All the latest news from the global content industry on Friday, 12 September

 

BossaNova lands Mipcom trio

UK-based BossaNova Media has acquired rights to three new docuseries, which will be unveiled to international buyers at next month’s Mipcom in Cannes.

Headlining the slate is Ancient Autopsy (4 x 60 minutes) from Yeti Films, an innovative historical investigation series fronted by Professor Suzannah Lipscomb. It has been pre-bought by Channel 4 for More4 and goes in search of the truth behind the deaths of four towering historical figures: Cleopatra, Alexander the Great, Genghis Khan and Tutankhamun.

Elsewhere, Red River Gold (12 x 60 minutes / 26 x 30 minutes) is produced by Canada’s 3 Story Pictures for APTN and joins Métis treasure hunters as they explore what happened to a shipment of gold coins in the 1870s.

Round out the trio is Fredbird Entertainment’s Gold Wars Down Under, 10 x 60-minute show following three hardcore mining teams as they battle it out on one patch of gold-rich land to see who can unearth the biggest nuggets and the most gold in one season.

 

Netflix reveals Gervais cat animation

After Life creator and star Ricky Gervais’ next Netflix series has been unveiled in the form of an adult animation about a group of feral British cats.

Gervais is the creator, exec producer, director and star of the 6 x 15-minute Alley Cats, which will launch on the streamer next year.

The show follows cats seeking companionship and experiencing the trials and tribulations of everyday life, with Blink Industries, which was behind Netflix’s Dead End: Paranormal Park, on board to provide the 2D animation. Gervais’ Derek Productions will produce alongside Shush Creative.

 

BBC reveals regional expansion 

The BBC has committed to nearly doubling network production investment in the West Midlands in the next two years.

The BBC has today signed a second memorandum of understanding with the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) and Create Central to extend BBC network production investment from £24m to £40m per year by the end of 2027, to bolster the region’s scripted and unscripted output.

It comes shortly after the BBC revealed two BBC1 cosy crime shows from the region, reinvesting the budget from now-axed soap Doctors.

In addition to the spend, BBC Studios will set up a production base in Digbeth, near Birmingham, for its own and third-party commissions. BBCS left its previous production base in the region, the Drama Village, last year following the cancellation of Doctors. Read more