Pop Monkey Eyes European Expansion

LOS ANGELES: Pop Monkey Productions, the L.A.-based outfit that creates, produces and acquires game show, reality and multiplatform formats, has set its sights on expanding its international business, establishing a U.K. base under the management of co-founders Chuck Thomas and Simone Thorogood.

Pop Monkey was launched last year by game-show vets Syd Vinnedge (The Price Is Right) and Hugh Wright (Family Feud) and British multiplatform producers Chuck Thomas (Quizmania) and Simone Thorogood (My Games Fever). It already has development deals with ITV Studios in the U.S. and Miditech in India, and has closed format deals with Sony Pictures Television in the U.S., TF1 Productions, Absolutely Independent and ohm:tv. The goal is to further build on its European business with the new office in the U.K., based initially at Advision TV Studios in Kent.

"With this move we intend to leverage global success to get better deals with U.S. networks," Thomas said. "Our goal is to pitch new formats to broadcasters in Europe first in a bid to retain ownership outside the U.S. and bring them back when they’re hits."

Thorogood added: "Using our relationships in Europe and the U.S. and our studio facilities in the U.K., we’ve got the full package to create the next big hit for broadcasters."