A frenzied period of consolidation is beginning to leave an indelible mark on the distribution business as more projects and producers find themselves caught in the crosshairs of mergers. Mega-deals such as Comcast’s acquisition of Sky, the impending Banijay-Endemol merger and a Red Arrow sale on the horizon are changing the face of the distribution […]
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 […]
Frankie Drake Mysteries producer Shaftesbury has appointed Lesley Grant as creative producer. She will be responsible for expanding the business’s creative slate, reporting into Julie Lacey, VP of creative development. Grant began her career as an editor at Random House Canada until 1999, when she joined CTV as a drama development exec. She has held similar […]
Shaftesbury is to expand its UK team with new hire Alexandra Finlay, who was formerly head of acquisitions and co-productions at UKTV. Finlay will join Shaftesbury as senior director, creative and co-productions – a newly created role. She will be based in London and report directly to Christina Jennings, chairman and CEO of Shaftesbury. At […]
Canadian channel Global has commissioned an original six-part event series, Departure, co-produced by Canada’s Shaftesbury and the UK’s Greenpoint Productions. The drama is directed by Orphan Black’s T.J.Scott with Malcolm MacRury joining as showrunner, and was originally created by Vincent Shiao. It follows the shocking disappearance of Flight 716, a passenger plane that vanishes over the […]
UK digital terrestrial channel Pick has acquired US-Canadian horror drama Slasher from London-based distributor Content Television. The eight-part show will make its UK debut on Tuesday, May 10 in a 10pm slot. Canadian indie produced Slasher for compatriot Super Channel and US thematic network Chiller. The anthology series follows a women who moves back to […]
Canadian kids channel Teletoon has come onboard Squish, the new 52x11mins animated comedy from France’s Cottonwood Media and Toronto’s Shaftesbury. Teletoon has confirmed a development deal for the show, while French channel Gulli, which previously had joined the development, has ramped up its participation to a prebuy. “Cottonwood’s raison d’être is to produce premium content […]
Jay Bennett has been handed a wider remit at Canadian producer-distributor Shaftesbury. Currently head of the company’s digital arm, Smokebomb Entertainment, he will move into a new post as senior VP, creative and innovation. The company-wide post, a new role, will see Bennett (pictured) oversee creative direction and innovation at Shaftesbury, including digital original projects, […]
US cable network Syfy and Steven Spielberg’s Amblin Television are working up a TV version of Aldous Huxley’s classic sci-fi novel Brave New World. The pair are developing a scripted series based on the influential 1932 book, with Syfy’s NBCUniversal Cable Group stablemate Universal Cable Productions attached as the studio. Brave New World is set […]
Canada’s Shaftesbury has acquired TV adaptation rights to the Wondrous Strange young adult fiction franchise. The book series from Toronto’s Lesley Livingston follows the adventures of a young woman that discovers she is the heir to a Faerie realm, and Shaftesbury believes the lead character will land it a greenlit order from a network “Buffy the […]
