Winners BAFTA Children`s Awards announced Big CBS

Inside TV International 280
November 26 - December 2, 2010
weekly magazine with a
focus on content
www.insidetv.info
info@insidetv.info
Winners BAFTA Children’s
Awards announced Body Of Proof
Archer
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The British Academy of Film and Television Arts has
unveiled the winners of the 2010 Children’s Awards. In
the Animation category Aardman Animations’ ‘Shaun The
Sheep’ (CBBC) won. The BAFTA for best Comedy went to
‘Horrible Histories’ (Lion TV/Citrus TV/CBBC) and best
Drama was CBBC’s ‘Tracy Beaker Returns’; while in the
Entertainment category CBBC’s ‘Relic: Guardians of the
Museum’ was the winner. At the International front Nickelodeon’s ‘The Penguins of Madagascar’ won the BAFTA.
(cont. page 2)
Big CBS Prime wants to
Indianise international shows
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Big CBS Networks, a joint venture between Reliance
Broadcast Network Limited and CBS Studios International launches this week Big CBS Prime, an English
general entertainment television channel for the Indian
sub-continent.A key component of BIG CBS Networks’
programming strategy is to Indianise international shows
for its Indian viewers. There is hardly any localization of
international formats in India, considerably limiting the
potential of consumer engagement. BIG CBS plans to tap
this potential by Indianising some of CBS Studios’ best
known and most successful shows.
(cont. page 2)
Muse Entertainment opens
London office
Storage Wars
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Canadian film and television production and distribution
company Muse Entertainment Enterprises is opening an
office in London, headed by Cynthia Kennedy. As Director of International Sales, Kennedy will be responsible
for selling Muse Entertainment’s productions; including
TV miniseries, TV movies, TV series and family programming, to television and cable networks as well as DVD
distributors around the world.
(cont. page 2)
The Successor
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INTERNATIONAL
FremantleMedia appoints Kim Ardal as MD
of Blu in
Denmark - p. 2
NBC Universal International signs deal with
Canadian Lark
Productions - p. 3
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Acorn Media acquires
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Greenlit shows - p. 5
Dexter close to renewal T
- p. 6
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Endemol signs distribu- O
tion deal for Leverage
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- p. 6
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fICTION
KIDS
Galaxy Pop is working
on new comedy series
Rock It! - p. 6
Cartoon Network renews
Adventure Time, Regular
Show and MAD - p. 7
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fORMATS
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Belgium acquires Talpa
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Media’s The Voice - p. 8
ITV commissions magic M
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show - p. 9
Channel 4 teams up
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with Jamie Oliver for
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Jamie’s Dream School
- p. 14
Format in the Picture
Stand Out From The
Crowd - p. 14
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www.insidetv.info 1
Big CBS Prime wants to Indianise international shows for India
Big CBS Networks, a joint venture between Reliance Broadcast Network Limited and CBS Studios International launches this week Big CBS Prime, an English general entertainment television channel for the Indian sub-continent. The
network will feature hit shows like ‘NCIS’, ‘Survivor’, ‘Late Show with David Letterman’ which will air within 24 hours
of airing in the US, the newest American cop drama ‘Blue Bloods’, legal drama ‘The Good Wife’, Hollywood magazine
shows like ‘Entertainment Tonight’ and ‘The Insider’, ‘Frasier’ and forensic investigators drama ‘CSI: Crime Scene Investigation’. The network has signed strategic deals with Sony Pictures and NBC Universal for exclusive access to a library of Hollywood movies to beef up its weekend movie programming. The Company is also in talks with other international studios to acquire a slate of hit Hollywood films. A key component of BIG CBS Networks’ programming strategy is
to Indianise international shows for its Indian viewers. There is hardly any localization of international formats in India,
considerably limiting the potential of consumer engagement. BIG CBS plans to tap this potential by Indianising some of
CBS Studios’ best known and most successful shows. It is, currently, working on the Indian format of ‘Entertainment
Tonight’, US’s syndicated entertainment news magazine.
Winners BAFTA Children’s Awards announced
The British Academy of Film and Television Arts has unveiled the winners of the 2010 Children’s Awards. In the Animation category Aardman Animations’ ‘Shaun The Sheep’ (CBBC) won over ‘Doctor Who: Dreamland’, ‘OOglies’ and
‘Horrid Henry’. The BAFTA for best Comedy went to ‘Horrible Histories’ (Lion TV/Citrus TV/CBBC), leaving ‘Big Babies’,
‘The Legend of Dick and Dom’ and ‘Sorry I’ve Got No Head’ without an award. Best Drama was CBBC’s ‘Tracy Beaker
Returns’, which won over ‘The Boy From Before’, ‘Roy’ and ‘The Sarah Jane Adventures’; while in the Entertainment
category CBBC’s ‘Relic: Guardians of the Museum’ was the winner. Other nominees
were ‘Escape from Scorpion island’, ‘Junior MasterChef’ and ‘Undercover Dads’. At the
International front Nickelodeon’s ‘The Penguins of Madagascar’ won the BAFTA, leaving
‘dirtgirlworld’, ‘Phineas and Ferb’ and ‘SpongeBob SquarePants’ without an award this
year. Other awards went to ‘L8R Youngers’ (Learning – Primary), ‘Timelines.tv: Smallpox
Through Time’ (Learning - Secondary), ‘Up’ (Feature Film), ‘Timmy Time’ (Pre-School
Animation) and ‘Something Special’ (Pre-School Live Action). In the BAFTA Kid’s Vote, the
choice of the kids, these programmes are the winners: ‘Wizards of Waverly Place’ (TV), ‘Alvin and the Chipmunks 2:
The Squeakuel’ (Film), ‘Club Penguin’ (Web) and ‘Just Dance’ (Games). Follow the link for the full list of winners.
http://www.bafta.org/awards/childrens/awards2010,1452,BA.html
FremantleMedia appoints Kim Ardal as MD of Blu in
Denmark
FremantleMedia has appointed Kim Ardal as the new Managing Director of Blu, FremantleMedia’s Danish production
arm. Starting his new role on April 1, 2011 Ardal will be responsible for all development and production operations in
Denmark, working closely with various divisions within the FremantleMedia group and leveraging existing relationships
with both broadcast and non-broadcast partners in the Danish market. Ardal will be based in Copenhagen, reporting
directly to Daniela Matei, CEO Nordics, Central Eastern Europe & Balkans, FremantleMedia. Before his appointment as
MD of Blu Denmark, Kim Ardal was the Vice President Nordic of Zodiak Television, having held MD roles at subsidiaries
Mastiff and Look Entertainment, which he founded in 2005. Prior to this, Ardal was Head of Programmes at Blu Denmark, where he served as the Executive Producer of a number of shows, as well as identifying and developing new programmes and rolling out key formats. Ardal has also held several roles at Metronome, including Head of Programmes
and Executive Producer between 1995 and 2004.
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Muse Entertainment opens London office
Canadian film and television production and distribution company Muse Entertainment Enterprises is opening an office in London, headed by Cynthia Kennedy. As Director of International Sales, Kennedy will be responsible for selling
Muse Entertainment’s productions; including TV miniseries, TV movies, TV series and family programming, to television and cable networks as well as DVD distributors around the world. Kennedy has a background of over 15 years in
TV distribution, format sales and co-production. Having graduated from Canada’s McGill University with a degree in
International Relations, Kennedy started her career in the television business in Montreal in 1995 and moved to London as a sales executive for Cinar in 1998. Her career in London has since included managing sales of programming
for Channel 4 International, AETN International, History, the Biography Channel, iD Distribution and most recently for
Zodiak Entertainment. Kennedy is fluent in four languages including French, Spanish and Armenian. Since its founding
13 years ago, Muse Entertainment has worked from its Canadian base with various US and European networks and
creative teams on projects like ‘The Kennedys’, ‘Being Human’, ‘Pillars of the Earth’, ‘Ben Hur’, ‘Human Trafficking’ and
‘Tales from the Neverending Story’.
www.insidetv.info 2
ABPI-TV and Achilles Media to promote RioContentMarket
The Brazilian Association of Independent TV Producers (ABPI-TV) and Canada-based Achilles Media have signed a
partnership to promote the upcoming audiovisual content market, RioContentMarket, which will take place in March in
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The event will join together 500 content production, distribution, communication and technology
professionals with 50 major international decision makers, commissioning editors, programmers and creators. Achilles
Media is an event management company, specializing in the entertainment sector, which carries the brands of NextMedia, Banff International Television Festival among others. With the partnership, Achilles will be an international consultant for RioContentMarket, advising ABPI-TV with international contacts strategies and programming. The international
seminar will host master classes, discussing panels, pitching sessions and business meetings. More information about
RioContentMarket can be found at www.riocontentmarket.com.
