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Mediaset Commissions Luce Dei Tuoi Occhi from Banijay Studios Italy

14th July 2020 11:10 am Comments Off

Banijay Studios Italy, a Banijay Group company, confirms the beginning of filming of TV series Luce Dei Tuoi Occhi (international title My Ballerina) for Mediaset. The primetime 12×50’ coming-of-age romance thriller will be filmed later this year in the city of Vicenza and will be one of the first TV series to be filmed in Italy according to the new Covid19 safety protocols.

Luce Dei Tuoi Occhi centres around a dance academy in Vicenza and protagonist Emma Conti (Anna Valle – Sorelle, La compagnia del cigno), an international star and choreographer. Sixteen Years ago,after the loss of her baby daughter and subsequent breakdown of her relationship with Davide, Emma fled from Vicenza and settled in New York. Now she returns to her Italian hometown after receiving a mysterious message claiming her daughter could still be alive. Determined to find answers and ultimately, her child, she sets to work at her mother’s local ballet school. While she gets a strong reception from the young dancers, and finds a new love interest in highschool teacher Enrico (Giuseppe Zeno – Scomparsa, Mentre ero via), not everyone will give her a warm welcome…

Week after week, rehearsal after rehearsal, she discovers that everybody has something to hide: one a lie, one a guilty secret, one an unspeakable sin. Unearthing the darkest of secrets as she goes in search of her daughter, she quickly becomes disliked by many and with one willing to do anything to avoid shedding light on the past, even murder isn’t off-limits. Will she find her daughter? Will she avoid harm? Will she be able love again? The answer lies only in Vicenza and the dance academy.

Massimo Del Frate, Head of Drama, Banijay Studios Italy comments:“At the heart of Luce Dei Tuoi Occhi there is a dark secret. Heralding drama from the start, the story unravels in the beautiful Vicenza’s Palladian surroundings, steeped in culture and ballet but also in sickening lies. Anna Valle and Giuseppe Zeno interpret two captivating characters, and are protagonists of a story with very contemporary tones, a universal appeal and aimed at audiences of all ages.”

Luce Dei Tuoi Occhi will be executive produced by Massimo Del Frate for Banijay Studios Italy. Fabrizio Costa will direct the series.

Mediaset retains the rights for Luce dei tuoi occhi for Italy and Spain, while all other international rights sit with Banijay Rights.

Yellow Bird U.S. Locks Rights for Krystal Sutherland’s A Semi-Definitive List of Worst Nightmares

5th February 2020 12:00 am Comments Off

Yellow Bird U.S., a Banijay Group company, today confirms it has optioned the rights for A Semi-Definitive List of Worst Nightmares, the second title from Krystal Sutherland. The planned TV series adaptation will follow the novel’s humorous and moving story about finding the courage to face our deepest fears.

17-year old Esther Solar believes everyone in her family has been cursed with a Great Fear: a debilitating phobia that will ultimately kill them. Her father is agoraphobic, her mother is obsessed with avoiding bad luck, and her brother is petrified of the dark. As for Esther, she is yet to discover hers, and is determined to try and avoid it by carefully cataloguing every possibility in the eponymous “semi-definitive list”. However, her plan is soon upturned when her childhood crush, Jonah, discovers the list, uncovering her secret and convincing her to tackle each and every fear, including the one she was yet to consider… love.

Krystal Sutherland comments: “I am so thrilled that Esther’s story has found its home at Yellow Bird. From the moment I first spoke with Marianne and the team, I was struck by how deeply they understood the characters and the story. I can’t wait to watch them bring it to life on screen.”

Marianne Gray, Executive Producer, Yellow Bird U.S. comments: “I was immediately so impressed by how insightful the writing is. Krystal has an incredible voice and a rare ability to explore difficult themes, including mental health and generational trauma, with heart, humor and hope.”

A Semi-Definitive List of Worst Nightmares is being developed and produced by Yellow Bird U.S., with Marianne Gray and Gil Goldschein executive producing. Launched in 2018 as a joint venture between Yellow Bird Sweden and Bunim/Murray Productions, Yellow Bird U.S. is focused on developing premium, character-driven dramas for the U.S. market. Since its introduction, the business has optioned bestselling novel, The 7 Keys, from Swedish internet security expert, Åsa Schwartz, and I Found You, from Lisa Jewell.

