World Screen

NEW YORK: The late night comedies BrandX with Russell Brand and Totally Biased with W. Kamau Bell have both been given additional 13-episode orders from FX. BrandX features the British comedian doing a monologue, celebrity interviews and audience segments. His show is produced by FX Productions in association with Branded …

TORONTO/LOS ANGELES: CW Digital (CWD) has purchased Backpackers, an original online comedy series, from Smokebomb Entertainment, the digital media arm of Shaftesbury. Backpackers revolves around Ryan and Brandon, two friends who are looking for Ryan’s fiancée in Europe. The live-action show includes straight-play narrative and will feature an interactive app that allows …

ATLANTA: After much speculation, former NBCUniversal CEO Jeff Zucker has been named the new president of CNN Worldwide. "Jeff’s experience as a news executive is unmatched for its breadth and success," said Phil Kent, the president of Turner Broadcasting. "He built and sustained the number-one brand in morning news, and …

UNIVERSAL CITY: NBC has entered into a first-look production deal with America’s Got Talent host Nick Cannon and his NCredible Entertainment banner. Cannon and his business partner Michael Goldman are the principals of NCredible, which will develop a range of scripted and unscripted programming for the network. Cannon is also …

BURBANK: ABC has agreed to five more episodes each of the freshman sitcoms Malibu Country and Last Man Standing. Twentieth Century Fox Television’s Last Man Standing, starring Tim Allen, has been the top-rated show in its Friday night time slot among adults aged 18 to 49. Led by Reba McEntire, ABC Studios’ Malibu …

WASHINGTON: New York’s film and television production incentives have supported 28,900 jobs across all sectors and generated $6.9 billion in economic spending in the state last year. Conducted by HR&A Advisors, a new study finds that the jobs supported by the film and TV industry in New York State grew by …

SANTA MONICA: Robert Weiss, a cable TV veteran and digital media entrepreneur, has been hired as Ovation’s chief creative officer, a newly created position. In his new role, Weiss will be responsible for the strategic direction and creative vision for the company’s content and brand across all media platforms. His …

SHERMAN OAKS: Rob Shaftel has been named the new senior VP of development for ITV Studios America’s East Coast division. Based in New York, Shaftel will work under Bruce Robertson, the company’s head of development. He will be charged with developing new programming for the U.S. broadcast and cable markets. In the …

BEVERLY HILLS/BURBANK: Netflix has become the exclusive U.S. subscription TV service for first-run feature films from The Walt Disney Studios. The multi-year licensing deal starts with 2016 theatrically released feature films. It covers Disney, Walt Disney Animation Studios, Pixar Animation Studios, Marvel Studios and Disneynature. Titles will be available for Netflix …

TORONTO: Cock’d Gunns, a comedic "rockumentary" from Tricon Film & Television, is set to debut on Fuse later this week. The 13×30-minute show focuses on a three-person band that is struggling to find success in the music industry due to an insufficient amount of work ethic, talent and fans, among …