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Lark Productions, a new production venture from producer Louise Clark, has been established in Vancouver to develop E
both scripted and non-scripted content for Canadian, as well as International markets. Clark will serve as President
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and Erin Haskett Thorn is named Vice-President of Development. Lark Productions has already signed a developN
ment and first-look deal with NBC Universal International. As part of the deal, NBCU will provide a development fund
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for Lark Productions to produce and co-produce content with international appeal for the Canadian market, with the
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opportunity to distribute its TV content in markets outside Canada. Clark’s career in production, development and as
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a broadcast executive spans 25 years across television drama and comedy, feature films, Movies of the Week and
documentaries. As Vice-President of Program Development for Canada’s Network CTV, Clark developed and oversaw
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production for five seasons of the number one comedy ‘Corner Gas’ (with TCN) and three seasons of ‘Robson Arms’.
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Additionally, she oversaw production for season one of ‘Flashpoint’ and ‘The Listener’, and set up ‘Defying Gravity’.
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Other series included ‘Whistler’ (the N), ‘Kaya’ (MTV USA), ‘D’Myna Leagues’, ‘Mentors’, ‘Cold Squad’ and ‘Magician’s
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House’. Previous to CTV, she served as the Ontario Film Development Corporation’s (OFDC) Head of Production and
NBC Universal International signs deal with Canadian Lark
Productions
Development, as well as acting CEO. There she oversaw all feature film investments and development, as well as
TV movies, pilots and documentaries. Clark is a long-time member of the Board of the National Screen Institute and
continues to serve as the Chair of its Program Committee. Erin Haskett Thorn joins Clark as Vice-President of Development, overseeing Lark Productions’ slate of projects both in scripted and non-scripted, focusing on the domestic and
international marketplace. Haskett Thorn was previously Director of Development at Paperny Films where she oversaw
all development, including scripted series, alternative programming, docu-series, reality and lifestyle programmes. Erin
developed a number of series, a docu-soap for CityTV Canada, ‘Dussault Inc.’; a new HGTV Canada series, ‘Consumed’;
and the upcoming Food Network Canada series ‘Eat Street’. Prior to Paperny, Erin was the Director of Development at
Infinity Features where she managed a growing slate of feature film projects including Terry Gilliam’s ‘The Imaginarium
of Dr. Parnassus’ and Charles Martin Smith’s ‘The Stone of Destiny’.
BBC Two green lights The Night Watch
Anna Maxwell Martin (South Riding), Claire Foy (Little Dorrit), Jodie Whittaker (Accused) and Harry Treadaway (Fish
Tank) will star in a tragic and tender adaptation of Sarah Waters’ best-selling novel ‘The Night Watch’ (1x90’). The
novel will be adapted by British writer Paula Milne (Small Island, Endgame, The Virgin Queen and The Politician’s Wife)
and made by BBC Drama Production. Set against the turbulent backdrop of Forties London, ‘The Night Watch’ tells the
stories of four young Londoners inextricably linked by their wartime experiences. In a time when the barriers of sexual
morality and social convention have been broken down, Kay (Anna Maxwell Martin), Helen (Claire Foy), Viv (Jodie Whittaker) and Duncan (Harry Treadaway) enjoy a freedom never experienced before as they engage in secret liaisons and
passionate trysts. The drama opens in 1947 as the country is trying to rebuild itself after the war; we find Kay mysteriously roaming the streets, haunted by some traumatic personal loss. Meanwhile, Helen and Viv run a marriage bureau,
helping people rebuild their shattered lives by finding love. But their own complicated love lives are less easy to solve.
Helen obsessively clings to her tumultuous and volatile relationship with Julia while Viv is continuing an affair with a
married man whom she seems unable to break free from. Viv’s vulnerable young brother Duncan harbours a terrible
secret, when a face from his past re-appears which threatens his fragile existence.
ABC signs for new drama and comedy
American broadcaster ABC has signed for two new fiction shows: a drama and a comedy series. ‘Sendera’ comes from
Eva Longoria’s (Desperate Housewives) production company UnbeliEVAble Entertainment, Hotplate Productions and
ABC Studios. Longoria will executive produce the show together with Kathryn Morris (Cold Case), while the drama will
be written by Fred Ellis, Monte Williams and Sally Robinson. The drama is about two wealthy families – a Mexican and
an American Texas-based- who are battling for power. Also from ABC Studios and UnbeliEVAble Entertainment comes
the comedy project ‘Parenting By Committee’. The comedy revolves around four single best friends who discover that
one of them is pregnant; and they decide to raise the child together, without a father. The show will be written by Alyssa
Embree and Jessica Koosed.
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Australian Nine
Network takes new
comedy-drama
Australian broadcaster Nine
Network has green lighted a
new comedy-drama for airing in
2011. Zapruder’s Other Films
will make for the channel ‘Poppy’
(working title), starring Australian comedian and actor Stephen
Curry (Cloudstreet, Wilfred, The
Secret Life Of Us, The King). The
series revolves around a closely
knit group of family and friends
as they cope with good and bad
luck that occurs on the same
day. Also writer Jaime Browne
(The King, The Secret Life Of Us)
is attached to the show.
Starz goes for new
miniseries
American cable network Starz
has green lighted the eight-part
miniseries ‘Aztecs’. The series,
made by Eva Longoria’s UnbeliEVAble Entertainment, is about
the historic romantic relationship
between Spanish conqueror Herman Cortes and his interpreter
Malinalli (La Malinche), in the
16th century.
The Young And The
Restless renewed
for three more years
American broadcaster CBS has
renewed daytime drama ‘The
Young and the Restless’ for
three more years. The series
has been the #1 daytime drama
on television for more than two
decades, This season, the show
is first among daytime dramas
in viewers (5.15 million), women
18-49 (11%) and women 25-54
(14%). The series is produced by
Bell Dramatic Serial Company, in
association with Sony Pictures
Television. ‘The Young and the
Restless’, which premiered in
1973, revolves around the rivalries, romances, hopes and fears
of the residents of the fictional
Midwestern metropolis, Genoa
City. The lives and loves of a
wide variety of characters mingle
through the generations, dominated by the Newman, Abbott,
Chancellor, Baldwin and Winters
families.
BBC One unveils more details about thriller
Stolen
Damian Lewis leads the cast in ‘Stolen’, a new one-off drama for BBC One from
the writer of ‘Five Daughters’, Stephen Butchard (House Of Saddam, Vincent),
and produced by Open Door Productions. Damian Lewis plays Detective Inspector
Anthony Carter in the fast-paced thriller about human trafficking in Britain today,
where children are brought for a better life but end up working illegally outside the
system. ‘Stolen’ follows the story of one man, Anthony (Lewis), and three children.
Anthony works in the Human Trafficking Unit, battling to make a difference to the
plight of exploited children being smuggled into the UK and from there, to anywhere and to any fate. Anthony has a wall of snapshots in his office of unknown
children, children without passports, without identity, without family, without hope,
who have been smuggled into this country to be enslaved and exploited: Rosemary, 11, is a terrorised young girl from West Africa, who thought she was coming to England to be educated. She is sold as a house servant; Kim Pak, 15, is a
gardener in a Vietnamese cannabis house, imprisoned in a semi in suburbia; and
Georgie, 14, from the Ukraine, is put to work in the food industry, making sandwiches.
BBC One signs for third Life Of Riley
Caroline Quentin and Neil Dudgeon reprise their roles as multi-tasking mother
Maddy and stoical father Jim Riley when ‘Life Of Riley’ returns to BBC One for a
third eight-part series in 2011. Some time has passed since the second season.
Baby Rosie is now two and about to begin playgroup, and the teen triumvirate of
Katy, Danny and Ted are embarking on their own new relationships. Refusing to
be fazed by her increasingly complicated brood of children, step-children, stepsiblings and half-siblings, Maddy is still trying to be all things to all people. Now
she finds herself coping with a work-at-home husband, the re-emergence of both
their exes, neighbours at war (with each other)... and the challenge of meeting
a new boyfriend – her mother’s… ‘Life Of Riley’ also features Lucinda Dryzek as
Katy, Taylor Fawcett as Danny and Patrick Nolan as Ted. The series is made by
Catherine Bailey Limited.