Sutherland’s first novel, Our Chemical Hearts, is also currently being adapted as a feature – she is repped by UTA and Yellow Bird U.S. by WME.

Kamal Haasan, Banijay Asia and Turmeric Media Come Together to Create Regional Content

3rd February 2020 12:00 am Comments Off

Banijay Asia has been quick to position itself as the leading content creation hub in India and South East Asia following its launch two years ago. After developing successful business partnerships with six brands across genres, Banijay Asia today announces the collaboration with Turmeric Media Networks Private Limited and Kamal Haasan to produce content across screens and languages.

Combining the massive fan base of Kamal Haasan and Deepak Dhar’s expertise in content creation and production, the two parties will join forces to gain a strong foothold in the South. The partnership will also see the two entities come together to create long and short-form content across OTT and television.

“We wanted to partner with someone who knew the crux of the content creation and production business. Hence we were in a conversation with Deepak for a while now. With his extensive knowledge in the field, we could see the potential of venturing into a new space of creating regional content in India with Banijay Asia. His understanding of the craft and network have been invaluable in making it a reality. We are excited to collaborate with them to create revolutionary content across all screens and languages,” signs off Kamal Haasan.

Commenting on the partnership, Deepak Dhar, CEO and Founder of Banijay Asia states: “In less than two years, we have created content across genres which has been widely accepted by the viewers. With this partnership, we are confident we will be able to create material which will suffice demands and be appreciated by vast audiences. Along with the mainstream market, we would also like to target the regional base, creating ground-breaking titles for the masses. We at Banijay Asia are proud to have partnered with a personality like Kamal Haasan, who has been a part of our industry for close to 60 years.”

R.Mahendran, Founder Turmeric Media adds: “We are so excited to partner with Banijay Asia. Deepak has an unblemished record of creating success out of many new initiatives in the content space. This association is going to be no different. It is an honour for us to showcase Mr. Kamal Haasan’s expertise in the entertainment business. We are confident that this team shall conjure up some brilliant content that will keep the viewers “spellbound”.

Banijay Rights Signs First-Look Deal With Firecrest Films

30th January 2020 12:00 am Comments Off

Banijay Rights, the leading distribution arm of Banijay Group, has signed a first-look deal with award-winning Scottish production company, Firecrest Films. The new deal will give Banijay Rights exclusive access to brand new documentaries, factual television series and features from the critically-acclaimed producer.

Glasgow-based Firecrest Films has expanded rapidly since taking a minority investment from the Channel 4 Growth Fund in 2017; and in 2018 was named the fastest-growing independent television company outside London. The investment enabled the company to expand its creative team and diversify by adding high-end documentary and factual formats to its catalogue. In the following year, Firecrest won more awards than any other Scottish indie, and it was highlighted as one of The Best Places to Work in TV; it made both the highest-rating Panorama film for BBC One and the highest rating Dispatches film for Channel 4.

Included in the Banijay Rights catalogue will be Firecrest’s critically-acclaimed legal documentary, Murder Trial: The Disappearance of Margaret Fleming (2 x 60’) for BBC Scotland and BBC Two. Filmed by BAFTA Scotland award-winning director Matt Pinder, this compelling documentary is described by the press as “A gripping legal drama about neglect and avarice in a remote coastal community, a tragic and often surreal tale delivered with sensitivity and meticulous craft.”

Murder Case (2 x 60’) is another Firecrest Films production for BBC One Scotland and BBC Two, and is also included in the catalogue. The factual crime series achieved more than six million viewers and has already been commissioned for a further 3 x 60’ series.

The Secret Life of the Museum (4 x 60’), a new factual format for BBC Scotland, is also part of the new deal between Banijay Rights and Firecrest Films. The Secret Life of the Museum will be available from Banijay Rights as either a format or finished programme. Currently in production, the series follows nine children aged around ten-years-old as they visit different museums. The children’s experiences are then intercut with interviews with curators from the museum who tell us the facts behind the collection.

Andreas Lemos at Banijay Rights comments, “We could not be more excited by this latest partnership. We have long-admired Firecrest Films. Its factual series and documentaries have not only made a huge impact on screen but have resonated in the wider media as well – just going to show the power behind the stories that they choose to tell. We cannot wait to introduce Firecrest’s work to the international market, who we know are waiting in anticipation.”

