World Screen

VAN NUYS: A new trial has been ordered in the long-running legal battle between MGA Entertainment and Mattel over the Bratz doll, with the $100 million in damages awarded to Mattel being vacated by a California judge. The 2008 ruling granted …

LONDON/MUMBAI: A new deal between BBC Worldwide and India’s Reliance Big Entertainment sees the two outfits partnering on three motion pictures, for both co-production and distribution. The first theatrical feature to be co-produced from the new partnership will be the 3D …

WEST HOLLYWOOD: The Travel Channel is set to debut the action docuseries First Ascent, which it acquired from Shankly International Distribution, on November 4. The 6×30-minute series is a co-production with National Geographic International and Sender Films. The show watches …

TORONTO: E! Entertainment Television is going back on the air in Canada, thanks to an agreement between CTV and Comcast International Media Group (CIMG). Formerly known as Star!, the new Canadian E! channel launches November 29 and will be immediately …

EL SEGUNDO: DIRECTV has given the boot to the Comcast-owned channel G4, which caters to young men, claiming that interest in the network is too small to justify carriage. In September, DIRECTV warned Comcast that it was going to drop …

NEW YORK: The Halloween premiere of AMC’s zombie-themed original The Walking Dead brought in 5.3 million total viewers, marking the largest audience for any original series on the network. The premiere episode. at 10 p.m., scored a 3.7 household rating. …

TORONTO: The new CGI animated series Babar and the Adventures of Badou has been scheduled to debut in YTV’s Playtime block on November 22 at 11 a.m. The show is produced by Nelvana Studio and TeamTO, in association with The …

NEW YORK: Sesame Workshop has promoted three executives within its worldwide distribution group: Scott Chambers, Mike Khouri and Jennifer Perry. Chambers is to become senior VP of worldwide media distribution. He will be responsible for supervising all aspects of the …

This interview originally appeared in the AFM 2010 issue of World Screen. As co-chairman and CEO of Lionsgate, Jon Feltheimer has pursued the successful strategy of targeting audience niches that were not served by the major Hollywood studios. As a …

This feature originally appeared in the AFM 2010 issue of World Screen. Lately, the hot news coming out of U.S. cable networks has been all about original series—mostly scripted dramas but also reality shows, sitcoms and late-night comedy and talk …