Inside TV International 225 October 9 - October 15 2009

INTERNATIONALIMG Media to sell Tiger Aspect and Darlow Smithson - p. 2NATPE moves to Miami - p. 2

fICTIONBBC One revives Up-stairs Downstairs - p. 3Stargate Universe gets strong worldwide launch - p. 4The CW announces new fiction projects - p. 5

KIDSMoonscoop pre-sells new animated series to france and Australia - p. 7

CBC takes Pirates! - p. 7

fORMATSThe Marriage Ref also to Latin America - p. 8UK channel Wedding TV brings new programmes - p. 9German channel im-proves restaurants - p. 9

Back to the future He’s a Lady - p. 12

INT E R N A T I O N A L

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Banijay acquires NordiskFrench company Banijay Enter-tainment has acquired Nordisk Film TV, the television produc-tion division of Nordisk Film, owned by multinational media group Egmont. Nordisk Film TV is currently one of Northern Europe’s largest inde-pendent television production companies. It generates a consolidated turnover of more than 50 million Euro and produces about 1 500 hours of television content a year. (cont. page 2)

Dutch neighbour show goes worldwide ‘Achter de Voordeur’ (Behind the Front Door), the format from Dutch public broadcast-er NCRV, is a worldwide suc-cess after the broadcaster sold the format last MIPCOM to a raft of countries. The show will get a local version in at least eight countries, including Australia, France, Spain, Italy, Poland, Den-mark, Norway and Sweden. In the programme neigh-bours get to know each other.(cont. page 9)

CBBC commissions raft of new programmesUK channel CBBC commissioned a raft of new pro-grammes opening British children’s minds as it takes them on a global journey from the wild game reserves in South Africa to the wonder of Japan in the East. In ‘Hai! Karate – Journey To Japan’ five children from across the UK pair up with one of their parents to embark on a journey to Japan, the home of karate. Each child wants to change something about their relationship with their parent, so can this experience make a difference? With the group training under a grandmaster who teaches them the key principles of karate – focus, skill, commit-ment and respect – they have just three weeks of inten-sive training to get a belt grading and earn the right to perform at the World Karate Championships in Okinawa.(cont. page 11)

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Banijay acquires NordiskFrench company Banijay Entertainment has acquired Nordisk Film TV, the television production division of Nordisk Film, owned by multina-tional media group Egmont. Nordisk Film TV is currently one of North-ern Europe’s largest independent television production companies. It generates a consolidated turnover of more than 50 million Euro and produces about 1 500 hours of television content a year, creating and producing programming within the genres of entertainment, serial drama, factual and reality. International formats produced by Nordisk include among others ‘Who wants to be a Millionaire’, ‘Wipeout’, ‘Sing-ing Bee’ and ‘Farmer wants a Wife’. Own devised shows created by Nordisk include among others hits like ‘71 degrees North’, ‘My Big Fat Parents’ and ‘2900 Happiness’. The deal also includes the company’s international distribution arm, Nordisk Film TV World, distributor of formats and finished programming from the Nordic region and other parts of the world, Nordisk Film TV World sells its own devised properties as well as those created by third party partners, to more than 57 countries worldwide. As part of the Banijay group, Jacob Houlind and Peter Hansen will continue to man-age and develop the company on its core business area under its current brand name Nordisk Film TV. The deal also includes part-owned subsidiaries Respirator Media & Development (Denmark) as well as Solar Television (Finland). Banijay is active today in France (Air Prod, ALJ, Depeche Prod, Jesprod), Spain (Cuarzo), Russia (Intelegencia), Germany (Brainpool) and the United States (Angel City Factory). Banijay Entertainment’s lead shareholder is Lov Group, the fam-ily holding company of Stéphane Courbit, alongside Groupe Arnault, Ifil, DEA Capital and AMS Industries. Last week the company also acquired UK company Zig Zag Productions.

IMG Media to sell Tiger Aspect and Darlow Smithson International production and distribution company IMG Media wants to sell its UK outfits Tiger Aspect and Darlow Smithson. IMG has hired investment bank The Raine Group to examine the sale options for both outfits. Tiger Aspect Productions is known for its drama, entertainment and factual offer, including programmes as ‘Robin Hood’, ‘Secret Diary of a Call Girl’, ‘Benidorm’ and animated children’s series ‘Charlie & Lola’. Darlow Smithson Productions is special-ized in documentaries and docu-drama, including ‘The Diary of Anne Frank’, ‘9/11: Phone Calls from the Towers’ and ‘Kamikaze’.

CBS Studios launches German office CBS Studios International has launched a new European office in Germany. The office in Munich will be led by Oliver Kreuter, a former Bavaria Media Television executive. Kreuter is tasked with driving the studio’s programming and format sales in German-speaking European territories on all media platforms. CBS Studios International Germany is the 11th office worldwide.

NATPE moves to Miami The National Association of Television Programming Executives (NATPE) has announced NATPE 2011 will be held in Miami Beach at the Fontainebleau Hotel. NATPE’s President and CEO Rick Feldman explained the move has been made on a number of levels. ‘Miami Beach is easily accessible to our attendees from the US, Europe and Latin America and the entire hotel with its new ocean view suites and a floor marketplace will be ours alone. NATPE will be under one roof in an environment that will provide unlimited possibilities for business being done in a most efficient and enjoy-able manner,’ said Feldman. At the 2010 Market & Conference, the association is initiating the NATPE Navigator, a breakthrough networking experience that enables buyers, sellers and producers to identify and connect with potential business partners through customized itinerary and session agendas tailored to their specific goals. The Navigator will provide personally arranged, structured introductions to targeted business partners, moderated advanced round-robins and professionals-only pitch sessions along with invitation-only events for advanced networking and socializing with professionals. Also new for 2010, NATPE is offering exhibitors a free customized email campaign to target customers and prospects with product and service information and an offer for a substantial discount on the Market & Conference registration fee. NATPE is a global non-profit organization dedicated to the creation, development and distribution of televised programming in all forms, across all mature and emerging media platforms. NATPE 2010 takes place at the Mandalay Bay Resort, Las Vegas, January 25-27 2010. (www.natpe.org).

BBC Two commissions new sitcom BBC Two has commissioned a new sitcom for 2010. Simon Amstell is to make his writing and acting debut for ‘Grand-ma’s House’, a six-part 30-minute series (6x30’) from Tiger Aspect which will be filmed in February and will be trans-mitted later in 2010. Inspired by Simon Amstell’s own life, each episode is about his family at his Grandma’s House in Essex. Simon will be joined by an ensemble cast including Linda Bassett (East Is East, Larkrise To Candleford, Sense And Sensibility) as Grandma, Geoffrey Hutchings (Benidorm, Sunshine) as Grandpa, Rebecca Front (Nighty Night, The Day Today) as Mum and Nicola Walker (Spooks, People Like Us) as Auntie Liz.

