ITV

Tag: Fremantle International Distribution

  • FremantleMedia in development deal with Absolutely Productions

    FremantleMedia in development deal with Absolutely Productions

    MUMBAI: The global distribution arm of FremantleMedia, Fremantle International Distribution (FID) announced the signing of a development deal with award-winning UK independent, Absolutely Productions.

    The deal will see Absolutely develop a number of projects in conjunction with FID over the next three years. FID will have a ‘first look’ distribution option over Absolutely’s comedy and drama slates and will have exclusive international distribution rights for TV, home entertainment and formats to all co-created projects.

    Fremantle International Distribution head of acquisitions and development Shane Murphy commented, “We are delighted to have secured a deal which will enable us to develop new and exciting programming with the creative minds at Absolutely Productions. FID is currently expanding its catalogue of high-quality comedy and drama and Absolutely, having produced some of the most innovative and memorable comedy and drama since its founding in the 1980s, is a fitting partner for our world-beating catalogue.”

    Absolutely Productions board member Gordon Kennedy added, “We are delighted that Absolutely and FID have linked up to develop new comedy and entertainment projects over the next few years. It is a really exciting challenge and an important stimulus to our creative thinking and planning to have this sort of relationship with an international distributor. With Fremantle’s pre-eminent position as a top international distributor of both formats and finished product, we at Absolutely are very confident that this new alliance will be a tremendous success.”

    Founded in 1988 by Morwenna Banks, Jack Docherty, Moray Hunter, Pete Baikie, John Sparkes and Gordon Kennedy, Absolutely Productions has been a producer of quality television since 1990, with key titles including the ground-breaking and influential Absolutely, along with the BAFTA award-winning Barry Welsh Is Coming, Trigger Happy TV, Meg And Mog, Pub Quiz, Historyville and Stressed Eric, said an official release.

  • FremantleMedia to distribute ‘The IT Crowd’

    FremantleMedia to distribute ‘The IT Crowd’

    MUMBAI: Fremantle International Distribution (FID) will be distributing the brand new talkbackTHAMES sitcom, The IT Crowd, worldwide.

    The IT Crowd, which premieres with a double bill on the UK’s Channel 4 today , is the latest highly-anticipated comedy offering from talkbackTHAMES producer, Ash Atalla.

    Written and directed by Graham Linehan, The IT Crowd is about an IT department – Roy (Chris O’Dowd), Jen (Katherine Parkinson) and Moss (Richard Ayoade) – who work in the basement of Reynholm Industries while their beautiful colleagues work upstairs in fantastic surroundings. Filmed in front of a live studio audience, The IT Crowd is a surreal look at the underclass of a company.

    FID will launch the hot new comedy at MIPTV 06 in Cannes in April, where it will feature within an exciting slate of programming.

    Fremantle International Distribution head of acquisitions and development Shane Murphy said, “FID has a tremendous heritage in comedy and The IT Crowd is the beginning of a renewed focus on quality comedy programming. We are delighted to be working with talkbackTHAMES, along with some of the UK’s most exciting comedy talent.”

    FID is also distributing another of Ash Atalla’s creations, Man Stroke Woman, which launched on the UK’s BBC3 in November 2005. The series, which aired throughout November and December, achieved market shares up to 73 per cent above the channel’s average for the timeslot, and up to 114 per cent above the primetime average for viewers aged 16 to 34.

    The show is now set to make the move to terrestrial, and will settle into its new home on BBC2 at the end of February.