London – FremantleMedia International (FMI) is heading to MIPCOM 2014 with a host of brand new content, adding to an already extensive catalogue of programming.

Featuring a wide variety of new and exciting titles across all genres, from high end dramas, to engaging entertainment titles, hit comedies and riveting documentaries, FMI offers a truly diverse slate to tempt buyers from across the globe.

Bob McCourt, Acting CEO, FremantleMedia International, said, “We are coming to MIPCOM 2014 with an incredible slate of programming, including some of the most talked about new titles of the year. The sheer variety of our catalogue means we can truly offer something for everyone.” 

Scripted 

• The Returned (10 x 60’) is a suspense filled drama based on the popular and International Emmy®-award winning French series. Residents of the small mountain town of Caldwell, Washington grapple with the mysterious return of their dead loved ones. With no memory of their deaths, and no awareness of the time that has passed in their absence, the Returned struggle to reintegrate into a world that has changed without them. The Returned is co-produced by A+E Studios and FremantleMedia North America in association with Haut et Court TV SAS for A+E Network.
     
• Acquitted (10 x 60’) is a high-end drama series produced by Miso Film for Norwegian broadcaster TV2. It follows the story of Aksel Borgen, a Norwegian businessman who returns to his native town 20 years after being acquitted of killing his high school sweetheart to find the past has not been forgotten. The series stars Nicolai Cleve Broch (Max Manus) as Aksel Borgen, and Lena Endre (The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo) as Eva Hansteen, the CEO of the cornerstone business. Acquitted is directed by Geir Henning Hopland (Lilyhammer) and Rune Denstad Lango (North).
    
• Blue (10 x 60’) stars Hollywood actress Julia Stiles as a young mum who works as an accountant by day and has a secret life as an escort by night. She leads two lives and must juggle constantly to keep these worlds separate. But as Blue is threatened with exposure, she becomes more desperate to shield her son from the truth, forcing her to descend deeper into a world of deception. Created by WIGS, Blue is written and directed by Rodrigo Garcia (Albert Nobbs, In Treatment), co-written by Karen Graci and exec produced by Jon Avnet (Black Swan, Risky Business).
    
• Suspects S1 (5 x 60’) and S2 (6 x 60’) is set in London and focuses on a team of three detectives and their distinctive approaches to the job of policing. Each episode tells contains a hard-hitting and contemporary crime-story – ranging from the disappearance of a solider with post traumatic stress disorder to the hunt for a serial rapist. It is a Newman Street (part of FremantleMedia UK) production for Channel 5 (UK).
   
• Lord and Master (10 x 60’) follows the crime solving adventures of the rich and charismatic, Valentijn Rixtus Bentinck. Bentinck, a charming, bullet proof gentleman, is extremely well connected. Ambitious and attractive attorney, Suze, uses him to access otherwise unobtainable information. However, Bentinck always ends up more involved in her cases than she would like, and manages to solve the crimes with the help of his aid, Leo. Lord and Master is a FourOne Media production for NED 1 (Netherlands).

 

Comedy

 

Cuckoo S2

• Cuckoo S1 (6 x 30’) and S2 (6 x 30’) is a hit British comedy from Roughcut TV. Ken and Lorna Thompson’s daughter Rachel returns from her gap year with a new husband, Cuckoo (played by Hollywood stalwart Andy Samberg) – a self-appointed spiritual ninja and every parent’s worst nightmare. Hilarity ensues as Ken and Lorna have no choice but to welcome him into their family home. In series two Cuckoo has gone missing… eventually presumed dead. Two years later and life in the Thompson family house is only just getting back to normal when the fragile equilibrium is well and truly shattered with the appearance of a handsome and mysterious young stranger (played by Taylor Lautner), who looks set to wreak as much havoc as his dearly departed father.

 

 

• Birds of a Feather (8 x 30’) follows the lives of sisters, Sharon Theodopolopodous, Tracey Stubbs, and their neighbour Dorien Green. In this classic British comedy, the trio once again embark on a journey tackling the hilarious issues that life throws at them. The series is co-produced by Retort (part of FremantleMedia UK) and QuirkyMedia Stuff.

 

• Web Therapy S4 (12 x 30’) sees Fiona (Lisa Kudrow), unhappy that everyone she knows is achieving the fame and fortune she herself has been seeking, rebrand and expand her franchise. She begins ‘treating’ an increasingly crazy set of new clients, many of whom fail to grasp that when the doctor is in, what can you do for her? Guest stars in this series include Gwyneth Paltrow, John Hamm, Matthew Perry, Meryl Streep, Meg Ryan, Courteney Cox and Steve Carell. Web Therapy is an Is or Isn’t Entertainment production for Showtime (USA).

 

• Trollied S4 (8 x 30’) sees the introduction of a host of quirky new characters to the cast of employees working at Valco, the fictional value supermarket based in the north west of England. Among them is Brian (Stephen Tompkinson), Valco’s new resident pharmacist who is somewhat of a fantasist with a chip on his shoulder about doctors, and Rose (Miriam Margolyes), a seemingly sweet old lady who is in fact a devil. Trollied is a Roughcut TV production for Sky 1 (UK).

 

Lifestyle/Factual

• Jamie’s Comfort Food (6 x 60’), a Fresh One production for Channel 4 (UK), is all about those simple, delightful guilty pleasures we all love and embraces the ritual of cooking dishes that will pick you up and raise your spirits. Filmed at Jamie’s Essex home with friends and family, the series is brimming with inspirational dishes, epic flavour combinations and some seriously clever cooking.
   
