product neWs TV ASAHI
JAPAN’s TV Asahi, which celebrates its 55th anniversary this year, brings a range of programming to MIPTV, including: season 11 of detective series Aibou, set in Tokyo; new drama The Mother Strikes Back, about 50-year-old Asako, who begins to have suspicions about her daughter-inlaw; Doctor-X (2 x 69 mins and 6 x 54 mins), about a genius freelance female surgeon who takes on the hospital director; and mini-series The Farthest Galaxy, about a retired detective who reopens a case that has haunted him.
SONUMA
SONUMA offers thousands of hours of programming and footage from public broadcaster for French-speaking Belgium, RTBF. Footage includes Russian tanks in Prague in 1968, the last interview with Salvador Allende in 1973, and the fall of Saigon, as well as entertainment with concerts from Louis Armstrong, Ella Fitzgerald, Ray Charles, Black Sabbath, U2, Genesis, and interviews with movie stars including Romy Schneider and Alain Delon. Sonuma’s catalogue also includes RTBF’s daily programming, covering news, current affairs, nature and lifestyle.
ZODIAK KIDS
Aibou (TV Asahi)
ABC COMMERCIAL
A FEATURE-length documentary from BAFTA award-winning director Alex Holmes tops the MIPTV slate from Australia’s ABC Commercial. King Of Cheats tells the unauthorised story of cyclist Lance Armstrong, how he worked to fulfil his ambition, and how this was unmasked as the greatest sporting fraud of all time. New revelations and new witnesses feature in this documentary, which examines the human cost of Armstrong’s ambition — friendships broken, careers destroyed, ordinary people vilified and hounded by lawyers and by Armstrong himself.
King Of Cheats (ABC Commercial)
52
ZODIAK Kids, in partnership with France Televisions and Disney Channel (France), is launching Lolirock (52 x 26 mins), which follows a teenage girl with a beautiful voice who joins girl band Lolirock — changing her life forever, and pushing her into a world of music, mystery and magical powers. They discover their destiny as magical princesses and battle for justice. Five Lolirock videos are to be launched on social media and YouTube before the debut of the TV show and local Lolirock bands will be formed in key markets. Zodiak also brings: live-action show featuring record-breakers Officially Amazing (13 x 30 mins), and animation Totally Spies! Season 6 (26 x 26 mins).
miptv
FREMANTLEMEDIA INTERNATIONAL
MULTIPLATFORM comedy Fetching tells the story of Liza (Collette Wolfe), who ditches her lucrative law career to pursue her dream of owning a doggieday care centre. Attracted to dog walker Matt, she worries about a relationship even though her dog loves him. Hollywood Help follows Max, a struggling actor who lands the position of personal assistant to two actresses and close friends. These are the first two titles to come out of the original programming partnership between international distributor FremantleMedia International and US multiplatform studio Vuguru. The shows are adaptable for linear and non-linear platforms and are available in a variety of time lengths from fiveminute chapters, to half-hour episodes, to a 1 x 90-minute TV movie. FremantleMedia International also launches a re-imagining of classic drama Prisoner Cell Block H, Wentworth (10 x 60 mins).
Fetching (FremantleMedia International)
MEDIATOON DISTRIBUTION
THIS year Mediatoon is launching the third season of Yakari (26 x 13 mins). The story of a young Sioux native American who can communicate with animals, has been pre-acquired by France Televisions for France 5 and ARD-Degeto for KiKA. Now comprising 104 episodes, the series has already sold in over 30 territories. The company also brings new episodes of Quiz Time (104 x 4 mins), commissioned by Disney EMEA, including 26 episodes dedicated to deaf and hard of hearing children.
Lolirock (Zodiak Kids)
Yakari (Mediatoon)