Nicole Kleeman, Managing Director of Firecrest Films adds, “It’s a hugely exciting time to be a fast-growing indie in the Nations. Having the support from Banijay Rights will help us continue our growth into new genres and markets.”

Screentime New Zealand Teams Up with Emergency Services for TVNZ

29th January 2020 12:00 am Comments Off

Screentime New Zealand, part of Banijay Group, today confirms TVNZ1 has commissioned a new 10×60’ documentary series, First Responders.

The first production in New Zealand dedicated to capturing all three major emergency rescue services in one series – helicopters, ambulances, boats – First Responders will portray the stories of those in need across the country; from the transport of critically injured patients, to the winching of a cow from the sea. With unprecedented access, each episode will combine rescue footage with 111 call audio and interviews to create an intimate relationship between the audience and First Responders.

Philly de Lacey, Executive Producer and CEO of Screentime New Zealand comments: “With state-of-the-art rigging, a highly experienced team, and never-before-seen access, we are confident this series will put audiences right at the heart of the nation’s first response teams. After 18 years working on Police Ten 7, the crew are well-versed in capturing the real-life high adrenaline drama that comes with the territory and we look forward to sharing this world with the rest of the country.”

Cate Slater, Director of Content at TVNZ comments: “The work these three emergency teams do 24-hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year is invaluable. We’re excited to bring viewers a unique insight into this life-saving work. They’ll get to see first-hand the immense dedication these highly skilled professionals bring to their jobs. We’re full of admiration for our first responders and we know our audience will feel the same.

First Responders was commissioned by TVNZ and will be produced by Screentime New Zealand and executive produced by Philly de Lacey and Tina McLaren. The series will be distributed by Banijay Rights.

Banijay Rights Signs First Look Deal with Storyboard Studios

28th January 2020 12:00 am Comments Off

Banijay Rights today announces a three year first look agreement with Scottish Storyboard Studios, part of independent production group iZEN. The company specialises in premium documentary, specialist factual and formats and is headed up by Natalie Humphreys, former controller of factual at the BBC. The agreement is set to bolster the Banijay Rights catalogue which currently sits at more than 20,000 [hours]. With new commissions in production for UK and global broadcasters soon to be announced, further news about collaborative programming as a result of this deal is expected to drop this summer.

Emily Elisha, Head of Factual, Banijay Rights comments: “We were impressed by Storyboard’s very developed slate and the traction they had already achieved with it. That coupled with Natalie and the team’s wealth of experience and success in the factual and factual entertainment space made them a great potential production partner for us. We are excited to be working together!”

Natalie Humphreys, Managing Director, Storyboard says: “To kick off 2020 announcing that we’re working with Emily and the Banijay Rights team is in line with the big plans already in motion for this year. The creativity and energy they bring is a vital ingredient that’s extremely hard to find. Our experience in developing and delivering breakthrough and distinctive content teaches us that this support and passion is crucial to achieving both of our objectives.’

Spain Continues to Love La Isla de las Tentaciones

27th January 2020 12:00 am Comments Off

Banijay Group’s Cuarzo Producciones’ first season of La Isla de las Tentaciones has got everyone talking! The local adaption of the hit format Temptation Island, distributed globally by Banijay Rights, has launched with great ratings, securing 3 million viewers across Telecinco and Cuatro on its first outing on 9 January. Airing on both channels, the show has repeatedly attracted high audience numbers, as well as breaking records for its companion show.

Beyond the ratings, the series also scored high across social media. The first episode received 186,543 messages during its broadcast and four hashtags were trending with the recent bonfire clip featuring Christofer going viral. Elsewhere, @islatentaciones gained 30,000 followers in a day on Instagram and more than 3 million profile visits over the course of a week. News regarding one of the contestants on Instagram Live has also become one of the most visited pages on Mediaset’s website.

The series continues on Telecinco and Cuatro this week.

Banijay Italia to Produce Two New Formats for Amazon Prime Video, Ferro and Dinner Club

24th January 2020 12:00 am Comments Off

Banijay Italia, a Banijay Group company, starts the new year by announcing it will produce two new formats, Ferro and Dinner Club. Centring on well-known faces, Tiziano Ferro and Carlo Cracco, the titles will be available on Amazon Prime Video in 2020.

