L.A. Screenings Buyer Feedback: Fox Channels Italy

LOS ANGELES: For Fabrizio Salini, the VP of entertainment channels at Fox Channels Italy, there was a lot more product to screen at the L.A. Screenings than in past years, and the quality of the pilots was high.

“While last year we left the Screenings feeling there were some series that had the potential to break out, like V or FlashForward or Modern Family, this year I haven’t yet spotted a runaway hit,” says Salini.

He was personally quite impressed with cable product, in particular Lights Out from Fox TV Studios for FX, The Big C from Sony Pictures Television for Showtime and Shameless from Warner Bros., also for Showtime. “These were very courageous series, with excellent writing. All three deal with somewhat challenging subject matter, but it’s no surprise they were made for cable.”

Salini also found innovation in broadcast network fare and points to My Generation from Disney Media Distribution for ABC. In addition, “the cop/crime dramas made definite strides forward, in terms of their narrative structure, some of which even had a cinematic quality,” he says.

Fox Channels Italy operates a bouquet of services, of which four are entertainment channels and Salini oversees them. He says that thanks to volume deals with Disney and with Twentieth Century Fox he will have no problems filling whatever slots need new shows.