Thursday round-up: Latest news, deals & hires

Love Is Blind prodco names TV president

Kinetic Content has upped Ally Simpson to president of TV, overseeing its unscripted slate in North America.

Simpson has been with the company for a decade and has been a key force behind Love Is Blind for Netflix and Peacock’s US version of Married At First Sight.

Kinetic, which is also behind The Ultimatum for Netflix and Claim to Fame for ABC, was acquired by The North Road Company in 2022. It launched a UK arm last year that is run by Laura Gibson, who joined having been creative director at NBCU’s Monkey Kingdom.

Hulu builds property competition show

Disney-owned streamer Hulu is expanding its competition reality slate with a new home improvement show.

Designed To Last brings architects, engineers and inventors together in a bid to safeguar homes against unpredictable and extreme real-world conditions.

Each of the four episodes tracks 10-hour builds as experts focus on a specific environmental threat - wind, water, snow/ice, and fire - and build defences.

The series was executive produced by 3Ball Entertainment’s Ross Weintraub, Reinout Oerlemans, and Matthew C. Allyn, alongside Claire Kosloff and Known’s Mark Feldstein and Ross Martin.

Love throws celebs into C4 pottery format 

The UK’s Love Productions is shaping up a celebrity version of its long-running Channel 4 format The Great Pottery Throw Down, with Liza Tarbuck presenting.

The Great Celebrity Pottery Throw Down (5 x 60 minutes) will follow local celebrities as they learn the craft. Unlike the original format, which eliminates a contestant every week, the celebs will develop their skills in challenges to earn a place in the grand final.

C4 has aired celebrity-filled festive singles of the format, though this marks the first full run for Love’s format. Read more