Top Stories

CHICAGO: Jimmy Jellinek has been tapped to fill the newly created position of chief content officer at Playboy Enterprises, overseeing content development across television, online, mobile, film, radio and print assets. Jellinek takes on the role after serving as the …

SILVER SPRING: Planet Green is to host the U.S. premiere of five new series acquired from Canada and the U.K. that will debut during Premiere Week 2010, which kicks off January 4.  On January 4 at 10 p.m., the 4×1-hour …

MONTREAL: The National Film Board of Canada (NFB) is paying tribute to the life and work of Quebec film director Gilles Carle, who passed away on Saturday, by making eight of his films available on NFB.ca, in French. Carle spent …

VANCOUVER: Shattered, the new E1 Entertainment and Force Four Films original series for Canwest, has been slated for a 2010 premiere on Showcase, with Molly Parker set to star alongside Callum Keith Rennie and Camille Sullivan. Rennie (24, FlashForward, Battlestar …

LONDON: Following the international success of the animated series Dex Hamilton: Alien Entomologist, Parthenon Kids and March Entertainment have announced the release of a 90-minute movie prequel: Dex Hamilton: Fire and Ice. The movie, which combines 2-D and cell-shaded 3-D …

GRÜNWALD: German media company m4e has given the go-ahead for Yoko, Mo & Me, a co-production between Italy’s Rainbow S.p.A., Canada’s March Entertainment and Lucky Punch, a joint venture of Professor Gerhard Hahn and m4e. The fantasy-adventure, a live-action/CGI hybrid, …

OTTAWA: Amberwood Entertainment has secured a DVD deal with Nelvana Enterprises for RollBots, with the first season to be released in Canada through Corus Entertainment’s As Seen on YTV label and plans for distribution by Phase 4 Films. The 26×30-minute …

NEW YORK: Showtime Networks and its licensing agency 360ep have struck several new licensing deals for the hit original series Dexter.  Triad Toys is developing a limited-edition collectible Dexter figure. The product will be produced in an initial run of 1,000 …

LONDON/NEW YORK: Sangeeta Desai is to join the senior management team of HIT Entertainment in the role of chief operating officer. Desai will be responsible for the day-to-day operations of the company, and will oversee the business development, global brand …

LONDON: KidsCo has named Anna Pak as its commercial director for Western Europe. Pak will be tasked with expanding the channel’s presence in regions where KidsCo is already available, as well as closing carriage deals in territories such as France, Spain, Italy, …