REMEMBERING 9/11

"Answering the Call: Ground Zero's Volunteers"​​ has been Digitally Remastered and is available in time for the 20th Anniversary of the September 11th attack on the World Trade Center.​​ This film is a straightforward, informative and moving account of the courageous and giving men and women who responded to the​​ September​​ 11th, 2001 attack on the World Trade Center. The late​​ director Lou Angeli captured the footage used in this documentary which is so breathtaking and unique it is featured at kiosks in the 911 museum in Manhattan.​​ Narrated by actress Kathleen Turner, the film transports viewers behind the tightest of security checkpoints into the emergency village, which became home to thousands of volunteers and rescuers​​ (65’).​​ 

CONTACT:​​ Behr Entertainment Ltd., Airmont, NY, USA. Tel. 1-845-368-1281. Fax 1-845-369-8219. E-mail ​​ wbehrent@aol.com​​ 

ZDF SELLS VRT’s KID SHOWS

ZDF Enterprises​​ has announced a raft of European sales for three​​ children’s titles,​​ “Hoodie,” “Buck”​​ and​​ “#LikeMe,”​​ all commissioned by Belgium’s​​ VRT.​​ “Hoodie,”​​ a superhero story centered on a perfectly normal boy with an exceptional talent for parkour, has been picked up by​​ RTV Slovenia,​​ Canal+ International​​ and​​ Amazon Digital​​ for all German-speaking territories​​ (52 x 11’).​​ “Buck”​​ has so far been sold to​​ Rai​​ Italy,​​ EITB​​ in Spain,​​ Telecomp ERA LLP​​ in Kazakhstan and​​ RTV Slovenia. The series explores the story of a boy, struggling with his homelife and bullying at school, who finds solace in computer games. His world changes when he comes across Commander Buck, a digital hero who never lets him down​​ (32 x 15’).​​ “#LikeMe,”​​ acquired​​ up by​​ DR Byen​​ (Denmark),​​ Amazon Media​​ for the UK,​​ Amazon Digital​​ for German-speaking territories, is a heartfelt series about a young teenager who enjoys a happy life. She is surrounded by her close-knit family and friends and thrives at the village school until her mom is diagnosed with cancer. Moving to a city to be closer to the hospital throws her life into turmoil as she tries to navigate her way in this new world​​ (26 x 26’).​​ 

CONTACT:​​ ZDF Enterprises, Mainz, Germany. Tel. 49-6131-991-1601. Fax 49-6131-991-1612. Web:​​ www.zdf-enterprises.de

NEGLECTED CONFLICTS

UK broadcaster​​ Channel 4​​ has greenlit UK indie​​ Woodcut Media​​ to produce a brand new 6-part history documentary​​ series,​​ “Tony Robinson’s Forgotten War Stories,”​​ presented by actor Sir Tony Robinson, and scheduled to​​ debut​​ later this year. Between WWII and the Iraq War, Britain and its allies were embroiled in a number of serious conflicts around the world, many of which are largely forgotten by the public. In this series, Tony Robinson explores some key forgotten conflicts: The Suez Crisis, The Bosnian War, The Gulf War, The Korean War, The Malayan Emergency and The Mau Mau Uprising in Kenya.​​ Each episode is guided by historians, experts and eyewitnesses from around the world who relay their incredible experiences during the wars​​ (6​​ x 60’).​​ 

CONTACT:​​ Woodcut International, Eastleigh, UK. Tel.​​ 44-0-845-355-0858. Email:​​ info@woodcutinternational.com ​​ ​​​​ Web:​​ ​​ www.woodcutinternational.com​​ 

CANINE COMPETITION

A+E Networks® Global Content Sales​​ has​​ announced that​​ “Top Dog,”​​ a canine competition format, has been commissioned as a six-part prime time series by​​ RTL​​ in Germany, produced by​​ RTL Studios​​ and premiering July 23rd. This news follows several additional commissions of​​ A+E Networks®​​ titles announced in May, underpinning the company’s success in engaging local adaptations of its proven hit formats.​​ “On Top Dog Germany – Der Beste Hund Deutschlands,”​​ extraordinary dogs and their owners compete nose-to-nose on a supersized canine obstacle course. The teams are tested on their speed, agility, and teamwork by completing a series of fun challenges, against the clock. The trusting interaction between humans and animals is crucial.​​ Created by​​ Big Fish Entertainment,​​ “Top Dog”​​ first aired on​​ A&E’s​​ domestic channel as​​ “America’s Top Dog.”​​ It returned for a second season on​​ A&E​​ on June 29, hosted by veteran studio and sports broadcaster Curt Menefee, following critical and ratings success​​ (6​​ x​​ 60’).​​ 

