There was a moment last November when Channel 4 ’s senior executives breathed a sigh of relief. Sat at the top table of Channel 4’s 40th birthday party, Chief Executive Alex Mahon was flanked by her friend Elisabeth Murdoch and doyens of UK broadcasting, including BBC Director-General Tim Davie and Carolyn McCall, ITV’s Chief Executive. They were raising a glass to a British success story in a rare public display of unity. On the same table was Thérèse Coffey, a senior government minister who had survived three prime ministers in the space of little more than three months. Her presence at the V&A Museum event bemused others, who believed the government only had hostile intentions for Channel 4 after sanctioning a sale of the broadcaster against its wishes. Things soon got weirder. Coffey turned to Mahon and asked if she could raise a glass to Channel 4. She then proceeded to surprise the room full of TV luminaries by serenading her hosts with a rendition of happy … [Read more...] about Channel 4: Inside The Doomed Sale Of A Crown Jewel Of British Television
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London’s Kinoteka Polish Film Festival Unveils 2023 Lineup Including BFI-Backed Jerzy Skolimowski Retrospective
EXCLUSIVE: The Kinoteka Polish Film Festival has set the lineup for its 21st edition, running March 9 — April 27 at venues across London. The festival will open at the Institute of Contemporary Arts with the UK Premiere of Polish filmmaker Damian Kocur’s debut feature, Bread and Salt . Inspired by true events, the pic follows Tymek, a young and talented student of the Warsaw Academy of Music who returns to his provincial hometown for vacation. Upon his return, he discovers that the central meeting point for local youth is a newly created kebab bar. Tymek witnesses a growing conflict between the shop workers, who are Arabs, and his friends from the neighborhood, leading to a conflict that will turn out to be tragic. The film debuted at Venice last year. The festival will close with a gala screening of the 1977 film Top Dog (Wodzirej) at the Cine Lumiere in South Kensington. Causing much debate in Poland on its original release, Top Dog follows the story of … [Read more...] about London’s Kinoteka Polish Film Festival Unveils 2023 Lineup Including BFI-Backed Jerzy Skolimowski Retrospective
Amazon Praises Video As Key Driver Of Prime; 2022 Content Spend, Including Music, Hit $16.6 Billion
UPDATED with content spend stats from annual report: Giant Amazon said its total expenses for video and music came to $16.6 billion last year, up from $13 billion in 2021. Video and music expense includes licensing and production costs associated with content offered within Amazon Prime memberships, and costs associated with digital subscriptions and sold or rented content, according to the company’s latest annual report that followed fourth quarter financials yesterday. On an earnings call Thursday, CFO Brian Olsavsky noted that Amazon spent $7 billion on originals, live sports and licensed content in 2022, up from $5 billion the year before. It’s unclear if those figures include all worldwide video content, which is increasingly central to Amazon’s strategy in driving membership for Prime, the biggest loyalty program in the world and the beating heart of the company. Amazon (which acquired MGM last year for $8.5 billion in cash) carefully evaluates its return on … [Read more...] about Amazon Praises Video As Key Driver Of Prime; 2022 Content Spend, Including Music, Hit $16.6 Billion
‘The Traitors’ U.S. Premiere Becomes Most-Watched BBC Three Show Since Linear Relaunch
For the BBC , spooky mystery format The Traitors is the gift that keeps on giving. While BBC One’s UK version proved an outsized hit and ratings bonanza, the U.S. version’s premiere has just become the most-watched show on the relaunched BBC Three linear network. With 1.2M consolidated viewers over the past two weeks, the opening episode, titled The Game is Afoot, sits atop the BBC Three charts, according to Barb data supplied by Liam Hamilton. Separately, the U.S. version, which airs on Peacock and was acquired from All3 Media International, has also been available to watch in full on BBC iPlayer since the start of last month. Hosted by Alan Cumming , the U.S. version differs from the UK’s in that it mixes a number of reality TV icons with non-celebrities. Having become the most-watched Peacock reality series, it was greenlit for a second season yesterday along with an Andy Cohen-hosted reunion special for later this month. Set in the Scottish … [Read more...] about ‘The Traitors’ U.S. Premiere Becomes Most-Watched BBC Three Show Since Linear Relaunch
Benedict Cumberbatch To Lead & EP Netflix’s ‘Eric’ From Abi Morgan & Sister
Benedict Cumberbatch is to lead and EP Netflix ’s Eric , playing a puppeteer whose son goes missing in 1980s Manhattan. Netflix has set cast on the Abi Morgan -penned show from Chernobyl producer Sister and the likes of Gaby Hoffman, McKinley Belcher II, Dan Fogler and Phoebe Nicholls will star opposite Cumberbatch. Cast is rounded out by Clarke Peters, Ivan Morris Howe, David Denman, Bamar Kane, Adepero Odyue, Alexis Molnar and Roberta Colindrez. The six-parter follows Vincent Anderson (Cumberbatch), a grief-stricken puppeteer on a leading TV show whose young boy goes missing and who finds solace through his friendship with Eric, the monster that lives under his son’s bed. The Split scribe Morgan’s Little Chick is producing with Sister and Morgan EPing alongside Cumberbatch, Jane Featherstone, Lucy Dyke and Lucy Forbes. “Eric is a dark and crazy journey into the heart of 1980’s New York, and the good bad and ugly world of Vincent,” said Morgan. “The chance … [Read more...] about Benedict Cumberbatch To Lead & EP Netflix’s ‘Eric’ From Abi Morgan & Sister
Toni Collette & Odessa Young Reunite On Nathan Silver’s Revenge Thriller ‘The Prima Donna’; Cornerstone Launching At The EFM
Mafia Mamma and Knives Ou t star Toni Collette and Odessa Young ( The Staircase, Mothering Sunday, Shirley ) have signed to co-star in writer and director Nathan Silver’s twisted revenge thriller The Prima Donna . Collette and Young previously worked together on HBO’s award-winning series The Staircase . The drama revolves around dysfunctional family dynamics, the dangers of ambition, and the lengths we will go to make our mark on the world. Set in contemporary Rome, Collette will play a legendary opera diva who is about to step into the role of a lifetime just as her estranged daughter (Young) shows up at her doorstep, right out of rehab. An aspiring opera singer herself, the daughter summons up the courage to ask to be her mother’s understudy. When her mother callously dismisses the suggestion, she snaps and starts mulling the ultimate revenge, igniting a cut-throat battle of wills. Silver, whose previous credits include Thirst Street, Uncertain … [Read more...] about Toni Collette & Odessa Young Reunite On Nathan Silver’s Revenge Thriller ‘The Prima Donna’; Cornerstone Launching At The EFM
Latto Performs Melody Of Hits At Spotify’s Best New Artist Party
TMZ.com Latto seemingly wasn't phased by the fact she can't sell her panties ... she got back into her MC bag performing for Spotify's Best New Artist on Thursday!!! The "Big Energy" rapper was among several performers at the event inside Pacific Design Center in West Hollywood ... and blitzed through a melody of hits dropped by her own DJ Von . She and her backup dancers also put on a twerking display right before wooing the crowd with her signature "Big Energy" banger, which is up for Best Melodic Rap Performance at this year's Grammys!!! Gallery Launch Gallery Getty Latto is also up for Best New Artist at the upcoming awards ... and we can safely say she's capping off a crazy week after nearly becoming $100K richer after attempting to pawn her used underwear on eBay. TMZ.com As we told you, eBay removed the sale of the cheetah-print panties just as it was hitting the six-figure mark, -- potentially giving her manager … [Read more...] about Latto Performs Melody Of Hits At Spotify’s Best New Artist Party