In today’s Global Bulletin, WarnerMedia appoints Vanessa Brookman as head of kids for EMEA, Discovery commissions two new unscripted series while Channel 5 gets a pair of dramas and the Göteborg Film Festival selects “Tove” as its opening film.
APPOINTMENT
WarnerMedia has announced that Vanessa Brookman will be promoted to the newly created position of head of kids for EMEA, effective immediately.
The move brings, for the first time, all WarnerMedia’s operational, editorial and creative responsibilities for kids’ content and channel brands in the region under a single remit. The consolidated portfolio includes Cartoon Network, Boomerang, Boing and Cartoonito as well as digital properties on third-party and WarnerMedia streaming platforms.
Brookman will collaborate closely with Johannes Larcher and Christina Sulebakk at HBO Max to improve the platform’s offerings for kids before it launches across EMEA markets.
A near-six-year vet at WarnerMedia, Brookman has worked in senior content, brands, digital and creative roles for the company. In her role as VP of content, brands and digital for the U.K. and Northern Europe she headed the content strategy for the company’s kids’ and general entertainment portfolio.
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The appointment concludes a busy week at WarnerMedia, after it was announced on Wednesday that Iris Knobloch, country manager for France and Benelux, Germany-Austria-Switzerland, had realigned her leadership teams across the regions.
COMMISSION
Discovery has commissioned two new series for its Quest Red and HGTV networks in the U.K.
“Sun, Sea & Obesity,” produced by Spun Gold, will broadcast on Quest Red and follows British tourists on vacation at a holiday resort in Antigua as they work with a specialist staff to deal with weight issues. HGTV will play home to Air TV’s “Derelict Rescue,” which follows families who work together to fix up severely rundown buildings including an abandoned water tower and a derelict Methodist church.
“Our viewers love seeing the stories behind monumental life moments, whether that’s combatting deep rooted body issues in ‘Sun, Sea & Obesity’ or sacrificing everything to create the home of your dreams in ‘Derelict Rescue,’” said U.K. and Ireland head of lifestyle and entertainment brands Clare Laycock.
*****
Channel 5 in the U.K. has commissioned two new dramas from Clapperboard, a Chalkboard sister company.
“Deadline,” written by Bafta-nominated screenwriter Gareth Tunley (“The Ghoul”), is a noir thriller about a journalist who falls in love with the femme fatale he was tasked with profiling for his paper. Mike Benson (“Cold Call”) will serve as executive producer with Herbert Kloiber and Rebecca Davies (“Cold Call”) producing. The series will be produced in association with Night Train Media and distribution by Abacus Media Rights.
“Teacher,” created by Barunka O’Shaughnessy (“Motherland”) and executive producer Mike Benson, tracks a state teacher whose life upturns after she is accused of a drunken sexual encounter with one of her students. With no memory of the night in question, she must investigate to find out what happened and clear her name. O’Shaughnessy will serve as lead writer with Dom Leclerc (“The Syndicate”) directing.
The announcement follows a string of drama successes on Channel 5 including “The Deceived” and “All Creatures Great and Small,” its biggest series launch since 2016.
FESTIVALS
Kicking off on Jan. 29, the 44th Göteborg Film Festival will open with the domestic premiere of Zaida Bergroth’s “Tove,” Sweden’s submission to the Academy Awards’ International Feature competition. The film will play in the 100% online festival’s official Nordic competition.
Starting at the end of World War II, Finnish painter Tove Jansson finds herself in a moment of change in her career, questioning her artistic choices. After meeting theater director Vivica Bandler, a side project grows legs, eventually becoming the globally popular “Moomin” children’s books.
“Tove” is based on a screenplay by Eeva Putro and produced by Helsinki-filmi producers Andrea Reuter and Aleksi Bardy with Anagram Sverige co-producing. Denmark’s LevelK handles international sales.