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CBS green lights two new comedy projects American broadcaster CBS has green lighted two new comedy projects. Both shows, who received a script commitment, come from Chernin Entertainment and will be produced via 20th Century Fox TV. The first project is about an unlikely office friendship between a thirty-something, who thinks his career has frozen, and a 22-year-old who works in the same office. The other project revolves around a group of blue-collar workers at a megastore.

No more Kingdom for ITVBritish broadcaster ITV has dropped its drama series ‘Kingdom’. The news was revealed by actor Stephen Fry on his blog ‘The New Adventures of Mr. Stephen Fry’. The series follows Peter Kingdom, a small-town solicitor whose work revolves around cases brought by the eclectic and eccentric populace of Market Shipborough. The series retains a largely episodic format, where self-contained plots play out before the hour concludes, though a continuing storyline concerns the mysterious disappearance of Simon Kingdom, Pe-ter’s brother. The first episode reveals that he vanished at sea six months previously and that everybody who knew him (including Peter) assumed that he committed suicide. Each week there are further indications that he did not die, culminating in episode six when it is revealed that he had a relationship with a woman, and that she had become pregnant with his child after he had suppos-edly died. ITV aired 18 episodes of the series. The series ended last summer with 5.14 million viewers.FlashForward gets full

seasonAmerican broadcaster ABC has picked up its new drama series ‘FlashForward’ for a full 22-part season. ‘flashforward’ premiered on ABC on September 24 and became the strongest performing show in its 8-9 pm timeslot, with an 11% margin over its nearest competitor. The drama examines the impact on humanity of an unexplained event which causes every living person to black out at precisely the same mo-ment only to see a glimpse of their own future in six months time. The thirteen-episode series, adapted from a novel by writer Robert J. Sawyer, follows an ensemble cast of characters through the aftermath of this experience as each strug-gle to make sense of the futures they have seen and decide whether to embrace their destiny or try and alter it. ‘FlashForward’ stars Joseph Fiennes, Jack Davenport, Dominic Monaghan and Sonya Walger, as well as John Cho, Court-ney B. Vance, Brian O’Byrne, Christine Woods, Zachary Knighton and Peyton List. The series has been sold by distributor Disney-ABC-ESPN Television in over one hundred territories. Last week ABC also ordered full seasons of its new comedy series ‘The Middle’, ‘Modern Family’ and ‘Cougar Town’.

BBC One revives Upstairs DownstairsThe legendary TV series ‘Upstairs Downstairs’ is to be brought back to life by the BBC. Award-winning Heidi Thomas (Cranford, Madame Bovary, Ballet Shoes) is writing two new feature length scripts for transmission on BBC One in 2010. The new episodes are set in 1936 in the same iconic house 165 Eaton Place in London’s Belgravia. Jean Marsh will reprise her role of Rose, the parlour maid, returning to the house as housekeeper to its new residents, the wealthy and well-connected Holland family. Heidi Thomas will create a new role for Dame Eileen Atkins. Viewers will rejoin the world of ‘Upstairs Downstairs’ in the years leading up to the Second World War. Times are changing and servants are no longer cheap and obedient; Rose soon finds she has her work cut out. Meanwhile, in the wider world, Edward VIII has ascended the throne, fascism is on the rise, and Europe is inching towards ca-tastrophe. Originally co-created by Jean Marsh, Dame Eileen Atkins and Sagitta Productions, ‘Upstairs Downstairs’ became one of the most-loved and enduring TV shows of all time. It won countless awards, including seven Emmys, two BAFTAs and a Golden Globe. It has been shown in more than 70 countries worldwide, to an au-dience of over one billion. Filming of the series begins next spring and full casting will be announced next year.

A&E signs for drama pilotAmerican cable channel A&E has green lighted a new drama pilot. ‘The Quickening’, made by Fox TV Studios, revolves around a female homicide detective who has been assigned to do a desk job when it is discovered that she suffers from a bipolar disorder. The series focuses on her job as detective, in which she is brilliant as a result of her illness, but also her private life, which is a hell because of her disorder. The series is written by Jennifer Salt (Nip/Tuck, Sins of the Cities). The leading role in the pilot will be played by Radha Mitchell (Neighbours, Blue Heelers).

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ABC goes for Matthew Perry comedySony Pictures TV is for American broadcaster ABC working on a new comedy project which will be co-written and executive produced by ‘Friends’ actor Matthew Perry. The –still unti-tled- project is about a self-involved manager of a second-rate sports arena who begins to evaluate his life on his 40th birthday. Perry will play the leading role of the comedy show and will co-write it with Marc Firek (‘Til Death, Out of Practice, Family Guy). There’s not yet a network linked to the project.

Stargate Universe gets strong worldwide launchMGM’s hour-long, science-fiction series ‘Stargate Universe’ (SGU) is on the fast track to becoming the most successful installment in the ‘Stargate’ franchise history. Reporting strong debuts in the US, the UK, Canada and Australia, ‘SGU’ is attracting especially a large number of younger viewers. ‘SGU’ debuted in the US on cable channel Syfy to the best fran-chise premiere performance in four years, drawing more than 2.3 million viewers. The series grabbed 2.35 million total viewers with 1.32 million Adults 25-54, and 1.12 million Adults 18-49 during its two-hour debut. In Canada, the series premiered on SPACE with a record breaking audience of 565 000 making it SPACE’s highest rated single episode ever. ‘SGU’ was the #1 non-sports specialty program of the day for Adults 25-54 and A18-49. SPACE is the Ca-nadian English language cable television specialty channel owned and operated by CTVglobemedia. Launching on Sky1 in the UK, ‘SGU’ delivered 1 042 000 viewers for episode one and 961 000 for episode two, earning the series the biggest ‘Stargate’ audience in almost five years. And in Australia the show was the best per-forming series on the Sci-Fi pay television platform, posting a 6.4% share. The performance represented an increase of 411% in the time slot (Fridays 08.30 to 10.30 PM) versus the previous program-ming of the last four weeks. ‘SGU’ represents the next frontier for the Stargate franchise. The series is decidedly smarter, edgier and more youthful in tone and takes the franchise into a dynamic new direction. The dramatic series is fueled with complex plot twists, suspenseful cliffhangers and a cast that includes Robert Carlyle (The Full Monty, Trainspotting, 28 Weeks Later), Lou Diamond Phillips (Che, La Bamba) and Ming-Na (ER, Vanished). Based on the 1994 feature film ‘Stargate’, MGM’s sci-fi franchise was born in 1997 when ‘Stargate SG-1’ (SG-1) made its television premiere on Showtime. After five seasons, the series moved to the Sci-Fi Channel where the award-winning drama ran until 2007. With 10 seasons and 214 episodes, SG-1 surpassed ‘The X-Files’ in 2007 as the longest-running North American science fiction series on television. The next chapter in the Stargate franchise, ‘Stargate Atlantis’, premiered on the Sci-Fi Channel and The Movie Network in 2004. With five seasons and 100 episodes under its belt; the series ended its successful run in January 2009.

