L.A. Screenings Buyer Feedback: BBC and ProSiebenSat.1

LOS ANGELES, May 28: World Screen Newsflash speaks to the BBC’s George McGhee and ProSiebenSat.1’s Rüdiger Böss about the new American dramas and comedies presented at the L.A. Screenings.

George McGhee, the controller of program acquisitions at the BBC, says this year’s scaled-back L.A. Screenings were “much as we expected.” Noting that he wouldn’t single anything out, McGhee says that overall, there was “some well made fare but so far nothing is truly a standout. We look forward to seeing all the other completed shows in due course.”

Rüdiger Böss, the senior VP of group program acquisitions at ProSiebenSat.1 Group, was impressed by a smattering of pilots and presentations. He cites Warner Bros.’s The Mentalist with its “charismatic lead” and Fringe. Both, he says, are “sure hits.”

CBS Paramount’s Worst Week, meanwhile, was “one of the most hilarious sitcoms in years,” B?adds, while the new 90210 could be “the perfect partner for Gossip Girl.” Harper’s Island, also from CBS Paramount, “has a gripping story line and the viewer will know from the beginning that you have 13 episodes and then all mysteries are solved.”

For more on what was presented at the L.A. Screenings, see WorldScreen.com’s fall season guide and read an assessment of new shows by RTE’s Dermot Horan.

—By Mansha Daswani and Anna Carugati