ARD And Canal+ Join Forces For Sherlock Holmes Spin-Off, Baker Street Four

Production has started on Baker Street Four. The animated series follows a ragtag trio of street urchins – and a cat called Watson – who act as legendary detective Sherlock Holmes’ eyes and ears on the ground.

German public broadcaster ARD has come on board the project, joining the previously announced French pay TV giant Canal+ and teeing up big-ticket European co-production.

The show is based on the successful French comic book series ‘Les Quatre de Baker Street’, written by Jean-Blaise Djian and Olivier Legrand, and illustrated by David Etien.

Folivari and Blue Spirit are making the series, bringing together two award-winning France-based animation houses. News of the series first surfaced at the Annecy animation fest in 2019. With ARD on board it is now full steam ahead on production.

Skewing to a 6-to-10-year-old audience, the series is directed by Francis Canitrot. It will run to 12 parts and hit screens in 2027.

Specifically, Baker Street Four follows three of Holmes’ helpers and is an inside look at some of the group known in the Arthur Conan Doyle’s stories as the Baker Street Irregulars.

From the slums of Victorian London, the Baker Street Four of the series are Billy, who see himself as the brains of the band of urchins, Tom, an acrobat and ace pickpocket, and Charlotte, the resourceful one of the group. Their stray cat Watson completes the quartet.

Folivari International – which is headed by Melissa Vega and was founded last year by her and Folivari founders Damien Brunner, Thibaut Ruby, Sarah Delmas and Didier Brunner – is across sales. Vega is at the Kidscreen confab in San Diego this week as the global rollout of the series takes shape.

“We’re thrilled to kick off production on the series, thanks to ARD’s greenlight,” she said. “We want the children to discover this series as their first co-viewing experience – one that brings the whole family together through thrilling investigations filled with comedy and adventure.”

MSNBC Will Not Undergo A Name Change Once It Is Spun Off From Comcast

 MSNBC will retain its name after it is spun off from Comcast along with other cable assets.

Mark Lazarus, who is leading the new company, told network staffers of the plans at a meeting today to announce the departure of Rashida Jones as the network’s president and the naming of Rebecca Kutler as interim leader, according to a network source.

“I know there was some discussion with the MSNBC name, so you can take that off of your worry list on things,” Lazarus said at the meeting.

Kutler also will be hiring a head of newsgathering and head of talent, Lazarus said. Throughout its history, MSNBC has drawn on correspondents and anchors from sister network NBC News, which will remain part of Comcast.

Lazarus said, “The only thing I’ll say is the worst thing any leader can do is change something that’s working just because they can. So, if this is working, then there’s no reason to change it.”

The spinoff, announced in November, is expected to take about a year to complete. It also will include USA Network, CNBC, Oxygen, E!, SYFY and Golf Channel.

MSNBC launched in 1996 as a venture between NBC News and Microsoft. It had a heavy emphasis on the then-emerging internet, but its primetime eventually evolved into a progressive alternative to right-leaning Fox News.

Lionel Messi Inspired Animated Series Is Coming To Disney Channel And Disney+

A Lionel Messi-inspired animated series will soon premiere on Disney Channel after Disney Branded Television acquired Messi and the Giants from Sony Music Vision and Sony Pictures Television – Kids, Billboard has learned. 

The sci-fi animated show follows a 12-year-old boy named Leo, who is transported from his home in Argentina into an alternate universe. The series will demonstrate how the character faces adversity, builds a team, and discovers how to become a hero. 

“I always dreamed of being involved in a project that would share the values of sports, the very same values that have been so important to my career, with younger generations,” Messi expressed in a press release. “Nothing truly is impossible with teamwork, perseverance, discipline, and hard work. I look forward to sharing this series with kids around the world, and I hope I will inspire them and motivate them to achieve their own dreams. Ever since I was a kid, I always loved animated series, and I look forward to watching this series with my own kids.” 

Each episode of Messi and the Giants is 22-minutes long and will premiere on Disney Channel, followed by Disney Channel On Demand and globally on DIsney+, and will be available in English, Spanish and other languages.  

“Football — or soccer as we call it in the United States — is the world’s most beloved sport, uniting and captivating millions of fans of all ages,” noted Ayo Davis, president, Disney Branded Television. “We are proud to work with Lionel Messi and Sony Pictures Television to bring ‘Messi and the Giants’ to our passionate, global kids’ audience. We know that its themes of family, friendship, and teamwork will resonate with not only football enthusiasts but everyone everywhere who loves a great story.” 

“It’s been a privilege to team with Leo and our colleagues at Sony Music on this first-time collaboration,” Joe D’Ambrosia, EVP and general manager, Sony Pictures Television – Kids added. “We’re thrilled that Disney is giving a global platform to this fun take on a classic tale and look forward to launching a global consumer products and branded partnerships program alongside the show’s debut.” 

“There is an incredible team all working together on this project, with Leo’s magic as the inspiration behind it all,” said Afo Verde, Chairman & CEO, Sony Music Latin Iberia. “We are thrilled that Disney has now joined our roster to help bring this imaginative series to audiences and inspire fans all around the world.” 

Heads Up! Disney Junior And National Geographic Wild Go Dark In France By January 2025 As Orange Secures Rights To The Disney Channel

The Disney Channel and National Geographic channels will survive in France through Orange boxes. Disney films will also be available 4 months after their theatrical release on Orange's VOD service. The historic operator unveils a reassuring distribution agreement with the American giant.