Australian channel adapts novel The SlapAustralian channel ABC TV is going to adapt ‘The Slap’, the novel from Australian author Christos Tsiolkas. The broadcaster has green lighted production company Matchbox Pictures to make an eight-part adaption of the novel. Matchbox acquired already in May the rights for the controversial novel. The basic premise of the novel is that, at a barbecue attended by a group of family and friends, an unrelated adult slaps a misbehaving three-year-old child. The adult is Harry, cousin of the barbecue host and adulter-ous businessman, and whose slightly older son, Rocco, is being threatened by Hugo. This event sends the large cast of characters into a spiral, agonising and arguing over the notion that striking a child can ever be justified. ‘The Slap’ recently won the 2009 Commonwealth Writer’s Prize. The novel has already sold to 8 interna-tional territories including the US, UK, France and Canada.

HBO picks up dramaAmerican pay TV broadcaster HBO has picked up a new dramedy project about the compli-cated relationship between three adult sisters. The three women are all writers and share the same upper east side apartment building with their mother, a domineering literary lioness who shows more affections for their never-do-well brother than for them. The show will be made by ‘Gilmore Girls’ creator and executive producer Amy Sherman-Palladino (Roseanne, Veronica’s Closet).

Southland moves probably to TNTPolice series ‘Southland’, last week cancelled by NBC before the second season even went on air, moves probably to American cable channel TNT, which brings a couple of cop series like ‘The Closer’ and ‘Dark Blue’. The series’ producer Warner Bros. TV is in advanced negotiations with the cable network and it looks that the show will get soon a new home in the US. Production on ‘South-land’ was shut down last week by NBC after only six episodes of the second season were shot. The series, from Emmy Award win-ners John Wells, Ann Biderman and Chris Chulack, tells the story of a police unit in Los Angeles. Michael Cudlitz plays John Cooper, a seasoned Los Angeles cop, assigned to train young rookie Ben Sherman. Cooper’s honest, no-nonsense approach to the job leaves Sherman questioning whether or not he has what it takes to become a police officer. Other cast members are Regina King, Tom Everett Scott, Michael McGrady, Kevin Alejandro and Shawn Hatosy. The show launched in the spring with 9.7 million viewers and a market share of 11% (18-49) on NBC.

Fox goes for drama pilotFox has given a script commitment for a new drama project from ‘Burn Notice’ scriptwriter and former actor Ben Watkins which will be produced by 20th Century Fox TV. The show is about an undercover female investigator who is in her late 20s. Having been adopted as a child, she’s also investigating her own identity.

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ABC signs new drama dealAmerican broadcaster ABC has signed for ‘The Gates’, a 13-part drama project from Fox Televi-sion Studios and production company Little Engine. The drama series revolves around a cop who gives up his job in a big city to become a police chief in a planned gated suburban com-munity. Once there he discovers there’s more to the residents than meets the eye. ABC signed the deal with a suspension clause: Fox Televi-sion Studios has to find enough foreign financ-ing to go through with the production of the show, planned for half 2010.

Beta Film signed MIPCOM dealsGerman distributor Beta Film has signed a couple of deals during MIPCOM. The event miniseries ‘Sisi’, the Australian action series ‘Sea Patrol’ and Hallmark Channel’s ‘Mrs. Miracle’ were among the best selling productions of this fall’s line-up. A huge interest at-tracted Beta’s new children label Wunderbox with productions like ‘The Three Investigators’ amongst others. In addition, Beta sold a 300-hour package of TV movies and movie-cycles for free VoD to China. At MIPCOM, ‘Sisi’ (2x90’), the event mini-series about the life of the famous Austrian Empress Elisabeth, has been sold to or is in final negotiations with broadcasters in 18 territories. ‘Sisi’ will run at Spain’s Antena 3, at France’s TF1 as well as in Canada, Finland, Belgium and Denmark. TF1 acquired not only the remake with Cristiana Capotondi and Martina Gedeck in the lead roles but also the re-run-rights of the ‘Sissi’ trilogy with Romy Schneider from the fifties. Beta’s sales team noticed also a huge interest from Scandinavia and Eastern Europe. The Australian action series ‘Sea Patrol’ (55 x 1 hour) has gone to 15 countries, and the Christmas TV movie ‘Mrs. Miracle’ was acquired by broadcasters in France, Italy and Spain, with a strong interest from Eastern Europe and Scandinavia. Customers were also attracted by the children’s library of Beta’s new Wunderbox-label. The TV rights of the feature film ‘The Three Investigators in the Secret of Terror Castle’ were sold to Ireland and Greece. Final negotiations are taking place with broadcasters in the US, France and Japan. The animation series and the feature film of ‘Princess Lillifee’ have been sold to Greece and Sweden is likely to seal a deal soon. ‘Little Dodo’, about a little monkey in the primeval forest, will air in Finland; with Italian interest from a broadcaster too.

Showtime goes for own ShamelessAmerican cable channel Showtime has green lighted an American take on UK show ‘Shame-less’. The broadcaster ordered a pilot, which will be shot in December, of the American version of the drama series which will be produced by John Wells Productions and Warner Bros. TV. Paul Abbott, the creator of the original series, will adapt the UK series into an American version. ‘Shameless’ is Abbott’s most personal work, inspired by his own complicated life growing up in a working class family with eight children. For the US version, the sprawling Gallagher family has been transplanted to working class Chicago during the challenging times of today’s recession. Making ends meet is always difficult especially with a mother who is AWOL and an alcoholic patriarch who usually ends up passed out on the living room floor. 18-year-old daugh-ter Fiona is left to the task of keeping her five younger brothers and sisters on the straight and narrow, a task that usually proves impossible. The leading role in the pilot will be played by William H. Macy. The UK version is produced by Company Pictures and aired on Channel 4 with 66 episodes (6 seasons). The seventh season will launch in November.

The CW announces new fiction projectsAmerican network The CW is working on a slate of new drama projects. One of the upcoming programmes is ‘Spy School for Girls’, a show from Mark Schwahn (One Tree Hill) about female spy trainees at a CIA facility. The CBS TV Studios project is based on an upcoming book by former spy Larry Kolb, who will also work on the series. Another drama is ‘Nashville’, also from Schwahn, about a young female singer whose career seems to be a piece of cake, and a male songwriter whose career seems not to be that easy or successful. Schwahn will work for the series together with country music star Brad Paisley. The series is also produced via CBS TV Studios. The CW is furthermore working on ‘Plymouth Rock’. The project is about young people who are travelling to a distant planet in a space ship in order to colonize the place to save the human race. The project comes from Rob Thomas (90210, Cupid, Veronica Mars). The CW green lighted also ‘Confessions of a Backup Danc-er’, a series from Alloy Entertainment’s book about a woman who has a job as backup dancer for a pop star. The series is showing the behind-the-scenes world of a major pop tour. The Warner Bros. TV show will be written by Ilene Chaiken (The L Word, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air). Another project, from CBS TV Studios, is ‘The March Sisters’, which revolves around working-class siblings who try to make it in the glamorous world of Park Avenue. From Robert De Niro’s Tribeca Entertainment comes a still untitled series which is based on the life of socialite Sloan Barnett and is set in the Early Case Assessment Bureau in Manhattan. The show will be produced via CBS TV Studios. Finally there’s ‘Bitches in Britches’, a family drama set in the world of Millbrook, New York. The series comes from Lionsgate and Ish Entertainment.

