World Screen

LONDON: Classic Media has secured the global distribution and licensing and merchandising rights for the new live-action tween series Life with Boys, from Michael Poryes, the co-creator and executive producer of Hannah Montana and That’s So Raven. The series is …

LOS ANGELES: Syfy and NBC’s Peacock Productions have signed a deal with country-music star Billy Ray Cyrus to develop a weekly reality series, UFO: Unbelievably Freakin’ Obvious, which will feature Cyrus and his 21-year-old son investigating unexplained paranormal phenomena. Each …

TORONTO: Shaftesbury Films is expanding into non-fiction production with the launch of Shaftesbury Factual, which will be led by Rachel Low. Low will oversee all aspects of development and production for the division in the newly created role of VP …

PARIS: MIPCOM’s Spotlight on Australia will open with a keynote address on October 5 from film director and screenwriter Gregor Jordan, presenting the global launch of the transmedia project Smashcut. Smashcut is co-produced by Jordan and The Project Factory. "Smashcut.com …

TORONTO: The second installment of the tween reality series Survive This has already been sold by 9 Story Entertainment to a number of international broadcasters. Season two has been picked up by Noga in Israel, SVT in Sweden, VRAK in …

TORONTO: Skywriter Media and Entertainment Group has sold all three seasons of Atomic Betty to The Hub, which launches October 10 to 60 million U.S. households. The soon-to-launch network has picked up 78 half-hour episodes of the animated hit. The …

LOS ANGELES: Netflix has entered into a long-term agreement with Nu Image/Millennium Films for first-run theatrical features to be streamed over the Internet to subscribers during the traditional pay-TV window. Nu Image and Millennium Films are best known for big-budget …

LOS ANGELES/PARIS: The fourth edition of DISCOP Africa wrapped last week in Nairobi, with an 8-percent increase in sellers’ attendance. A total of 80 vendors from 25 overseas and seven African countries were on hand at the event. Among the …

NEW YORK: HBO has acquired the U.S. TV rights to the new documentary Public Speaking, directed by Martin Scorsese, which spotlights writer Fran Lebowitz. Produced by Graydon Carter and Margaret Bodde, Public Speaking is slated to debut in November on …

NEW YORK: The new daytime block Hallmark Channel Home, a destination for lifestyle programming, launches on Hallmark Channel on September 13. The block is highlighted by the new sixth season of The Martha Steward Show, exclusively on Hallmark Channel. The …