Series Mania’s European Project and Talent Forum has launched Writers Campus, a week-long intensive writing workshop for 20 emerging TV drama writers throughout Europe. Under the editorial supervision of Lorraine Sullivan, Series Mania Writers Campus, in partnership with Paris College of Art (France) and Emerson College (USA), will run for one week, April 27 to […]
Prisons have long been a source of fascination for TV producers – as illustrated by series such as British sitcom Porridge, Australian soap Prisoner Cell Block H and HBO limited series Oz. Right now, though, there are more outstanding prison-themed shows than ever, across both scripted and factual television, reports Andy Fry. Prison might not […]
European satcaster Sky has posted strong first half operating and financial results for Sky, with 337,000 new customers and 1.1 million new product sales in the second quarter of its fiscal year. This comes as 21st Century Fox CEO James Murdoch takes the reins as chairman, and speculation grows over the future ownership of the […]
Australian subscription on-demand service Stan has scored exclusive streaming rights to programming from premium US cable channel Showtime. The agreement began this week with the launch of Billions, and will ultimately run to hundreds of hours, and includes granting Stan the exclusive license to use the Showtime brand in Australia. A highlight will be the […]
The international arm of CBS has struck a programming deal with Chinese streaming service PPTV. The deal between PPTV and CBS Studios International covers a raft of series from the CBS network line-up and from the Showtime premium cable net. The agreement covers the CBS summer event series, which have included Under the Dome (pictured), […]
The long-serving Gary Levine has been upped to president of programming at US premium cable channel Showtime, as his boss, David Nevins, prepares to take on the CEO role. Levine (pictured) has been with Showtime since 2001, and has worked on every one of its original dramas, which include Homeland, The Affair, Ray Donovan, Californication […]
K7 Media founder Keri Lewis-Brown provides some hints on what constitutes a hit, and where the dangers of scripted formats lie. In television, we can spend so much time talking about formats that we risk viewing them as an end in themselves. When talking about formats, particularly in drama and comedy, often what we really […]
Foxtel-operated pay channel FX has bought the upcoming zombie drama Fear the Walking Dead. The show will debut in Australia on Monday, August 24 at 1.30pm, with Foxtel pay TV subscribers with connected iQ set-top boxes or Foxtel Go ale to watch it via the Foxtel Anytime platform. In 2016, Fear will also launch on […]
New Middle East and North African on-demand service Starz Play has acquired programmes such as CBS summer event series Zoo and Under the Dome and Showtime Emmy-winner The Affair. James Patterson-penned Zoo (pictured) recently debuted as the US’s most-watched summer season show, and last week held around 94% of its debut audience during episode two. […]
One of the longest serving CEOs in American television is about to hand over the reins. Matt Blank (left) is stepping down as chief executive of Showtime on January 1, 2016 and handing the role to president and creative chief David Nevins (below, right), who will then carry both titles. Nevins new contract extends his […]