US drama Body Of Proof gets pre-launch in
Europe
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Walt Disney Company is working with
international broadcasters to offer
the pre-US release premiere of the
crime procedural series ‘Body of
Proof’, starring Dana Delany (Desperate Housewives) and produced
by ABC Studios. During January and
February 2011, the dubbed series
will launch across Italy on Fox, in
Spain on Cuatro and Fox, and in
Hungary on Story4, with further early
international launches to be confirmed. ‘Body of Proof’ will then launch on ABC in
the US on March 29. Following a devastating car accident, putting an end to her
successful career as a top neurosurgeon, Dr. Megan Hunt (Dana Delany) embarks
on a new career as a court medical examiner. Finding it hard to let go of her
natural neurosurgeon instincts, Hunt is still determined to discover the cause of
her patient’s deaths. As Hunt seeks answers, the bodies of the dead, give her the
clues. The bodies are in fact, the proof. Megan, smart with sharp instincts, has an
unfortunate reputation for blurring the lines of where her job ends and where the
police department’s begins. Unfortunately, Hunt’s career isn’t the only aspect of
her life that is in turmoil. After moving jobs, and regaining a focus on her personal
life, Megan discovers that there’s a lot of work to be done when it comes to her
relationships with the living – namely with her estranged ex-husband and sevenyear-old daughter. ‘Body of Proof’ is created by Christopher Murphey (The Karate
Kid) and executive produced by Murphey, Matthew Gross (Dirty Sexy Money) and
Sunil Nayar (CSI: Miami).
www.insidetv.info 4
TV Land green lights
two new pilots
American cable network TV Land
has green lighted pilots of two
new scripted pilots: ‘Happily
Divorced’ and ‘Rip City’. Based
on actress Fran Drescher’s real
life, ‘Happily Divorced’ centres
around how Drescher deals
with dating after finding out
her husband is gay. The show
focuses on how she juggles
her relationship with her current boyfriend and ex-husband
post-divorce. The project will be
written by Fran Drescher (The
Nanny) and Peter Marc Jacobsen (The Nanny, What I Like
About You). ‘Rip City’ is a office
comedy which takes place at Rip
City Cola, a regional beverage
manufacturer and distributor.
When a young, Ivy League-educated female takes over as the
boss, the entire office, particularly a confident man in his 50s,
is shaken and unsure of what
happens next. The comedy will
be written by Terri Minsky (Less
Than Perfect, Lizzy McGuire) and
executive produced by Michael
Hanel (Rita Rocks, Retired at
35) and Mindy Schultheis (Reba,
Retired at 35). The network previously announced the comedy
pilot ‘Ex Men’ by former ‘Frasier’
executive producer Mark Reisman. That pilot revolves around
three divorced men who live in
an apartment building together
where the landlord is a smart
and sexy divorce attorney.
Acorn Media
acquires Greenlit
shows
Distributor Acorn Media has
acquired the TV rights to a series
of UK dramas from bankrupt
producer Greenlit Rights, including ‘Vexed’ and ‘Foyle’s War’. The
company, which is mostly active
as DVD distributor, acquired the
TV rights of ITV drama ‘Foyle’s
War’, three-part comedy series
‘Vexed’, six-part series ‘Honest’,
‘The Man Who Lost His Head’
starring Martin Clunes, ‘Menace’
starring Stephen Moyer, and the
thriller ‘The Swap’. ‘Foyle’s War’,
however, will still be distributed
by Icon Film Distribution.
FX premieres new drama in January
American cable network FX will premiere on January 11 the new drama series
‘Lights Out’. ‘Lights Out’, from Executive Producer/Showrunner Warren Leight (In
Treatment, Law & Order Criminal Intent), stars Holt McCallany (CSI: Miami) as Patrick ‘Lights’ Leary, an aging former heavyweight boxing champion who struggles
to find his identity and support his wife and three daughters after retiring from
the ring. The financial downturn coupled with a series of failed investments leave
him at a perilous crossroads - battling the urge to return to boxing or reluctantly
accepting a job as a brutal and intimidating debt collector. Catherine McCormack
(Braveheart) co-stars as Theresa Leary, Lights’ wife who is finishing her medical
residency; Pablo Schreiber (The Wire) as Johnny Leary, Lights’ brother and business manager; and Stacy Keach (Fat City) as Robert ‘Pops’ Leary, Lights’ father
and former trainer who runs the boxing gym owned by Lights. ‘Lights Out’ is produced by Fox Television Studios and FX Productions. FX has ordered 13 episodes
of the series. In other news FX will return on January 27 with the second season
of its animated series ‘Archer’. ‘Archer’
is an animated comedy revolving around
the spy agency known as the International Secret Intelligence Service (ISIS)
and the lives of its employees. Although
their work of espionage, reconnaissance
missions, wiretapping and undercover
surveillances is daunting and enigmatic,
every covert operation and global crisis are actually unmitigated occasions for
the ISIS staff to undermine, sabotage and betray each other for personal gains
and selfish pleasures. The series features the voices of H. Jon Benjamin as the
highly skilled yet incredibly vain master spy Sterling Archer; Aisha Tyler as fellow
agent provocateur Lana Kane; Jessica Walter as Archer’s domineering mother
and the rapacious CEO of ISIS , Mallory Archer; Chris Parnell as the easily intimidated comptroller of ISIS, Cyril Figgis; Judy Greer as Malloy’s loquacious secretary,
Cheryl; Amber Nash as the discordant director of human resources for ISIS, Pam
Poovey; and George Coe as Archer’s elderly and always exploited butler, Woodhouse. FX has ordered 13 episodes for season two. The series is produced by FX
Productions in association with Floyd County Productions.
AMC begins production on The Killing
American cable network AMC has
begun production on the network’s
new original series ‘The Killing’.
From writer and executive producer
Veena Sud (Cold Case), ‘The Killing’ is
based on the Danish television series
‘Forbrydelsen’. It tells the story of the
murder of a young girl in Seattle and the subsequent police investigation. The
series is produced by Fox Television Studios and Fuse Entertainment. Season one
gets thirteen one-hour episodes, slated to premiere in March 2011. ‘The Killing’
ties together three distinct stories around a single murder including the detectives
assigned to the case, the victim’s grieving family and the suspects. Set in Seattle,
the story also explores local politics as it follows politicians connected to the case.
As the series unfolds, it becomes clear that there are no accidents; everyone has
a secret, and while the characters think they’ve moved on, their past isn’t done
with them. ‘The Killing’ stars Mireille Enos (Big Love) as Sarah Linden, who is the
lead homicide detective that investigates the death of Rosie Larsen. Other castings include Billy Campbell (Once and Again, Enough) as Darren Richmond, Seattle’s City Council President, running for Mayor; Michelle Forbes (True Blood) as
Mitch Larsen, Rosie’s mother; Joel Kinnaman (Snabba Cash) as Stephen Holder,
an ex-narcotic cop who joins the homicide division in the investigation to find
Rosie Larsen’s killer; and Brent Sexton (W., In the Valley of Elah) as Stan Larsen,
Rosie’s father.
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ABC wants Family
Owned sitcom
American broadcaster ABC is
teaming up with comedian Al
Madrigal (Gary Unmarried) for
the new sitcom ‘Family Owned’.
The project will be produced via
ABC Studios and comes from
writers/producers Tony GamaLobo (King of the Hill, Freddie)
and Rebecca May (King of the
Hill, Freddie), who will produce
the show with Warren Littlefield (My generation, Love Inc.).
The sitcom revolves around a
multigenerational family with the
son –played by Al Madrigal- taking over the family food truck
business.
Dexter close to
renewal
Drama series ‘Dexter’ is close
to a renewal. According to
reports American cable network
Showtime will green light a sixth
season. The move wouldn’t be a
surprise with the current ratings
of the show. Last Sunday the series averaged more than 2.5 million viewers, close to the series’
highest-rated final of last season
(2.57m). The serial killer drama
would get 12 new episodes for
the sixth season.
