ID


ID & Discovery+ strike Octavia Spencer & October Films deal

Warner Bros. Discovery has struck an “expansive partnership” with actress and producer Octavia Spencer, her Orit Entertainment banner and UK-based October Films. The pact, struck via WBD’s true crime network ID and streamer Discovery+, will see the parties developing producing multiple projects for the services. Spencer will executive produce on the show, with the deal’s […]

Warner Bros. Discovery’s ID extends programming deal with UK’s Arrow Media

Investigation Discovery (ID) has added to its expanding relationship with UK producer Arrow Media by extending American Monster. The order also includes the return of Arrow’s See No Evil, which like American Monster is entering its eighth season, while Body Cam is returning for a fourth run. Also included are new commissions Mary Kay Letourneau: Notes On […]

ID & Hulu top NPACT’s unscripted survey, as Amazon, ABC & Discovery+ miss top 10

Disney streamer Hulu and US network ID have emerged as among the favourite Stateside commissioners, according to American unscripted production trade body NPACT. The trade association’s annual survey canvasses producers of unscripted, documentary and reality series to rate their favourite networks and streaming platforms across numerous categories. Much changed as a result of the challenges […]

Discovery overhauls ID as Henry Schleiff departs, Jason Sarlanis promoted

Investigation Discovery (ID) chief Henry Schleiff and head of programming Kevin Bennett are leaving the US cablenet, with TLC’s Jason Sarlanis taking on an expanded remit. Schleiff has been with the Discovery-owned network for more than a decade and oversaw its move into true crime programming, while also heading up siblings Travel Channel, Destination America […]

Discovery’s ID taps into Netflix’s ‘Tiger King’ with new show

US cablenet ID is moving into the big cat game with a new show delving further into the story first revealed by Netflix’s hit docuseries Tiger King. Investigating The Strange World Of Joe Exotic revolves around tiger breeder Joseph ‘Joe Exotic’ Maldonado-Passage and his role in an alleged murder-for-hire plot to kill rival Carole Baskin, […]

AMPLE launches true crime division, hires All3Media & 44 Blue Productions alum to run it

AMPLE Entertainment, the US prodco behind Facebook’s 9 Months With Courteney Cox, has launched a true crime division and appointed veteran producer Tammy Wood to run it. Wood becomes SVP of crime programming and will report directly to co-presidents Ari Mark and Phil Lott. She will oversee production across AMPLE’s crime show slate, which includes […]

Ample Entertainment names creative director, adds exec producer

LA-based producer Ample Entertainment has promoted Sam Lang to become its creative director and appointed Matt Blaine to an executive producer role. Lang will oversee the company’s output and report to Ari Mark and Phil Lott, co-presidents for Ample. He was most recently co-executive producer for shows including Cooper’s Treasure for Discovery and Murder In […]

Rich Ross exiting post-Scripps deal Discovery

Discovery Communications has named the new management team that will lead the enlarged company after the Scripps Networks Interactive acquisition, with Discovery Channel boss Rich Ross out and Scripps programming chief Kathleen Finch put in charge of all lifestyle channels. Discovery said that Ross, currently group president of Discovery Channel and Science Channel, is to […]

Amazon fares badly in NPACT factual survey

Amazon’s approach to factual commissioning is leaving plenty much to be desired, according to a new survey from non-fiction body NPACT. The SVOD service fared badly in various sections of the survey, as Apple, Netflix, YouTube Red and traditional networks such as Smithsonian Channel and Oxygen were positively received. Amazon was considered to have the […]

Discovery preps channel, focuses on UK, German growth

Discovery Communications will launch a new free-to-air channel in the UK alongside other new services in Britain and Germany. CEO David Zaslav said yesterday that a new carriage deal with Sky in the UK and Germany, which came about after a bitter standoff between the channel operator and pay TV platform, gave it greater flexibility […]