Thursday round-up: Latest news, deals & hires

Offspring hires

Natural history indie Offspring Films has promoted series producer Tom Payne to the newly-expanded role of head of development, Broadcast can reveal.

Payne, who joined the indie in 2017, will lead the Bristol-based company’s creative strategy across its factual and natural history slate.

The appointment comes just ahead of the launch of the indie’s latest Apple TV+ commission Born To Be Wild tomorrow (19 December), on which Payne serves as showrunner. The series, co-produced with Tailfeather Productions, follows six endangered young animals as they are prepared for life in the wild.

Payne played a key role in the development of the company’s first Apple TV series, Earth at Night in Colour, and series directed the streamer’s Emmy-winning Earthsounds. Previously, he directed Chris Packham’s BBC2 series Weird Wonders of the World and Nature’s Weirdest Events.  

Beta strikes vast Canal+ sales deal

Canal+ has picked up a raft of shows from Beta Film including UK drama The Couple Next Door and Other People’s Money.

The shows have been acquired by Canal+ for its services across Europe, with the broad deal spanning multiple windows and platforms across its regional streamers and channels.

Other People’s Money is from creator and showrunner Jan Schomburg and was produced by X Filme Creative Pool and True Content Entertainment, while Sam Heughan-starrer The Couple Next Door was produced by Eagle Eye in association with Beta Film, debuting on Channel 4.

Other shows heading to Canal+ include Italian mafia series Cold Summer and coming-of-age drama Prisma, as well as Last to Brake, El Inmortal - Gangs of Madrid, and Makari - Sicilian Mysteries.

Doctor Who animation producer unveiled

Blue Zoo, the animation studio behind CBeebies’ Numberblock and Alphablocks, has won a competitive pitch process to produce a Doctor Who animation for the channel.

BBC Children’s and Education invited UK producers to pitch for two series in June, marking the first time the ‘Whoniverse’ will appeal to pre-school audiences.

Blue Zoo will make 52 x11’ episodes in total, beginning production in 2026. The BBC declined to set out the value of the tender. Read more