Canadian channel orders dramedy seriesCanadian network Vision TV has green lighted a new 13-part dramedy. ‘She’s The Mayor’ (13x30’) revolves around a sixty-something political newbie who unexpectedly wins a local election and must then rely on instinct, her gut and dumb luck to navigate the world of city politics. The series comes from Hungry Eyes Film & Television.

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Cleveland Show gets full second seasonAmerican broadcaster Fox has given a full season order for the second season of animated comedy series ‘The Cleveland Show’. Fox ordered nine new episodes, totalling a full 22-part second season. The network had already signed for a 22-part first season, later followed by a 13-part second season. With the new order the show has already 44 episodes. The animated comedy launched on September 27 and averaged since with 9 million total viewers and a market share of 11% (18-49). The show is a spin-off of ‘Family Guy’ and focuses on the character Cleveland Brown, who moves to his hometown in Virginia as he settles down with his high school sweetheart, her unruly kids and his own 14-year-old son, Cleveland Jr. Once in Virginia, there are a few surprises in store for Cleveland, including Roberta, a rebellious new stepdaughter; Rallo, his new 5-year-old stepson who loves the ladies; and a collection of neigh-bours that includes a loudmouth redneck, a hipster wannabe and a religious pair of talking bears. The show comes from 20th Century Fox.

German distributors signed a raft of MIPCOM dealsGerman distributor Studio Hamburg sold during MIPCOM five ARD TV movies to Rai in Italy, including the two-part show ‘Endless Horizon’ and the TV films ‘Houseboat, ‘To Tuscany and Back’ and ‘A Mother for Anna’. Both the Rai and Belgian public broadcaster VRT secured the rights to 13 brand new episodes of the children’s se-ries ‘The Peppercorns’. One of Hamburg’s newest customers is Irib, the Iranian state broadcaster, which opted for the ARD crime series ‘Big Greg’, the two-part film ‘The Tragedy of the Pamir’ and the TV movies ‘The Lightship’ and ‘The Art of Football’ with John Cleese. The Spanish broadcasters, TV Catalonia and Canal 9 (Valencia) bought 35 and 15 hours of nature films, including the programs ‘Expeditions into the Animal World’ and ‘World of Nature’. A Span-ish pay TV channel bought 22 episodes of ‘Wildlife Nannies’, while the Swiss broadcaster SF TV acquired a 10-hour wildlife package, including the award-winning six-part series ‘Wild Russia’. German distributor United Docs made some documentary sales worldwide. The company sold a 7-hour history package including ‘Hitler & Sta-lin’ and ‘Hunt the Kaiser’s Cruisers!’ to France in addition to a 10-hour package including the Emmy-nominated reportage ‘Cityboy – The Life of Investment Banker Geraint Anderson’ to the Czech Republic. Disclosure stories from the financial world have been sold to Croatia, Ireland, Denmark, Belgium and Switzerland. And a HD package focussing on travel and foreign cultures including the documentary ‘The Rockies’ is to be broadcast in Russia. The rights to ‘Charlemagne the Myth’ (pre-sales) have been secured by Latvia, Russia, Croatia, France (pay & free TV), Brazil, Greece and the Middle East. Finally United Docs signed deals for ‘The Night the Wall Came Down – Schabowski’s Note’ with broadcasters in Italy, Japan, Denmark, Switzerland, Spain, Austria, Belgium and France.

Syfy in December with 4-hour miniseriesOn December 6 American cable channel Syfy will launch its 4-hour two-part miniseries ‘Alice’. The drama is a contemporary re-imagined spin on ‘Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland’ from Lewis Carroll. The miniseries stars Kathy Bates (Misery), Tim Curry (Rocky Horror Picture Show), Colm Meaney (Star Trek Deep Space Nine), Matt Frewer (Watchmen), Andrew Lee Potts (Primeval) and Harry Dean Stanton (Big Love). The modern-day version is about the story of Alice Hamilton, a fiercely independent twenty-something who suddenly finds herself on the other side of a looking glass. She is a stranger in an outlandish city of twisted towers and casi-nos built out of playing cards, all under the rule of a devilish Queen who’s not very happy about Alice’s arrival. The miniseries comes from RHI Entertainment.

Starz announces cast for GravityPremium broadcaster Starz has announced the cast for its 10-part dramedy series ‘Gravity’ (10x30’) which will launch in the spring of 2010. ‘Gravity’ follows the sometimes comic, sometimes tragic exploits of a group from an eccentric out-patient programme of suicide survivors. Krysten Ritter stars as Lily Champagne, a twenty-something clinically depressed outcast looking for the love that her father never gave her. She stars with Ivan Sergei, who plays Robert Collingsworth, an ophthalmologist who is despondent following the cancer death of his wife, and who becomes an internet celebrity when his suicide attempt goes comically awry. Also starring is Eric Schaeffer, the series’ co-creator and one of its executive producers, who plays Miller, a NYPD cop who seems to be everywhere Lily is. Also in the cast are Ving Rhames (Pulp Fiction, Day of the Dead) as Dogg McFee, the group’s leader and a former Major League Base-ball player, now confined to a wheelchair; and supermodel Rachel Hunter as Shawna Rollins, a former spokes model and current life coach with a penchant for much younger guys. Robyn Cohen (The Life Aquatic With Steve Zissou, Starved), James Martinez (Brother to Brother) and Seth Numrich (How to Kill a Mockingbird) round out the main cast. 10-part series ‘Gravity’ begins production later this month in New York City. Starz Media is producing ‘Gravity’ and will handle worldwide distribution on the half-hour series.

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Moonscoop pre-sells new animated series to France and AustraliaProduction and distribution company Moonscoop, started the production on the brand new 52-part 2D high-definition flash animated series ‘The DaVincibles’ (HD 52x11’), co-created and co-produced with Italian production company Neo Network (Zodiak Entertainment). The series is a co-production with Rai Fiction, SLR, Telegael and Big Animation. The show, which is aimed at 6- to 10-year-olds, has already presold to France’s Gulli and Seven Network in Australia and is set for delivery in late 2010. Worldwide distribution will be handled by Moonscoop with Neo Network managing rights for Italy. Asia which will be handled by Big Animation and SLR will oversee sales to Australia and New Zealand. ‘The DaVincibles’ is a contemporary yet classic cartoon comedy series featuring kid-relatable stories with over the top funny characters on madcap adventures around the world. ‘The DaVincibles’ follows the comedic exploits of the modern-day DaVinci family as they explore the world for rare artefacts to sell at Uncle Leo’s Kurios Kat antique shop. Along the way, they cross paths with the world’s most devious, yet questionably competent, super villains known as The Society of Very Bad Villains. Armed with his special Spray Alive paint that can bring any inanimate object to life, Qube is after one thing: to make sure the world finally realizes he is the greatest artist ever.

