All the latest news from the global content industry on Friday, 6 February

 

eOne alum heads to OTF

Off The Fence Media (OTF) has appointed former eOne exec Rachel Carson as acquisitions executive, reporting to vice president of acquisitions Loren Baxter.

Carson joins OTF following nearly a decade at eOne UK, where she served as sales director and worked on shows such as Peppa Pig, PJ Masks, Transformers, Power Rangers and My Little Pony.

She was most recently at Kartoon Studios and Little Dot Studios, acquiring around 2,000 hours of content for the Little Dot Studios Network.

The appointment comes as OTF prepares for The London Screenings, with shows including Mind of a Predator from South African producer Lion Mountain Media and Growing Up Cat from WildEarth TV.

 

Belgium to air first civilian version of The Box

Reality format The Box has been commissioned in Belgium by VTM with the edition set to become the first civilian version of the format to air.

The Belgian version will feature 10 ordinary people who are locked inside mysterious boxes and thrown into a game where no one knows the rules. Quick thinking is the key to survive, with the remaining contestant after eight episodes winning a cash prize.

A civilian version of The Box, which hails from Seefood TV, has also been announced in Sweden but not yet aired.

 

BYUtv, Beta reveal ’cozy vet procedural’ 

Canada’s BYUtv, Toronto-based producer Shaftesbury and Beta Film have joined forces on a new veterinary series, titled Barton Vet.

The show is being filmed in Ontario, Canada, and is described as a “cozy veterinary procedural”.

It stars Georgina Reilly (Murdoch Mysteries) as an adventurous and driven veterinarian who takes over their rural family veterinary clinic following the death of her father.

Beta has picked up worldwide distribution to the show, which is produced by Shaftesbury in association with BYUtv and Beta Film and with the participation of the Canadian Film & Video Production Tax Credit and Ontario Creates.

 

99 to Beat heads to Estonia

Belgium-based Primitives has licensed a first season of 99 to Beat to TV3 Estonia.

The show, to be known locally as Parem Kui 99, will launch Sunday 1 March and marks the latest expansion for the format, which was created by Belgian broadcaster VRT and production company De Chinezen.

The show sees 100 contestants take on a series of “brilliantly bonkers” challenges, with the aim being not to finish last. The format is in production for its seventh season on VRT and has spawned local versions in 12 territories, including Germany (Sat.1), the USA (FOX), France (M6), the UK (ITV1) and the Netherlands (Talpa Network/SBS6).