There are quite a few series with American themes coming to Mipcom this year, but despite region or sentiment-specific stories, sellers feel strongly that there won’t be a barrier to entry for viewers in other countries. “There’s a global audience in attendance and it’s an opportunity to take a high-profile project from Showtime and continue
Television
While this year’s Mipcom theme, the Big Shift, refers to a rapidly changing media landscape, there is another cultural shift being highlighted at the content market, in an area where a dramatic switch is not so much a fear as a necessity: diversity and inclusion. These have long been topics of discussion at auxiliary Mipcom
A mysterious death at an elite boarding school sets off a frantic search for answers, revealing shocking truths about the past and forcing untold secrets to the surface. That’s just the beginning of a string of events that will reverberate far beyond the school’s walls in “The Girl from St. Agnes.” The 8 x 52’
“The Red Harlequin,” the best-selling Italian young adult fantasy series, is leaping from the page to the screen, with series creator Roberto Ricci planning a TV adaptation as he begins to develop the IP across platforms. Ricci’s Pantomimus Media will be presenting the story bible and pilot script at Mipcom and MIA, where it was
October 10, 2018 4:46AM PT Eduardo Zulueta has been upped to president, AMC Networks International, and will step into the newly-created role in Nov. Zulueta currently oversees the AMCNI business in Latin America and Southern Europe. He will continue to report to Ed Carroll, COO, AMC Networks. Internationally, the AMC business includes the AMC and
October 10, 2018 2:24AM PT Desiree Akhavan can be seen as Leila, a New Yorker in London trying to get to grips with her sexuality and life in the English capital, in a new extended trailer for “The Bisexual.” Akhavan directed and stars in the comedy, which bows on Channel 4 in the U.K. on
Oscar-winner Helen Hunt has joined “World on Fire,” the upcoming World War II drama for the BBC. She takes a lead role alongside Lesley Manville (“Phantom Thread”) in the drama from Peter Bowker (“The A Word”). ITV-backed production company Mammoth Screen is producing. The seven-part series tells the story of the first year of the
October 9, 2018 5:00PM PT The planned “Kung Fu” reboot at Fox is doing some retooling. The project, which was set up as a put pilot at Fox last year, has brought on Albert Kim as the writer and executive producer, taking over for Wendy Mericle. As before, Greg Berlanti and Sarah Schechter will executive produce
In today’s TV News Roundup, Discovery announces upcoming limited series “Deep Planet,” and Epix has greenlit “The Panama Papers.” GREENLIGHTS Documenting the deepest ocean dives ever before attempted, Discovery has announced “Deep Planet,” a multi-platform limited series event slated to debut in 2019. A collaboration between explorer Victor Vescovo, Triton Submarines and EYOS Expeditions, the
The 2018 American Music Awards broadcasts live from the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles on ABC Tuesday, Oct. 9 at 8 p.m. ET/PT. There are several ways to watch, even if you’re not near a computer. On a smartphone or tablet, you can stream the AMAs live on the ABC app, but you’ll need a cable
Barack and Michelle Obama’s Netflix production deal may see the former first couple become the streaming service’s next stars. “I hope so,” said Netflix chief content officer Ted Sarandos when asked whether the Obamas would appear on camera in any of the projects they’re developing for the streaming giant. The Obamas in May signed a
Hayma Washington has decided to step down as chairman and CEO of the Television Academy, Variety has learned exclusively. Washington tells Variety he decided not to seek a second term so that he can focus on his producing work as well as his efforts to promote diversity and inclusion. “As I looked back at what
NBC has given a put pilot commitment to a comedy project that hails from Kal Penn and Matt Murray, Variety has learned. Murray and Penn are both writers and executive producers on the untitled single-camera project, with Penn also attached to star. It follows disgraced New York City Councilman and former baseball wunderkind Garrett Shah (Penn),
October 9, 2018 12:57PM PT New Fox is beginning to take shape. On Tuesday, Fox announced the appointment of three veteran execs to leadership roles in the company that will be left standing after the Walt Disney Co.’s acquisition of its film and television-studio operations closes. Rita Tuzon was named exec VP and corporate general
Ahead of the rollout of their new fall shows, The CW announced that it has ordered new seasons of its summer slate. “Whose Line Is It Anyway?,” “Penn & Teller: Fool Us,” and “Masters of Illusion” have all been picked up for new seasons. Hosted by comedian Aisha Tyler, “Whose Line” features cast members Ryan
The Foxes are raiding the Mouse House.. The Walt Disney Co. on Monday announced that the two longtime Fox executives will come aboard to head the media giant’s entertainment-television operations — Rice as chairman of Walt Disney Television, and Walden as his top lieutenant overseeing ABC, Freeform, and most of the new company’s studio units.
