All the latest news from the global content industry on Thursday, 7 August

TV production boosts Sony profits

Sony Pictures has reported a 76% profit rise in the quarter to 30 June, fuelled by its TV productions division.

Revenues at SPT’s productions division hit $841m, up from $607m a year earlier when the impact of the US writers and actors strikes damaged returns.

Sony’s film arm, Motion Pictures, fared less well, with revenue falling by $175m year-on-year to $742m. The group’s total revenue rose 2% to $17.6bn, while operating income hit $2.3bn, a rise of 36%.

 

Boston Blue sets Mipcom premiere 

Paramount is to give Boston Blue - the spin-off from long-running drama Blue Bloods - its world premiere at Mipcom in October.

The series will debut in the evening of Sunday 12 October, the day before Mipcom starts, with lead actor and executive producer Donnie Wahlberg and star Sonequa Martin-Green to be in attendance.

Boston Blue sees Boston-born Wahlberg reprising his role as NYPD detective Danny Reagan, who takes a position with the local police department and looks to reconnect with his younger son, Sean (Mika Amonsen), who is beginning his own police career in Boston.

The show debuts on CBS later on Friday October 17 in the US. Paramount Global Content Distribution sells Boston Blue, with CBS Studios and Jerry Bruckheimer Television producing.

 

UK’s ITV orders Jeff Pope drama 

ITV has ordered a four-part drama on one of Britain’s most prolific sex attackers, John Worboys, from The Walk In writer Jeff Pope.

Believe Me will tell the story of three victims of Worboys, who was dubbed the ‘black cab rapist’ after preying on women under the guise of being a respectable taxi driver.

Aimee-Ffion Edwards (Peaky Blinders), Miriam Petche (Industry) and Aasiya Shah (The Beast Must Die) will play the three women, with Line of Duty and Suspect: The Shooting of Jean Charles de Menezes’ Daniel Mays playing Worboys.

The Etta Pictures-produced drama follows the story of Worboys’ conviction in 2009 for sexually assaulting 12 women between 2006 and 2008. Read more 

 

Broadcast readers overwhelmingly back BBC MasterChef call

Broadcast readers have backed the BBC’s decision to air the latest series of MasterChef featuring sacked presenters Gregg Wallace and John Torode, with nearly 60% in agreement over the decision.

The Broadcast poll asked the question ‘Do you think the BBC is right to air the new series of MasterChef?’ with the option to respond ‘yes’ or ‘no’.

More than half (58%) of the 300 respondents from our industry readership believe the BBC is right to air the show, with 42% disagreeing with the corporation’s decision. The results come as the BBC dropped the first three episodes of the story on iPlayer ahead of its linear launch this evening (6 August) at 8pm on BBC1. Read more

 

Tubi buys Sony shows for Canada

Fox-owned streamer Tubi has picked up a raft of programming from Sony Pictures Entertainment for its service in Canada.

The deal includes around 130 movies and TV episodes, with titles such as Captain Phillips and Mr Mercedes set to become available.

 

Sam Barcroft named SWNS chief

UK-based SWNS Media Group has acquired Sam Barcroft’s digital consultancy firm Creatorville and named the Barcroft Studios founder its chief exec.

Creatorville was launched in 2021, two years after Barcroft Studios was sold to Future.

Barcroft will become a shareholder in SWNS as part of the deal, financial details of which were not disclosed.