Kristin Brzoznowski

PARIS: Two exclusive first-episode showings of brand-new factual series have been slated as part of the MIPCOM Screenings program: National Geographic’s MARS presented by FOX Networks Group Content Distribution, and Planet Earth II from BBC Worldwide.

LOS ANGELES: Netflix is planning to launch a new talk show in spring 2017, Bill Nye Saves the World, hosted by the famed scientist, engineer, comedian, author and inventor.

LOS ANGELES: Bunim/Murray Productions (BMP) has elevated Jeff Jenkins and Julie Pizzi to co-presidents of entertainment and development, among a series of management changes within the company.

BROOKLYN: In addition to renewing a number of its series, VICELAND has unveiled that it's making a foray into the daily late-night talk show arena with Desus & Mero.

TORONTO: Boat Rocker Rights has acquired the full factual and lifestyle programming catalog of Peace Point Rights.

Hollywood and Luff, the managing director of Scripps Networks UK & EMEA at Scripps Networks Interactive, discuss the series, which has just been greenlit for a second season.

MANHATTAN BEACH: 3 Ball Entertainment, which is behind such unscripted series as Bar Rescue and My Cat from Hell, has tapped Jeff Altrock as senior VP of current programming.

SEATTLE: The new Amazon original docuseries American Playboy: The Hugh Hefner Story will make use of archival footage, interviews and cinematic reenactments to tell the story of Playboy magazine’s founder.

LONDON: David Glover, the former head of specialist factual at Channel 4, and Mark Raphael, joint managing director of Dragonfly, have set up a new independent production outfit, which is backed by BBC Worldwide.

NEW YORK: Olivier Widmaier Picasso, the grandson of Pablo Picasso, and Scott Woodward, the executive VP of programming and production at Ovation TV, met with World Screen Newsflash to discuss Picasso, The Legacy and share insight into what viewers may learn from the documentary that they didn’t know before.