The ABC comedy A Moody Christmas is to be remade for the US market.Credit:ABC

A Moody Christmas US-bound

US television is set for a Moody Christmas. The hit Australian comedy series, A Moody Christmas, is being adapted for the US and will air as a six-episode limited series "event" later this year. The US adaptation comes from CBS Television Studios and Fox Entertainment and is being steered by Bob Fisher and Rob Greenberg (Overboard) and Tad Quill (Angel From Hell). Greenberg will direct the series. The show's Australian creator/producers Trent O’Donnell and Phil Lloyd and producer Jason Burrows will also co-executive produce the US series. The series, which aired in Australia in 2012, revisits the Moody family every year at Christmas for six years; in Australia it spawned a spin-off series The Moodys.

Stan gives drama a Commons touch

The streaming platform Stan has commissioned a new drama series, The Commons, which will star Joanne Froggatt from Downton Abbey. Stan has confirmed Australian actor Damon Herriman will also star in the series. The Commons was created by Shelley Birse (The Code) and its set in the "very near future, where climate change and biotechnology intersect". The show's marketing material describes it as "part mystery, part relationship drama". The series is produced by Sony-owned Playmaker, written by Birse, Matt Ford, Michael Miller and Matt Cameron, and will be directed by Jeffrey Walker (Lambs of God, Modern Family). The series will air in 2020.

Kiya joins Play School's toy box

The ABC's flagship preschool program Play School is to introduce an Indigenous character to its iconic lineup of toys. Kiya, will be introduced during NAIDOC Week, an annual event which celebrates the history, culture and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. Kiya joins the show's mainstay toys, including Big and Little Ted, Humpty, Jemima and Meeka, who replaced original toy Hamble in 1993 in a casting twist, the aftershocks of which are still felt in the corridor's of children's TV. The ABC is also planning to launch an art-themed spin-off series, Play School Art Time, for ABC Kids and iView. The Australian series is based on the UK series of the same name, which was cancelled in 1988.

Netflix’s The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance.

GoT star joins The Dark Crystal prequel

Game of Thrones star Lena Headey has joined the cast of the Netflix prequel The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance. Based on the 1982 dark fantasy puppet film directed by Jim Henson and Frank Oz, the prequel is set decades before the events of that film and follows three Gelflings – Rian, Brea and Deet – who uncover the terrible secret behind the sinister ruling Skeksis and lead a rebellion against their authoritarian rule. Rian, Brea and Deet will be voiced by Taron Egerton, Anya Taylor-Joy and Nathalie Emmanuel. Headey will play a Gelfling named Maudra Fara. Netlix has also announced Sigourney Weaver will voice the Myth-Speaker. The 10-part series will launch in August.

SBS signs up for greater diversity

SBS has signed an agreement with Screen Queensland to produce a raft of feature films to be distributed theatrically by Madman Entertainment and aired on SBS television. The initiative will focus on "respect, inclusivity, diversity and equality [with] stories from previously under-represented groups in the industry." Post-production will be supplied by a third partner, The Post Lounge. The announcement comes as SBS launches its SBS World Movies channel on free-to-air. "We're excited about the opportunities ahead through this partnership to share more uniquely Australian stories across our network," SBS' director of TV and online content Marshall Heald said.

Steve Carrell in The Office.

The Office to head NBCU streaming plans

Hot on the heels of Disney's launch of Disney+ and Warner Media's confirmation it was developing its own streaming platform comes news that US studio NBCUniversal will do the same. NBCU confirmed it would take reruns of The Office back from Netflix in 2021 as it would become an exclusive element of the planned service. Disney has confirmed The Simpsons will become a Disney+ exclusive, and Warner Media is expected to follow suit with Friends and its own platform. The announcement not only confirms the speed with which US studios are reshaping their business to the streaming landscape, but also the value of library titles, such as The Office, to a service such as Netflix, whose media echo chamber is dominated by its more expensive "originals".

Source: Read Full Article