World Screen

ATLANTA: Turner Classic Movies (TCM) is to launch a new series of one-hour specials, A Night at the Movies, which gives an overview of the top cinematic genres. The series kicks off on October 2 with The Suspenseful World of Thrillers. …

LONDON: E4 has acquired the U.K. premiere broadcast rights for Important Things with Demetri Martin, part stream-of-consciousness sketch show, part comedic stand up, from MTV Networks International (MTVNI). The first seven-part season was shown earlier this year on Comedy Central …

LONDON: Ofcom’s latest Communications Market Report reveals that Britons are spending more time than ever watching television, using their cell phones and going online, while also paying less for those services. Ofcom’s sixth Communications Market Report explores the U.K.’s TV, radio, …

PASADENA: Among the projects on USA Network’s 2010 development slate are Facing Kate, putting a new spin on the legal drama genre, and Busy Bodies, about a soccer mom who teams up with a gay stay-at-home dad to solve mysteries …

UNIVERSAL CITY: Joel McHale, star of the new NBC comedy Community, is to host a 30-minute presentation of the network’s new and returning fall series, The NBC Primetime Preview, which will be shown across a wide range of NBC Universal …

LONDON: ESPN’s new British channel for Premier League matches has lined up carriage on BT Vision, following deals with Sky and Virgin Media. The new British ESPN launched yesterday. It will deliver live Barclays Premier League and Clydesdale Bank Premier League …

LOS ANGELES: Lifetime Television and The Weinstein Company have signed a multiplatform marketing alliance with L’Oréal Paris and Garnier for integration into the sixth season of Project Runway and its all-new companion series, Models of the Runway. The L’Oréal Paris …

LONDON: NBC Universal Global Networks has picked up the rights to Disney-ABC Television Group’s syndicated drama Legend of the Seeker for its SCI FI channel in Russia, Poland and Romania.  Produced by Sam Raimi, of the Spider-Man movie franchise, and the creative forces behind Hercules: …

NASHVILLE: CMT has secured a multi-year licensing deal with Twentieth Television to become the exclusive cable partner for the syndicated version of Mark Burnett’s Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader? The syndicated episodes will run weekdays in prime time …

LOS ANGELES: Paula Abdul has announced that she will not be returning to American Idol for the new season launching on FOX in January, following weeks of negotiations for a new contract. Abdul announced her decision via a Twitter post, …