Monday round-up: Latest news, deals & hires

Monday, 12.00pm: Cineflix Rights, Law&Crime strike two-show deal

Law&Crime Network has struck a deal with Cineflix Rights that will see more than 30-hours of true crime programming being produced.

The agreement sees Cineflix Rights greenlighting two 10-part series from Law&Crime Productions: Most Likely to Murder (w/t) explores what happens when popular students become cold-blooded killers; while Kill Switch (w/t) reveals cases of murderers assuming their victims’ personas.

Both shows are already in pre-production and will be sold globally by Cineflix Rights.

The UK-based distributor previously worked with Law&Crime Productions to greenlight 50 hours of true crime content, including Cult Justice, Murder Uncut and Killer Cases, which have sold to Hulu and A&E in the US, Channel 4 in the UK and CBC in Canada, amongst numerous others.

Felicia Litovitz, vice-president of acquisitions for North America at Cineflix Rights brokered the deal.

Monday, 10.23am: OUTtv orderes more Sew Fierce

Leading LGBTQ+ television and streaming service OUTtv is bringing back competition series Sew Fierce, commissioning a third season of the original titles. Produced by Sonic Nursery Creative, the new season starts production in autumn 2025 and is set to launch on OUTtv later in 2025.

The eight-episode third run will see the return of season two’s co-hosts: design mentor Jaime Lujan, aka Lucinda Miu, and London based drag legend, Crystal. Benjamin Toner, the winner of Sew Fierce’s debut season, will also appear in the upcoming season as a judge. Showcasing the artistry that goes into the craft of drag, Sew Fierce brings together eight drag designers at the top of their game who will face weekly challenges to create stunning new looks, all vying for the grand prize and title.

Monday, 10.10am: Genial to go it alone as indie label

Genial Productions is reverting to an independent production company after six and a half years of minority backing from ITV Studios.  

The production company behind The Larkins (pictured top) and Finding Alice will continue to have a first-look distribution relationship with ITVS, but the super-indie has now officially terminated its appointment as a director at Genial. Read more

Monday, 10.02am: UKTV acquires Side Hustlers

UKTV has acquired the UK premiere of US buisness-focused reality series Side Hustlers, produced by Reese Witherspoon’s production company Hello Sunshine.Originally made for Roku, the series follows six women entrepreneurs who have 40 days to transform their side hustles into full-time businesses. Mentored by expert investors, Emma Grede (chief exec and co-founder of Good American) and Ashley Graham (supermodel and entrepreneur), the series provides real people with a life-changing opportunity to quit their jobs and pursue their dreams. Free-to-air entertainment channel U&W and streaming service U will air seasons one and two of Side Hustlers (10 x 60-minutes) from later this year.

Additionally, UKTV has licensed all three seasons of Harlots (24 x 60-minutes) and all four seasons of At Home with the Braithwaites (26 x 60-minutes) from distributor ITV Studios, bringing the British dramas to UKTV’s free-to-air network and streaming service U for the first time.

Monday, 9.22am: STV takes trip to Shortland Street

New Zealand’s longest-running drama Shortland Street is to come to the UK on STV Player. From 17 February, UK viewers will be able to stream new episodes of the medical soap in line with its New Zealand broadcast. Starring Martin Henderson (Grey’s Anatomy) and KJ Apa (Riverdale), the show focuses on staff working at Shortland Street Hospital in the fictional Auckland suburb of Ferndale. It has run since 1992 on state broadcaster TVNZ. Following its annual festive break, Shortland Street has introduced new characters and fresh storylines for 2025.Distribution is handled by All3Media International.

Richard Williams, managing director of digital at STV, said: “In New Zealand and several other international territories, Shortland Street has become a cultural phenomenon, so it’s a major coup for us to be able to make STV Player its UK home. The show is a magical blend of ‘just-one-more-episode’ drama, good-natured humour, warmth and topicality – everything we know STV Player viewers look for when choosing their next TV obsession.

“With Doctors concluding last year, there’s a gap in the telly market for a regular medical drama. We think Shortland Street has all the ingredients to not only fill that void, but also find its own distinctive place in viewers’ hearts among the British and Australian soaps they already know and love.”

Friday 31 January, 5.00pm: Deadliest Catch’s Original Prods ups Brian Lovett

LA-based Original Productions has upped Brian Lovett to become head of content strategy at the Fremantle-owned company.

Lovett, who was most recently exec vice president of programming and development, will lead all content for linear TV, AVOD, SVOD, YouTube, social media and FAST.

The move follows efforts by the firm to expand its operations through a push into FAST with the launch of Rig TV last year, which offers shows such as Jay Leno’s Garage, and YouTube-first programming with High in the Sky. Read more