Television

CANNES  —  The four-part drama “Litvinenko,” starring Scottish actor David Tennant, has sold to more than 80 international markets, ahead of its debut on the new ITV streaming service, ITVX in the U.K., and on Nent Group’s Viaplay streaming service in the Nordics, Netherlands, Poland and the Baltics. AMC Networks’ Sundance Now and AMC+ have acquired the

CANNES – REinvent International Sales has sold the refugee drama ‘Lost’ to AMC Networks for Spain and Portugal. The Scandi production-distribtion shingle is presenting the title to buyers at this week’s Mipcom TV market in Cannes. Created by Ulf Ryberg (“Headhunters,” “The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest”), the drama thriller tells the story of

Famed for its premium series, European production-distribution giant Studiocanal and Spanish partner Bambu Producciones (“Velvet,” “Cable Girls”) are now driving ever deeper into premium daily dramas, first with “Two Lives” and now with “The Vow,” which Studiocanal is bringing onto the market at Mipcom.  The show is produced by Studiocanal-owned Bambú Producciones, led by Ramón

CANNES — International TV sales veteran Jim Packer has set a multi-year deal with Lionsgate that will keep him on the senior management team as president of worldwide TV distribution. News of his contract extension was revealed Oct. 17, just as the Mipcom content marketplace kicks off this week in Cannes, bringing the global TV

The David Tennant-starring “Litvinenko” has sold into AMC+ and Sundance Now in the U.S., along with a host of other buyers in 80 international markets. The drama has pre-sold ahead of its debut on ITV’s forthcoming U.K. streaming service ITVX, which launches this fall, and NENT Group’s Viaplay streaming service in the Nordics, Netherlands, Poland

SPOILER ALERT: Do not read if you haven’t watched Episode 9 of “House of the Dragon,” titled “The Green Council.” King Viserys is dead, long live King Aegon! Season 1 of “House of the Dragon” barrels toward an explosive finale next Sunday, as the battle lines are further drawn between the greens and the blacks.

Taiwan-based development and production operation Organic Media is teaming up with Los Angeles-based sales agency and content aggregator Shoreline Entertainment in a strategic pact that sees Shoreline take responsibility for much of Organic’s sales function. The pairing will make its debut at this week’s MIPCOM TV rights market in Cannes. It will follow that with

Bravo has unveiled the brand-new cast of its rebooted “Real Housewives of New York City” franchise. Sai De Silva, Ubah Hassan, Erin Lichy, Jenna Lyons, Lizzy Savetsky, Jessel Taank and Brynn Whitfield will all be joining for Season 14. The news was revealed at a “Watch What Happens Live With Andy Cohen” taping on Sunday

Emily Blunt left her mark on Cannes, and not just with her acclaimed performances.  The actor, in town for the pre-Mipcom premiere of the first episode of her six-part series “The English,” also left a handprint in wet concrete, joining the likes of Jodie Foster, Meryl Streep or David Lynch. Blunt was joined on the

Limonero Films, an independent boutique distributor of factual programming and documentaries, is launching a selection of documentaries and factual entertainment series at the Mipcom TV market. The titles are “Women Behind the Wheel,” produced by Dartmouth Films in the U.K., the wildlife titles “Wild Icons of Iberia” and “Heroines of the Savannah,” both by Azor

Banijay Rights has pre-sold “Marie-Antoinette,” the eight-part period series, to PPS Distribution in the U.S. The series will have its North American premiere in the Spring. The deal marks the latest international deal for the show which is produced by Banijay Studios France, CAPA Drama and Les Gens. The series was commissioned by Canal +’s

Palestine’s Fresco Films has boarded Tamara Erde and Mathias Énard’s TV one-off “Breaking Bread,” with France’s Haut et Court Doc already locked as the main producer. Tony Copti will produce alongside Emma Lepers. Attempting to explore the Israeli-Palestinian conflict through food, “Breaking Bread” will try to answer one question: Does gastronomy separate us or bring

Waterside Studios has found its first project in the miniseries “The Last Wish of Sasha Cade.” Created by Jacqueline Pepall, currently at work on “Horrible Histories” for the BBC, it’s based on a novel by Cheyanne Young. Headed by Jeff Norton, who will produce, Waterside Studios is a new creative content venture from Canada’s Corus

Following the success of Emmy-nominated “Tindler Swindler,” director Felicity Morris is already at work on Netflix’s miniseries “All American Nightmare,” she said at Rome’s MIA. Morris, previously at Raw TV, started her own company Ladywell Films with “Tinder Swindler” producer Bernadette Higgins. “It felt like the right time to do my own thing,” she said.

