ITV

Tag: FremantleMedia

  • FremantleMedia goes global with Jamie Oliver

    FremantleMedia goes global with Jamie Oliver

    CANNES: The distribution arm of global production company FremantleMedia, Fremantle International Distribution (FID), announced at MipTV a raft of international sales for a number of series starring celebrity British chef Jamie Oliver, including Jamie’s School Dinners, Jamie’s Great Italian Escape and Jamie’s Kitchen.

    Jamie’s School Dinners is currently planned to premiere in the US on TLC while Jamie’s Great Italian Escape will make its American debut on theTravel Channel.The launch of Jamie’s Kitchen, also on TLC, will mark the first time the show will air on one of the Discovery Communication Inc.’s cable networks.

    Both Jamie’s Kitchen and Jamie’s School Dinners have received tremendous praise from viewers and critics alike. Jamie’s Kitchen has recieved many awards like Indie Award, C4 Documentary Award (UK), Grierson, Most Entertaining Documentary(UK); Jamie’s School Dinners has won the National Television Award, Most Popular Factual Programme (UK).
    Fremantle International Distribution managing director David Ellender commenting on the raft of international sales said, “Jamie Oliver’s accessibility and culinary creativity have allowed him to transcend cultural and linguistic barriers to create a great demand for his programming around the world. As we introduce Jamie to a wider audience in the United States, Discovery Communications Inc.’s unique array of networks provide the perfect venue for these premieres and make them the ideal partner.”

    Jamie’s Great Italian Escape follows Jamie’s impulsive trip to Italy where he searches for new sources of inspiration in order to reignite his passion for cooking. Driving from town to town in his trusty camper, Jamie’s adventures take him across the country as he learns about street food in Palermo, dines with monks in Farfa and hunts wild boar in the mountains of Le Marche.

    25 territories have to date snapped up Jamie’s latest series, Jamie’sGreat Italian Escape including RaiSat, Italy; TV Norge, Norway; TV Danmark, Denmark; SABC, South Africa; Kanal 5 Sweden; Discovery Asia; Network Ten, Australia; TVB, Hong Kong; TVNZ, New Zealand; RTL2, Germany; Food Network; Canada, WOWOW, Japan; GloboSat, Brazil; VMMA, Belgium; Ren-TV, Russia and CP 2000 and Ceska, Czech Republic.

    In Jamie’s School Dinners, Jamie embarks on a monumental undertaking: take charge of 20,000 school dinners a day in one of London’s most demanding areas. If he succeeds in transforming the way kids eat, Jamie will try to create a blueprint for school meals across the United Kingdom. But will Jamie’s efforts put him at the top of the class or will his quest to create a healthy eating curriculum prove too daunting a task?

    An impressive 33 territories have ordered Jamie’s School Dinners including ORF, Austria; OK-Nova TV, Croatia; Cuisine TV, France; RaiSat, Italy; SIC, Portugal and Kanal 5, Sweden, among others.

    Jamie’s Kitchen chronicles Jamie’s effort to open a brand new restaurant in London’s East End. Not only is this his first restaurant, but Jamie gives himself an additional challenge by selecting 15 unemployed and inexperienced Londoners to train as his chefs. A busy schedule, delays in construction, increasingly troublesome trainees and the birth of his child gradually make the process more difficult for Jamie as he seeks to prove that it’s a passion for food, not academic qualifications, that make a great chef.

    Jamie’s Kitchen has also proved to be a phenomenal globe-trotting series for FID, which has secured sales in over 40 territories, including RTL2 Germany; SBS, Denmark; TV Norge, Norway; Mico, Japan and TVB, Hong Kong.

    Also, FID has also sold Oliver’s Twist to TV Azteca,(Channel 7), in Mexico, which is the 50th market to have bought the series. Fronted by Oliver, Oliver’s Twist blends the culture and style of London street life with interesting people and delectable food. From the markets, to house parties and of course to Jamie’s new kitchen, Jamie cooks up fresh, simple food for good times with family and friends.

  • Fremantle beefs up ancillary rights operations in Latin America, Spanish speaking USA

    Fremantle beefs up ancillary rights operations in Latin America, Spanish speaking USA

    MUMBAI: FremantleMedia Licensing Worldwide (FLW) has appointed Jack Alfandary as vice president licensing and new business development.

    In this newly created position, Alfandary will be responsible for overseeing sponsorship, licensing and digital activity throughout Latin America and Spanish speaking USA for key FremantleMedia brands such as American Idol, The Apprentice, The Price Is Right and the upcoming Latin American and Brazilian local versions of the Idols format, Latin American Idol and Idolos Brazil respectively.

