FME Bolsters Summer Slate

LONDON, July 29: FremantleMedia Enterprises (FME) has added ten new shows to its sales roster for the international market, covering drama, comedy and factual offerings such as the one-hour FestivAsia—Moon Dance and Hitler’s Bodyguard.

From Atlantic Productions, Star of Bethlehem is a modern-day analysis of the ancient night skies, featuring top biblical scholars, astronomers and scientists, as well as state-of-the-art CGI, to examine one of the world’s most famous stars.

In the way of drama fare, FME is offering up the home-entertainment rights to The Shooting of Thomas Hurndall, a two-hour program that looks at the British peace activist who was shot by an Israeli sniper when trying to get Palestinian children out of the line of gunfire.

Over in the comedy category, The Jon Dore Television Show features the award-winning comic exploring bizarre issues. Another entertainment offering, Tobie and Matt’s Europe, follows its hosts as they take a food and wine journey across Europe, dispelling long-established myths along the way. The 5×30-minute series Chef’s Christmas takes viewers into the homes of ten of Australia’s best chefs and restaurateurs to share their entertainment secrets.

I Own Britain’s Best Home features three presenters—Charlie Luxton, property developer Russell Harris and property consultant Melissa Porter—going across the U.K. to look at exceptional properties. Exploring eco garden makeovers is Dryspell Gardening, which looks at how to maintain a great garden in these environmentally conscious times.

Factual offerings include The Supersizers Go, from Silver River Productions, which explores the food-eating habits of the British over the past 500 years. The documentary Hitler’s Bodyguard follows the story of the man who protected Adolf Hitler during his rise and fall, while FestivAsia—Moon Dance features people from all across Asia as they experience their “Moon Dance,” exploring if the moon indeed holds mystical powers.

David Ellender, FME’S CEO, commented, “We have some superb new acquisitions in all genres ready to go, so why wait until the autumn to launch them? But be prepared for much more to come soon.”

—By Kristin Brzoznowski