Evergreen makes deal with Spanish TV3Spanish broadcaster TV3 has acquired two pre-school titles from Evergreen Entertainment following a meeting during MI-PCOM. TV3 is set to bring 26-part pre-school series ‘Spirello’ (26 x 4’). The series encourages children to join in and draw the quirky characters of the show at home. TV3 acquired also the second season of pre-school series ‘Shapes’ (39 x 7’). ‘Shapes’ is a series in which famous fables are brought to life using animal characters created from dozens of different shapes. The target audience are four-to six-year-olds. Ever-green has asked TV3 to submit a selection of Spanish fables to be incorporated into the series. Evergreen aired earlier also the first season of the show. The second instalment will air in 2010.

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European broadcasters get My Friend Boo for freeMIPCOM newcomer Business Solutions Europa has closed a first-day deal with Central-European cartoon channel Minimax for the new educational animated series ‘My friend Boo’. The deal gives Minimax the exclusive rights for ten European territories. ‘My Friend Boo’ is co-funded by the European Commission and produced by independent international experts, school kids from 6 European countries and award-winning animators. The series follows the journeys of three regular kids who one day bring to life a magical toy called Boo. Boo takes the children on extraordinary adventures to help the three young explorers understand some of today’s most important world issues: water, energy and the importance of being healthy. The series Is being made available free of charge to European broadcasters who will have the exclusive rights for their territory for 2 years (June 2010-June 2012) if they dub the series and translate the training packs into the local language. Minimax (Chellomedia) holds now the exclu-sive rights to the series for two years in the Czech Republic, Croatia, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Serbia, Moldova, Montenegro and Kosovo. The network will also support the development of local language teaching material to accompany the series and which can be used in schools. The deal marks the first agreement between Business Solutions Europa and a major European broadcaster for the series. The distributor, who holds worldwide rights for the show, will close a deal with at least three more territories. ‘My Friend Boo’ (HD 8x8’ & 1x2’) targets 5- to 8-year-olds and will be available for broadcast from June 2010. (http://www.myfriendboo.com/)

CBC takes Pirates!Canadian broadcaster CBS has green lighted a new animated pre-school series with ‘Pirates!’ as working title. CBC signed for two seasons, totalling 26 episodes (S1 16x11’ & S2 20x11’), made by Halifax Film, part of DHX Media. The series will be distributed outside Canada by Decode Enterprises. The pirate-themed show will get a spot in the Kids’ CBC morning pre-school block.

Casper launches in India‘Casper’s Scare School’, the CG-animated TV series co- produced by DQ Entertainment International (DQE), US Classic Media and MoonScoop Group in France, is all set to premiere on India’s kids’ TV channel Nickelodeon on October 17 . The brand new animated series is about Casper the cute, pudgy ghost-child, who prefers making friends with people instead of scaring them. Casper is back again with his gang of ghost friends trying rather unsuccessfully to haunt people.

Japan gets ready for Gaspard and LisaJapanese company Sony Creative Products (SCP) has acquired from UK distributor Chorion the North Asian rights for animated series ‘Gaspard and Lisa’. Under the deal SCP will co-produce the show, and have the television, home entertainment and merchandising rights for the region. ‘Gaspard and Lisa’ is a 51-part animated series (50x11’ and 1x22’) based on the French books of the same name. The Impossible Television production was ordered by French channel TF1 which will air the series in 2010.

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Marriage Ref moves also to Latin America Endemol has secured a further deal for Jerry Seinfeld’s ‘The Marriage Ref’, having launched the show at last week’s MIPCOM market in Cannes. Latin American broadcaster Telefe has commissioned a major prime time run of the show, which will be locally produced by Endemol Argentina and Telefe. The deal follows the announcements that Endemol has sold both the format and the NBC version of the show to Abu Dhabi Media Company in the Middle East and Seven Network in Australia. ‘The Marriage Ref’ marks Jerry Seinfeld’s first television series since ‘Seinfeld’ ended its record-breaking nine year run in May 1998. Seinfeld will be behind the camera for the show, which has been commissioned for a prime time run of six hour-long episodes on American broadcaster NBC in March 2010. ‘The Marriage Ref’ will feature opinionated celebrities, comedians, sports personalities and international A-list stars who will candidly comment, judge and offer different strategies to real-life couples in the midst of a classic marital dispute.

Holland gets own My Dad Is Better Than Your DadDutch public broadcaster TROS will bring –probably next year- a Dutch version of game show ‘My Dad Is Better Than Your Dad’. In the game show four dads, paired up with their kids, com-pete in each episode, playing in stunts and answering questions. The format comes from Mark Burnett (Survivor, The Appren-tice) who made the show for American broadcaster NBC. The game show launched in the US in February 2008 but NBC can-celled the ten-part show in April.

German RTL with new episodes of The School MediatorGerman channel RTL will launch on November 23 new episodes of the docu-series ‘Die Schulermittler’ (The School Mediator). ‘Die Schulermittler’ launched as a daily five-part series (5x30’) on August 3 on the channel and averaged that week 17.7 % mar-ket share in the target group 14-49. In November the channel brings new daily episodes of the series which follows a team of experts who are mediators for school crimes. The show wants to bring into the limelight the problem of school crimes. In Germany yearly there are 50 000 crimes like damage cases, theft, mobbing or robberies while teachers are feeling more and more helpless against those crimes. RTL brings the series as a fictive docu-soap based on real cases. The show focuses on two experts: a social worker and a social educator.

FremantleMedia signs new dealsFremantleMedia Enterprises (FME) has signed a number of major deals. The distributor has secured the licensing rights for three of the Discovery Communica-tions-owned TLC network’s hit television shows: ‘American Chopper’, ‘Miami Ink’ and ‘LA Ink’. FME also signed a deal with Original Productions, producers of the Emmy Award winning ‘Deadliest Catch’, to represent their newest show ‘Motor City Motors’, and rounding out the latest deals, the company has confirmed it is now the exclusive licensor of the ‘Golden Boy’ brand from world-renowned boxer Oscar De La Hoya for consumer products, interactive and mobile licensing. ‘Ameri-can Chopper’ takes fans on a ride of tension, tirades and triumphs providing a glimpse into the world of one-of-a-kind customized motorcycle production; ‘Miami Ink’ and ‘LA Ink’ take viewers into the culture and lifestyles of tattoo artists dem-onstrating the passion and edge they share in creating body art. Original Produc-tions’ ‘Motor City Motors’ follows the Detroit Brothers through their personal and professional challenges as they create extreme and memorable vehicles, with the city of Detroit - home of the American automotive industry - as the backdrop of the new show. Oscar De La Hoya’s ‘Golden Boy’ brand represents the quintessential world class athlete, renaissance man, American hero, successful businessman, and philanthropist. The wide appeal across a variety of demographics, with its ex-isting international recognition and well-known celebrity endorsers, has the brand primed for significant partnerships across several apparel, accessories, life-style, footwear, and sporting categories. These announcements follows FME’s repre-sentation deal with The Lingerie football League (LFL) which sees the company handling global rights across television distribution, home entertainment, sponsor integration, digital extensions and consumer products.

