Zodiak


Formats in focus: Zodiak Rights

Zodiak’s two big new formats stretch from the wacky Japanese-originated end of the market to the premium high-end studio format world. Zodiak inked a development deal with regional Japanese broadcaster ABC last year and heads into MIPCOM with the first fruit of that effort. Unlike some of the other deals between western and Japanese companies, […]

Zodiak picks up and sells 10 Stone Testicles

  Zodiak Media has taken international rights to one-off documentary The Man with the 10-Stone Testicles. Zodiak Rights, the international division of Zodiak, has picked up the rights to the 1x60mins doc from Tinopolis-owned UK producer Firecracker Films (Big Fat Gypsy Wedding). It has already secured its first sale for the show, with Discovery’s female-skewing […]

News brief: CBBC orders more Dani’s Castle

UK kids channel CBBC has greenlit a second season of live action drama series Dani’s Castle. The show, a follow-on from Dani’s House, is produced bu Zodiak-owned The Foundation and is distributed by Zodiak Kids. It follows Dani Harmer (Tracey Beaker) as she moves to a run-down castle that she has inherited. The second 13x30mins […]

Zodiak clocks another Tickety Toc deal in Spain

Spanish broadcaster Clan TV has acquired preschool series Tickety Toc. The series is distributed by Zodiak Kids (ex-Korea and Japan) and it has already been sold to pay TV channel Nickelodeon in Spain as part of a global deal for the show. The Clan deal covers free TV rights to the first 26x11mins of the […]

News brief: CBBC orders two shows from Zodiak’s Lucky Day

UK kids channel CBBC has ordered a pair of shows from Lucky Day, the UK producer owned by Zodiak Media. Disaster Chefs is a 10x30mins series, hosted by Gastronauts’ Stefan Gates, in which a celebrity cook will help a child who has reported his or her parent for being a terrible cook. It will debut […]

BBC sells Bake Off to Discovery in Italy

The show tests the skills of amateur chefs in various challenges to find the country’s best home baker. It has been a big hit for the BBC in the UK on BBC Two. It is made by UK indie Love Productions, the UK indie set up by Richard McKerrow, a former commissioning editor at Channel […]

Breton leaves Zodiak’s Marathon, Alessandri appointed CEO

Pascal Breton, the co-founder of Marathon, has stepped down as CEO of the French production company. He will be succeeded at the Zodiak Media-owned firm by Philippe Alessandri who is currently CEO of Tele Images Productions. “Pascal Breton has decided to pursue new personal projects and to concentrate on being an independent producer,” Zodiak said […]

Italy’s Rai bets on Red or Black

Italian public broadcaster Rai has ordered a local version of gameshow format Red or Black. The show is distributed by ITV Studios Global Entertainment (ITVS GE), which struck the Italian deal. The local version will be made by Italian-based production company Magnolia, part of Zodiak Media, in association with ITV Studios. It will be known […]

Jane Millichip joins Sky Vision

Sky Vision’s recruitment drive has continued with the hire of Jane Millichip as director of sales and global brands. Millichip is in the final weeks of her current position as managing director of Zodiak Rights. Her departure from Zodiak was announced late last year. In the newly-created role at Sky Vision, the distribution arm of […]

Zodiak takes two US cable series

Zodiak Rights has acquired international rights to two US cable series. The distributor, part of Zodiak Media, has picked up T Group Productions’ In The Big House and Handbook Productions’ US version of UK-originated format A Place In The Sun. In The Big House is a 8x30mins series for Viacom’s LGBT-focused channel LOGO. It follows […]