BBC Commissions Raft of Factual Entertainment Shows – Global Bulletin

Naman Ramachandran Eminent British media personality Afua Hirsch has been named advisory chair for the 2022 edition of Screen Scotland‘s Edinburgh TV Festival. Founder of Born in Me Productions, an independent production company focusing on scripted and non-scripted television, movies and podcasting, Hirsch is renowned for her work on black culture, history, identity and culture in the African diaspora and worldwide. Hirsch has presented documentaries including “African Renaissance,” a documentary series for the BBC on African art, “Enslaved,” an Epix series about the history of the transatlantic slave trade with Samuel L. Jackson, and podcast series “We Need to Talk about the British Empire,” for Audible.

Naman Ramachandran Seven Network in Australia is this week to begin broadcasting “Police Strike Force,” a documentary series made in close partnership with the New South Wales police. The 6×60 minute series is produced by WTFN and licensed internationally by Fred Media.

Jamie Lang Bollywood actress and fitness buff Shilpa Shetty is lined up to host a new wellness-themed chat show, produced by Mirchi, an Entertainment Network India Limited company, and presented by Pintola Peanut Butter with Sofit. Focusing on physical and mental wellness, “Shape of You” will invite a wide range of India’s most popular celebrities to share their best tips for caring for their physical and mental wellbeing.

Naman Ramachandran U.K. broadcaster ITV has commissioned real-life drama “Stonehouse,” from “A Very English Scandal” writer John Preston, directed by BAFTA-nominated Jon S. Baird (“Stan & Ollie”).

Naman Ramachandran Kids’ content distributor Federation Kids and Family and ZDF Enterprises have sold all three seasons of hit series “Find Me in Paris” to streamer Disney Plus as part of a worldwide multi-territory deal, while Italian state broadcaster RAI also picked up season 3 following on from its successful run of the first two seasons.Broadcast in over 80 territories, “Find Me in Paris” (78 x 26’) follows the story of Lena Grisky, a time-travelling ballet dancer from 1905 Russia trapped in modern day Paris, and the many dilemmas she faces finding her place between two worlds. The series has also been a social media hit across all platforms, with the soundtracks registering 18 million streams across all music streaming platforms for 2020/2021 and its YouTube channel recording 46.1 million views to date.

Naman Ramachandran BBC Studios has revealed a format agreement for an Italian version of Abi Morgan‘s hit show “The Split.” Locally titled “Studio Battaglia,” the screenplay has been adapted by Lisa Nur Sultan (Golden Globe winner for “On My Skin”) and is directed by Simone Spada (“Hotel Gagarin”). The Italian cast includes Barbora Bobulova, (“Sacred Heart”), Miriam Dalmazio (“Anna”), Marina Occhionero (“Monterossi”), Lunetta Savino (“Saturn in Opposition”), Massimo Ghini (“The New Pope”) Thomas Trabacchi (“Nico, 1988”) and Giorgio Marchesi (“Medici”) .Originally produced by “Chernobyl” maker Sister in association with Little Chick, the six-part Italian series is produced by Palomar with Tempesta Film in collaboration with Rai Fiction.

ARLINGTON, Vt. -- Alec Baldwin and his family have purchased a retreat in Vermont — a farmhouse and about 50 acres.The historic farmhouse, built before 1800, and a guest cottage rest on “50-something acres” and the property is “just gorgeous,” Faith Rhodes, principal broker and owner of Rhodes Real Estate, told the Bennington Banner.Baldwin and his wife, Hilaria, drew media interest when they visited last fall after a gun the actor was holding discharged, killing cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on a New Mexico movie set.

Chewin' The Fat sketches which mocked Japanese and blind people have been banned by the BBC.

Jamie Lang “Transplant,” Canada’s most-watched drama series, will be back for a third season at CTV, produced by Sphere Media in association with CTV and Universal International Studios, a division of Universal Studio Group.Season 3 will shoot in Montréal, with Hamza Haq returning as protagonist Dr. Bashir Hamed, a Syrian refugee who fled to Canada where he now practices medicine.