Following the divorce between Canal+ and Disney, Orange took advantage of the situation and announced, against all expectations, on December 20, a distribution agreement with The Walt Disney Company which strengthens access to Disney content in France and enriches the entertainment offering for Orange TV subscribers.

This partnership allows Livebox subscribers to fully access Disney content through three offers:

Included access for all TV customers to Disney's iconic channels : Disney Channel, the reference channel for young people, and National Geographic will be included from January 2, 2025 for all Orange TV customers, from their decoder and the Orange TV application on smartphones and a wide selection of connected TVs.

The possibility of subscribing to the Disney + streaming service under special conditions. Customers of the Orange Livebox Max offer benefit from a €5 discount for life by subscribing to Disney +, this offer has already been in place since last October. Other TV customers will benefit from a promotion with the first month free to discover the Disney + service. Orange subscribers will continue to be able to watch the platform's programs on their decoder.

Access to Disney films 4 months after their theatrical release on the Orange VOD service  : Orange will offer, through its transactional VOD offer, the latest cinema releases from the Disney group studios (Disney, Walt Disney Animation Studios, Pixar Animation, Marvel Studios, Lucasfilm, 20th Century Studios, and Searchlight Pictures) via the Orange VOD service.

Hélène Etzi, President of The Walt Disney Company France, said, “  We are very pleased to partner with Orange to make our iconic content and stories accessible to as many households as possible,” or 12.4 million French people. It remains to be seen whether other operators such as Free, SFR and Bouygues Telecom will try to reach an agreement with Disney.

The article was originally published by Univers Freebox

Warner Bros. Discovery To Separate Linear From Streaming And Studios

Warner Bros Discovery is to bring in a new corporate structure that will see the creation of two separate divisions, Global Linear Networks and Streaming & Studios.

The never-ending cycle of merger and demerger is described as being “designed to enhance its strategic flexibility and create potential opportunities to unlock additional shareholder value.”

The two divisions will both come under the corporate wing of Warner Bros Discovery, but ultimately this could lead to a spin off of the channel assets. A sale of linear channels in the Nordics and Poland is already under consideration and is a reflection of similar moves within the big US networks. The future is clearly in streaming service Max and the production that feeds it.

“Since the combination that created Warner Bros. Discovery, we have transformed our business and improved our financial position while providing world class entertainment to global audiences,” said Warner Bros. Discovery President and CEO, David Zaslav. 

“We continue to prioritise ensuring our Global Linear Networks business is well positioned to continue to drive free cash flow, while our Streaming & Studios business focuses on driving growth by telling the world’s most compelling stories. Our new corporate structure better aligns our organization and enhances our flexibility with potential future strategic opportunities across an evolving media landscape, help us build on our momentum and create opportunities as we evaluate all avenues to deliver significant shareholder value.”

Its expected the new structure will be in place by mid-2025.

Last month, Comcast confirmed the separation of NBCUniversal’s cable television networks including USA Network, CNBC, MSNBC, Oxygen, E!, SYFY and Golf Channel. It might be expected for a similar move to take place at Paramount Global once its new owners are in place.

BBC Studios’ Achieves Record Performance Across Africa And The Greater EMEA Regions

BBC Studios has unveiled record-breaking performance for its linear channel business today, with standout growth in Africa alongside remarkable results across EMEA.

 

In Africa, BBC Studios' linear portfolio on DStv, including BBC Lifestyle, BBC Brit, BBC UKTV, BBC Earth, and BBC News, has expanded its reach by +14% in 2024. This growth marks the highest-ever performance for CBeebies and BBC UKTV, while BBC Lifestyle achieved its best results since 2017. Additionally, BBC Primetime, a bespoke two-hour content block on SABC3, has increased its reach by an impressive 24% compared to the same period last year.

 

The success in Africa complements achievements across other regions:

 

• Netherlands: BBC First, BBC Studios’ premium drama channel in the Netherlands, has gone from strength to strength, with 2024 topping 2023 as its biggest year since launching in 2015. The channel has delivered a 2.3% 4+ market share to date in 2024, up +16% from last year.

• Poland: BBC Studios channel portfolio (BBC Earth, BBC Brit, BBC First, BBC Lifestyle and CBeebies) is also on track to deliver its highest share in 2024 (0.82%, 4+) since the portfolio launched in 2015, with BBC Earth and BBC First delivering the highest annual share ever in 2024.

• Nordics: BBC Nordic, BBC Studios multi-genre linear channel available in Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Finland and Iceland, has ranked as the biggest international channel in its competitive set in Norway in October and November. In November, the channel delivered the highest share since launch (1.2%, 4+), and the channel has seen a +53% increase in Share in 2024 compared to 2023, when it launched.

 

Arran Tindall, Chief Commercial Officer, EVP, EMEA Key Markets, commented, “2024 has been a record year for our channels business in EMEA. We have seen incredible numbers across our whole channel portfolio in the Netherlands, Poland, Africa and the Nordics, and I am extremely proud of the growth we have seen this year. This success is a testament to BBC Studios’ extensive breadth of high-quality content and the careful curation by our teams to deliver engaging schedules that resonate with local tastes and audiences in each of our markets.”