Wednesday round-up: Latest news, deals & hires

Max hit The Pitt to land on TNT

Warner Bros. Discovery is taking HBO Max’s hit medical drama The Pitt to sibling cablenet TNT.

The deal for the 15-episode series, which is produced in a real-time format, comes ahead of The Pitt’s second season on the newly rebranded streamer.

The move was revealed by Warner Bros TV Group and US Networks boss, Channing Dungey, at WBD’s upfronts today. TNT has previously aired HBO Max shows including True Detective: North Country and Hacks.

The CW lands Law & Order Toronto

Nexstar’s The CW Network has picked up drama Law & Order Toronto: Criminal Intent, which debuted on Citytv in Canada last year.

The show is based on Universal Television’s Law & Order: Criminal Intent, which was created by producer Dick Wolf. The Toronto-based version follows the detective sergeants Henry Graff (Aden Young) and Frankie Bateman (Kathleen Munroe) as they investigate high-profile homicides in Canada’s largest metropolis.

It is produced by Lark Productions and Cameron Pictures Inc. in association with Universal International Studios, a division of Universal Studio Group, and Citytv, a subsidiary of Rogers Sports & Media. NBCUniversal Global TV Distribution handles sales.

The Canadian version will debut on The CW in fall 2025.

ITV’s continuing drama boss to step down

John Whiston, managing director of continuing drama at ITV in the UK and head of ITV in the North, is stepping down after 27 years with the business.

Whiston has worked in TV for more than 40 years and has most recently been overseeing ITV’s flagship soaps Coronation Street and Emmerdale. He leaves at the end of the month and will hand over the reins to Iain MacLeod and Matt Cleary.

MacLeod currently serves as an executive producer for continuing drama and has been promoted to creative director, reporting to Julian Bellamy, ITV Studios’ managing director.

Cleary will take on the role of chief operating officer for continuing drama, and will be responsible for day-to-day operations. He takes on the role alongside his position as director of production, UK scripted for ITV Studios. Read more

Netflix preps Korean scripted series

South Korean drama Lovestuck has started production for Netflix, with director Kim Jang-han (Do You Like Brahms?) and writer Mo Ji-hye (You Raise Me Up) attached.

The series follows a boxer who is seeking redemption from a former life in gang crime when he unexpectedly crosses paths with a long-lost first love who no longer remembers him. To protect her, he spins a lie that could change both their lives. It is expected to debut on Netflix in 2026.

Foxtel, WBD buy Passion projects

Foxtel in Australia and Warner Bros. Discovery are among companies to have picked up police and rescue shows from Passion Distribution.

WBD in the Netherlands, Foxtel and BBC Studios have all acquired the latest series of All New Traffic Cops, while MTV in Finland and TV4 in Sweden have picked up the show’s first six seasons. The series is produced by Mentorn Media and follows the work of local traffic enforcement officers.

Middlechild Productions’ Call The Bailiffs has also been sold globally by Passion, with RTL in the Netherlands taking season three and BBCS in Australia picking up the second run.

Fellow Middlechild show, Coastguard: Search & Rescue SOS, has been acquired by Korean pay TV firm Creo Contents, Foxtel in Australia and Sky New Zealand.

UK’s InterTalent bolsters team with senior agents pair

InterTalent in the UK has taken on a pair senior agents to strengthen its ambition to be an industry representation leader across entertainment, digital publishing, live events and brand partnerships.

Sarah Walsh and Millie Lean have joined the London-based agency with a pedigree in TV and media industry representation.

Walsh was most recently working at Dan Baldwin’s Hungry Bear Media talent arm HB Talent, where she managed the stars of the Gladiators reboot.

Lean was previously a senior talent manager at YMU and is best-known for discovering and developing viral star Francis Bourgeois, securing high-profile brand deals with Gucci, Dior and Lego, as well as a publishing deal for The Trainspotter’s Notebook. Read more