Bear Grylls, the face of survival and outdoor adventure television, and his longtime producing partner, Delbert Shoopman, have teamed with leading global production and distribution powerhouse Banijay Group to launch production company The Natural Studios, which will produce both non-scripted and scripted adventure content. The new company’s slate includes Emmy-nominated “Hostile Planet” (Nat Geo), “Eco-Challenge”
Television
When Netflix bowed in France in late 2004, industry insiders predicted the U.S. streaming service would struggle to get access to local producers, talent and ultimately content, because of pre-existing relationships with French TV networks and the pay TV group Canal Plus. Five years later, Netflix is about to launch a fully staffed office in
Stephen Moore, best known for his roles as the paranoid android Marvin in “The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy” radio series and the Silurian Eldane in “Doctor Who,” has died. He was 81. “The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy” producer Dirk Maggs confirmed Moore’s death Sturday on Twitter, writing, “Our dear friend Stephen Moore has
October 13, 2019 3:01PM PT Fremantle is partnering with Hulu to bring the UK drama “Baghdad Central” to the United States, Fremantle announced Monday. The latest in Hulu’s growing slate of international content, “Baghdad Central” will launch on Channel 4 in the United Kingdom and stream on Hulu in 2020. Based on the novel by
Global production and distribution giant Endemol Shine is to duet with leading Chinese producer and broadcaster Hunan TV on primetime entertainment format “Sing or Spin,” which has an innovative spin: a revolving stage that lets singers know how well they are scoring. The show has been co-developed by Endemol Shine China and Hunan TV as
You can’t make a Tomelette without breaking some Greggs, and you can’t get through an episode of ‘Succession’ without a few rounds of riffing, at least according to Nicholas Braun (who plays Greg Hirsch) and Matthew Macfadyen (who portrays Tom Wamsgans). “We basically improv in probably every scene to some capacity,” says Braun. Though the
“Sky Blue Academy,” an animated series set inside the training academy of reigning English Premier League champions Manchester City, is in the works, Variety has learned. The Pep Guardiola-managed team has enjoyed numerous successes in recent years and broken into world soccer’s elite, becoming a global brand in the process. The show will follow a
October 13, 2019 2:55AM PT The Netherlands-based company Dutch Features has acquired a pair of action-packed series, “Rogue Justice” and “The Columnist,” in the run up to Mipcom. “Rogue Justice,” produced by leading Dutch company Pupkin Film, is mainly set on the tropical island of Bonaire and revolves around two elite cops Willem (Dennis van
Paul Rudd is such a naturally ebullient actor that it can be startling to see him ground down. A gifted physical performer who, at 50, looks so youthful that his appearance tends to precede all other attributes when he’s discussed, Rudd also still has the verve and energy of a rising star — a quality
October 12, 2019 11:56PM PT SAG-AFTRA has signed a cooperative agreement that could include joint bargaining with the Asociación Nacional de Actores (ANDA), the labor union that represents performers in Mexico. The pact was announced Saturday during the third day of the SAG-AFTRA biannual convention at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills, Ca. The
CANNES — AGC Television, the TV production-distribution division of Stuart Ford’s still fast expanding independent content studio AGC Studios, has landed worldwide rights to another high-profile doc-series which it describes as “probing” and “explosive”: Oliver Stone’s “JFK: Destiny Betrayed.” The acquisition was announced early Monday by AGC Television president Lourdes Diaz. The acquisition continues AGC
CANNES — Marco Frazier, former AMC Networks SVP of international distribution for digital & new platforms, has joined U.K.-based entertainment company Pantomimus Media as head of corporate development Frazier will work directly with Pantomimus managing director Roberto Ricci to expand epic fantasy drama “The Red Harlequin” franchise across multiple platforms worldwide. Doing so, he will
A drill-down on high profile Latin American titles at Mipcom: “Amarres” Early fruit of Turner Latin America’s production alliance with Mexico’s Dopamine, a romantic drama about a woman entangled in a world of love magic and custody battles. Bows 1Q 2020. S: Turner Latin America. “Argentina, Land of Passion and Revenge” Pol-ka long-format big canvas smash primetime
CANNES — If Germany’s ProSiebenSat1 and Discovery had launched Joyn, their new streaming service, 10 years ago, they might have chosen as their first production a big action series, set in Germany, but with U.S. stars. This September, in a sign of new times, the partners announced that their first original drama series commission is “Dignity,”
As Mipcom kicks off, Variety looks back at just a few very recent stories you – and Variety – may have missed in the buildup to the world’s biggest TV market. The BBC picks up a trio of Nordic series, Netflix backs its first Original in Iceland, exciting startup Toon2Tango announces its first IP, African animation makes a impact
