Tianjin, Metan Partner on Icons

CANNES: Chinese broadcaster Tianjin TV is set to launch Metan Development Group’s new celebrity profile series Icons, which will be produced in China at Tianjin’s digital studios.

The 52-part series will feature profiles of celebrities from the worlds of film, sports, fashion, finance and more, such as David Beckham, Johnny Depp and Warren Buffet. Each episode will be hosted by panel of Chinese experts. The show is set to premiere in July and air Fridays at 11 p.m. on Tianjin Satellite TV—reaching more than 600 million viewers—and on Sundays at 6.30 p.m. on Tianjin’s Binhai Channel. Metan also holds broadcast rights outside of China for Mandarin-language TV stations, and plans to air the series in the U.S. and other TV markets outside China.

Metan’s president and CEO, Larry Namer, noted: “Icons will offer up a new perspective on the true stories of some of the world’s most well-known personalities. The series is being created specifically for the Chinese viewer in mind, providing the most in-depth life stories tailored to a Chinese cultural viewpoint."