Tuesday round-up: Latest news, deals & hires

Canada’s Safehaven lands at Sphere Abacus

Sphere Abacus has acquired Ravenwood Productions’ supernatural thriller Safehaven for worldwide distribution, excluding the US.

The 10 x 60-minute show has been created by James Seale and is based on his graphic novel, with Michael Bay’s 451 Media Group producing.

The series has been filmed in Canada, is directed by Kaare Andrews and James Seale, produced by Kevin V. Duncan, Stan Spry and Anthony Fankhauser, and written by Sarah Larsen, Tamara Moulin, Charlotte Corbeil-Coleman, Adriana Capozzi and Seale.

The show follows a rebellious teen with a troubled past who finds herself trapped in her own artistic creation following a car accident that leaves her in a coma. Working with a mysterious new school counselor, she attempts to uncover the truth and return to the living world.

Acorn TV orderrs Brooke Shields drama

AMC Networks’ streamer Acorn TV has greenlit crime drama Allie & Andi, with Brooke Shields set to star.

The six-parter is from creator/writer Robin Bernheim and is set in a quaint New England colonial town, with the story following a bestselling novelist (Shields) who forms an unlikely alliance with an aspiring writer and influencer to find the killer of a close friend.

Allie & Andi is a co-production between AMC Studios and Dynamic Television, with AMC Studios/Acorn TV holding distribution rights in North America, UK, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand. Dynamic Television serves as international distributor.

Bernheim (Star Trek: Voyager) first worked with Shields - who is exec producing Allie & Andi - on Mother of the Bride. 

BBCS extends Viaplay partnership

BBC Studios and Viaplay Group have extended their advertising partnership in Norway and Sweden for linear channel BBC Nordic.

The deal sees advertising for the multi-genre channel being sold locally through Viaplay Group in both countries.

BBC Nordic will also be included in Viaplay Group Sweden’s linear channel portfolio. BBCS’ senior vice-president and general manager of Benelux & Nordics Bram Husken said: “Extending our partnership with Viaplay Group in Sweden provides a premium environment for brands to sit alongside the broad, unmissable content offering available on the BBC Nordic channel.”

Al Jazeera buys Aussie doc Nanny Nellie

Al Jazeera English has picked up the Australian documentary Her Name is Nanny Nellie for its international docs strand Witness.

The doc, by Australian Aboriginal filmmaker Daniel King, follows his family’s fight to reclaim the life stories of his grandmother and others in the archives of the Australian Museum. It marks boutique distributor Jambika Docs’ first global deal since it launched in January.

The film will have its world premiere on 16 April and will also be broadcast on Al Jazeera’s Balkans channel. Senior acquisitions producer for Al Jazeera English Jackie Murphy said: ” At a time when the reclamation of Indigenous histories is more important than ever, this documentary…offers a rare and profound insight into his family’s fight to restore truth and dignity.”