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CANNES: Seven Network in Australia has acquired the new ITV comedy Vicious, starring Ian McKellen and Derek Jacobi, from Shine International. The show centers on two partners who have lived together for close to five decades. The 6×30-minute series is produced by Brown Eyed Boy in collaboration with Kudos and …

CANNES: Global Screen inked a number of deals at MIPTV this week, including preselling the disaster movie Heroes into Japan and scoring an Italian slot for the series Homicide Unit Istanbul. In the Czech Republic, a free-TV deal was closed for more than 50 titles from the Scene of the Crime …

LOS ANGELES: Twentieth Century Fox Television Distribution has extended its agreement with the M6 Group for the French network free- and basic-TV rights for a number of films and TV shows from the studio. M6 scored the exclusive rights to air series such as Touch as well as films. The programming …

LONDON: Channel 5 has commissioned a project from a student within the National Film & Television School’s TV entertainment department, Sexts (w.t.), which it will air this summer. Sexts is a light-hearted documentary about the act of sending sexually explicit messages and photos by mobile phones. The doc will feature case studies …

LONDON: ITV Studios Global Entertainment (ITVS GE) has confirmed a multi-year first-look arrangement with Warp Films for scripted TV projects. Warp Films is behind This is England ’86 and the sequel This is England ’88. Warp is currently producing the drama Southcliffe for Channel 4. ITVS GE will be exclusively representing …

LONDON: James Harding has been named as the director of BBC News and Current Affairs, replacing Helen Boaden, who has become the director of BBC Radio. Harding will sit on the BBC’s executive and management boards. He will be overseeing the news and current affairs programming for the BBC. Previously, Harding …

GÜTERSLOH: Bertelsmann is expecting to bring in as much as 1.6 billion euros ($2.1 billion) from selling off a stake in RTL, having set a price range of 54 to 62 euros per share for up to 25.5 million shares. After the closing of the offering, Bertelsmann is still going …

LONDON: Sky Movies customers can soon enjoy exclusive access to films such as Silver Linings Playbook in HD, on demand and on the go, thanks to a new deal with the U.K. indie Entertainment Film Distributors. A new multi-year distribution pact brings Sky Movies exclusive screenings of The Master, Beautiful …

LONDON: Universal Networks International (UNI) has hired Nicky Douglas as its managing director for the U.K., effective immediately. In her new position, Douglas will manage the company’s U.K. networks, including Universal Channel, Syfy, E! Entertainment Television, The Style Network and Movies 24. She will work under Duccio Donati, UNI’s executive VP. Douglas …

LONDON: A+E Networks UK, a collaboration between A+E Networks and BSkyB, has named Caroline Casey to the newly created post of director of digital media. Reporting to marketing communications VP Anna Priest, Casey will be charged with overseeing all of the digital assets and associated brands of the company throughout the U.K., Eastern …