EXCLUSIVE: Non-English language drama streamer Walter Presents has acquired a package of five drama titles from Beta for release on its services in Australia and New Zealand. The titles include Italian YA drama The Sea Beyond , Spanish investigative drama Rapa and German WWII miniseries The Turncoat . The Sea Beyond , revolving around young inmates in a Naples prison, has enjoyed strong ratings in Italy on Rai, RaiPlay and Netflix since its launch in late 2020. The third season is currently enjoying linear success on Rai2. Rapa , which was the most watched show on Spanish streamer Movistar Plus+ in 2022, follows a high school teacher and local police officer in the Spanish port city of Ferrol, who form an unlikely team in solving a murder case. Two-part, event mini-series The Turncoat is about a young German soldier in 1944, who is posted to a small unit in the Polish woods, where he connects with local partisans and becomes torn between a sense … [Read more...] about Walter Presents Seals Five-Title Drama Deal With Beta For Australia & New Zealand
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France Télévisions Boss Delphine Ernotte Cunci Talks Debunking Major Societal Issues & “Building A Common Imagination” – Series Mania
France Télévisions boss Delphine Ernotte Cunci is looking to “debunk” and tackle major societal issues such as sexual violence via the public broadcaster’s shows. Addressing Series Mania , Ernotte Cunci said she wants to be “free of constraints” in order to make meaningful programing. She used sexual violence as an example, which she said France Télévisions will spotlight with dramas, documentaries and news. “I want to debunk [major societal issues] like sexual violence and keep tackling them,” she added, citing documentaries the network made about the #MeToo scandal several years ago. Ernotte Cunci, who is also chair of the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), praised TV writers for having “a sixth sense” for these topics, which helps with France Télévisions’ dramatic content. She backed TV drama to help build “a common imagination.” “Sometimes as individuals we experience emotions and we don’t know how to analyze them,” she added. “Building a common imagination … [Read more...] about France Télévisions Boss Delphine Ernotte Cunci Talks Debunking Major Societal Issues & “Building A Common Imagination” – Series Mania
BBC Must Explain Glossy U.S. Acquisitions After Being Accused By ITV Of Chasing Ratings
The BBC has been told that it must be more transparent about its content acquisitions strategy after being accused by ITV of buying glossy U.S. shows to chase ratings. Ofcom , the UK’s media regulator, said the BBC must explain in its Annual Plan how buying content, as opposed to commissioning British originals, supports “distinctiveness” and engages different audiences. The BBC is funded by the British public to the tune of £3.8B ($4.7B), meaning it has an obligation to be distinct from commercial rivals like ITV and serve all audiences. Ofcom made the intervention as part of plans to update the BBC’s operating licence for a digital age from next month. A guiding principle of the changes is transparency, with Ofcom arguing that the BBC has not always provided proper “detail and clarity” on updates to its output and services. In a submission to Ofcom’s review, ITV said the BBC had “dramatically increased” its spend on acquired content over the past six years, … [Read more...] about BBC Must Explain Glossy U.S. Acquisitions After Being Accused By ITV Of Chasing Ratings
‘Son Of A Critch’ Renewed For Season 3 By CBC
EXCLUSIVE: Canadian comedy Son of a Critch is establishing itself as a mainstay of CBC ’s schedule as it is greenlit for a third season before the second has finished airing. CBC said Season 2, which finishes next week, is the pubcaster’s most-watched English Canadian comedy series and most-watched show with 18-49 year olds. The series is produced by Schitt’s Creek’ s Andrew Barnsley and created by Mark Critch, who plays a fictionalized version of himself based on his award-winning memoir, with The Office scribe Tim McAuliffe. The show tells the story of 11-year-old Mark coming of age in St. John’s, Newfoundland in the ’80s, a boy much older inside than his 11 years – using comedy and self-deprecation to win friends and connect with the small collection of people in his limited world. Filming begins on Season 3 in Newfoundland this summer. “I’m honoured to have such talented people bringing my life story to the screen,” said Critch. “It’s a joy to start work … [Read more...] about ‘Son Of A Critch’ Renewed For Season 3 By CBC
Buster Murdaugh Named by Stephen Smith’s Mom as Murder Suspect in FBI Letter
Stephen Smith 's mom fired off a letter to the FBI about the mishandling of her son's death investigation, saying he was murdered for being gay and naming Buster Murdaugh as a possible suspect. Sandy Smith sent the 4-page letter to the Federal Bureau of Investigation in 2016, hoping the agency would take over the case from local South Carolina authorities, whom she believed had covered up critical evidence in the case. As you know, Stephen was found dead in the middle of a country road in Hampton County near the Murdaugh family estate on July 8, 2015. Investigators initially thought Stephen's death was a "homicide" because there were no signs he'd been struck by a vehicle. Cops then inexplicably changed their minds and determined that it was a hit-and-run accident. Document Launch Doc In the letter , obtained by FITSNews, Sandy wrote Stephen's older brother, Christopher , was told by a classmate that Buster Murdaugh allegedly killed Stephen with … [Read more...] about Buster Murdaugh Named by Stephen Smith’s Mom as Murder Suspect in FBI Letter