from Essential Media is the latest Australia drama on the books of DCD Media’s sales arm. The show stars Alex Dimitriades (The Slap) and Aden Young (The Code), and follows a radical head teacher whose attempts to reform a troubled secondary school are […]
All3Media International has picked up raft of new Australian-produced content that it will launch in Cannes next week. The distributor has an Australia-focussed investment programme and is picking up rights to Australian-originated drama as its appeal grows among international buyers. It already distributes Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries from indie prodco Every Cloud. It has now […]