Australian ABC announces raft of new scripted
shows for 2011
Australian network ABC has unveiled a raft of scripted shows for 2011, including
34 hours of drama. Legal drama ‘Crownies’ marks ABC TV’s return to long-form
drama with 22 one-hour episodes commissioned; Asher Keddie and Rob Carlton
star as Ita Buttrose and Kerry Packer in the two-part TV movie ‘Paper Giants: The
Birth of Cleo’ (working title); and the television adaption of the novel ‘The Slap’
will feature as an eight-part series. Filming will also begin on ‘The Straits’, a
10-part series about a crime family with a difference; ‘Phryne Fisher’, an adaptation of the Kerry Greenwood novels about a glamorous female detective from the
1920s; Jane Campion’s six-part compelling mystery series ‘Top Of The Lake’; and
Judy Davis, Geoffrey Rush and Charlotte Rampling star in Fred Schepisi’s first
Australian film since ‘Evil Angels’, ‘The Eye Of The Storm’. Outside the drama offer, Adam Hills gets his own talk show with the premiere of ‘Adam Hills: In Gordon
St. Tonight’; Chris Lilley’s ‘Angry Boys’ goes global in 2011; rediscover what it’s
like to be ‘Twentysomething’ with ABC2’s new comedy series; and comedian
Frank Woodley plays a loveable dad in his own series ‘Woodley’. Lifestyle series
‘Poh’s Kitchen’ goes primetime next year; and viewers
can get up close and personal with the animal world in
‘Chris Humfrey’s Wild Life’; while three indigenous boys
chasing the AFL dream in ‘Three Boys Dreaming’. For
the children the ‘Bananas in Pyjamas’ go 3D in their
new animated series; while the ultimate kid fantasy can
be lived in the action-packed game show ‘Splatalot’;
and the kids drama ‘My Place’ Series 2 comes also to 2011, while Terry Denton’s
‘GASP!’ books come to the ABC3 screen.
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Endemol signs distribution deal for Leverage
Endemol has acquired distribution rights outside the
US to ‘Leverage’, the drama series produced by Electric Entertainment for American cable network TNT.
‘Leverage’ stars Timothy Hutton (Ordinary People),
Gina Bellman (Coupling), Christian Kane (Into the
West), Beth Riesgraf (Alvin and the Chipmunks) and
Aldis Hodge (Friday Night Lights). Leverage is executive produced by Dean Devlin (‘Independence Day’)
and creators John Rogers (‘Transformers’) and Chris
Downey (‘The King of Queens’). ‘Leverage’ follows the
adventures of a highly skilled team of thieves out to settle scores against those who use
power and wealth to victimize others. The gang is led by former insurance investigator Nate
Ford (Hutton), who became involved in the con business after his former employer refused
to pay for treatment that could have saved his son’s life. His highly skilled team includes
Sophie Devereaux (Bellman), a grifter who uses her acting skills to corner her marks; Eliot
Spencer (Kane), a ‘retrieval specialist’ with bone-crunching fighting skills; Alec Hardison (Hodge), a gadget and technology wizard who keeps the team informed; and Parker
(Riesgraf), a slightly off-centre thief adept at rappelling off buildings or squeezing into tight
places. TNT has recently announced production of a fourth season following the success of
season three which ran over the US summer, with an average of 4.5 million viewers.
Galaxy Pop is working on new comedy series Rock It!
Australian production company Galaxy Pop has signed
up its pre-school musical comedy series ‘Rock It!’ to a
significant broadcast deal throughout the Asia-Pacific
region with the ABC’s international broadcast service,
Australia Network. The new multi-country deal will
see the colourful pre-school series broadcast to more
than 45 countries across Asia, the Pacific and the
Indian subcontinent. ‘Rock It!’ follows the adventures
of three friends - Comet, Asteroid and Jack - who are
accidentally launched into outer space when they discover an old rocket ship. There they make new friends in Cosmos and Zaboo, two lovable
aliens, and Gamma, the galaxy’s greatest computer. Together, they form the coolest pop
group this side of the Milky Way. ‘Rock It!’ will begin airing on Australia Network channels
across the Asia-Pacific from December 6, 2010.
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New seasons for Cartoon Network’s Adventure
Time, Regular Show and MAD
Eurovision TV
brings Magic
Circus Show to
Europe
Last Saturday was the launch of
brand new family TV entertainment format ‘The Magic Circus
Show’. The pan-European circus
show features European children
performing circus acts under the
big top in Geneva. The show is
organized by Eurovision TV at the
European Broadcasting Union
(EBU) together with host broadcaster RTS (Radio Télévision Suisse), and is due to be broadcast
over the Christmas season.-Over
40 children aged 7–14 from
different parts of Europe will
perform acts reflecting the rich
and diverse circus traditions of
Europe under one big top. Jugglers, acrobats, trapeze artists,
clowns and air gymnasts will
show off their talent. The acts
were selected during a selection
procedure in their home countries. For the European Broadcasting Union it is the first time a
circus programme has been set
up within Eurovision family entertainment. The host broadcaster
is Radio Télévision Suisse (RTS).
Co-producers include France
3, RTP (Portugal), RTR (Russia), RTS (Switzerland), TROS
(The Netherlands) and Ketnet
(Belgium). The show will also be
broadcast by RAI (Italy), RTVSLO
(Slovenia), NTU (Ukraine), RTSI
(Switzerland), TV5 Monde and
TV5 Canada.
American cable network Cartoon Network has
green lighted new seasons of the animated comedy series ‘Adventure Time’, ‘Regular Show’ and
‘MAD’. ‘Adventure Time’ ranked in its first two
seasons #1 in its timeslots on all of television broadcast and cable - among kids and boys 2-11,
6-11, and 9-14. The series introduces viewers
to unlikely heroes Finn and Jake, buddies who
traverse the mystical Land of Ooo and encounter
its colourful inhabitants including the Ice King, Princess Bubblegum, Marceline
the Vampire Queen and Lumpy Space Princess. ‘Adventure Time’ is currently in its
second season with a third commissioned. Consistently winning its timeslot with
boys 6-11 and boys 9-14, Cartoon Network’s new animated series ‘Regular Show’
increased both ratings and delivery among targeted kid and boy demos vs. the
2009 time period. The series features best friends Mordecai, a six-foot-tall blue
jay and Rigby, a hyperactive raccoon, whose attempts to escape their everyday
boredom take them to fantastical extremes. ‘Regular Show’ debuted in September
2010 and has been green lighted for a second season. ‘MAD’, the Warner Bros.
Animation series rooted in the eponymous magazine, will return for a second season. Following its premiere in September of this year, ‘MAD’ has been steadily winning its time slot with boys 6-11 and boys 9-14. MAD has also increased key kids
and boys audience ratings and delivery, ranging between 31% and 71% across the
board. Since the first issue of the DC Comics magazine was published in 1952,
‘MAD’ has satirized and parodied the pop cultural landscape. In the animated series, this same sense of the ridiculous is delivered with parodies including TransBore-Mores, Fantastic Megan Fox, Uglee, CSI-Carly and Avaturds.
Belgian Klumpies ready for international roll-out
From the makers from Belgian
animated series ‘Uki’ comes
now also ‘The Klumpies’, a new
animated show for pre-school
children, a show that combines
comedy with high adventure, appealing characters with colourful natural settings, in a series
whose simple but intriguing
storylines wants to to hold the
attention of even the youngest
viewer. The Klumpies are a tribe
of little people, about 8 centimetres tall. For hundreds of years, they’ve lived hidden from the rest of the world amongst the branches of the Pipple Tree, an enormous tree that towers over all others in the forest. To us, the Pipple Tree might
look like a huge apple tree, and its fruits juicy red apples – but to The Klumpies
it is their whole world, supporting dwellings, a Royal Palace, and numerous other
buildings large and small. At the heart of the show is a group of four friends, The
Klumpy Kids: Bertie and Sunny Blink, Chip Blunk and the somewhat snooty Ella
Klump, only daughter of the Klumpy Royal Family. All live in the Pipple Tree with
their respective parents, although Ella enjoys rather grander circumstances than
the others in the Royal Palace, also home to King Klump and Queen Klumpetta,
not to mention numerous guards, footmen and courtiers. But despite their different backgrounds, The Klumpy Kids are firm friends, who enjoy all the activities
open to young Klumpies: roaming the forest, swimming in the river, climbing up,
down and around the Pipple Tree or enjoying picnics of Pipple turnover with homemade Pipple juice. The 26-part 3D series (26x7’) is aiming at 3- to 7-year-olds
and is a Belgian co-production between public youth channel Ketnet, Universal
Music Belgium, Creative Conspiracy and Nexus Factory. The series will premiere
on December 6 on Ketnet and has already been sold to Belgian commercial
French-speaking network Club RTL. Universal Music Belgium is distributing the
show internationally and will roll out the show at MIPTV next April.
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www.klumpies.com
www.insidetv.info 7
Lenny Henry to
host BBC One’s
The Magicians
Actor and comedian Lenny
Henry is to host ‘The Magicians’,
BBC One’s new Saturday night
entertainment show. Lenny will
be joined by three internationally
renowned magic practitioners:
US sleight of hand artist Chris
Korn, master illusionist Luis de
Matos, and UK magicians Barry
and Stuart. The Magicians sees
the three practitioners do battle
for five weeks in early 2011, in
the magic world’s first competitive competition on UK screens.
