Top Stories

NEW YORK: Following on the success of its Emmy-nominated drama Carlos, Sundance Channel is working with ITV Studios on the new scripted project Appropriate Adult, to star Dominic West and Emily Watson. The two-parter will tell the story of British serial …

NEW YORK: BET’s new original series is to feature the Emmy-nominated choreographer and creative director to the stars Laurieann Gibson in Born to Dance: Laurieann Gibson, debuting August 2. The show will follow Gibson over eight weeks as she works …

LONDON: Aspect Film in the U.K. has picked up the global distribution rights outside of the U.S., Australia and New Zealand for the factual series Hollywood’s Classics: Behind the Scenes. The 26×26-minute series, produced and directed by Mark Kaplan and …

SAN DIEGO: Professional skateboarder Rob Dyrdek is bringing his HD animated skateboarding series Wild Grinders to Nicktoons to roll out in 2012. Dyrdek, the star of MTV’s Rob & Big and Fantasy Factory, will voice the lead character and executive …

HILVERSUM: Wim ter Laak has been appointed the senior VP of programming strategy at RTL Nederland, to start in his new role on August 22. Ter Laak will advise Matthias Scholten, the executive director of content, as well as the …

LONDON: Zodiak Rights has secured the distribution rights for the documentary series On Trial, which offers behind-the-scenes coverage of some of Australia’s major criminal trials. The series is produced by On Trial Television and premiered on ABC in Australia in …

NEW YORK: Nickelodeon, Toynami and the toy company UNKL have inked a licensing agreement to launch a line of SpongeBob SquarePants vinyl toys. The first series of toys will include SpongeBob, Patrick, Squidward, Mr. Krabs and The Flying Dutchman, and …

LONDON, July 21: The factual series Misbehaving Mums to Be has been picked up from DCD Rights to air across Europe and Australia. ABC in Australia, Discovery Networks Central and Eastern Europe, Nelonen in Finland, TV Norge in Norway and …

MADRID: The Zinkia Entertainment preschool animated series Pocoyo is to be added to the Nick Jr. weekend lineup in the U.S. beginning July 23, in addition to its current weekday broadcasts. Pocoyo is currently licensed to broadcasters in more than …

TORONTO: A second season of the live-action series My Babysitter’s a Vampire has been greenlit by Canada’s TELETOON to premiere in 2012. Production of the 13-episode season will begin in September. The series will be in both English and French, …