CONTACT:​​ A+E Networks, New York, NY, USA. Tel. 1-212-210-1400. Fax 1-212-210-9476. Web: ​​ www.AETNinternational.com

NIPPON TV TEAMS WITH ENVISION​​ 

Nippon TV, Japan’s leading multiplatform entertainment company, and​​ Envision Entertainment, a premium media company based in London which specializes in creating international scripted projects with global appeal, have announced a new co-production partnership. The​​ Nippon TV​​ and​​ Envision​​ partnership will see creators from the two companies combine their Western and Eastern sensibilities to develop new scripted projects designed for the global market.​​ The first project in development is an innovative crime drama series which takes place largely online and is perfect for today’s digitally connected world. The concept is inspired by the successful scripted format​​ “Double Booking”​​ produced and broadcast by​​ Nippon TV​​ in 2020. The crime story unfolds in a shared online world, with a cast of international characters connecting with each other through the internet and using their online research skills to solve mysteries. As the mystery spreads over international borders, the plot thickens in the least expected way. A Japanese version of the series is slated with the storyline leading directly into an international English language series. Further details of the coproduction will be unveiled later this year.​​ 

CONTACT:​​ Nippon Television, Tokyo, Japan. Tel. 81-3-5275-4139. Fax 81-3-5275-4008. Web:​​ http://www.ntv.co.jp/english/

OVERCOMING ORDINARY

Break out the paint, find the funky flair and toss the renovation rulebook because in the new​​ HGTV​​ series​​ “Breaking Bland,”​​ spunky interior designer Mary Welch Fox Stasik will help clients create living spaces that express their individuality and design aesthetic with pizazz and confidence. Premiering​​ on​​ August​​ 4, the seven-episode series based in Charleston, South Carolina, will follow Mary Welch, who once worked for top interior designers in New York, as she uses her eclectic, big-city style to create colorful custom designs that are authentic to each client and pushes them way out of their comfort zone. During each episode, Mary Welch will crack design boundaries and encourage clients to eschew traditional looks to create truly personalized dream homes​​ (7 x 30’).​​ 

CONTACT:​​ Discovery Networks, Silver Spring, MD, USA. Tel. 1-240-662-5900. Fax 1-240-662-1986. Web ​​ www.discovery.com​​ 

ÉTOILE AWARD

Laurence Herszberg, founder and general director of​​ Series Mania, (August 26-September 2)​​ has​​ announced the creation of the​​ Series Mania Étoile Award, an annual award which will be given each year at Series Mania honoring an international talent within the television industry. The first “Series Mania Étoile Award” will be presented to Tony, Grammy and Emmy Award-winning singer and actor Audra McDonald on August 26, opening night of​​ Series Mania. ​​ In addition to the award, McDonald will be in Lille on behalf of her new television series​​ “The Bite”​​ from​​ ViacomCBS Global Distribution Group.​​ She will be hosting a masterclass celebrating her career and a Q&A with her husband and fellow cast member, Will Swenson, after the French Premiere of​​ “The Bite.”​​ Audra McDonald is best known by worldwide audiences as the TV screen star of​​ “The Good Fight”​​ (Paramount+) and​​ “Private Practice”​​ (ABC). She also appeared in​​ Disney’s​​ feature​​ “Beauty and the Beast,”​​ and she will appear in​​ MGM’s​​ upcoming feature​​ “Respect,”​​ the biographical musical drama based on the life of Aretha Franklin.

CONTACT: Series Mania/Forum des Images, Paris, France. Tel. 33-1-44-76-63-07. Email: diana-odile.lestage@forumdesimages.fr   Web: www.series-mania.fr