Ferro is an unfiltered depiction of one of the most-loved artists in Italy and worldwide, revealing unpublished and fascinating details of Tiziano Ferro’s life and personality. It is not a self-celebratory documentary, the project, in fact, allows a viewer to discover original and private aspects about his life, passions and work. Unveiling a fascinating and complex personality, it will be available exclusively in June 2020 on Amazon Prime Video.

Dinner Club is not a classic cooking show, it is a culinary travelogue featuring Chef Carlo Cracco. Irony and adventure set the programme’s tone as the viewer discovers some of the world’s most amazing gastronomic wonders. Six special friends accompany Cracco through Japan, Vietnam, France, Spain, Peru and Mexico. These companions are made up of famous actors and comedians including Sabrina Ferilli and Luciana Littizzetto. The Chef aims to transform the guest stars into true professionals of taste, learning from the best chefs in the world, so they will be able to spot the perfect dinner. Dinner Club will be available on Amazon Prime Video in 2020.

RDF to Document Building of Britain’s Most Expensive Home for Channel 4

22nd January 2020 12:00 am Comments Off

RDF, a Banijay Group Company, today announces it has been commissioned by Channel 4 to make a 1×60’ prime-time documentary following the building of billionaire businessman, John Caudwell’s, lavish new home in London’s Mayfair.

In Britain’s Most Expensive Home: Building for a Billionaire, RDF has exclusive access to the building site of one of the most epic homes ever to be renovated in the UK. The documentary will tell the story of this complex project, covering almost 50,000 square foot that must be carried out in the narrow confines of historic Mayfair.

Over budget and behind schedule, the build is far from plain sailing. Self-made billionaire and philanthropist John Caudwell, who sold Phones 4u in 2006 for just under £1.5 billion, is at the heart of the film, cajoling builders and designers alike to deliver on his vision for his new home. With access to the trades people and interior designers who must answer to one exacting client the film follows their work as a they try to meet the new deadline for completion.

Unique engineering tasks and challenges include a vast subterranean basement that joins two mansions together, housing a mechanical car stacker that can store eight cars at the click of a button, and a second floor dining room featuring a river with live fish.

Dan Barraclough, Executive Producer, RDF said: “This incredible access gives us a glimpse into the world of the truly mega wealthy, where every whim can be realised, but where things can still go wrong, as on any building site. At the heart of the programme is the intriguing character of Caudwell himself – A tough taskmaster, but also a committed philanthropist. He is a man with huge wealth, but one who still counts the pennies, the boy from Stoke who has set his heart on a home in the ‘old money’ world of Mayfair. It makes for a fascinating character portrayal.”

Britain’s Most Expensive Home: Building for a Billionaire was commissioned by Jonny Rothery, Commissioning Editor for Features & Formats at Channel 4, and is Executive Produced by Dan Barraclough at RDF. RDF is part of the Banijay Group, and all worldwide rights to Britain’s Most Expensive Home : Building for a Billionaire are owned by Banijay Rights.

Banijay Rights Signs Multi-Season Deal for Survivor

15th January 2020 12:00 am Comments Off

Banijay Rights, the leading distribution arm of Banijay Group, today announces a multi-season deal with RTL Hungary for its iconic Emmy Award-winning reality format, Survivor.

The new deal in Hungary follows the success of Survivor in Russia where it won the TEFI television award, after being recently rebooted by Mastiff Russia and has already been recommissioned for another series set to air later this year. Elsewhere in CEE, Survivor will return to screens in Romania with series two landing in 2020 on Kanal D.

Survivor returned to Hungarian audiences in 2017 after a 13-year hiatus and has continued to go from strength to strength. The deal was negotiated by Sales Manager, Simon Subreville and Andrew Sime, VP of Formats at Banijay Rights and RTL Klub.

Produced in more than 40 territories since its launch in 2000, the Survivor franchise has proved a huge hit with audiences worldwide. These new orders add to the multiple long-running series already airing in Australia, France, Israel, Sweden, Italy, South Africa, Spain, Benelux, Netherlands and Denmark. In the USA, which regularly attracts audiences of more than 8 million viewers on CBS, a 40th series will premiere on 12th February with a special two-hour episode. To celebrate this milestone CBS will air a one-hour special, Survivor at 40: Greatest Moments and Players, which will look back on the past 20 years of the ground-breaking series.