Shine International goes for StrikeforceDistributor Shine International has made a deal with Strike-force, one of the world’s leading mixed martial arts (MMA) promo-tions. MMA is rapidly becoming one of the world’s most dynamic and popular sports. Shine will sell Strikeforce’s catalogue of nearly 70 hours of MMA content, including 15 hours of HD content (30x30’) from NBC (highlights from previous fights) and 56 hours of HD content (28x120’) from Showtime, consisting live fights from March 1 2009 until February 28 2010 (12x120’ for this season of which 5 have already aired) and 16 live broad-casts (32 hours) for the 2010-2011 schedule.

Dutch NCRV with new season of Hello GoodbyeDutch public broadcaster NCRV commissioned a new season of ‘Hello Goodbye’ from production company BlazHoffski. The show is about people departing and ar-riving at the international airport of Schiphol-Amsterdam in The Netherlands. A host asks them about why and where they are leaving to or coming back from. The show gained a 24.9 share on public channel Nederland 2. The format has been sold in over 17 countries.

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Dutch neighbour show goes worldwide ‘Achter de Voordeur’ (Behind the Front Door), the format from Dutch public broadcaster NCRV, is a worldwide success after the broadcaster sold the format last MIPCOM to a raft of countries. The show will get a local version in at least eight countries, including Australia, France, Spain, Italy, Poland, Denmark, Norway and Sweden. In the programme neighbours get to know each other. By showing a picture of a neighbour to people who live in the same street, they can say what they think or know about their neighbour. Then they get the key of the house of the neighbour to check it out. During the tour they also see a film about his/her life story. Finally the neighbours meet each other, resulting in dissolving a lot of prejudices and assumptions. In The Netherlands NCRV ended recently its second season averaging 470 000 viewers, more than 20% more than the first season.

German channel improves restaurants German channel Kabel Eins (ProSiebenSat.1 Media) will launch on November 24 the brand new reality show ‘Rosins Restaurants – Ein Sternekoch räumt auf’ (Rosin’s Restaurant – A Star Chef Cleans Up). In the programme German Michelin-starred chef Frank Rosin helps restaurants, who are already successful businesses but who want to get even better. Rosin will focus in the series mainly on the menu of the restaurants, but will also give tips about the serv-ice and the interior. The climax in each episode is the presentation of the new three-course menu.

Uri Geller Show gets Greek versionOn October 24 the Greek version of ‘The Succes-sor – The Next Uri Geller’ will launch on ANT1. The Greek private network has picked up the rights to produce a local version of the international format, distributed by SevenOne International. The Greek version of the talent show – ‘Ο διάδοχος του Uri Geller’ – is produced by Ena Productions. ‘The Successor’ is developed by Keshet Broad-casting, Kuperman Productions and Uri Geller and has been on air worldwide, including the US (NBC), Canada (CTV), Iceland (365), Turkey (Star TV), Hungary (TV 2), the Netherlands (SBS 6) and all over Latin America (A&E). The talent show premiered in 2007 internationally as ‘Phe-nomenon’ on NBC. Originally, the format came from Israel, where network Keshet earned an aver-age 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.

UK channel Wedding TV brings new programmesUK channel Wedding TV is working on a raft of new programmes. Heading the offer for the coming months is ‘Brides on a Bus’, a brand new action packed show that takes ten brides-to-be, puts them on a bus and sends them around the UK during 15 days to complete all manner of tasks as they compete to stay in the competi-tion and win the top prize: a wedding in Gretna Green. The ten budding brides will travel through all the regions of the UK completing regional tasks, including shearing a sheep in Wales and cheese rolling in Gloucestershire. As each chal-lenge is completed the bride who performed the worst is booted from the bus. Also new is ‘The Great Cake Bake’ in which bubbly brides want cakes which reflect their personality. In the show three top wedding cake designers go head to head to create the dream cake for the brides, who have to decide which cake they want for their dream wedding Also on the offer soon is ‘So Would You Dump Me Now?’, a makeover show in which people, who are in need of a life changing makeover after being let down and dumped by the husband or partner, get a glamorous and amazing transformation to get him back in their life. Other shows from Wedding TV are game show ‘Love is Blind’ in which a single girl answers questions to earn clues about two potential dates, a major reality series in which brides-to-be travel to India to slash their wedding day budget, and ‘Bridal Boot Camp’ in which 6 brides-to-be who want to be put through their paces by army officers in an inten-sive one-week fitness plan.

Jermaine Jackson in jury BBC Three showJermaine Jackson will be part of the jury of BBC Three’s dance series ‘Move Like Michael Jackson’. In the six-part talent search the channel is looking for a dance talent who will win a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to perform at the official tribute concert of Michael Jackson which will take place in June 2010 and which will be hosted by Jermaine Jackson and the rest of the Jackson Family, and an array of global superstars. The series is a nationwide search to find Britain’s most talented and original dancers who can demonstrate they have the spirit, showmanship and technical ability of Michael Jackson. Via the open auditions 16 hopefuls will make it to the studio shows where they will be whittled down to six by Jermaine Jackson, dance agent Mark Summers and another jury member for a place in the live final. The six finalists will be guided through their studio performances by multi-award-winning choreographer and dancer Lavelle Smith Junior, who worked on Michael’s ‘Bad’, ‘Danger-ous’ and ‘History’ tours plus numerous videos, including ‘The Way You Make Me Feel’, ‘Black And White’ and ‘Scream’. Aimed at finding dancers who best embody the spirit of Michael Jackson on stage, the show will include competitors from all backgrounds, individu-als and group performances. The winner won’t necessarily be the dancer who simply mimics Jackson’s choreography, but rather someone who can move like him, creating and invent-ing their own iconic steps and styles to most impress the judges and viewers. The series is made by Gogglebox Entertainment and Fever Media. The show will air later this year on BBC Three, stripped across one week.

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Donald Trump becomes matchmaker in new reality show Donald Trump takes further steps in the reality genre after ‘The Apprentice’. Now he’s also entering the dating show business with ‘The Ultimate Merger’. The show comes from Donald Trump Productions (The Apprentice) and Juma Entertainment (The Superstars, Singing Bee) and shows Trump as matchmaker to help a well known bachelorette –a close friend of Trump- achieve the ‘ultimate merger’, a suc-cessful relationship. The competing bachelors will stay during the series in Trump International Hotel and Tower in Las Vegas. It is unclear if the show is already linked to a network in the US.

