All the latest news from the global content industry on Thursday, 12 June

 

Doctor Who animation in works

Doctor Who is set to head to CBeebies for the first time in the form of an animated series, Broadcast can reveal.

The BBC will shortly launch a competitive tender for the series which will be based in the Doctor Who universe.

It is looking for a production company to create and produce the series, which will run independently from the main show, but like the main series will follow the Doctor as he travels through time and space solving mysteries and problems alongside companions. Read more

 

BBCS, Silverback alum joins Embankment

Embankment Films’ unscripted team has added Zoe Sandhu as head of production and promoted Henry Farrington to associate producer.  

Sandhu joins the unscripted team led by Nick Taussig. She has held a series of production manager roles at indies including Silverback Films, BBC Studios Natural History Unit and Plum Pictures.  

Farrington joined Embankment in 2023 as head of research. Prior to that he worked with Taussig in a series of development roles at the latter’s former indie Salon Pictures.

 

ABC in Oz cuts staff

Australia’s ABC is cutting around 50 jobs, with roles in radio being trimmed and the broadcaster’s Q+A show set to end after nearly two decades.

ABC chief Hugh Marks emailed staff to inform them that 40 roles would be made redundant and 10 fixed term contracts would be cut.

He added that the savings would be “reinvested directly” into more content and services for audiences. The changes coincide with the ABC Content division being rebranded ABC Screen, with a new Digital Content arm also being created.

 

Spain’s Secuoya links with Sydney Gallonde 

Producer Sydney Gallonde and Secuoya Studios in Spain has struck a multi-year first-look deal, which aims to generate French stories and narratives for the global market.

The pact marks Secuoya’s first development initiative in France, with Gallonde best known for his adaptations of Harlan Coben’s No Second Chance and Just One Look, as well as Guillaume Musso’s works.

The agreement follows similar pacts struck with Juan Carballo, Mónica Aguirre and Sergio Cánovas last year. Most recently, Secuoya agreed a deal with BlackBox Multimedia in the UK as part of a strategy to produce 30% of the studio’s content in languages other than Spanish.

 

Paramount+ renews Skymed

Paramount+ has extended medical drama Skymed into a fourth season.

The series, produced by Piazza Entertainment in association with Paramount+ in Canada and CBS Studios, follows the triumphs and tribulations of young medics and pilots who fly air ambulances across the remote skies of Northern Canada.

The eight-episode season begins production later this summer and will stream exclusively on Paramount+ in the US, Canada, Latin America and Brazil, UK, Australia, Italy, France, Germany, Switzerland and Austria. Paramount Global Content Distribution sells worldwide.