Fremantle has acquired international distribution rights to “East Side,” the latest series from “Shtisel” producer Abot Hameiri, starring Yehuda Levi, a Series Mania 2022 best actor winner for “Fire Dance.” Taking 100% ownership of Abot Hameiri last year, Fremantle, which also co-financed the series, will bring “East Side” onto the  market at this next week’s Mipcom

Rodrigo Santoro – Hector in “Westworld,” Xerxes in “300”– leans forward in his chair during a Zoom interview almost touching the screen, such is his excitement. “It’s absolutely extraordinary, the accomplishment. What they did, what this man did. The mission seemed completely impossible.” Santoro is talking about Ferdinand Magellan, whom he plays in Prime Video’s

Jack Harlow will serve as the host and musical guest on the next episode of “Saturday Night Live,” set to air on Oct. 29. “SNL” announced the booking on this week’s episode, which also features another music star as both host and musical guest: Megan Thee Stallion. This marks the first time Harlow has hosted

“Saturday Night Live” opened its third episode of the season by taking on the Jan. 6 committee hearings, starring Kenan Thompson as United States Representative Bennie G. Thompson (D-MS). And the theme of the sketch was quite simple: No matter how bad the attempts to stage a coup and overthrow the nation were, there’s no accountability in this country… and

Season 3 of “The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City” has already started off with a bang, and its cast promises things won’t be slowing down anytime soon.  At BravoCon, stars Lisa Barlow, Meredith Marks, Whitney Rose and Heather Gay spoke with Variety about the season’s biggest drama so far and what fans can expect

Former “The Real Housewives of New York City” star Dorinda Medley is staying mum on whether she’s apart of Bravo’s mysterious “RHONY: Legacy” spinoff, but she’s open to the idea. “I swear to you, you know as much as we do. I promise you,” Medley told Variety at BravoCon. “I’ve heard more about the new

“RHONY” stars Sonja Morgan and Luann de Lesseps are trading New York City for small-town life in upcoming spinoff series “Luann and Sonja: Welcome to Crappie Lake.” Coming to Bravo in 2023, “Welcome to Crappie Lake” will follow the two socialites as they travel to the small town of Benton, Ill. According to the show’s

When it comes to kids and family, Disney still rules. Anybody doubting that just had to catch Disney Branded Television’s presentation of company’s buying needs, given by Rick Clodfelter at Saturday’s MipJunior. 100 or so execs sat listening to him. Far more delegates packed out the little standing space at the JW Marriott’s Salon Suquet in

“Artemis Fowl” writer Eoin Colfer’s first live action original project was amongst news announced during this year’s MipJunior Keynote from BBC Studios’ Kids & Family head Cecilia Persson. With over 25 million copies of the “Artemis Fowl” series sold, the author’s new project is being written in collaboration with screenwriter Viko Nikci.  The idea “combines

In what is being hailed as a milestone, Egyptian director Mohamed Diab recently became the first Arab helmer to direct a Marvel project when he took the reins of the limited series “Moon Knight,” while Netflix launched its latest Arab original show, “Finding Ola,” toplining Cairo-based Tunisian star Hend Sabry. Sabry plays a happy divorcee

The 30th MipJunior, the international kids content market, opened Saturday with the presentation Binge Watching Session: Kids Audience Successes Around the Globe. Presented by industry analyst Avril Blondelot, the head of content insight Paris-based Global Audience & Content Evolution (Glance), the colorful overview presented the latest hits for kids and tipped off the audience on

Ahead of next week’s Mipcom, Banijay has acquired global rights to Argentine celebrity competition series “The Hotel,”  continuing its hugely successful relationship with Diego Guebel’s high-flying Boxfish in Argentina.  Produced by  Boxfish for Canal 13, one of Argentina’s biggest free-to-air channels, “The Hotel” (“El Hotel”) sees 16 celebrity contestants shut themselves away for four months

SPOILER ALERT: Do not read if you haven’t watched the season finale of “She-Hulk: Attorney at Law,” now streaming on Disney+. Throughout “She-Hulk: Attorney at Law,” Jennifer Walters, aka She-Hulk (Tatiana Maslany), repeatedly breaks the fourth wall by not only directly addressing the camera, but acknowledging that she exists in a Marvel Studios superhero TV

Despite the fact that Apple TV+ series “Bad Sisters” follows four of the Garvey sisters as they spend almost ten episodes trying to kill a (somewhat) innocent man, Eva, Bibi, Ursula and Becka have captured viewers’ imaginations. Despite debuting without much fanfare, the Ireland-based adaptation of Belgian limited series “Clan” has become something of a

Assemble Media, a literary incubator which concurrently develops its book projects for film and TV adaptation, has sold five new titles to major publishers. Founded by by director and producer Jack Heller, the round of sales includes “Eat Post Like” (to Avon, division of HarperCollins), “Promposal” (to Joy Revolution, an imprint of Delacorte at Penguin Random

The biggest drama on “The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills” this season actually happened off-camera, when Kathy Hilton had a so-called meltdown during the girls’ Aspen trip at the end of the season.  After Lisa Rinna accompanied her home from a club, she claimed that Hilton had excoriated all the cast members, making especially hurtful