Yahoo News Global Bulletin: U.K.’s ITV, Channel 4 Win International Emmys for News, Current Affairs
U.K. broadcasters ITV and Channel 4 win International Emmys; Sundance Now buys Stan’s “The Night Caller”; ZDF wraps factual series; GoQuest takes Czech drama “Rats”; UKTV joins Creative Diversity Network; and “Chef In Your Year” format bows in Chile.
“Undercover: Inside China’s Digital Gulag” by the U.K.’s Hardcash Productions and ITV, has won the International Emmy for current affairs, adding to the BAFTA current affairs TV award that it has already won. The documentary, directed by Robin Barnwell, for ITV’s ‘Exposure’ strand, goes undercover inside China’s Xinjiang region to provide insight into how its government is holding a million or more Muslims in detention camps without trial.
“Hong Kong Year of Living Dangerously” by the U.K.’s Channel 4 News and ITN, has won the International Emmy for news. The series of reports from Hong Kong, which spanned seven days, revealed how in 2019, Hong Kong surprised itself, China and the rest of the world with unprecedented protests. The reports by Matt Frei were filmed by Stuart Webb, and produced by Chris Cunningham, Chermaine Lee Sheung Man and Vanesse Chan Wing Yan.
Both International Emmys were presented by the International Academy of Television Arts & Sciences during an online ceremony in conjunction with the U.S. News Emmys.
PRE-SALES
Distribution company Abacus Media Rights has sold Australian true crime story “The Night Caller,” a Stan original production, to AMC Networks’ streaming service Sundance Now for the U.S. and Canada, Sky Crime in the U.K., and DR in Denmark ahead of its official launch at the virtual Mipcom.
Produced by Salon Pictures and EQ Media Group, the four-part drama explores a killer’s legacy as seen through the eyes of a filmmaker returning to his childhood home in Perth, Australia, and spending time with those closest to the killer and his victims.
COMPLETION
Germany’s ZDF Enterprises has completed production on two new factual titles: history series “The Abyss – Rise and Fall of the Nazis,” which is spread over 10 parts and a special, and “Myths – The Great Mysteries of Humanity,” a 10-part exploration into myths, legends and paranormal phenomena.
“The Abyss” is produced by ECO Media for ZDFinfo and ZDF Enterprises and “Myths” is a Story House production for ZDFinfo in association with ZDF Enterprises.
ZDF Enterprises holds worldwide distribution rights and will be launching the shows to market this autumn.
GLOBAL RIGHTS
Independent content distributor GoQuest Media has partnered with Czech production company Heaven’s Gate to take international distribution rights for six-part crime thriller “Rats,” a drama about the Czech drug trade.
Based on true stories and made in collaboration with the National Anti-Drug Centre of the Czech Republic, “Rats” was created and written Czech screenwriter Miro Šifra (“Rédl”) and directed by Viktor Tauš (“Vodnik”) of Heaven’s Gate and Matěj Chlupáček (“Terapie”) of Barletta Productions in association with Czech TV and MD4. “Rats” aired in Spring 2020, during primetime on Ceska televize, and enjoyed ratings success.
DIVERSITY NETWORK
BBC Studios-owned British broadcaster UKTV is joining the Creative Diversity Network, and has signed up to its Diamond online system that obtains consistent diversity data on commissioned programs. Diamond is already used by the BBC, ITV, Channel 4, Channel 5 and Sky.
Last year, UKTV also announced a partnership with Film London’s Equal Access Network and launched its All Voices initiative, which aims to give underrepresented groups meaningful employment on UKTV Original productions. The initiative provides work in paid, full-time roles for all levels of experience.
FORMAT ADAPTATION
“Oy al Chef,” the Chilean adaptation of food format “Chef In Your Ear,” will bow on WarnerMedia Latin America’s free-to-air TV channel Chilevision on Sept. 24. The show will be hosted by Chilean journalist Emilia Daiber and will feature international chefs Sergi Arola from Spain, Ennio Carota from Italy, Yann Yvin from France and Christopher Carpentier from Chile.
The show design is that of chefs, from a distance, guiding celebrities with little or no cooking experience. It is created by The Format People and distributed in Latin America by Warner Bros. International Television Production (WBITVP).
WarnerMedia will launch subscription on demand streaming service HBO Max in Latin America in 2021.
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