October 9, 2018 10:00AM PT TNT has ordered the unscripted series “M.D. LIve,” which aims to tap into the online phenomenon of crowdsourced medical diagnoses. “M.D. Live” will air in a two-hour weekly format with episodes featuring a mix of patient testimonials, live remotes and in-studio discussion among medical professionals of cutting-edge health and wellness
“Mr. Inbetween” has scored an order for a second season at FX and Foxtel, Australia’s leading cable network. The series stars Scott Ryan as Ray Shoesmith, a father, ex-husband, boyfriend and best friend: tough roles to juggle in the modern age. Even harder when you’re a criminal for hire. The six-episode season, written by Ryan and
October 9, 2018 9:00AM PT Tyler Perry is set to keynote a daylong career event aimed at students and young adults to presented by NATPE, the NAACP and National Hispanic Foundation for the Arts on the Martin Luther King Jr. Day holiday. “Living the Dream: A Career in Content” will be held Jan. 21 at
“All American” may be based on the life of former NFL linebacker Spencer Paysinger, but the drama in the show extends well beyond what happens on the field. Show creator April Blair previously told Variety that the CW drama would be diving into issues of race, class and sexuality for the series about a high school
“Criminal Minds” executive producer Erica Messer went to the show’s set Oct. 2 to address the crew. But the occasion was not, as she had hoped, to announce that CBS had ordered additional episodes for the series’ 13th season. It was to inform crew members that at 4 p.m. Variety would publish a story about “Criminal Minds”
Comcast said Tuesday that it now owns more than 75% of Sky having acquired shares and closed a deal for Fox’s 39.1% stake in the pay-TV giant. The process of delisting Sky from the London Stock Exchange will now get underway and is set to be completed by Nov. 7. “We are pleased today to
October 9, 2018 4:59AM PT After two previous delays, CBS Corp. has set December 11 for the company’s annual meeting, a potential hint that the corporation feels investigations into its corporate culture and behavior under former CEO Leslie Moonves may near their end by that time. CBS announced the new date for the meeting Tuesday
Bron Ventures has bought into Epic Story Media, the content firm set up by former DHX Media exec and kids TV veteran Ken Faier. He set up Epic Story last year to work up new kids programming and franchises. Bron, which has backed films including “The Front Runner,” “Fences,” and “Tully,” has taken a minority
Frank Spotnitz’s Big Light Productions, whose credits include “Medici: Masters of Florence,” “Ransom” and Emmy winning “The Man in the High Castle,” has named Oliver Lang as chief operating officer. Based at the company’s London headquarters, Lang will oversee its operations, strategic partnerships and financing for drama projects. Writer-showrunner Spotnitz, who credits include “The X-Files,”
October 8, 2018 11:59PM PT “The Rookie” will be the new kid on the TV block on a host of free and pay channels around the world after eOne sold the upcoming cop procedural to numerous international buyers. The series bows on ABC in the U.S. and CTV in Canada on Oct. 16. It stars
Spoiler alert: Do not read until you’ve watched the final episode of season four of “Better Call Saul,” titled “Winner.” “It’s all good, man.” With those four words, the transformation of Jimmy McGill (Bob Odenkirk) into Saul Goodman was finally complete. Jubilant over getting his law license back, Jimmy celebrated by asking the clerk for
Actress Busy Philipps doesn’t mince her words when it comes to describing her former co-star James Franco’s behavior while they filmed the 1999 TV series “Freaks and Geeks.” She says Franco was a “f—ing” bully on set and once shoved her to the ground. In an excerpt from Philipps’ upcoming memoir, “This Will Only Hurt a
Just ahead of the CW kicking off its fall season, the network has announced additional script orders for all three of its new fall shows. “All American” and “Charmed” have received the order for five additional scripts, while “Legacies” has received the order for three. This brings “All American” and “Charmed” up to 18 scripts
Disney is about to become the undisputed titan of TV series production once the media giant completes its buyout of 21st Century Fox assets. The question of how all of that activity will be strategically deployed under the Disney umbrella remains unclear even after Monday’s formal announcement of the management hierarchy for TV led by