Warner Bros. Inks Russian Format Deals

BURBANK, October 4: Warner Bros. International Television
(WBITV) has struck format deals with Russian broadcasters for locally produced
versions of classic American comedies Suddenly Susan, Perfect Strangers, Step by Step and Full House.

Denis Leroy, the VP of format licensing and production at
WBITV, noted, “We are thrilled to be collaborating with our partners at Ren TV,
AMEDIA and CTC, respectively, to produce high-quality Russian productions of
these four classic Warner Bros. comedies. The humor and relationships inherent
in the original versions of these series are universally relatable, and we look
forward to bringing these stories to life for viewers in Russia.”

WBITV is working with AMEDIA to produce 50 episodes of Perfect
Strangers, which launched last month on Ren
TV. Casting is underway on Suddenly Susan for CTC, which has committed to a 40-episode run. CTC has also signed
up for 40 episodes of Step by Step
and 20 episodes of Full House.

In related news, the studio has renewed the format rights to
The Bachelor in Slovakia on Markiza TV,
and has signed a new deal for a version of the show in the Czech Republic on
Nova TV.