Wife Swap


Signs of the Zodiak

In his first interview since becoming Zodiak Media’s CEO, Marc-Antoine d’Halluin outlines his plan to turn its group of worldwide production companies and studios into a unified confederation, while putting international format development at the heart of the business. Jesse Whittock reports. With an office perched at the summit of a west London business village, […]

Ob docs: obsolete or of the moment?

Rumblings that the ob doc trend is stifling creativity on both sides of the Atlantic have divided the factual programming industry. Is the genre coming to the end of its cycle, or is it simply evolving, asks Jesse Whittock The commissions of History’s Pawn Stars and American Pickers in 2009 and 2010 respectively ushered in […]

Ex-Zodiak USA execs open up new indie

Geno McDermott and Joanne Inglott (pictured above right) have launched a new US-based indie producer, Blackfin. The pair’s new prodco will work up character-based factual series and sports-themed content for US cable and digital networks. McDermott will be company CEO and Inglott partner and executive producer, current programming. McDermott is coming off Left/Right-produced Animal Planet […]

TV’s conscious effort

Cruel critiques and manufactured conflict have been replaced by supportive smiles, warm hugs and a belief that shows should seek to transform someone’s prospects or help them grow emotionally in an ongoing raft of caring sharing formats reports Andy Fry. There was a time between 2003 and 2009 when factual and entertainment formats seemed to […]

Sparks gets Russian member

Studio 2V has joined Sparks Networks’ Fiction Network. The 15-year-old Russian indie producer made the local version of NBC series Law & Order as well as taking rights to various international formats including Jeopardy and Wife Swap. Nicola Söderlund, managing director of Sparks Networks, said: “Sparks Networks has been absent in Russia for some time […]