NBCUniversal’s CEO Steve Burke has revealed further details around its forthcoming streamer, which will launch in April 2020 and be predominantly powered by acquired programming. Last month, NBCU said the yet-to-launch service would become home to the US version of The Office (pictured) in America, after it grappled rights back from Netflix following an auction […]
NBCUniversal (NBCU)’s forthcoming streaming service will become home to the US version of The Office (pictured) in America, after the company grappled the show back from existing rights holders Netflix. The Office is widely believed to be one of Netflix’s most popular series but the streamer was unable to hang onto rights following an auction […]
Netflix’s VP of acquisitions Amy Reinhard (pictured, below) has told TBI that when NBCUniversal’s deal for The Office expires in 2021, the global SVOD will come to the negotiating table for the comedy. Reinhard’s comments come just a week after NBC revealed it would be launching its own streaming platform, prompting questions as to whether […]
Analysts are predicting another strong quarter for Netflix, ahead of the streaming giant’s Q4 earnings results, to be released later today. The SVOD is expected to have added around 7.2m new international subscribers and around 1.8m domestic users in Q4, just slightly ahead of the company’s own forecasts of 1.5m US subscriber adds and 6.1m international […]
BBC mockumentary sitcom The Office is to be remade in India. Aditya Birla Group’s Applause Entertainment has acquired rights to the Ricky Gervais comedy, news that comes as the BBC Worldwide Showcase continues in Liverpool, UK. The Indian Office will follow paper company Wilkins Chawla and its boss, Jagdeep Chaddha, who tries to motivate his team in a downbeat […]
NBC has ordered new episodes of Will & Grace, and renewed it for a second second before the first has even gone out. The New York-set comedy show, which was originally picked up in January, was initially created as a ten-episode limited installment. It will now become a 16-episode series. The new season airs on […]
Ash Atalla has shows lined up for Sky, the BBC, Channel 4 and is looking at US remakes of Roughcut Television’s series. Having redefined comedy by co-creating The Office, Atalla tells TBI about the business, his career and plans TBI: Which executive helped shape your career? AA: One is Clare Pizey, a BBC exec (eds […]
UK comedy indie Roughcut is backing Who’s On First, a new UK-based film production company that already has financing in place for its first project. The new prodco will be structured as a joint venture between Roughcut founder and boss Ash Atalla and the comedy producer’s former head of comedy, Dan Hine. Who’s on First […]
The BBC has commissioned Sexy Murder, a six-part comedy that spoofs true crime hits such as Making a Murderer, The Jinx and Serial. The series will play on the UK pubcaster’s online youth-skewed net BBC Three, and star Rich Fulcher (The Mighty Boosh) as a US ‘televisionary’ and ‘truth crusader’ who travels to Britain with […]
Finnish broadcasters Nelonen and Elisa Entertainment has ordered a local version of Ricky Gervais’ fly-on-the-wall comedy The Office. The pair have already recruited comedian Sami Hedberg to play the iconic David Brent role that writer-comic Gervais made famous through the original BBC show. Solar Republic is producing the Finnish version, which will be titled Konttori […]
