World Screen

MADRID: Zoo Productions has picked up the rights from Spanish producer Phileas Productions to adapt the game show The ATM for the U.S. The ATM has also been taken on by Endemol (France and Belgium). The show is set in …

BURBANK: Actor and comedian Eddie Murphy has signed on to host the Academy Awards show, taking place February 26, 2012, marking his first hosting stint for the Oscars. The Academy Awards telecast will be produced by Brett Ratner and Don …

NEW YORK: Donald Taffner, Sr., who brought hits such as Three’s Company, Too Close for Comfort and The Benny Hill Show to U.S. audiences, has passed away at the age of 80. Taffner was one of the founders of the …

PREMIUM: George Bodenheimer, the president of ESPN and ABC Sports and co-chairman of Disney Media Networks, tells World Screen Newsflash about serving fans through a “best available screen” strategy. Perhaps no one knows the ESPN fan better than George Bodenheimer. …

DALLAS: Recorded TV programs in Western European multi-device homes are more popular than live TV, finds Parks Associates’ Connected Consumer in Europe report. When given a choice of new TV features—including 3DTV, online video access and multiscreen services—47-percent of broadband …

SANTA MONICA: Former William Morris Endeavor board member John Fogelman is launching FactoryMade Ventures, a business development and consulting firm, with J.J. Abrams as its principal investor and clients such as RTL Group already on board.  FactoryMade Ventures will work with …

MUNICH: SevenOne International has picked up the international distribution rights for Louie Spence Dance Project, which will premiere on the Oprah Winfrey Network (OWN) in 2012. The documentary/reality series features the Louie Spence, the British dance choreographer, revamping the Broadway …

LONDON: Zodiak Rights has promoted staff members within its U.K. consumer products team and created new positions as part of the company’s restructuring. Former senior U.K. licensing manager Jane Kennedy has been promoted to head of sales for consumer products …

MUNICH: Telepool has picked up the worldwide distribution rights for Dreamtool Entertainment’s Hunt for the Amber Room (Die Jagd nach dem Bernsteinzimmer). The deal follows the success of the international breakout hits The Charlemagne Code and The Spear of Destiny. …

SANTA MONICA: Ovation has secured a number of documentaries from distributors in the U.K., including seven from BBC Worldwide. Ovation picked up seven documentaries from BBC Worldwide, including the U.S. premiere rights to Princess Diana: Her Life in Jewels and …