Master of sleight of hand, Chris
Korn, has more than 21 years of
experience and regularly performs for A-list Hollywood stars
including Angelina Jolie and Brad
Pitt, Alec Baldwin and Adam Sandler. Award-winning Scottish duo
Barry and Stuart have had three
sell-out shows at the Edinburgh
festival, including this year’s Seance. Previously they starred in
the TV shows ‘Dirty Tricks’, ‘Magick’ and ‘Tricks From The Bible’,
for which they were nominated
for a Scottish BAFTA award. They
also won the Best Comedy Illusionist Award at the World Magic
Awards in 2009. Luis de Matos
has been mesmerising audiences for the last 10 years with
his slick and stylish illusions and
this year the International Magician’s Society declared him to
be the Illusionist of the Decade.
Luis also has an extensive career
in Portugal including a series of
successful TV shows. Against the
backdrop of a specially created
set on Pinewood Studios, each
magician will perform with a
different celebrity partner each
week, with the three pairs performing illusions from the classic
to the never-attempted-before.
The celebrities appearing in the
show include TV presenter Chris
Tarrant, presenter and artist Rolf
Harris, hip-hop group N-Dubz
and Ashley Banjo from the street
dance troupe Diversity. The show
will be made by Shine TV.
Belgium acquires Talpa Media’s The Voice
Belgian commercial channel vtm has acquired the
Belgian (Flemish-speaking) rights of Talpa Media’s new
music talent search ‘The Voice’. Vtm will air the Flemish
version in 2012 as ‘De Stem van Vlaanderen’ (The Voice
of Flanders), because next spring the network will bring
a new season of talent search ‘Idols’. The 17-part Dutch
version launched in September on Dutch network RTL4
with 1.67 million viewers 28.2%, but is averaging the
last few weeks around 3 million viewers. In ‘The Voice Of
Holland’ four very successful, famous singers offer their know-how to unknown
talents to help them transform from great singers into the country’s next generation of pop stars. Off-screen pre-selections guarantee that only true talents make
it to the blind auditions…
SVT Sales brings WikiLeaks documentary to
the market
Swedish distributor SVT Sales is bringing a documentary on WikiLeaks to the
international market. 58-minute documentary ‘WikiRebels’ comes from filmmakers Jesper Huor and Bosse Lindquist and is, according to SVT Sales, the first ever
in-depth documentary on WikiLeaks with behind-the-scenes of the main players. WikiLeaks has gained a worldwide reputation of being a whistle blower of
extreme magnitude – enhancing the knowledge about American diplomacy and
Iranian torture. But only few people know anything about the vision driving the
mysterious founder Julian Assange, a man declared being a saint in the same
breath as he is facing charges of rape and/or treason. The documentary tells the
story behind the founders, the ‘information technology rebels’ without a national
affiliation, who have created one of the most powerful structures on the international political scene.
www.svtsales.com
Bridalplasty launches with modest ratings
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American cable network E!’s new controversial
reality show ‘Bridalplasty’ launched last Sunday night with modest ratings. The premiere
averaged only 900 000 viewers in its 9 pm
timeslot. Ten-part reality series ‘Bridalplasty’,
which is produced by 51 Minds Entertainment
(Endemol), brings together 12 engaged women
who are seeking complete image transformations before their big day – they want the
dream wedding and the dream body to go along with it. These brides-to-be are
willing to do whatever it takes to beat the competition in order to get that perfection. Throughout the show, as they put together their dream wedding, each week
one lucky bride will also get one piece of her dream body – going under the knife
for one of the surgeries off her ‘wish list’. The last bride standing will have the
opportunity to have an extreme plastic surgery makeover and win a wedding fit
for the stars where she will unveil her new look for the very first time to the man
that she’s about to marry. Celebrity plastic surgeon Dr. Terry Dubrow joins host
Shanna Moakler to guide the competitors in their quest for a flawless wedding.
Electus to roll out Jerk All Stars
Ben Silverman’s Electus is rolling out the online reality competition ‘Jerk All
Stars’, which launched on Tuesday on MySpace. ‘Jerk All Stars’ is a competitionbased reality series and interactive community set in the work of jerk dancing.
The show is hosted by Indigo Vanity, JHawk, BB The Jerk and Young Ace – the
Core Four.
http://www.myspace.com/jerkallstars
www.insidetv.info 8
Discovery
brings new
docu-series
Flying Wild
Alaska
American cable network Discovery Channel will launch on
January 5 the new ten-part
docu-series ‘Flying Wild Alaska’
(working title), from production
company 3 Ball Productions.
Operating their family-run airline,
Era Alaska, the Tweto family battles unforgiving Alaska weather
and terrain to transport life’s
necessities to one of the most
remote and extreme regions
of America. With no freeway
system for hundreds of miles,
Era Alaska is the lifeline for the
isolated rural inhabitants of the
Bering Sea coastline, but where
the roads end, life for the quirky
Twetos begins. Wildly determined
Jim runs his company with passion and looks to his tiny but
fierce wife, Ferno, for support.
She’s cargo runner, dispatcher
and mom to their two gregarious
adult daughters, Ayla and Ariel,
who also play a vital role in the
operation. Year round, Jim and
his family are motivated by the
fact that the livelihoods of thousands of people depend on their
business and employees every
day. Era Alaska was founded
in the small city of Unalakleet
with just one small plane and a
service area of a few hundred
miles. Today, the company has
nearly 75 planes and destinations throughout the large state.
Valued at millions, the airline
handles everything from large,
cross state commuter flights to
tiny off-airport ‘bush’ flights.
ITV commissions magic show
UK channel ITV1 has green lighted ‘Penn & Teller: Fool Us’, a brand new entertainment show starring the world famous magic double act ‘Penn & Teller’. Hosted
by Jonathan Ross and produced by DCD-owned September Films/117 Production,
the 90-minute programme throws down the gauntlet to every aspiring magician
in the UK to perform their most mystifying trick to fool Penn & Teller. Las Vegas
legends Penn & Teller will have no prior knowledge of either the performers or the
planned trick. They’ll be sitting in the audience just like everyone else, watching
every move the guest magicians make. If any illusionist comes on and fools the
professionals, they will win a five star trip to Las Vegas to perform as the opening
act in Penn & Teller’s show at the Rio Hotel & Casino. Whether it’s a grand stage
illusion or a tiny trick of sleight of hand, whether it uses tigers or toothpicks, if they
are good enough to fool Penn & Teller then they get to perform in Vegas with the
iconic duo; who have been performing together for over 35 years.
BBC Two to bring The Reel History Of Britain
In 2011, author, media personality and broadcaster Melvyn Bragg will be presenting a brand new series for BBC Two in association with the British Film Institute,
telling the history of modern Britain through archive film footage. In the 20-part
series ‘The Reel History of Britain’ he’ll be touring the country in the UK’s only
surviving vintage mobile cinema, a converted Sixties Bedford van, complete with
a 22-seat, fully tiered cinema, and reuniting people with footage of their ancestors. The series will be covering royal events from the death of Queen Victoria in
1901 to the Silver Jubilee of Elizabeth II in 1977, touching on the latter’s marriage
and coronation along the way. The programme will also be reliving the horrors of
the Somme through a look at the Pals Battalions of World War One as well as the
Home Guard and evacuation of World War Two. The series will also be looking in
depth at the British industries of cotton production at the turn of the century, as
well as fishing, mining and rural industries in the inter-war period. National events
including the formation of the NHS, the Beeching Axe and the Three Day Week will
all feature, as well as events which changed thousands of lives forever. The slum
clearances of the Thirties and the housing redevelopments of the Fifties sit alongside the exploration of the changing nature of schools in the Twenties. Finally, the
show will be revisiting the lighter side of life with the boom in the British seaside
after World War Two, as well as the first package holidays in the Sixties and the
Mods and Rockers of the same decade. People can feature on the programme
and get the opportunity to see the way their parents, grandparents (or even your
younger selves) lived. At each of the road shows, Melvyn Bragg will be interviewing
people about their family history and will be showing footage from the period.
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Indonesia gets own 20 Little Piggy Banks and
Show Me What You’ve Got
Endemol has sold two game show formats to Indonesian broadcaster PT Indosiar Visual
Mandiri (IVM). ‘The 20 Little Piggy Banks’ will make its international debut in Asia when it
launches in 2011 on IVM, which has also commissioned ‘Show Me What You’ve Got’, which
will broadcast early next year. The variety game show format has already proven to be a hit
with Asian audiences, with two successful series broadcasting on VTV3 in Vietnam. This follows the recent news that IVM signed its first deal with Endemol Asia for the game show ‘1
vs. 100’. The locally produced show launched in August and is performing well in its prime
time slot. ‘Show Me What You’ve Got’ is a nerve wracking game show with a unique mechanism that can multiply winnings to a life changing amount. It’s a non-stop rollercoaster ride
of emotions as players are asked general knowledge questions that test their skill. If they
get the answers wrong they’ll watch their prize fund get divided down to practically nothing.
