All the latest news from the global content industry on Tuesday, 11 March

 

Tuesday, 12.01pm: Netflix orders Forest doc

The UK indie behind BBC2’s The Trouble With KanYe has landed its first Netflix feature documentary.  

Forest is behind Con Mum, examining the true story of how a British chef became the victim of a jet-setting fraudster in 2020.  

Chef and co-founder of Longboys Doughnuts Graham Hornigold was contacted by a jet-setting woman called Dionne, claiming to be the mother he never knew with just months to live and a huge fortune to pass on.  

However he soon realised things weren’t as they seemed, with Forest co-founder and executive producer Jez Lee calling the single an “unbelievable, never told before tale of love and loss” with “formidable original journalism”.  

 

Tuesday, 11.23am: Ukraine to adapt Your Honor

Israel’s Yes Studios has landed a series remake of Your Honor in Ukraine, with 1+1 Media ordering its own version of the scripted format.

1+1 Ukraine will be adapting the format as a 16-part series for broadcast, with the team currently working on adapting the script. Creative details are yet to be revealed.

Your Honor was originally titled Kvodo when it launched on Israel’s Yes TV in 2017, before being picked up and remade by Showtime as Your Honor in 2020. The story tells the story of a respected senior judge whose son is involved in a hit-and-run accident, leading to difficult choices, moral dilemmas, and terrible consequences as he attempts to keep the crime a secret.

Your Honor was created by Ron Ninio and Shlomo Mashiach and produced by Yes TV and Koda Communications. Yes Studios represents the original drama and the format worldwide.

This new deal in Ukraine represents the 11th time the format has been adapted, following the US, France, Germany, Spain, Italy, South Korea, Turkey, India, Russia and, most recently, Hong Kong. 

 

Tuesday, 11.19am: Poison Pen lands ITV order

Ben Stephenson’s transatlantic indie Poison Pen has secured its debut drama series with ITV drama Adultery. 

Described as a provocative love story, the drama follows Tom and his 15-year-old daughter Jess who has found love with schoolmate Ollie.  

When Tom meets Ollie’s mum Beth in unexpected circumstances the two families’ lives are turned upside down.  

The six-part series is penned by Bafta-winning writer and Brassic co-creator Danny Brocklehurst and asks questions about class, grief and the effects of social media.

 

Tuesday, 9.57am: SBS, BBC Select snag Woodcut shows

Woodcut International has closed a string of deals for three Second World War documentary titles, as broadcasters look to mark the 80th anniversary of the end of the conflict.

SBS Australia has acquired an 18-hour package, including Woodcut Media’s Surviving WW2 and doc duo Auschwitz: Countdown to Liberation and Mengele Unveiled, both from Prague-based producer Picasso Film.

Surviving WW2, Auschwitz: Countdown to Liberation and Mengele Unveiled have also been picked up by BBC Studios for BBC Select, the company’s ad-free streaming documentary service available in the US and Canada, while Smithsonian Channel Canada has taken Surviving WW2.

Auschwitz: Countdown to Liberation has also sold to Viasat World, as well as Multicanal Iberia for Canal Historia (Spain), and M6 (France).

 

Tuesday, 9.14am: Sixteen South sells Odo

Belfast-based kids’ production company, Sixteen South, has secured new global sales for its preschool series, Odo, produced with Letko.

The 52 x 7 minute hand-drawn 2.5D animation has been picked up by HRT in Croatia, RTVS and JOJ for Slovakia, YLE in Finland, Radio Canada for French Canada, TVP in Poland, Truevisions in Thailand and PCCW for Hong Kong.

The show is aimed at kids aged 3-5 and was commissioned by Channel 5’s Milkshake! in the UK and KiKA in Germany. 

These latest sales join the previously announced broadcasters including Canal+ France, ABC Australia, TVO-Kids! Canada, HBOMax Lat AM, RTE Ireland, Mini Mini Poland, SVT Sweden, NRK Norway, S4C Wales, and VRT Ketnet Belgium.

 

Tuesday, 9.10am: STV Studios records strong growth

Scotland’s STV Studios upped its revenue across 2024 by a substantial 26% to £84.1m, fuelled by growth in its acquired labels as well as strong returning performances.

Releasing its full year financial results today, the Scottish broadcaster posted an adjusted operating profit for its Studios division that increased by 18% to £6.1m.

Overall STV group revenue was up by 12% from £168.4m to £188m, with the rise driven by acquisition-related growth in Studios as well as Euros-related advertising. Read more

 

Tuesday, 8.32am: Prime Video axes Cruel Intentions reboot

Prime Video has cancelled the recent TV series reboot of 1999 film Cruel Intentions after its first season.

The show was produced by Sony Pictures Television, Amazon Studios and Original Film, with Phoebe Fisher and Sara Goodman penning the script.

The series was set in Washington DC and, like the film, was loosely based on Chodrelos de Laclos’s novel Les Liaisons Dangereuses, exploring how two students used their power to maintain their positions at a presitigeous university.

Prime Video debuted the drama in November, after a circuitous root to screen after it was originally slated for Freevee in 2021.