World Screen

NEW YORK: TV personality Arsenio Hall talks to TV USA about why he’s ready to return to the late-night scene and how his new series will be different from its first iteration and other talk shows airing in that hour.              In the late ’80s …

NEW YORK: Silver Eagle Acquisitions Corp., which was founded by Harry E. Sloan and Jeff Sagansky, has unveiled the terms of its IPO. The outfit, which is focused on acquiring businesses in the media, plans to start its initial public offering of 25 million units at $10 per unit, planning …

NEW YORK: The launch slate of the new Millennial-targeted channel Pivot is anchored by the original series Please Like Me, a comedic drama based on the adolescent experiences of Australian comedian Josh Thomas. Pivot debuts on August 1. Please Like Me will air as a series marathon, starting at 8 …

NEW YORK: Comedy Central has launched CC:Stand-Up Direct, a distribution initiative offering uncut, uncensored stand-up programming for streaming and downloading. CC:Stand-Up Direct currently features 22 original one-hour specials led by such comedians as Daniel Tosh, Anthony Jeselnik, Chris Hardwick, Nick Kroll, Jeff Ross and John Mulaney, to name a few. More …

NEW YORK/BURBANK: 21st Century Fox, NBCUniversal and The Walt Disney Company have taken Hulu off the auction block, announcing plans to invest $750 million to expand the online video service. Chernin Group and DIRECTV had been among the potential suitors of Hulu. On Friday, the current owners announced their intention to …

NEW YORK: Bill Cosby’s first televised concert in 30 years, Far From Finished, produced by Levity Productions, is slated to air on Comedy Central in the U.S. this November. The special will feature material from Cosby’s performance at the Cerritos Performing Arts Center earlier this summer. It will be directed by Robert …

This interview originally appeared in the MIPTV 2013 issue of World Screen.   Over the course of the last few years, the pay service Showtime has been boosting its production of original series with envelope-pushing dramas and comedies like Dexter, Weeds, Californication, House of Lies and, most recently, Homeland. For …

BURBANK: ABC Family has tapped Kelly Goode, a former head of programming at GSN, to serve as its VP of original programming, with oversight for all existing scripted series. Reporting to Kate Juergens, executive VP of original programming and development and chief creative officer at ABC Family, Goode will also focus on …

SANTA MONICA: Kevin Costner and his Treehouse Films outfit have entered into a first-look deal for new TV projects with Sea To Sky Entertainment, a joint venture of Lionsgate and Thunderbird Films. Costner and Treehouse’s creative executive Jasa McCall will develop and produce scripted projects. Costner may also direct and/or act in …

LOS ANGELES: Content Television is set to manage the global distribution of Stepping High, a dance-themed movie from Harmony Gold and Cinemotion 21st Production. Stepping High recently made its world premiere at the Harmony Gold Preview House in Los Angeles. The 100-minute feature film is about a woman who becomes …