All the latest news from the global content industry on Thursday, 9 July

 

Dioxin disaster doc slated for HBO Max

HBO Max is prepping a documentary to mark the 50th anniversary of an accident in Italy that saw huge amounts of deadly chemical compounds known as dioxins releasded into the air.

Seveso: The Dioxin Disaster tells the story of the 1976 incident that saw tonnes of the carcinogenic chemicals released into the air at a factory based in Meda and owned by a Swiss multinational.

Some company executives and politicians attempted to cover up the truth by downplaying the incident, which is now widely seen as one of the most serious man-made chemical and environmental disasters in world history, with the compounds causing long-term health issues.

The three-episode original is based on Audible podcast Seveso - Italy’s Chernobyl and will launch on HBO Max in the coming months. It is being produced by Italian prodco Fandango in association with Feltrinelli. Domenico Procacci and Laura Paolucci produce, with Chiara Battistini, Matteo Liuzzi, Niccolò Martin and Fabio Ragazzo writing.

 

Taskmaster spin-off pilot greenlit

Channel 4 is to pilot a Taskmaster spin-off from Avalon, which will see households compete against each other, Broadcast can reveal.

Your Time Starts Now (w/t) was devised and developed by Taskmaster creator and host Alex Horne and follows on from Broadcast’s report in April that the series was in development. Filming is expected to take place mid-October.

The format features five teams of families and friends from across the UK compete with each other while they tackle a host of Horne’s typically devious tasks without ever leaving their homes.

The spin-off comes alongside growing interest in the Taskmaster format internationally, with Polish broadcaster TVN’s remake in April marking the 14th country to adapt the show.

 

Hayu spins Summer House for second original

NBCUniversal streamer Hayu has ordered its second original, this time a Canada-based adaptation of Bravo’s reality show Summer House.

Vancouver-based Lark Productions, which has a first-look distribution deal with NBCU’s Universal Global Television, is behind Summer House Canada and will launch the show on Hayu in 2027.

The series is based on the NBCU Formats-distributed original and will track the lives and relationships of a group of friends who spend their weekends at a shared house in the waterfront town of Muskoka.

Hayu’s first original was The Real Housewives of London, which has been extended into a second season that will launch later in 2026.

 

Bravo microdrama launches on Peacock

Peacock’s second Bravo original microdrama, Salon Confessionals with Madison LeCroy, has launched on the streamer’s mobile app in the US.

The 52-episode show follows Madison LeCroy and five of her clients as they settle into her salon chair to reveal wild personal stories, relationship drama, shocking secrets, and confessions.

The show has been produced by Micromaker and Haymaker East. Aaron Rothman, Josh Halpert and Jesse Light executive produce.

The first Bravo original microdrama, Campus Confidential: Miami, launched earlier this summer.