Disney UK takes reality High School MusicalDisney Channel UK has green lighted a reality show based on Disney’s movie franchise ‘High School Musi-cal’. ‘Club High School Musical: Make It Happen’ is a 4-part series (4x15’) which will be produced by The Foundation (RDF Media Group). The series follows four fans and their challenge to create a major ‘High School Musical’ dance event in four days. Earlier the channel made also ‘High School Musical: You’re the Star’, a spin-off of the movies that searched for a young star to perform in his/her own profession-ally produced music video. The new programme will launch in November.

Oxygen green lights fifth Tori & DeanAmerican cable channel Oxygen has ordered a fifth instalment of its docu-series ‘Tori & Dean: Home Sweet Hollywood’. Next spring the channel will again fol-low the daily adventures of Tori Spelling and Dean McDermott and their family. Last season, ‘Tori & Dean: Home Sweet Hol-lywood’ became Oxygen’s most watched season among A18-49, W18-49 and total viewers. In ad-dition, the series finale marked another Oxygen first, delivering over one million viewers in the key A18-49 demo and making it the network’s most watched tel-ecast ever. The’Tori & Dean’ mi-crosite at www.oxygen.com saw triple digit growth over the course of season four with a 111% increase from the premiere to the finale. In previous seasons, fans witnessed how the dynamic duo balanced their Hollywood life while catering to their two chil-dren. In the new season, Tori and Dean will offer an even closer look into their family life and at their own relationship, which will include a first ever Spelling-McDermott cross-country family road trip. The reality show is made by World of Wonder.

Logo with own ‘Real Housewives’American cable channel Logo, the gay and lesbian network from MTV Networks, is working on an own take of Bravo’s docu-series ‘The Real Housewives of New York City’. Logo is making ‘Kept’, a reality series which follows the A-list gay social life of New York City. The series is focusing on men in their 20s and 30s who are es-tablished and successful, especially couples in which ‘one partner stays at home while the other makes money’. The series will be made by Classic Entertainment Group and True Entertainment, and will premiere in 2010 on the channel.

ITV1 launches 7 Days on the Breadline next weekOn October 20 ITV1 will launch the brand new celebrity reality show ‘7 Days on the Breadline’. In the three-part series four celebrities –Mel B, Trinny Woodall, Keith Allen and Austin Healey- leave their comfortable lives behind to step into the shoes of families struggling to make ends meet in Britain. During seven days they will replace a key member of the family and try to cope on the budget of the different households they join and in the process learn about problems faced by many families across the UK, such as the daily challenges of paying for food and bills on limited means, having little or no money to entertain the children, dealing with inadequate living conditions and trying to motivate tearaway teenagers to stay in school or get a job. The celebrities know they will be joining households living on low-incomes, but they have very few other facts about who they’ll be joining beyond that it is a single parent household, a family with teenagers or an elderly person liv-ing alone. The series is made by Brighter Pictures.

Sky1 wants to get in contact with Michael JacksonSky1 lets world-renowned psychic medium Derek Acorah attempt to make contact with Michael Jackson in two specially-commissioned shows: ‘Michael Jackson: The Live Séance’ (1 x 60’) and ‘Michael Jackson: The Search for his Spirit’ (1 x 60’) to be broadcast in November. The programmes aim to give fans a final chance to connect with their hero, himself a firm believer in psychic ability. Acorah, whose high profile on screen séances have to date been restricted to historical and mythi-cal figures will lead proceedings in an hour long live special from a secret location familiar to, and previously inhabited by, Jackson and where the psychic medium will attempt to contact the music legend. Preceding the main event, ‘Michael Jack-son: The Search for his Spirit’ will take fans on a biographical journey of the music legend delving deeper into both his psyche and his inspirations, and previewing some of the tactics and triggers that will feature in the séance. In the show pre-senter June Sarpong will be joined by Bobby Marchesso, one of America’s leading psychics, and close friends of Jackson including ‘Thriller’ video co-star Ola Ray, Ian Halperin, author of controversial ‘Michael Jackson Biography Unmasked: The Final Years of Michael Jackson’, and his spiritual healer Reverend June Gatlin, with more contributors to be confirmed in due course. Two Four Productions will make the two programmes for Sky1.

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DCD Media wins raft of US orders Independent UK production and distribution group DCD Media has won over 11.7 million dollar worth of US business after orders from American cable networks WEtv, A&E and TLC to its transatlantic re-ality, factual entertainment and formats specialist September Films. WEtv has commissioned Season 7 of its reality wedding series ‘Bridezillas’ which DCD-owned September Films will produce out of its LA office in Hollywood. In addition to 22 episodes (22x60’) to air from June 2010, the women’s channel has ordered a further 2-hour premiere and a 1-hour highlight special. The new order brings the franchise up to total of 127 hours to be distributed internationally by DCD Rights. The first 102 hours have so far sold to over 50 territories, making ‘Bridezillas’ DCD’s biggest selling international brand. Meanwhile, A&E has ordered an extended second season of ‘The Exterminators’, the network’s real life series about a pest removal company, which follows Billy, the young and charismatic boss of VEXCON, and his family members as they are called to take care of Louisiana’s worst pest problems. Following the success of Season 1 (13x30’) earlier this year, September Films is to produce 20 new episodes (20x30’) to air in 2010. US Cable network TLC has commissioned ‘Mall Cops: Mall Of America’, a new behind-the-scenes real-life documentary that uncovers the secrets of America’s largest mall through the eyes of the men and women assigned to guard its stores and shoppers: the mall cops.

Celebrities learn new skills for ITVITV1 will bring this year a new celebrity reality show. ‘Out of my Depth’ is a three-part factual entertainment show in which UK celebrities will learn a new skill. The series will mainly focus on the relationship between the ce-lebrity and the expert. The show, produced by Studio Lambert and distributed by All3Media Interna-tional, will air already this year. In early 2010 ITV will also air Studio Lambert’s ‘All At Sea’. The show was announced already last summer but now an airdate has been set. In the celebrity reality show two teams of celebrities will travel along the South coast of the UK from Cornwall to Lon-don, while using different boats. Though two groups of celebrities will participate, it won’t be a competition.

