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 […]
Sky’s German operation has acquired five seasons of Wentworth, the modern-day reboot of cult classic prison drama Prisoner Cell Block H. The deal sees Wentworth enter the German market for the first time, with the Australian series playing on Sky’s flagship Sky 1 service. It launches next Wednesday (December 7). The series is distributed by […]
Australian pay giant Foxtel is moving premium programming currently on its SoHo drama channel to its Showcase network, while launching a channel targeted at binge viewers. As of October 1, Binge will replace SoHo on the EPG offering curated seasons of shows such as Arrow (pictured), The Flash, Supergirl, Pretty Little Liars, Empire, Californication and […]
Australian television legend Reg Grundy has passed away at 92. Reports say he died in Bermuda, where he lived, on Friday. Grundy (pictured above, in 1959; and below right) is credited with developing hugely successful Australian soap opera Neighbours, ground-breaking women’s prison drama Prisoner: Cell Block H (recently rebooted as Wentworth) and TVNZ’s Shortland St. […]
SBS6’s Dutch remake of FremantleMedia Australia prison drama Wentworth has been handed a second season. Celblok-H was confirmed for another run earlier this week ahead of season one’s upcoming finale. It currently ranks as SBS6’s top rated drama of the year. Celblok-H is a remake of Foxtel’s Australia drama Wentworth (pictured), which itself is a […]
SBS6 in Holland is set to become the second international broadcaster to remake Australian women’s prison drama Wentworth for a local audience. The show will premiere on March 6 with producer FourOne.Media, which is a part of the FremantleMedia International family that sells the format, attached to produce. The Dutch-language show will be known as […]
German broadcaster RTL has ordered a local-language remake of Australian women’s prison drama Wentworth. The deal, scored with distributor FremantleMedia, marks the first time Wentworth will be remade outside of Australia. RTL-owned producer UFA will create a 10-episode series for RTL, with production beginning in Berlin in March 2014. The format will follow the “same […]
Producers in Australia and New Zealand are creating a new wave of international-friendly scripted series for their distribution partners to take to market, but the popularity and lower cost of formats and reality shows poses a threat to the sector, report Dan Barrett and Stewart Clarke. Expectation. Its shadow carries considerable weight across Australia and […]
UK terrestrial Channel 5 has acquired Canadian cop drama Played from producer-distributor Muse Distribution International. The 13x60mins series premieres this month in Canada on CTV, with MDI’s parent Muse Entertainment producing along with Back Alley Film Productions (Bomb Girls). It follows a group of elite undercover cops who pose as drug dealers, assassins and gangsters […]
Wentworth, the series based on cult Australian prison drama series Prisoner Cell Block H, has won a second season order. The first season of the FremantleMedia Australia-produced series is half way through its run. The drama series has been a huge hit for pay TV operator Foxtel’s SoHo channel and the opening episode generated the […]