Tim Mutimer, CEO of Banijay Rights, comments, “Survivor is a proven ratings winner for broadcasters around the world, particularly for younger demographics. Its unpredictable twists and turns make it must see, talked about tv and enables broadcasters to stand out from other platforms. It’s fantastic to secure this multi-season deal with RTL Hungary who value the Survivor format’s ability to cut through as much as we do. “

Péter Kolosi, Deputy CEO, Director of Programming at RTL Hungary said “Survivor has already been an outstanding success in Hungary and is one of the most popular shows with our viewers. It also recently won the Television Journalists Award for Best Reality. The 2020 series promises even more excitement and twists, as, for the first time ever, civilian contestants will go up against celebrities for victory. New host Joe will ensure Survivor remains as tough and as challenging as it has always been.”

Banijay Rights will be at NATPE Miami, booth 304, with Survivor Consultant Executive Producer – Julia Dick.

Ratings Flash

10th January 2020 12:00 am Comments Off

It has been a big week for ratings across Banijay Group! First up, Spain’s adaption of Temptation Island (La Isla de las Tentaciones) became the number one show of the evening, drawing 3 million viewers across Telecinco and Cuatro. Produced by Cuarzo Producciones and distributed by Banijay Rights, the show also drummed up significant buzz on social platforms with the hashtag #LaIslaDeLasTentaciones1 trending on twitter.

Elsewhere, Air Productions’ Don’t Forget The Lyrics had a great start to 2020 breaking its own record by this week attracting 2.8m viewers (+25% on season average) to its first episode and 4.2m for episode 2 (+30% on season average).

Banijay Studios North America Hires Rebecca Mayer as Executive Vice President of Programming and Development

8th January 2020 12:00 am Comments Off

Production and development executive Rebecca Mayer has joined Banijay Studios North America, a Banijay Group company (“Temptation Island,” “Survivor”, “Wife Swap”), in the newly created position of Executive Vice President of Programming and Development. Mayer will focus on expanding the studio’s development and current slate in the U.S., creating original content for broadcast, cable and streaming. This includes collaborating with Banijay’s independent international producers on creating English-language programs based on new and proven formats. She will report to David Goldberg, President and CEO, Banijay Studios North America and will be based in Los Angeles.

Goldberg said: “I am thrilled to welcome Rebecca to the Banijay family. Her extensive producing experience, creativity and infectious enthusiasm make her the ideal choice to oversee our development and programming departments. I have no doubt that she will be a great asset to the future of our company.”

Prior to joining Banijay, Mayer was a development consultant and producer under an overall deal at the Universal Television Alternative Studio for three years. She worked on formats including NBC’s comedy competition series “Bring the Funny,” musical competition series “Songland” and sports competition series “The Titan Games,” hosted by Dwayne Johnson. Mayer has served as showrunner and executive producer on docu-series, reality, live, and live-to-tape formats in the U.S. and UK, including the news talk series “TakePart Live” (Pivot), “Toddlers & Tiaras” (TLC) and “FABLife” (Disney/ABC). Mayer began her career in casting (Intervention, Kid Nation) and has worked extensively in production and development.

David Goldberg launched Banijay Studios North America in April, 2014 after pioneering the reality TV genre as founder of Endemol USA, where he churned out a broad portfolio of hits such as “Big Brother,” “Deal or No Deal,” “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition,” “Steve Harvey,” and “Wipeout.” Banijay Studios North America’s recent credits include “Child Support” with Ricky Gervais, hosted by Fred Savage; the iconic international hit formats “Temptation Island,” currently in its second season on USA, “Wife Swap,” currently in its second season on Paramount Network, and the upcoming original comedy competition series “Don’t” (ABC), a collaboration with producing partner Ryan Reynolds, hosted by Adam Scott.

Headquartered in Los Angeles, Banijay Studios North America (BSNA) creates original network, syndicated and cable programming and develops Banijay’s successful formats for the U.S. market.

Mayer is repped by WME and Schreck Rose.

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