The series made its Asian debut in Vietnam and has also successfully aired in Bulgaria,
Greece, Italy, Spain and the US. ‘The 20 Little Piggy Banks’ sees contestants competing
to win grand prizes hidden within personalised piggy banks. Players aim to accumulate as
many ‘piggies’ as possible by answering general knowledge questions. In the end game
all remaining piggies will be smashed to pieces to reveal the prizes. Along the way, there is
the chance that contestants could leave empty handed if they stumble across the dreaded
black coin. ‘The 20 Little Piggy Banks’ was co-created by Spanish producer Phileas and TF1
Production, the French broadcaster’s in house production company. Endemol has the right
to distribute the format outside Spain and France. Endemol’s other recent deals across Asia
include new and returning commissions for ‘Deal or No Deal’, ‘1 vs. 100’ and ‘Big Brother’
for broadcasters in Korea, China, Indonesia, Vietnam, Cambodia and the Philippines. Endemol attends the Asia Television Forum in Singapore this December at booth number H16.
www.insidetv.info 9
Stand Out From
Zodiak sells Help! My House Is Falling Down
The Crowd moves worldwide, Channel 4 renews
Zodiak Rights has inked a raft of sales deals for the UK series ‘Help!
into six territories Distributor
My House is Falling Down’ while Channel 4 has re-commissioned a second series
Flash mob game show ‘Stand
Out From The Crowd’, from Gogglebox
Entertainment
and distributed
internationally by Sony Pictures Television’s 2waytraffic, has been commissioned in six countries: Italy,
Portugal, Turkey, Colombia, Lithuania and Moldova. In Italy, Sky
Italia has ordered 65 episodes
(65x30’) of the format to air
from mid December. In Portugal,
RTP1 has commissioned six onehour episodes which are planned
to launch in April next year. The
Turkish broadcaster ATV, has
also commissioned the show. In
Colombia, City TV has ordered
26 one-hour episodes to air in
2011. The Moldovan broadcaster, Prime TV, has ordered
13 episodes while in Lithuania,
‘Stand Out From the Crowd’ has
already aired on Lietuvos Rytas
TV. Additionally, options for the
game show are in place in Denmark, Finland, Norway, Sweden
and Australia. ‘Stand Out From
The Crowd’ is an ambush-style
format that surprises unsuspecting members of the public into
participating in a live game show
with the chance to win a major
cash prize all captured on existing public screens that could be
anywhere: from a stadium to a
shopping mall to a gym or bus
stop. The contestant, chosen
at random by a hidden host,
faces a mix of questions against
the clock supported by crowds
gathered round shouting out
answers. The game culminates
in the contestant answering one
question on their own wearing
headphones to block out the
sounds of the crowds screaming behind them. Get it right and
they stand the chance to win a
life changing amount of money.
Get it wrong and they lose all
their hard earned winnings.
(6x60’) of the show which is produced by Red House, part of Zodiak Media Group.
Zodiak Rights has sold Series 1 of ‘Help! My House is Falling Down’ (6x60’) to
TVNZ (New Zealand), Corus (Canada), Groupe TVA (French-speaking Canada) and
BBC Worldwide for BBC Lifestyle in Africa and Poland. These broadcasters join TV4
(Sweden), RTL (The Netherlands) and XYZ Entertainment (Australia) who acquired
the series earlier this year. ‘Help! My House is Falling Down’, presented by property
expert Sarah Beeny, sees her and a team of experts rescuing houses that appear
to be terminally ill. Her aim is to make sure each house is safe – tackling the ‘arch
enemies’ of any home which, if ignored, could threaten their very foundation and
lead to collapse. The show premiered on Channel 4 earlier this year and more
recently on More 4. Zodiak Rights holds worldwide rights for ‘Help! My House is
Falling Down’, finished episodes and format.
The Farm gets second Colombian series
Scandinavia’s production and formats company
Strix Television has licensed its reality format
‘The Farm’ for a second series to Colombian
television production company BE-TV. The format, distributed in Latin America by 2waytraffic
International, is produced by BE-TV for national
television network Canal Caracol. The series,
which began airing on November 30 in prime
time on Canal Caracol, is hosted by celebrities
model Natalia Paris and actor Mauricio Velez. Sold to more than 40 countries
‘The Farm’ reaches in Colombia a strong market share of 62% with the final episode peaking at a 78% share. The pre-produced celebrity version of the format
made its debut on Canal Caracol in the fall of 2004 and was the most-watched
programme achieving a steady audience rating and conquering the competition
in Colombia during its 14 weeks of airing. In the format, six women and six men
are thrown together to survive as farmers without the luxuries of running water,
electricity or telephones. Over a ten-week period viewers follow the lives of the
participants on their primitive and isolated farm. Life is tough as they lack all the
comforts of modern life and in order to survive they must learn how to live off the
land. However, ‘The Farm’ is not only about physical survival, it is also an elimination game and after ten weeks and a thrilling grand finale only one competitor
remains to claim the prize and the title of ‘Farmer of the Year’.
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Benidorm Bastards debuts in South Korea
SevenOne International´s ‘Benidorm
Bastards’ will debut on tvN, South
Korea´s cable and satellite channel,
on December 4. ‘JeulGeoUn In Seng’,
which translates into ‘Happy Life’ or
‘Enjoy your Life’, will air weekly every
Saturday. The Rose d´Or winning ‘Benidorm Bastards’ (produced by Belgian
company Shelter) is a hidden camera
show that follows 7 senior citizens whose mission is to roam the streets and blow
the minds of as many young people as they can. In Belgium, its country of origin,
the show has exceeded channel 2BE ´s average by up to 284 percent with market
shares of up to 27.9 percent (viewers 18-44). In The Netherlands, the first international adaptation of ‘Benidorm Bastards’ outperforms RTL 4´s channel average by
up to 250 percent with a market share of up to 36.8 percent (20-49) on Saturdays in prime time. The show has already been sold to more than 20 countries,
including France, Spain, Germany, Greece, Israel, throughout the Middle East and
Scandinavia.
www.insidetv.info 10
New ITV2 show wants to solve real life problems
Shine makes In
Their Footsteps for
Australian network
Australian Nine Network has
commissioned Shine Australia
to make ‘In Their Footsteps’,
which will air in 2011. The team
behind ‘Australians at War’ is
now working on a documentary
series about Australia’s wartime
experiences, seen through the
eyes of descendants as they are
taken on a very personal journey.
Shine Australia is looking for
outgoing and articulate Australians who want to know more
about the triumphs and tragedies encountered by members
of their families during a century
of conflict, from World War 1 to
peacekeeping in East Timor. The
series will search out the truth
behind wartime experiences and
will take a family member on a
unique journey to discover the
places they saw and the things
they did.
Holland gets own
Who’s The One For
…?
Dutch commercial network RTL4
has green lighted ‘Wie Kiest
Tatjana?’ (Who’s Tatjana Choosing?), a Dutch version of Belgian
format ‘Who’s The One For…’,
devised and produced by Belgian
production outfit TéVé Company,
which made the show or the first
time in the fall of 2006 as ‘Who’s
The One For Wendy?’, in which
Belgian singer and TV personality
Wendy Van Wanten was looking
for a man; and finally also found
her big love. In 2011 already a
third edition will air in Belgium. In
the Dutch version actress, model
and singer Tatjana Simic will look
for her big love.
Peaches Geldof is to present a brand new ITV2 series aimed at solving real life
problems. ITV Studios will produce 6-part studio-based series ‘OMG! Totally
Peaches’ (6x60’ – working title), in front of a live audience, in which Peaches, supported by a team of resident professional experts, will deal with a wide and varied
range of issues faced by the show’s guests. Relationships, sex, and all manner of
behavioural issues will be on the agenda in each episode. Guests will tell their
stories in full OMG! detail to be shown in studio, before sharing their experiences
with Peaches and her panel, who, along with the audience, discuss the problems
and how to find a solution. Each show’s lively mix of discussion will also feature
special celebrity guests who will offer advice or share their own personal experience of the issue at hand.