• I Am Evel Knievel (1 x 120’) is a journey of discovery into the life of the greatest daredevil who ever lived. From the producers of I Am Bruce Lee and I Am Steve McQueen, this documentary offers an in-depth look at the rise, fall and ultimate redemption of iconic daredevil, ladies’ man and American hero Robert Craig, aka “Evel” Knievel. The programme is a Network Entertainment production for Spike TV (USA).
   
• World’s Toughest Jobs (6 x 60’) follows the journeys of three young Brits who, in a desperate bid to sort out their lives and finances, leave the UK to take on real jobs. If they can hack it, they could earn some serious cash. From fishing in treacherous Arctic sea aboard a Norwegian trawler to cleaning a Canadian skyscraper, can they rise to the challenge and make it through to payday or will the shock of some seriously hard labour send them screaming back to the UK? World’s Toughest Jobs is produced by Boundless (part of FremantleMedia UK) for BBC 3 (UK).
   
• Made In Italy with Silvia Colloca (10 x 30’) is a visual feast for any armchair traveller. The series sees Silvia visit three regions of Italy, meeting locals, cooking in their kitchens and allowing viewers a peek inside the true Italian secret of la dolce vita. The series is a FremantleMedia Australia production for SBS.
   
• Lorraine Pascale: How To Be A Better Cook (6 x 30’) sees Lorraine get out of the kitchen and onto the road as she helps to inspire reluctant cooks to create memorable meals for those they care about. Packed with delicious, healthy and easy recipes, Lorraine Pascale is on a mission to give wannabe cooks the confidence they need to surprise and delight their loved ones. The series is produced by BBC Features for BBC Two.
   
• Dara and Ed’s Pan-American Highway (WT) (3 x 60’) sees friends and fellow comedians Dara O Briain and Ed Byrne embark on an epic journey to retrace the steps of three famous American adventurers from the 1940s who set out on a rugged expedition which paved the way for the building of the Pan-American highway. The series is produced by Boundless (part of FremantleMedia UK) for BBC 2 (UK).
   
• Real Crime Package: Bloodlands (6 x 60’), Your Worst Nightmare (6 x 60’), Fear Thy Neighbour (19 x 60’)
  
  • Bloodlands focuses on a fatal locale and the crime that took place there. Using evocative recreations and crackling storytelling, each episode is set in a deadly place and illustrates the brutal details of a murder case tied to this location. First person interviews and recreations on location create a real-time feeling of suspense to get the viewer’s heart racing with every beat of the story, drawing you deeper into the case.
     
  • Your Worst Nightmare unravels chilling crimes and terror that seem too fantastical to be real, recreating some of the creepiest and most harrowing crimes ever committed. The storytelling is deliberate and the visuals moody. With spine-tingling plots and cinematic styling, Your Worst Nightmare delivers true crime thrillers that will keep the viewers watching week after week.
  • Fear Thy Neighbour tells the terrifying tales of those with the misfortune to unwittingly take up residence next door to a killer. Each episode recreates the escalating tension of these real-life hellish feuds in gripping detail before reaching a horrifying and violent outcome. Fear Thy Neighbour is created and produced by Cream Productions. Executive producers are Kate Harrison and David Brady. Season 1 Producers are Sarah Zammit and Jeff Wilson. Season 2 Producers are Jeffrey Hirschfeild and Jeff Wilson.

Entertainment

• Party Down South (24 x 60’) follows the crazy adventures of eight young brazen adults – Daddy, Lil Bit, Lyle, Mattie, Tiffany, Lauren, Walt, and Murray – bought together under one roof for weeks of extreme fun and outrageous behaviour. Series one sees the group enjoy a life-changing summer in South Carolina, working, partying and bonding with one another over their common love of the South. In series two, the cast head to Athens, Georgia, reigniting old friendships and flames and making new connections along the way. Party Down South is produced by 495 Productions for US cable channel CMT.

• Jerks With Cameras (10 x 30’) is a fast-paced prank show hosted by American stand-up comedian and actor Tone Bell. The series features a team of quick-thinking comedians (the Jerks) who are sent out on the streets to mess with everyday people. It’s an all-out battle for Jerk supremacy and one thing is clear: give a Jerk a camera and all hell breaks loose. The series is originally produced by 495 Productions for MTV in the US.
• Threads (8 x 60’) is a brand new competition series from the producers of Project Runway, showcasing America’s most talented young fashion designers. Each week, three new contestants pull out their scissors, sketchbooks and skills to see who can out-design the competition and set the new standard for the future of fashion. It is a Weinstein Company and Bunim/Murray Production for Lifetime (USA).
• The X Factor UK brings the best wannabe popstars to the stage as the search for the next X Factor begins. Simon Cowell and a group of expert judges will once again pit their skills against each other as they search for that one act that has The X Factor. The X Factor is co-produced by Syco Entertainment and Thames (part of FremantleMedia UK).
• Britain’s Got Talent is an action packed, entertainment series from Thames (part of FremantleMedia UK) and Syco Entertainment. With the dream judging panel, Simon Cowell, Amanda Holden, Alesha Dixon and David Walliams, the series is set to amaze and astound as an incredible line-up of acts compete to be crowned this year’s winner.