Monday round-up: Latest news, deals & hires

Cowshed, ITVS prep Tinder-TikTok format

Tinder’s reality dating franchise Double Date Island is to debut on TikTok, following a deal involving ITV Studios’ Studio 55 and UK-based Cowshed Ventures.

Double Date Island will premiere its first full season on TikTok this summer, with Cowshed Studios producing. The format sees pairs of best friends from around the world going on double dates.

The show will be set in Portugal and will feature adult participants with the content only available to 18+ on TikTok. Alongside casting real people, selected talent will be joining the island as hosts.

Producers Cowshed Studios co-developed the show with Studio 55, which is distributing with the support of OMD, Tinder’s agency in EMEA for media strategy, planning and buying.

Utopai & Huace reveal gen-AI animation

Production outfit Utopai Studios and China’s Huace Film & TV have linked on a fully AI-generated animated series.

The duo will coproduce Journey to the West: The Lost Five Hundred Years, which is being produced using PAI, Utopai Studios’ cinematic storytelling AI system.

The series has been inspired by one of China’s most influential literary classics and reimagines why Sun Wukong, the Monkey King would ultimately become the protector of a monk he had never met before.

Huace will produce the animated series using PAI, while Utopai Studios will hold all distribution rights to the property outside China. The first season is planned as an animated series for distribution across broadcast, streaming, and digital platforms, with the broader franchise developed for future theatrical expansion.

Disney+ preps A24 drama

A24 is prepping a comedy-drama for Disney+, which tells the story of three grown-up siblings navigating the revelation their father has been accused of murder.

Dad hails from The Rachel Incident and Life is Strange creative Clem Garrity, who is both writer and creator.

The six-part Hulu Original series centres on three siblings, Sammy, Ned and Jessy, who are forced to confront their past after their father is accused of a historic murder committed during their childhood.

The trio must delve into their family’s past to uncover the secrets buried there, while facing the harsh and uncomfortable realities of the present. Read more

Vertical ob-doc show ordered by Paramount’s 5

The UK’s 5 has commissioned a “world first” ob-doc series designed simultaneously for vertical digital and linear platforms.

Produced by Firecracker Films, My Crazy Million Dollar Wedding will go behind the scenes of high-end, luxury nuptials of the super wealthy. Set in locations including an exclusive villa in Lake Como, with pop star guests, clips of these weddings have become major hits across social media.

My Crazy Million Dollar Wedding will air as a 40-episode digital vertical series of 1-3-minute videos, followed by a 90-minute linear compilation on 5.

Secrets of Cold War Ruins greenlit

Canadian producer Go Button Media has started production on Secrets of Cold War Ruins, a six-hour history series that has been greenlit by German producer-distributor Autentic and Canadian broadcaster Super Channel.

The show will be the fourth series from the previously announced 36-hour slate deal between the three collaborators, following Secrets of Ancient Structures, The Animal Within S2 and Milestones of the Solar System.

Secrets of Cold War Ruins examines mysteries from the period by visiting long abandoned sites, such as underground bunkers and remote military installations, with each episode unearthing the truth behind three Cold War sites.

Secrets of Cold War Ruins is expected to deliver towards the end of 2026.

JK Media expands Sin Filtro franchise for ViX

Chiquis Sin Filtro and La Trevi Sin Filtro producer JK Media Group is expanding the franchise with a show featuring Mexican actress and model, Ninel Conde.

Production has just started on Sin Filtro with Ninel Conde, which will become available via streamer ViX. Conde is best known for her performances in Rebelde, Fuego en la Sangre, Mar de Amor and Porque el Amor Manda.

JK Media has previously produced multiple seasons of its Sin Filtro format with Chiquis and most recently with Gloria Trevi for ViX.

Mediatoon, Xilam join Mediawan for FAST launch

France’s Mediawan has launched Wonderland Junior TV, a new free FAST and AVOD channel dedicated to kids, preschool and family entertainment in the US.

The schedule will feature titles such as Ki & Hi in the Panda Kingdom, The 3 Musketeers, Robin Hood: Mischief in Sherwood, Monster Loving Maniacs, Petronix Defenders and Power Players.

Mediawan Kids & Family series in production for major broadcasters across Europe, including Astro Boy Reboot, Karters and Witch Detectives, will be added to the programming in 2027.

Mediatoon Distribution, Xilam Animation, Normaal Animation and others are supporting the launch of the channel, which will offer more than 1,700 episodes of animation and live action. The news was revealed on the opening day of the Annecy Animation Festival in France.

MasterChef lands in Uzbekistan and Azerbaijan

Banijay Rights has sold cookery format MasterChef into Uzbekistan and Azerbaijan.

MasterChef Uzbekistan will debut on broadcaster Zo’r TV with a 10-episode run produced by New Media Group. Meanwhile, public broadcaster Ictimai TV will bring a 10-episode series of MasterChef Azerbaijan to screen.

The adaptations follow news of the upcoming return of MasterChef Asia which will air in India, Southeast Asia, Greater China, Japan, Korea and Middle East, and is produced by Warner Bros Discovery and CreAsia Studio – part of Endemol Shine India.

The latest greenlights mean the original format has now been commissioned in 74 markets globally. Deals were brokered by Alexander Rubanov, vice president of Romania, CIS, Ukraine, Georgia, Baltics & Turkey at Banijay Rights.

Samsung to pre-install Canal+ app in Africa

Canal+ has agreed a deal with Samsung Electronics that will see the French giant’s MultiChoice Group streaming app, DStv Stream, being pre-installed on Samsung Smart TVs.

The agreement follows Canal+’s acquisition of South African outfit MultiChoice last year, which was followed by the French company shuttering the Showmax streamer.

The DStv Stream app will be pre-installed on all new Samsung Smart TVs across 18 African countries, including South Africa, Nigeria, Kenya, Angola, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe. The pact is in addition to Canal+’s existing agreements across 40 markets in Europe, French-speaking Africa and Asia.