CBBC commissions raft of new programmesUK channel CBBC commissioned a raft of new programmes opening British children’s minds as it takes them on a global journey from the wild game reserves in South Africa to the wonder of Japan in the East. In ‘Hai! Karate – Journey To Japan’ five children from across the UK pair up with one of their parents to embark on a journey to Japan, the home of karate. Each child wants to change something about their relationship with their parent, so can this experience make a difference? With the group training under a grandmaster who teaches them the key principles of karate – focus, skill, commitment and respect – they have just three weeks of intensive training to get a belt grading and earn the right to perform at the World Karate Championships in Okinawa. It will be a journey of discovery, as the group will not only be taught the art of karate, they will also be immersed in the culture and traditions of ancient and modern Japan. But by the end of the trip what will they have learnt about themselves and each other? The ten-part series is an in-house production airing in 2010. Narrated by wildlife presenter Steve Backshall and CBBC’s Barney Harwood, ‘Natural Born Hunters’, takes a fresh look at some of the most supreme predators in the animal kingdom. Drawing from the BBC’s Natural History Unit’s archive this 13-part series looks at how some of the most lethal creatures in the wild survive a typical day, relying on their instincts, speed, and tactics is often not enough, and luck can mean the differ-ence between life and death. ‘Natural Born Hunters’ will be on screen in spring 2010. The multi-award-winning ‘Serious’ adventure series returns next spring to take CBBC viewers on an expedition to Tanzania in East Africa. ‘Serious Explorers: Livingstone’ retraces the footsteps of the 19th century explorer David Livingstone. The series will follow eight young adventurers as they journey through the heart of Africa, on a month-long adventure of a lifetime, living together, and learning from each other. ‘Serious Explorers: Livingstone’ is an 11-part series. Also returning to CBBC screens is the innovative series ‘8’, which continues in the New Year with ‘Safari 8’. The series sees eight children, four from the UK and four from South Africa, join forces as they train to become game rangers in the world famous Kruger Game Reserve in South Africa. For a month the children will undertake intense rang-er training, and they must work as a team as they try to develop the skills to track and care for some of the greatest animals in Africa. ‘Safari 8’ is a 13-part series and airs in January 2010. Barney Harwood and Gemma Hunt are also back for more adventures, and this time they head to South America to explore the continent. ‘Barney’s South America’ is a 26-part series which takes a humorous approach to looking at the natural world. The continent is home to the largest rainforest in the world and flanked by two oceans, making it a unique and rich environment. The pair go on a journey of discovery, investigating where different species of wildlife live, how they eat and even how they defend themselves. ‘Barney’s South America’ is a joint production with CBBC and NHU and is due to air in spring 2010.

Bravo launches new docu-seriesAmerican cable channel Bravo is working on the docu-series ‘Thintervention with Jackie Warner’, a new docu-series inspired by renowned fitness ex-pert Jackie Warner’s life mission to change lives through healthy habits. During three seasons of the Bravo series ‘Work Out’, view-ers were introduced to Warner’s passion for fitness and nutrition, following her ups and downs as she ran her high-end Los Angeles gym, Sky Sport & Spa, and wrangled her rambunctious staff of trainers. In ‘Thintervention’, fans will get an even closer look at what Jackie does best - kick butt and inspire drastic lifestyle changes for her overweight clients who are struggling to lose weight and get healthy for good. ‘Thintervention’ will track the stories of people struggling with ongoing weight issues. Warner does not send them to a weight loss camp or facility, instead she works with them in their real lives surrounded by the every-day distractions and stresses of family and work. The show will be made by Shed Media US.

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He’s a LadyThis week we browsed in the archives to find a format that’ isn’t brand new but still has a strong potential for a successful future in a prime time slot. Our choice is ‘He’s a Lady’ broadcasted on TBS in 2004.

‘He’s a Lady’ takes eleven men on a funny adventure as they walk a mile in their wives or girlfriends’ shoes when they undergo a complete feminine makeover for a chance to win 250 000 $.

The twist is very wicked from the very beginning of the show. The guys think they’re going to be on a show called ‘All American Man’, competing in gruelling physical and mental challenges. But the catch is more than they ever imagined: the guys are trans-formed and given the chance to see what life is like as a lady, with one man winning a huge prize in the end.

Each week, the competitors learn something new about what it’s like to live as a lady, from dealing with bras and jewellery to bonding with real women in typically all-female activities. Then, a celebrity panel judges them.

Weekly challenges for the competitors include learning how to walk, talk and dress like a lady, followed by going out in public to find out how convincing they are: for example planning a real wedding and then being asked to serve as the bridesmaids; and finally, completing a ‘lady of the house’ challenge back in their hometowns, where the guys must remain in character in front of family and friends in the absence of their wives and girlfriends. The competitors will live in The Doll House, a beautifully decorated dwelling designed to help them get in touch with their feminine sides.

The series climaxes with a beauty pageant, where the competition boils down to the 250 000 $ question: ‘What, as a lady, have you learned about being a man?’ The judges will then select the best man in the group, based on a variety of criteria.

‘He’s a Lady’ is produced by Evolution Film & Tape and Full Circle Entertainment. Tar-get Entertainment distributes the format.

http://www.tbs.com/shows/hesalady/

Inside TV point of view: this is a hilarious format, that could work as a Friday evening entertainment show. See how guys act as a lady to win a cash prize. The show is not only pure entertainment. When acting like a lady these guys learn how it is to be treated like a lady. For some of them this is a big shock. A chance to learn about sexual equal rights…

Inside TV International is a product from FirstOpportunity BVBA, Dreef 35 box 3, 9470 Denderleeuw, Belgium

Editorial board:Kris VanderhaegenOlivier Van Raemdonck

Chris Van Stiggelen

Contact us at information@insidetv.infowww.insidetv.info

BBC Three wants Hotter than my DaughterBBC Three has commissioned from Remarkable Television, an Endemol company, to produce a new factual enter-tainment series called ‘Hotter than My Daughter’. The 6-part series (6x30’) will focus on personal image rivalry amongst family members and close friends. Each programme will feature three pairs of warring women who believe their partner’s dress sense and look is affecting their relationship. Whether it be mother and daughter, competitive sisters or clone-like best friends, ‘Hotter than my Daughter’ is on a mission to end the fashion rivalry and get their relationships back on track. Both parties will stand before a style jury, headed up by the presenter who will ulti-mately decide who is in the right and who is in the wrong. The ‘guilty’ party will then undergo a style transformation and reveal themselves to their loved one.

BACK to the FUTURE

Back to the future brings once a month a view at ‘forgotten’ formats from a few years ago which could be interesting for the current format market. But we look also at older formats which still prove they work well.

Beyond brings Science Impossible to BelgiumRTL-TVi, a French-speaking commercial channel in Belgium, got the rights for ‘Sci-ence Impossible’ (2x60’) from Australian distributor Beyond. The show, originally from National Geographic Channel, looks at some secrets of the human body. Throughout history, ‘superhumans’ have long been relegated to the world of freaks, sideshow acts and human marvels. Imag-ine being able to do such things re-grow fingers, swallow Rubik’s Cubes, painlessly rotate your legs 180 degrees and walk backwards, induce a heart attack on yourself – and survive. ‘Science Impos-sible’ will explore these strange cases and amazing feats through a scientific lens. With the aid of the world’s top experts and most advanced technologies, the show will analyze and decode the mysteries behind these unique phenomena. It will explain the inexplicable, make you believe the un-believable, and ultimately prove possible the impossible. Besides ‘Science Impossi-ble’ Beyond sold ‘Kid Detectives’ to Astro in Malaysia en Noga in Israel. Astro has also the rights for scientific kids show ‘Lab Rats’. And the second season of the kids show ‘Milly Molly’ has been sold to YLE in Finland and Canal + in France.