World Screen

UNIVERSAL CITY: Ricky Gervais will return to host the Golden Globe Awards in 2011, with the event taking place January 16 and set to air on NBC. The 68th annual awards ceremony will air live coast-to-coast from 5 p.m. to 8 …

NEW YORK: The eight-part drama The Kennedys, for AETN’s HISTORY channel in the U.S. and Canada’s History Television, will feature Greg Kinnear and Katie Holmes in starring roles as the president and first lady. Set to premiere in 2011, the 8×1-hour …

STOCKHOLM: Modern Times Group (MTG) has announced the launch of a new localized premium pay-TV sports channel in Bulgaria, Nova Sport. Launching April 30, Nova Sport will air daily from midday to 1 a.m. Content includes English Barclays Premier League and …

NEW YORK/HONG KONG: Amit Malhotra has been promoted to VP of program distribution for Disney Media Distribution Asia Pacific, succeeding Greg Johnson, who has been tapped as senior VP of factual sales and distribution at BBC Worldwide, Americas. Johnson will be based in …

MANILA: The first season of the FremantleMedia dating format Take Me Out launches in the Philippines this week on GMA Network, where it takes a 5 p.m. half-hour slot Monday through Friday. The show is hosted by the Philippines’ "Platinum …

LONDON: A number of new broadcasters have signed on for Parthenon Entertainment’s preschool series City of Friends, which is in production for a second season and a Christmas special. The 26×10-minute CGI animated series, produced be CreaCon Entertainment, has been …

LONDON/WARSAW: BBC Worldwide Channels has clinched carriage deals with two pay-TV platforms in Poland for the launch of BBC HD in the coming weeks. The ITI’s DTH platform n, which reaches 700,000 homes, will begin carrying the channel May 1, with cable operator UPC …

LONDON: BBC One has commissioned a new series on African wildlife and landscapes from the pubcaster’s Natural History Unit for a 2012 premiere. The six-parter promises to explore previously unseen landscapes from across the continent, using the latest in filming technology. …

LONDON: Must Be the Music, a new nationwide search for Britain’s best undiscovered musical talent, has been commissioned by Sky1 HD for eight hour-long episodes. Sky1 and Sky1 HD will launch the series, produced by Princess Productions, this summer. The …

TORONTO: Canwest is expanding its portfolio of specialty networks with the launch of Global Reality Channel, which will serve as a 24/7 destination in Canada for hit reality programming. Global Reality Channel, which launches on Rogers July 1, will air …