Canadian Comedian Bonnie McFarlane Sets Scripted Series Based on Memoir ‘You’re Better Than Me’ at Cineflix Productions (EXCLUSIVE)

Manori Ravindran Executive Editor of International Prime Video has bought the rights to BBC natural history series “Wild Isles,” narrated by David Attenborough in what many believe could be the 95-year-old’s final presenting gig. The streamer secured the deal with distributor Banijay Rights. All episodes will land on Prime Video outside the U.K. on April 21. (The Silverback Films-produced show has been airing on the BBC and is available on the broadcaster’s streaming service, iPlayer.) The Prime Video premiere, which will reach more than 240 countries and territories, is timed to Earth Day on April 22. The five-part natural history series centers on the diverse animal inhabitants of the British Isles, revealing behaviors never before seen on screen. The show features aerial photography, motion controlled time-lapse photography, low-light cameras and macro photography. It was captured over three years in 4K resolution.

EXCLUSIVE: Fox has given a straight-to-series order to medical procedural drama Doc, a U.S. adaptation of the popular Italian series Doc — Nelle tue mani, to premiere during the 2023-24 season. The project, which landed at the network in February in competitive situation with a script-to-series commitment, hails from writer, executive producer and showrunner Barbie Kligman (Magnum P.I.), executive producers Hank Steinberg (For Life) and 3 Arts’ Erwin Stoff, Sony Pictures Television, which acquired the international rights to the format in 2020, and Fox Entertainment Studios.

EXCLUSIVE: The Last of Us has zeroed in on its home base for season 2.

Selome Hailu Good Trip Studios has entered production on a sequel to the 2020 documentary “Have a Good Trip: Adventures in Psychedelics.” A distribution deal has yet to be finalized, though the first film — directed by Donick Cary and hosted by Adam Scott and Nick Offerman — streamed on Netflix. Like the first film, “Have a Good Trip 2: Adventures in Psychedelics” explores the current state of psychedelic drugs in society as well as their scientific potential to treat mental health issues including PTSD, depression and addiction. Comedians and celebrities are featured in re-tellings and re-enactments of true experiences with psychedelics, while leading experts share facts and harm reduction methods.

EXCLUSIVE: Amazon Studios has secured rights to Aaron Foley’s debut novel Boys Come First, with plans to develop the property for television, tapping Chuck Hayward (Ted Lasso) to pen the pilot and exec produce the series.

Scott Pilgrim will be back, and in computer-generated living color: Netflix has picked up an anime series about the beloved slacker-musician from the classic graphic novels, which was made into a 2010 film that starred Michael Cera.

Naman Ramachandran Canadian drama series “Streams Flow From a River” will debut in Canada on Super Channel, available on Apple TV and Prime Video Channels, on April 1. The series is in the Canneseries short format competition and will have its international premiere at the festival on April 18. Produced by Canadian scripted production company Fae Pictures, “Streams Flow From a River” (6 x 14′) is the first Canadian series from an all-Asian writers’ room and 75% East Asian crew led by producer Shant Joshi (“Framing Agnes,” “Porcupine Lake”). Joshi is one of MipTV’s Producers to Watch 2023 and will be attending Mip-Canneseries Connections event.

Becky G appears to be eyeing a return to acting – Just Jared Jr It looks like this fan-favorite HBO series is ending – DListed Model Taylor Hill is sharing photos from her epic bachelorette party – Egotastic Here’s everything we know about the movie adaption of Wicked – Just Jared Jr

Manori Ravindran Executive Editor of International British presenter and comedian Paul O’Grady has died. He was 67. O’Grady’s death was confirmed to the BBC by his partner Andre Portasio, who said the popular TV host died “unexpectedly but peacefully” on Tuesday evening. O’Grady was known for his drag queen persona Lily Savage, and had been performing as Miss Hannigan (a role he first played 25 years ago) in the touring musical “Annie,” which ran for a week at the Edinburgh Playhouse from March 21 to 25. (The show is scheduled to travel to Southampton in April. ) On his official Instagram page, O’Grady wrote on March 13 that he was “thoroughly enjoying playing Hannigan again after so long, especially with a truly amazing and lovely cast.”

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief Taiwan has become a go-to destination for Chinese language series production over the past few years, as international streamers have taken the initiative and as the local content trend has become entrenched in Asia. While some of Taiwan’s advantage may have been handed to it as a result of regional political factors, the movement has led to greater interest in Taiwan stories, both historical and modern.Five Taiwan TV projects are being pitched at Series Mania, that are deemed to have international appeal according to Taiwan Creative Content Agency (TAICCA), a government-backed agency that has become noticeably proactive over roughly the same period.

Jennifer Maas TV Business Writer Jimmy O. Yang and Amazon are back in the funny business: The “Crazy Rich Asians,” “Love Hard” and “Silicon Valley” star has lined up his second standup comedy special with streamer Prime Video, titled “Guess How Much?” Set to launch May 2, the event is a followup to Yang’s first Amazon comedy special, “Good Deal,” which launched in August 2020. In his new standup engagement, Yang will poke fun at “love languages, loser friends, and negotiating with his Asian parents,” per Prime Video. Aside from his memorable parts in “Crazy Rich Asians,” Netflix’s “Love Hard” and HBO’s “Silicon Valley,” Yang is best known as the author of “How to American: An Immigrant’s Guide to Disappointing Your Parents,” which chronicles his journey from life as a young Chinese immigrant to becoming a comedian and actor.

