World Screen

LOS ANGELES: The true story of the disappearance of Natalee Holloway, an American teen who vanished while vacationing in Aruba, is the backdrop of a new Lifetime Movie Network original film. Tracy Pollan of Law & Order: SVU stars as …

TORONTO: The first season of Shaftesbury Films’ new live-action series Connor Undercover has been acquired by Turner Broadcasting for launch in the U.K. early next year. “We are really thrilled that Turner Broadcasting is bringing this fun-filled and action-packed series to audiences …

MUNICH: Tandem Communications has inked a deal to co-produce and distribute worldwide two TV movies for Lifetime Television based on novels by bestselling author Patricia Cornwell. At Risk and The Front, published by G.P. Putnam’s Sons, are the first-ever Cornwell novels …

STOCKHOLM: Viasat Broadcasting has acquired the exclusive live broadcasting pay-TV rights for the MotoGP motorcycle grand prix championship across the Baltic States. Viasat Broadcasting secured a three-year deal, until 2011, with Dorna Sports, covering Sweden, Norway and Denmark. All 17 …

WASHINGTON: The Pew Research Center’s Project for Excellence in News Journalism has released its State of the News 2009 report, chronicling the effects of the economic crisis and changing consumer habits on news outlets, with the Internet and cable TV …

LONDON: HarperCollins in the U.K. has plans to launch storybooks, sing-a-long books, coloring, activity and sticker books this fall for the CBeebies show Big & Small. Big & Small follows the comic adventures of two unlikely best friends, featuring the …

MUNICH/LONDON: For MIPTV, TV-Loonland will be presenting a catalogue that includes new shows like My Life Me, alongside additional episodes of established brands. TV-Loonland and co-production partner Carpe Diem Film & TV will be launching the tween-targeted series My Life …

LONDON: The French-language broadcaster RTL-TVI in Belgium will get its own adaptation of ITV Global Entertainment’s hit format Come Dine with Me. Under the name Un Diner Presque Parfait, which translates as An Almost Perfect Meal, the show will be …

PARIS: MoonScoop has signed up a host of new broadcasters for its preschool series Ava Riko Teo, an animated paper-cutout show co-produced with Character Plan, France 5 and EBS. Italy’s Rai 3, Al Jazeera Children’s Channel in the Middle East, …

LONDON: CAKE Entertainment has taken on worldwide distribution for Hareport, its first co-production with TeamTO, Filmwerken and Vivi Film. The fast-paced action-comedy is aimed at the 6-to-11 set, and centers on two hare brothers, Ned and Fred, who run an …