All the latest news from the global content industry on Friday, 17 April

 

Canal+ names chief exec for Europe

Canal+ Europe has appointed Christophe Pinard-Legry as its chief executive officer.

Pinard-Legry takes on the role in addition to his Canal+ France remit, where he is also chief exec. His new role also sees him joining the Canal+ board, chaired by group chief Maxime Saada.

Pinard-Legry’s core focus will be to oversee the group’s subsidiaries and coordinate all activities across Europe, where it operates in 10 countries.

 

Maigret extends run with Masterpiece 

PBS drama strand Masterpiece has extended Playground’s drama Maigret into a second season.

The contemporary adaptation of Georges Simenon’s novels about the French detective started filming this month in Budapest, with Benjamin Wainwright (Belgravia: The Next Chapter) reprising the titular role.

Simenon’s Maigret novels The Hanged Man of Saint-Pholien, Maigret’s Revolver, and The Yellow Dog form the basis for the second run.

Patrick Harbinson (Homeland) returns as showrunner, director and executive producer for Windhover Films. Executive producers for Playground are Colin Callender and David Stern (Signora Volpe).

 

Law & Order: Organized Crime to end

NBCUniversal has axed Law & Order: Organized Crime after five seasons.

The show starred Christopher Meloni’s Elliot Stabler character as he reprised his role from the franchise’s SVU series.

It was produced by NBCU sibling Universal Television and Wolf Entertainment and had initially bowed on NBC before its most recent fifth run streamed on Peacock.

 

Hungary’s MTVA to be overhauled

Péter Magyar, Hungary’s recently elected prime minster, has said he will reform national broadcaster MTVA when he takes office later this year.

Magyar and his Tisza Party won the country’s election against Viktor Orban last weekend and subsequently gave interviews to MTVA during which he decried the broadcaster as a “factory of lies”, allegations the presenters denied.

“The fake news broadcast here must stop and we will create independent, objective and impartial conditions to end this propaganda,” Magyar added, comparing MTVA to North Korean state media. He said a new media law would be introduced to allow “state media to do what it is meant to do.”

Almost 100 journalists from state news agency MTI had already demanded the return of impartial news coverage, according to Reuters. A letter detailing the demand, first revealed by local title HVG, was addressed to MTVA chief exec Daniel Papp and Anita Altoraj, who runs the state media’s TV and radio divisions, as well as the MTI news agency.

 

Ellison reaffirms theatrical and SVOD window plans 

Paramount chief exec David Ellison has moved to allay concerns over the studio’s proposed merger with Warner Bros Discovery by telling CinemaCon attendees that he was fully committed to the theatrical model.

“I wanted to look every single one of you in the eye and say that once we combine with Warner Bros we’re going to make a minimum of 30 films across both studios,” the chief exec told the Dolby Colosseum audience at Caesars Palace.

He added that “every film” will receive a full theatrical release with a minimum 45-day window, going to SVoD in 90 days. “You can count on our complete commitment,” he continued.

Job losses, concerns over windowing and doubts that the combined studio will manage to sustain 30 releases a year have been among regular issues raised following news of the deal, which is moving through regulatory phase.

 

All American special ordered by The CW 

The CW Network has ordered a special to mark the eighth and final season of drama All American, which will premiere with a two-hour special on Monday, 13 July.

Prior to that, The CW will air an hour-long “celebration of the series” with All American: The Final Season Special on 22 June, exploring key events and cultural impacts of the American football-focused series.

The show has run to almost 150 episodes and is described as “a coming-of-age story about identity, ambition, and staying true to your roots.” Warner Bros. Television and CBS Studios produce in association with Berlanti Productions.