Fremantle Acquires Majority Stake In Belguim’s A Team ProductionsFremantle has acquired a majority stake in A Team Productions (ATP). Based in Belgium, A Team Productions was founded in 2009 and is led by Kobe van Steenberghe and Hendrik Verthé. The company is behind the 2011 short film Land of the Heroes, which won the International Jury Prize at Berlin in 2011. A Team also produced the short Baghdad Messi, which was shortlisted for an Academy Award in 2014. Other credits from the outfit include Patser (Gangsta) by filmmakers Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah. Later this year, A Team will release the feature-length film Baghdad Messi and the high-end fiction series Alter Ego. “I have long admired Kobe, Hendrik, and the whole ATP team’s work,” said Dave Heuten, CEO Fremantle Belgium. “I am excited to be going on this journey with them, finding synergies and developing new content together – I can’t wait to work with this brilliant team and achieve great things together.”

Janette Manrara looked absolutely beautiful as she showcased her blossoming baby bump on Lorraine this week.Speaking about her baby joy alongside husband Aljaz Skorjanec, the Strictly Come Dancing star – who is pregnant with her first child – stunned in a black and blush pink ombre dress by Bar III.See what happened during Janette and Aljaz's appearance The chic ensemble, made from mesh material, boasted a high neckline and a floaty hemline, which showcased her gorgeous physique perfectly."He's (Aljaz) actually been sick more than I have, we really are pregnant together," she told chat show host Lorraine Kelly, adding: "I'm feeling good, I’ve been so lucky with this pregnancy that it’s been so good, we’ve just been to the doctor and everything is all good."The only people we told at first was our family and that was on Christmas Day, we had to.

Strictly's Janette Manrara proudly showed off her blossoming baby bump as she and husband Aljaž Skorjanec sat down for a chat on ITV's Lorraine.The pro dancing couple are clearly ecstatic to be expecting their first child, as they both smiled from ear to are and often placed tender hands on her bump. Janette, 39, looked sensational as she rocked a two-tone grey and nude midi-dress with matching heels which highlighted her growing stomach.

Ethan Shanfeld Fifth Season, the production house behind “Severance,” “Tokyo Vice” and “80 for Brady,” is developing series based on Jean Kwok’s 2014 novel “Mambo in Chinatown,” as well as her upcoming book “The Leftover Woman,” which hits shelves later this year. According to its official description, “The Leftover Woman” is “an evocative family drama and riveting mystery about the ferocious pull of motherhood for two very different women.” Published by William Morrow, the novel will be released on Oct. 10, 2023. “Mambo in Chinatown,” which landed on various year-end lists in 2014, is “about a young woman torn between her family duties in Chinatown and her escape into the world of ballroom dancing.”

Joe Otterson TV Reporter HBO Max is developing a drama series based on the life of Heidi Fleiss, Variety has learned exclusively. The untitled series hails from writer and executive producer Maggie Cohn, who most recently served as the co-showrunner on HBO Max’s critically acclaimed limited series “The Staircase.” Fleiss will serve as a consultant on the project. Emma Tillinger Koskoff (“Joker,” The Irishman”) of First Love Films will also executive produce, along with Alex Goldstone (“Dickinson”) for Anonymous Content, Bill Gerber (“Muhammed Ali,” “A Star Is Born”) of Gerber Pictures, and David Bernon, Paul Bernon, and Sam Slater of Burn Later Productions (“Support the Girls,” “Mile 22,” “Drinking Buddies”).

EXCLUSIVE: The story of the murder of six Black girls in the Washington, D.C. area in the 1970s is to be turned into a podcast and scripted series.

Manori Ravindran Executive Editor of International Civil unrest in France is hitting drama event Series Mania as transit strikes and protests begin to impact festival goers. The popular European drama festival is held annually in Lille in northern France, and has this year drawn its largest number of delegates to date. But the event’s usually tranquil city setting has taken an unexpected turn amid national turmoil in France due to President Emmanuel Macron’s controversial pension reform. Macron’s government is raising the minimum retirement age in France from 62 to 64 years, and prolonging the years of contributions required for a full pension. The reforms were passed last week without a parliamentary vote, prompting widespread protests around the country that have only built upon months of hostilities and strikes by groups such as rail and waste disposal workers.

Ben Croll Montreal-based Also Productions, the rising premium outfit behind the Series Mania title “Disobey” and the popular police drama “The Sketch Artist,” will next hit international waters with the facts-are-stranger-than-fiction geopolitical thriller “Chain Reaction.” Based on the best-selling book from investigative journalist Vincent Larouche, the development project will untangle a multinational web that connected Quebecois businessmen to Swiss bankers to FBI agents to former Libyan strongman Muammar Gaddafi, telling the unbelievable true story of a corruption scandal that nearly brought down the Canadian government. “The Sketch Artist” head writer André Gulluni will freely adapt Larouche’s page-turning exposé, which revealed the misdoings of SNC-Lavalin, a Montreal-based construction company alleged to have bribed and defrauded the Libyan government out of hundreds of millions of dollars. The ensuing (and cascading) financial scandal would soon rope in everyone from top politicos to Texas-based associates of Pablo Escobar.

Homeland co-creators/executive producers Howard Gordon and Alex Gansa are plotting a return to Showtime with Gattaca, a series based on the 1997 movie of the same name. Details are not confirmed as deals for the project, from Sony Pictures Television, are still being finalized.