L.A. Screenings Buyer Feedback: FIC Asia’s Michael Dick

HONG KONG: Michael Dick, the head of acquisitions at FOX International Channels (FIC) in the Asia Pacific, didn’t see many breakout hits among the new crop of shows unveiled by the Hollywood studios, but did spot "more solid mid-range shows than in recent years that could work both domestically and internationally."

Dick is still mulling over the slate presented at the L.A. Screenings and therefore did not want to identify specific shows he’s looking at for his portfolio—which includes FOX, STAR World and FOX Movies Premium, among others. Of the overall mix he said, "This year seemed to have a lot of series similar to Homeland and The Bridge in that they are U.S. versions of an international series. Shows such as Lucky 7, Killer Woman, Us & Them, etc. follow this pattern."

He also noted the rising caliber of talent on network television. "Over the past few years TV producers have been trying to get bigger names in their projects. This year’s screenings was no exception and seemed to have an even bigger haul of movie stars having a go at a series. Big names like Karl Urban, Michael J. Fox, Anna Faris, Toni Collette, Robin Williams, James Caan and Minnie Driver all were in various pilots."

FIC has an output deal with sister company Twentieth Century Fox Television Distribution, "but we do like to work with multiple partners and have deals with just about all of the major studios," Dick says.

On how U.S. dramas and comedies are working for the FIC portfolio in Asia, Dick noted, "We have a number of shows with a huge following like The Walking Dead and NCIS, but it takes some work for us to build up these fan bases. I haven’t seen many new shows yet that particularly stand out for us or that seem worth putting the effort in to build up, but we are constantly on the lookout for these shows."