Land of Gremlins


Blue Ant scores Japanese sales with NHK, FNG Japan

Japanese public broadcaster NHK has swooped for Blue Ant International’s blue chip natural history doc Turtle Beach. The deal is among a slate of licensing and renewal agreements struck with NHK as well as cable and satellite network Fox Networks Group Japan. NHK has licensed three new titles including Turtle Beach (1 x 60 minutes; […]

Ex-WWE boss to run Smithsonian, Blue Ant 4K co

Blue Ant Media and Smithsonian Networks have teamed to launch Blue Skye Entertainment, a new UK-based company exclusively focused on 4K content. Canada-based Blue Ant, which runs specialty channels as well as producing and distributing non-fiction content, and the TV division of museum and research organisation Smithsonian, have appointed Jo Parkinson to run the new […]

Blue Ant cuts Zig Zag deal, brings 4K to Cannes

Blue Ant International has inked a development and distribution deal with UK indie Zig Zag Productions. The UK prodco announced it was staffing up earlier this week, and the agreement will see Canada-based Blue Ant invest in Zig Zag’s slate and sell some of its content internationally. The company operates specialty channels in Canada and […]

Blue Ant brings 4K to Cannes

Blue Ant International is launching a slate of new 4K shows at MIPCOM next month. The distributor, a division of Canada-based producer and channel operator Blue Ant Media, will have a slew of wildlife and doc specials and series in the UHD format, with 40 new hours in all. The line-up includes 2x60mins Seasons of […]

Blue chip to new chip: natural history with bite

Stewart Clarke speaks to commissioners, producers, distributors and digital pioneers about their efforts to reimagine the natural history genre. Alastair Fothergill is the embodiment of blue-chip, making landmark series for the BBC and films for Disney Nature, but he is now seeking to reinvent the genre, out of necessity as much as anything. “When I […]

Blue Ant plots Big Feed in 4K

Blue Ant International is developing new 4K productions, including a series that goes behind the scenes of a zoo, ahead of MIPTV. With Canadian broadcaster parent Blue Ant Media committed to producing a large slate of 4K nature and wildlife programming, sales arm Blue Ant International has nearly 100 new hours for market. These include13x30mins […]