Spike TV renews Auction Hunters
American cable network Spike TV has renewed its reality series ‘Auction Hunters’
for a second, 20-part, season. Premiering on November 9, the weekly series has
averaged 1.1 million viewers, increasing in viewership each week with the most
recent episode on November 23 averaging 1.3 million viewers. The first eightpart season will end on December 21. No date has been announced for the new
season. ‘Auction Hunters’ explores the cutthroat world of storage-unit auctions
with two of the best prospectors in the business, Clinton ‘Ton’ Jones and Allen
Haff. Every day in America, there are over ten thousand abandoned storage units
that are put up for public auction. Each unit has the potential to be a goldmine or
a bust for those who make their living hunting unclaimed property. The series offers viewers a rare look into the high stakes, financial risks and potential rewards
where the right purchase can bring in serious cash. ‘Auction Hunters’ is produced
by Gurney Productions.
ZDF Enterprises to bring Yakuza
documentary
Filming has begun on the one-hour documentary ‘The Last
Yakuza’ (1x52’ HD), the first documentary ever to feature
exclusive interviews with the underworld bosses of the
Yakuza, the most highly organized crime syndicate in the
world. After spending several years researching their topic,
the team members of the Wiesbaden production company
Sound & Vision finally won the trust of the bosses of various Yakuza clans, and gained unique access to them. The
worldwide distribution of this documentary will be handled
by ZDF Enterprises. Who are the Yakuza? Are they the
modern Robin Hoods of Japan? Or are they simply criminals? To learn the truth, the film
team plunged into the underworld of Tokyo, Kyoto and Fukuoka, where high-ranking clan
members gave surprisingly open interviews and insights into their lives. The viewer sees
how a Japanese ‘common man’ transforms himself into a Yakuza, and experiences what it
is like to have people bow and step aside for you on the sidewalk. The Yakuza may rule an
underworld of criminality, violence and corruption, but this world is also governed by strict
codes of conduct, loyalty, deep credos of honour and respect. Among the moments of this
programme are a frank conversation with the wife of a clan boss, who speaks openly about
being disowned by her family, a fraternization ceremony between a godfather and a longtime acquaintance, and a view from the ‘other’ side, the Yakuza’s business partners. ‘The
Last Yakuza’ will be broadcast around the world in 2011.
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The Foundation to make children’s action game
show for Al Jazeera
UK production outfit The Foundation has been commissioned by Al Jazeera Children’s
Channel (JCC) to produce the new 115-part x 30’ children’s action game show ‘The Buzzer’
(115x30’). The Foundation will be producing ‘The Buzzer’ (working title) out of Twofour54’s
Studios in Abu Dhabi and will go into production in January 2011 and air on JCC starting
September 2011. Filmed in an adventure-filled set ‘Buzzer City’, the new series is full of
exciting, mentally and physically challenging games and puzzles. Two teams of three go
head-to-head over four rounds to win their way to the final where they get the chance to win
big prizes if they hit the ‘Ultimate Buzzer’ at the top of the mighty ‘Tower’. The series will
be presented in Arabic and hosted by Saeed Sarhan, who co-hosted JCC’s most popular
children’s game show ‘Addarb’ (The Trail). Format rights for ‘The Buzzer’ are jointly owned
by Zodiak Rights and Al Jazeera Children’s Channel (JCC).
www.insidetv.info 11
Channel 4 wants
The Secret Supper
Club
UK broadcaster Channel 4 has
commissioned Boomerang
Plus to produce a new 10-part
daytime ‘pop up dining’ show
(10x30’), fronted by TV presenter
and wine expert Olly Smith
(Saturday Kitchen, Iron Chef UK).
‘The Secret Supper Club’ is a
brand new format which follows
Olly Smith around the country as
he stages a series of one-off dining events in stunning locations.
The series is set to air in February 2011, in a Saturday teatime
slot. In each episode, Olly is
joined by two challenge-hungry
local food producers who will
help him plan, prepare and serve
a secret supper for 10 mystery
guests in just two days. In each
episode of The Secret Supper
Club, Olly travels the country to
stage an adventurous supper in
a surprising setting. From a dramatic candlelit dinner in a ruined
castle, to freshly baked organic
bread in a traditional windmill, or
a spit roast in beautiful ancient
woodland, each location is bold
and atmospheric, inspiring a
theme for the meal. Along the
way Olly meets with local chefs
and food producers at an ‘edible audition’, where they bring
along their favourite foods of
the region, and chooses wine or
other drinks to bring the best out
of each course. As guests, Olly
wants to bring together all kinds
of people who represent the best
of the area. In a spirit of spontaneity and surprise they are all
invited at the last minute and
haven’t a clue what’s in store, or
where the dinner will be served.
Olly hopes to win them over with
an unforgettable communal
celebration of local food and the
place they live. And the mark of
his success comes after supper
when he will look for a guest to
accept a challenging but rewarding task – hosting a Secret Supper of their own.
Nine Network unveils 2011 slate
Australian Nine Network has unveiled its new and returning programming offer for
2011. Brand new shows include variety programme ‘Live From Planet Earth’ featuring comedian Ben Elton; ‘The Joy of Sets’ in which comedians Tony Martin and
Ed Kavalee give viewers their take on television;
and new mockumentary series ‘The Games:
London Calling’, which will air in the lead up to
the 2012 London Olympic Games. Also new will
be reality makeover show ‘Top Design’ which
will put Australians passionate about design
and renovation to the test to create a masterpiece. Also brand new are docu-series ‘AFP’,
following the Australian Federal Police; historical documentary series ‘In Their
Footsteps’; ‘Under Surveillance’; ‘The Politically Incorrect Parenting Show’; and
docu-series ‘Big’, which brings intimate stories about clinically obese and overweight people who seek to reinvent themselves
and regain their former selves with help from
doctors, dieticians and fitness experts. Nine
Network will air next year also the Australian
version of Endemol’s ‘Million Dollar Drop’ and
the brand new talent format ‘Dance Nation’,
a state by state dance contest. At the scripted
front the channel will bring 13-part ‘Underbelly:
Razor’, the fifth and final season of ‘Sea Patrol’ and 22-part ‘Rescue: Special
Ops’. Acquired shows include ‘Mike and Molly’, ‘Episodes’, ‘Mr. Sunshine’ and
‘Shit My Dad Says’. Returning programmes are ‘Two and a Half Men’, ‘The Big
bang Theory’, ‘Hot In Cleveland’, ‘Top Gear Australia’, ‘Top Gear’, ‘Millionaire
Hot Seat’, ‘The Block’, ‘The Farmer Wants A Wife’, ‘This Is Your Life’, ‘Australia’s
Funniest Home Videos’ and ‘Hot Property’. Returning acquired drama series are
‘The Mentalist’, the ‘CSI’ franchise, ‘Sherlock’ and ‘Harry’s Law’.
Fox Look gets Asian interest for Big Family Game
Night and Pictureka
Fox Look heads for the Asian Television Forum (ATF) in Singapore next week with
strong interest, particularly China, for several of its game shows, including ‘Big
Family Game Night’ and ‘Pictureka!’. The two live-action family game shows
recently launched in the US. ‘Big Family Game Night’ debuted in October on The
Hub, where it has already become the channel’s most-watched show. ‘Big Family
Game Night’ and ‘Pictureka!’ are the first two properties to benefit from an exclusive deal between Fox Look and Hasbro Studios, under which Fox Look is responsible for the international distribution of unscripted TV content based on Hasbro’s
world-class brands, which include Monopoly, Twister, Funglish, Catch Phrase,
Mousetrap and Trivial Pursuit. In addition to selling Fox Look’s feel-good formats,
the company is also looking for local partners to create additional synergies for its
properties. Fox Look also manages the sales of existing formats in the Twentieth
Century Fox library, including shows such as ‘Temptation Island’, ‘Beauty And The
Geek’, ‘Big Fat Obnoxious Fiancé’ and ‘Trading Spouses: Meet Your New Mommy’.
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BIG CBS Prime to air Bellator Fighting
Championship
BIG CBS Prime, the premium English GEC of BIG CBS
Networks, will launch on December 3 the Indian premiere
of Bellator Fighting Championship. The word Bellator is a
Latin word for Warrior and goes with the tag line ‘Where
Fighters become Warriors and Warriors become Legends’.
BIG CBS will introduce the Mixed Martial Arts show in India.