    Additionally, he will manage the company’s new business development initiatives in South and Latin America. Alfandary will be based in Miami and will report to Fremantle Productions Latin America managing director Latin America and Spanish speaking USA Carlos Gonzalez and FremantleMedia Licensing Worldwide, Americas executive vice president Olivier Gers.

    Gonzalez said, “We are really excited to be launching Latin American Idol and Idolos Brazil in the region. The Idols format has been extremely popular with audiences around the world and Jack will be instrumental in ensuring the success of both local versions on and off-air. Jack will be invaluable to the Latin American operation and we’re pleased to welcome him to the team.”

    Gers added, “Latin America and Spanish speaking USA are increasingly important ancillary rights markets for us and Jack’s appointment is indicative of how seriously we view the region. We are really exited to have Jack on board and we are confident that, with his wealth of talent and experience, he will be a great asset to the team and really help further strengthen FremantleMedia’s position as one of the leading licensors and innovators in the Americas.”

    Alfandary joined FremantleMedia in January 2004 as a consultant. Prior to this, he was BMG senior director strategic marketing and business development. There he was responsible for the overall leadership of strategic marketing activities in Latin America and Spanish speaking USA including strategic alliances, new business development, partnership marketing, licensing, media buying and planning, advertising and promotions, catalogue and online marketing and new technology.

  • FremantleMedia launches ‘The X Factor’ in the Middle East

    FremantleMedia launches ‘The X Factor’ in the Middle East

    MUMBAI: Format creator and production firm FremantleMedia has announced that it is launching a local version of The X Factor in the Middle East.

    The X Factor, XSeer Al Najah (The X Factor, The Essence of Success) will be produced by Lebanese production company Studiovision and will premiere on 26 March on music channel Rotana TV, culminating in the grand finale on 4 June.

    The 14 episode series will be broadcast in 22 Arabic speaking countries. Global interactive digital broadcaster Cellcast will handle telephony and will be responsible for mobile content across all 22 countries.

    FremantleMedia regional manager, Middle East and North Africa Isabelle Garcia said, “We are really excited about bringing this format to the Middle East. Not only do we have fantastic judges with great backgrounds but also the acts coming forward are something the Arabian public has never seen before.”

    FremantleMedia adds that thousands of hopefuls with dreams of becoming the next Arabic singing sensation have turned up to perform at auditions in The Lebanon, Jordan, Syria, Kuwait, Egypt, Dubai and Tunisia. Judging the talent are Michel Elefteriades, owner of the celebrated Music Hall in Beirut; Nelly from Egypt, a performer in both the acting and singing fields and Khaled El Sheikh, a Bahraini producer and composer. Following in the footsteps of the UK production, the three categories will comprise younger and older contestants and groups.

    The X Factor has been broadcast in five territories to date: the UK, Belgium, Colombia, Australia and Russia. In the UK, series two of The X Factor attracted audiences of up to 10 million and was voted the most popular entertainment programme of 2005 at the National Television Awards. The second series achieves shares of up to 60 per cent for all individuals, 91 per cent above the broadcaster’s primetime average.

  • FremantleMedia’s Carter to give keynote at MipTV

    FremantleMedia’s Carter to give keynote at MipTV

    MUMBAI: MipTV will kick off in Cannes on 3 April. Day one will see sessions on interactive TV, the future of branding and product integration in a changing world, strategies for digital media in the world of television. The keynote speech will be delivered by FremantleMedia chief creative officer new platforms Gary Carter.

    In this age of increased democratisation of media, where consumers are getting their hands on both the tools of production and distribution, what does the “digital future” actually mean for content creators and active audiences? Carter, in his keynote address titled ‘Whose TV is it anyway?’ will provide a vision about creating collaborative creative relationships between the consumers and professional producers around content.

    The Digital Media Strategies Workshop, organised with Interactive Rights Management will be held on 3 April and will highlight strategies for digital media in the television arena. The workshop will aim to demonstrate to broadcasters and producers how to embrace digital platforms and interactivity. It will also delve on areas such as the role interactivity and new digital platforms play in programme development, the kind programmes that lend themselves to interactivity and how can one take advantage of them for generating new revenue streams?

    This will be followed by the Digital Distribution Showcase keynote by Microsoft senior director Erik Huggers, who will throw light on how digital media technologies can create new business opportunities for the media industry.