Jamie Lang SF Studios has announced that the 2021 Berlin Generation Kplus player “Nelly Rapp: Monster Agent” is getting a sequel. The original was a hit among kids and parents alike in its native Sweden and won a pair of Swedish Guldbagge Awards. Based on Martin Widmark’s popular children’s books of the same name, the film features rising star Matilda Gross as the titular Nelly, a young girl who, along with her dog London, are dragged into a world of ghosts, vampires and werewolves.Johan Rosell will direct with Jon Nohrstedt and Niklas Larsson producing for SF Studios.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau ChiefCritically-acclaimed Australian series “The Newsreader” is set to air in 80 additional territories, following a string of rights sales deals organized by Entertainment One. The six-part show was licensed to the BBC (U.K.), Arte (France and Germany), RTE (Ireland), Viaplay (the Nordic and Baltic regions, Poland and The Netherlands), Cosmo (Spain), Filmin (Portugal and 2nd window in Spain), Now TV (Hong Kong), Telus (Canada) and NBCUniversal International Networks & Direct-To-Consumer (Latin America).Starring Anna Torv and Sam Reid, “The Newsreader” centers around the frantic, busy heart of a commercial TV newsroom set in the 1980s, while following the relationship between an ambitious young TV reporter and the star female news anchor.

Naman Ramachandran Discovery racked up subscription numbers during the opening week of the ongoing Olympic Winter Games Beijing 2022, the company has revealed. Eight times more viewers are streaming Olympic content on Discovery’s streaming services compared to the same period for Olympic Winter Games PyeongChang 2018, with total new paid subscribers already surpassing 2018 with a week of competition still to go.

BBC Studios has promoted Rebecca Glashow to the newly created position of CEO of global distribution.

Naman Ramachandran U.K. broadcaster BBC has acquired CNN‘s Primetime Emmy winning series “Stanley Tucci: Searching for Italy.” The six-part series follows Oscar nominee Stanley Tucci as he travels across Italy to discover the secrets and delights of the country’s regional cuisines.

Naman Ramachandran The 36th edition of BFI Flare: London LGBTQIA+ Film Festival will open with Alli Haapasalo’s “Girl Picture” and close with Kevin Hegge‘s documentary “Tramps!” “Girl Picture,” which won the World Cinema Dramatic Audience Award at Sundance in January and will screen at the Berlinale next week, follows three girls at the cusp of womanhood. Over three consecutive Fridays, two of them experience the effects of falling in love, while the third goes on a quest to find something she’s never experienced – pleasure.Feature documentary “Tramps,” world premiering at the festival, looks at how in London in the 1980’s, an onslaught of art students arriving in the city resulted in a unique cross-fertilization of British art, fashion, music and film culminating in a group known as The New Romantics.

An unlikely trio by any standards, but one that's sure to make for some  entertaining viewing.Trailblazers sees three generations of female celebrities come together for a brand new BBC Two travelogue. Emily Atack, 32, Mel B, 46, and Ruby Wax, 68, join forces as they retrace the travels of Isabella Bird – an inspiring female explorer from the 19th century.

Naman Ramachandran Warner Bros. International Television Production has revealed the lineup for its annual WBITVP Formats Showcase, taking place March 3 at the BAFTA headquarters in London, featuring in-person and live streamed interviews with creatives, broadcasters and talent.

Jamie Lang The Red Sea Film Festival has announced that its second edition will run Dec. 1-10 this year, after its 2021 inaugural event saw nearly 140 films from 67 countries in 34 languages screen for more than 30,000 ticket holders and over 3,100 accredited industry guests.

Naman Ramachandran U.K. broadcaster Channel 4 has revealed a disabled presenting team for the Beijing 2022 Paralympic Winter Games, who will present on the ground in China.

Jamie Lang With only two months before MipTV kicks off from Cannes, RX France (formerly Reed Midem) has revealed that more than 100 companies have confirmed their attendence for this year’s in-person TV content market, running April 4-6.Having faced various COVID-related setbacks over the past two years, MipTV has reinforced its strict health and safety protocols implemented to guarantee a safe and successful event and will require proof of full COVID-19 vaccination for all delegates looking to attend.Confirmed exhibitors thus far include Arte France, Beta Film, Catalan Films, CJ&EM, DR, Federation Entertainment, France Televisions, Kanal D International, Lionsgate, Newen Connect, NRK, Red Arrow Studios, SBS Content, SVT, Telefilm Canada, TF1 Studios, Unifrance, ViacomCBS Global Distribution Group, Warner Bros., YLE and ZDF Enterprises, among others. Buying and acquisition companies sending executives include, but are in no way limited to, Amazon, BBC, DR, France Televisions, Globo Brazil, ITV, Mediaset Group Italy, Mega TV, Movistar+, Nine Network Australia, Nordic Entertainment Group/Viaplay, Orange, RTE, RTL (Deutschland), Seven Network Australia, Sky, Starzplay, ViacomCBS, Warner Media Kids and YLE.“MipTV is back!” said RX France entertainment division director and MipTV director Lucy Smith.