The two-hour episodes of matches, are first-of-its-kind mixed martial arts initiative, ushering a new phenomenon to fighting championship entertainment. On BIG
CBS, Bellator will introduce the championship in 12-week eight-man tournaments
in respective weight classes. Bellator’s television deal with RBNL will gives it just
the correct audience mix and exposure it needs to reach its relevant audiences in
India.
www.insidetv.info 12
The Call gets Italian
version, Food Chain
renewed by La7
Zodiak Rights received two new
commissions to be produced
by Neo Network and Magnolia
Italy, part of Zodiak Media Group
(ZMG). Zodiak-created format
‘The Call’ has received its first
commission by Italia 1 and will
be produced by Neo Network in
Milan. ‘The Call’ is a prime time
game show where contestants
must make a series of embarrassing and funny prank calls
in order to win prizes. The local
version of the show (3x120’) will
feature Teo Mammuccari, an Italian host and comedian, famous
for his unrivalled talent in prank
calls. ‘The Call – Who is afraid
of Teo Mammuccari?’ launches
this week in prime time on Italia
1. In addition, Magnolia Italy has
secured a re-commission from
Italian broadcaster La7 for 80
episodes of ‘Food Chain’, following the success of season one
(20 episodes), which received an
above average audience share
for the channel. The 45-minute
cookery game show, created
by ZMG production company
Lucky Day in the UK, features
two contestants competing in a
head-to-head cook-off challenge
for a cash prize. Contestants
must work their way up the ‘food
chain’ – a sequence of dishes
which get progressively trickier to
cook. Each dish in the food chain
will be worth an increasing sum
of money. As the dishes get more
complex, there’s more cash at
stake. Zodiak Rights holds worldwide rights for both formats.
Undercover Boss keeps on selling
Distributor All3Media International keeps on selling its factual
entertainment show ‘Undercover Boss’, produced by sister company Studio Lambert. The distributor has been selling the brand
in various guises; the Channel 4 commissioned UK version, the
CBS commissioned US version (produced by Studio Lambert
USA) and the show format. The distributor has reported that
over 175 individual territories have been licensed for the show in
some form – with 165 territories each having acquired Series 1 of the UK and US versions.
The format has been optioned in over 25 territories. Leading on from the format success,
a third version of the completed show will now be made available with ‘Undercover Boss
Australia’, which was commissioned by Network Ten and has been achieving 42 % share
of audiences this season. Six hours of this version will be made available via Series 1, and
a further series has been announced with details pending. In addition, local versions of
the show are on air in several territories: Denmark has already re-commissioned a second
series of the show; IDTV produced the Dutch version for Veronica, with a second series to
be expected; and options are in advanced stages in major territories including Germany and
France. Sales of the second series of the completed versions also continue – for example
sales for the second series of ‘Undercover Boss USA’, which premiered to 38.6 million viewers and averaged 17 million viewers in its second season for CBS, have been concluded
in countries such as Thailand (Cineplex), Ukraine (Spintrex), the Middle East (Middle East
Broadcasting), Slovenia (Pop TV), Brazil (Globosat), South Korea (MBC), Latin America (Fox)
and France and French-speaking Europe and Africa (AB Droits), and TV Norge (Norway) The
show will also play above China via Cathay Pacific in-flight. Originally developed by Studio
Lambert, ‘Undercover Boss’ sees bosses slipping anonymously into the lowest level jobs,
swapping spreadsheets and board meetings for late shifts and irate customers, to discover
what’s not working in the business and what their employees really think of them. In the
process, these senior executives learn about themselves, the perception of their company
and the spirit of their work force. They discover what needs fixing, who deserves praising
and who needs a wakeup call. It’s an experience that transforms the bosses and the people
who work for them.
Strong premiere for A&E’s Storage Wars
American cable channel A&E saw a strong premiere for its newest series ‘Storage Wars’, which
averaged two million viewers with back-to-back
episodes last Wednesday night. ‘Storage Wars’ is
now A&E’s most watched Real Life series launch of
2010. Each episode of the series follows a group of
bidders as they get a quick peek inside units, aided
only by the beam of a flashlight. They then must
assess on the spot if the unit is worth a bid and
how high they will actually go to grasp the gold. The
high-stakes fun begins as we see if the resulting buy is full of mostly trash or true
treasure. ‘Storage Wars’ is produced by Original Productions (FremantleMedia).
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The Successor gets Swedish version
The Swedish adaptation of ‘The Successor - The
next Uri Geller’ with mystifier Uri Geller is going to
air on Kanal 5 in spring 2011. The talent show will
be produced by Red Arrow Entertainment Group´s
new Nordic production company Snowman Productions, which is headed by Pontus Gårdinger. ‘The
Successor - The next Uri Geller’ was developed by
Keshet Broadcasting, Kuperman Productions & Uri
Geller and has been on air worldwide, including the
US (NBC), Canada (CTV), Iceland (365), Turkey (Star
TV), Greece (ANT 1) Hungary (TV 2), The Netherlands
(SBS 6) and all over Latin America (A&E). The talent
show premiered in 2007 internationally as ’Phenomenon’ on NBC. Originally, the format came from
Israel where the TV station Keshet earned an average market share of 50 percent with the search for Uri Geller´s successor in 2006
- the highest audience share of any TV show in the history of Israeli TV.
www.insidetv.info 13
FORMAT in the PICTURE
Channel 4 teams up
with Jamie Oliver
for Jamie’s Dream
School
UK broadcaster Channel 4 is again
teaming up with UK chef Jamie Oliver
for a show, this time entitled ‘Jamie’s
Dream School’. In the show 20 teenagers (16-18 years old) who have left
their school with few qualifications
will be taught history, art and politics
to get them back into school. Jamie
himself struggled academically at
school, partly because of his dyslexia,
leaving at 16. The kids, aged from will
be taught a range of subjects by an
array of experts in their fields, brought
together by Jamie and supervised
by an experienced head teacher.
The courses will be given by a raft of
celebrities including which will feature
barrister Cherie Blair, Alastair Campbell (politics), David Starkey (history),
Simon Callow (drama), Olympic gold
medallist Daley Thompson (sport),
poet Andrew Motion, artist Rolf Harris,
professor Robert Winston (science),
hip hop vocalist Tinchy Stryder and
Jazzie B (music). There will also be
substantial online content around the
programme, created in partnership
with YouTube, including a dedicated
YouTube channel with many full-length
videos of the teachers’ lessons as
well as shorter clips and other interactive elements. The seven-part series
(7x60’) will be made by Jamie Oliver’s
Fresh One Productions and will air in
early 2011.
Inside TV International
is a product from
FirstOpportunity BVBA,
Dreef 35 box 3,
9470 Denderleeuw,
Belgium
Editorial board:
Stand Out From The Crowd
This week’s Format in the Picture is ‘Stand
out from the Crowd’.
The show is described as ‘an ambush game
show’, which has members of the public
surprised by video ad hoardings that burst
into life and offer the chance to win prizes.
The concept is simple. In a public place, as
a railway station, a big screen is on a wall
in the central hall. The host waits until someone of the crowd does something, which
gives him or her the opportunity to participate in a Q&A quiz and win a big cash prize.
In the trailer the contestants will be the next one to buy yellow tulips from the flower
booth in the station hall. When two ladies buy the yellow tulips, the host appears on the
big screen and calls for them asking if they want to win 50 000 pounds. If they want to
participate they step onto a small stage to answer five questions.
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The participants are allowed the ask for help from other members from the crowd.
The questions are about general knowledge as for example ‘Who is the director of the
movie ‘Avatar’. Extra twists: all questions have to be answered in a certain period of
time. If the participant wins he gets his cash prize right away. The screen can appear
everywhere, even in a restaurant or a fitness centre.
‘Stand out from the Crowd’ was devised by Gogglebox Entertainment and is distributed
by 2wayTraffic/Sony Pictures TV International. In the UK a pilot was made with Noel
Edmonds as host.
The format has been commissioned in six countries: Italy, Portugal, Turkey, Colombia,
Lithuania and Moldova. In Italy, Sky Italia has ordered 65 episodes (65x30’) of the
format to air from mid December. In Portugal, RTP1 has commissioned six one-hour
episodes which are planned to launch in April next year. The Turkish broadcaster ATV,
has also commissioned the show. In Colombia, City TV has ordered 26 one-hour episodes to air in 2011. The Moldovan broadcaster, Prime TV, has ordered 13 episodes
while in Lithuania, ‘Stand Out From the Crowd’ has already aired on Lietuvos Rytas
TV. Additionally, options for the game show are in place in Denmark, Finland, Norway,
Sweden and Australia.
Kris Vanderhaegen
Chris Van Stiggelen
Contact us at
information@insidetv.info
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licensed by Pacinfo Vision
More information about
a subscription:
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Inside TV point of view: ‘Stand Out From The Crowd’ is an easy game,
with a lot of possibilities. As every member of the public can be a
participant it will be a surprise to everyone who’s chosen by the host.
Adaptable in every territory the game show might have an even more
brilliant future.
www.insidetv.info 14