    Post this, World Screen editor Anna Carugati is slated to moderate The Future of Branding and Product Integration in a Changing World. This has been organised with Reveille and the Branded Content Marketing Association. The speakers include ProSiebenSat 1 Media – Germany director corporate development Jan David Frouman, FremantleMedia Licensing Worldwide, Americas – USA executive vice president Olivier Gers, Cisco Systems – UK head of media partnerships Simon Jacobson, Two Degrees Ventures LLC. – USA principal Mitch Kanner, Freud Communications – UK vice chairman Kris Thykier and Ford Motor Company – USA senior advisor – global brand entertainment – Al Uzielli.

    The panel will look at how advertising, product placement and branding must adapt to the world of DVRs.

    Another session titled strategies for digital media in the world of television… or is it the other way around?, will have case studies and audience participation. The speakers include Interactive Rights Management Limited – UK creative and commercial director Valérie Bozzetto, Interactive Rights Management Limited – UK business development director Megan Goodwin-Patel and Interactive Rights Management Limited – UK managing director Bruce Vandenberg.

  • FremantleMedia to focus on fun with comedy & entertainment for MipTV

    FremantleMedia to focus on fun with comedy & entertainment for MipTV

    MUMBAI: FremantleMedia will be centre stage at MipTV 2006 as it presents a number of exciting new formats to buyers worldwide.

    From Australia’s Working Dog comes a spontaneous and often hilarious new format, Thank God You’re Here. The improvisation sketch show will premiere on Australia’s Network Ten as an 8 x 1 hour primetime series on 5 April. Thank God You’re Here brings together a group of celebrities whose improvisation skills are tested to the max when they are thrown into an unknown situation which they must ad-lib their way through.

    Each star walks, clueless, through a doorway and into a scene which might be an operating theatre, a Roman dungeon or a spaceship. Greeted by the catchphrase “Thank God Youre Here”, the celebrity must think on their feet and quickly figure out who they are and why they are there.

    Filmed in front of a live studio audience, the show supports the adage that there’s nothing funnier than seeing a great mind in panic. The programme showcases a celebrity’s versatility and sharpness of mind as well as their ability to lie and deceive.

    Straight From The Heart is this new format in which six ordinary people take to the stage to perform a song for an unsuspecting special someone in the audience. Having secretly rehearsed, it’s now their chance to belt out a ballad or raise the rafters with a rock song for their loved one. It could be friends singing in thanks for a unique friendship, a teenager apologising to his parents in song, or perhaps even a melodic proposal of marriage. The surprise element delivers some very real emotional reactions when the performers sing out their special message. There’s no record contract at stake, but the chance to send out a song Straight From The Heart, and be in the running to win a holiday, as awarded by the viewers.

    Variety is back and bigger than ever with Showtime! This vibrant entertainment format is a perfect fit for worldwide primetime schedules, combining talent and tantrums, humour and humility, not to mention its fair share of divas and drama queens.

    The programme features celebrities – news presenters, politicians, chefs as you’ve never seen them before. Each week four well-known personalities are transformed into ‘A list’ performers. With a manager and a budget behind them, they are dressed to impress and take to the stage to deliver their surprising, convincing and sometimes hilarious performances, while the viewers decide which team has made the grade.

    FremantleMedia Worldwide Entertainment executive vice president production Rob Clark said he was looking forward to the prospect of sharing this line-up of programming with MipTV buyers this April. “We are proud to present a diverse and exciting slate, with everything from inventive entrepreneurs to improvisation. With such a great mix of different styles of variety entertainment to suit the range of needs presented by broadcasters around the world, we believe they’ll find what they re looking for at FremantleMedia,” he said.

  • FremantleMedia signs seven deals for ‘Man Stroke Woman’

    FremantleMedia signs seven deals for ‘Man Stroke Woman’

    MUMBAI: Fremantle International Distribution (FID) has agreed major deals with seven countries for the sale of series one of the sketch show Man Stroke Woman.

    A talkbackTHAMES production from Ash Atalla producer of The Office, Man Stroke Woman was first shown on BBC3 last year and will be screened on BBC2 on 13 March.

    The show is proving a success around the globe with deals secured with TVNZ New Zealand, RTE Ireland, TV2 Denmark, MTV OY Finland, Talpa TV Netherlands, IBC Iceland and IBA Israel.

    Man Stroke Woman stars an ensemble cast of actors including Nick Frost, Nick Burns, Daisy Haggard and Amanda Abbington. talkbackTHAMES has also picked up a commission for a second series for BBC3 and BBC2.

    FID head of acquisitions and development Shane Murphy said, “The reaction to the show around the world has been phenomenal and proves yet again the strength of home grown comedy talent.”

    FID will also be launching the Channel 4 sitcom The IT Crowd, also produced by talkbackTHAMES’s Ash Atalla, at MipTV 2006.