October 12, 2019 10:07PM PT India’s Amara Raja Group is getting into TV. It is launching a new content division with thriller series “Curse of the Kohinoor,” which will be directed by Colin Teague, whose credits include “Dr Who” and its spin-off “Torchwood.” Amara Raja is an India-based industrial corporation that works across sectors including
October 12, 2019 10:01PM PT Ultra high definition and 4K broadcaster, producer, and distributor Insight TV is expanding its program-making activities into the U.S. for the first time. Insight makes content for its own channels and licenses that internationally, and will now start producing out of the U.S., with an eye on millennial viewers. Natalie
October 12, 2019 4:41PM PT SAG-AFTRA has honored President Gabrielle Catereis, Executive Vice President Rebecca Damon and Chief Operating Officer Duncan Crabtree-Ireland with George Heller Memorial Award gold cards. The award is presented every two years at convention and bestowed based on contributions and years of service to SAG-AFTRA or its predecessor unions. Recipients are
Lauren Faust, the executive producer of Warner Bros. Animation’s rebooted “DC Super Hero Girls,” is on a mission: to right the wrongs committed by past series for girls. “Too many shows for girls are less about inspiring them, less about entertaining them, less about reflecting their experiences back to them, and too often almost come
After its acquisition by RAI for primetime in Italy, the North American series “Hudson & Rex,” starring John Reardon, has struck further major territory deals in Europe, including sales to Germany and France, distributor Beta Film revealed Saturday as content market Mipcom prepared to roll. The show has been acquired by TNT Serie in Germany,
Journalists from across the TV-news sector will miss Shepard Smith at Fox News. The bean counters at the cable-news outlet’s parent, Fox Corp., will not. Smith sent media circles teetering off their centers Friday by announcing in the final minutes of his mid-afternoon show that he was leaving the network as soon as he finished
“Money Heist” is the most-watched non-English series in Netflix history. “The Plague” played on the BBC. “Side Games” was a big hit for DirecTV Latin America. Success can take many shapes. Mexico, Argentina, Colombia and Chile figure as the regular top markets for Spanish TV fiction, though now, standout performances have extended across the U.S.
The explosion of global streaming services has prompted a golden age of Spanish drama series. Led by new seasons of Netflix phenomena “La casa de papel” (“Money Heist”) and “Elite,” global demand for the top 20 Spanish-produced TV fiction titles grew 30.2% this year compared to 2018, according to Parrot Analytics. “The quality of Spanish
New streaming services are coming to Latin America, and with them come both huge opportunities and huge competition. Apple TV Plus launches in Latin America on Nov. 1; HBO Max sometime around or after spring 2020; and Disney Plus in October 2020. “There won’t be money in the world for platforms to 100% finance all
CANNES — Sao Paulo-based Boutique Filmes, which burst onto the international scene producing Netflix’s first big international hit, “3%,”is bringing to Mipcom a powerful slate of five new series projects. Boutique’s Mipcom slate packs significant industry news. Wild Bunch TV, for example, has boarded “Gama,” one of the top new titles. John Brownlow (“The Miniaturist,”
PBS Masterpiece has boarded the remake of classic European detective series “Van der Valk” and will co-produce and air the show in the U.S. Masterpiece’s Rebecca Eaton will exec produce the project. It is the latest in a healthy line of U.K.-originated drama that Masterpiece has boarded since becoming the U.S. home for British-made hits
Jetpack Distribution has snagged the rights to “Master Moley” and will sell the animated series internationally. There is both a one-off “Master Moley” special and an accompanying series. The special has a standout voice cast including Warwick Davis (“Harry Potter”), who will also executive produce. Signature Entertainment is selling the special and handling U.K. distribution,
October 11, 2019 7:20PM PT SAG-AFTRA has slammed President Donald Trump — without mentioning him by name — for his extensive attacks on the news media. The union’s resolution included one of Trump’s catch-phrases, “enemy of the people,” which the president has used repeatedly to describe the media. Trump is a member of the union.
October 11, 2019 6:14PM PT SAG-AFTRA convention delegates have narrowly re-elected Rebecca Damon to a two-year term as executive vice president of the performers union over David Jolliffe. The margin was five votes in an election that took place Friday on the second day of the biennial SAG-AFTRA National Convention at the Beverly Hilton Hotel
SPOILER ALERT: Do not read if you have not yet watched “Louis T. Steinhil (No. 27): Conclusion,” the second episode of the seventh season of “The Blacklist.” Mommie Dearest is officially back in the picture. The second installment of “The Blacklist’s” two-part season opener, “Louis T. Steinhil (No. 27): Conclusion,” was rife with cliffhangers and