London TV Screenings Unveils 2024 Dates; Thunderbird Explores Sale; Sky Studios Deutschland Hires; BBC Andi Oliver & Hairy Biker Shows; Sony India Changes – Global Briefs

Max Goldbart and Jesse Whittock
·4 min read
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London TV Screenings Unveils 2024 Dates

The fourth annual London TV Screenings has unveiled dates, as the gathering of sales houses continues to define itself as one of the most important events in the TV calendar. Next year’s fourth Screenings, which in 2023 saw more than two-dozen distributors host events for buyers, will take place Monday 26 February to Friday 1 March 2024. The Screenings are organized by ITV Studios, All3Media International, Banijay Rights, eOne and Fremantle but many others sign on through the year, and last year the total number was 28. A London TV Screenings spokesperson said: “The third annual London TV Screenings  proved that the event is firmly embedded in the annual buying calendar, packing out the largest and most prestigious screening venues London has to offer.”

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‘Reginald The Vampire’ Maker Thunderbird Explores Sale With ACF

Canadian Reginald the Vampire maker Thunderbird Entertainment is exploring sales options after engaging ACF Investment Bank, the company that has brokered huge deals for Lord of the Rings IP and Simon Cowell’s Syco of late. The move comes as part of Thundebird’s strategic review process of “assessing all opportunities to maximize shareholder value.” This review was sparked following a fight for control at the top of Thunderbird that saw key shareholder, Texas-based hedge fund Voss Capital, push to replace board members with people who could “unlock the value” of the Kim’s Convenience and Highway Thru Hell indie. The dispute was resolved in January when Marni Weishofer and Frank Giustra left the board, while Asha Daniere, Mark Trachuk and Lisa Coulman subsequently joined and have been evaluating opportunities. “Thunderbird has fantastic growth ahead of us and we want to continue building on this tremendous momentum,” said Jennifer Twiner McCarron, CEO and Chair of Thunderbird’s Board of Directors. “Our mission is to become the next major global studio and working with ACF allows us to strategically review all options for growth and evaluate any inbound expressions of interest received by the Company.” ACF recently brokered the sale of the Lord of the Rings IP to Sweden’s Embracer Group and also worked on the $125M securitization deal for Cowell’s Got Talent franchise.

Sky Studios Deutschland Hires EP Duo

Das Boot maker Sky Studios Deutschland has signed Julia Rappold and Stella Flicker as Senior EP and EP respectively. The pair will be responsible for the production, execution and delivery of Sky Studios’ scripted original slate across Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. Rappold most recently worked at Lieblingsfilm, where she developed and oversaw numerous cinema and TV projects including Beckenrand Sheriff, war drama Das Glaszimmer and family drama Familie is nich. Flicker was a producer at Letterbox Filmproduktion. Rappold will join in October and Flicker is already at Sky Studios, with both reporting to Nils Hartmann, EVP Sky Studios Deutschland & Italia. Rumors of a Sky Deutschland sale have abound in recent months although no buyer has come out of the woodwork as of yet.

BBC Unveils Andi Oliver and The Hairy Bikers Shows

The BBC has announced shows with Andi Oliver and The Hairy Bikers out of the Wales Screen Summit. Unveiled by Unscripted Director Kate Phillips, Andi Oliver’s Big Bash [working title] will see the host and renowned chef bring her party organizing skills to towns and cities across the UK, galvanizing communities with her unwavering belief in the power of delicious food, good vibes and great music. And in The Hairy Bikers Go West, the BBC stalwarts will travel the UK’s west shores, discovering the producers, farmers and chefs that are contributing to a modern British culinary revolution. ITV Studios-backed South Shore is producing both shows and they were unveiled at the Wales Screen Summit, where bosses at the BBC, Channel 4 and Channel 5 are delivering keynotes.

Sony Pictures Networks India Shakes Up Management

Sony Pictures Networks India (SPNI) has making top-level changes as its focuses on a digital future. Danish Khan has been named Business Head for streamer SonyLIV and digital production arm Studio NEXT, while Neeraj Vyas will oversee SPNI’s Hindi-language entertainment as Business Head of the SET, SAB, PAL and Hindi Movies networks. They will report to NP Singh, the Managing Director and CEO of SPNI, once the changes take place on June 1. Khan is currently Business Head for SET, while overseeing SonyLIV and Studio NEXT, while Vyas has been in charge of several Hindi-language networks over recent years. Both have had long runs at Sony’s Indian business. Saugata Mukherjee remains as Head of Content for SonyLIV.

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