PASSION DISTRIBUTES DIAMONDS IN TO ITALY
21st May 2014 - Passion Distribution, the international London-based distributor, has closed a number of deals into Italy, placing over 100 hours of content into the region in the last three months.
For its feed into Italy, the pay-tv platform Sky Italia, has picked up the OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network, reality series THE DIAMOND COLLAR (10 x 30’). The show follows ex-mafia street enforcer James "Head" Giuliani who, after a life-changing encounter with a stray dog, now runs Brooklyn’s top dog grooming parlour, pampering dogs and rescuing abandoned animals. But life as Brooklyn’s best groomer and rescuer is more complicated than it ever was in the mob, from old "associates" to unpredictable rescue missions and unruly employees, James and Lena try to maintain some semblance of normalcy in their bizarre, heartfelt and hilarious life.
Mediaset has licenced a number of shows from UK-based indies including the clip show documentary WORLD’S WORST HOLIDAY HORRORS (4 x 60’) from Mentorn Media and Pioneer Productions’ shocking documentaries PREDATORS IN PARADISE (1 x 60’) and BURIED ALIVE: CHILEAN MINE DISASTER (1 x 60’). The broadcaster also picked up the rights to the high-end factual series IRON MEN (13 x 30’) from US-based The Weather Channel.
Discovery Networks similarly licenced a host of The Weather Channel titles for its feed into the region, including DEADLIEST SPACE WEATHER (7 x 30’), FORECASTING THE END (6 x 30’), SECRETS OF THE EARTH (9 x 30’) and the second season of STRANGEST WEATHER ON EARTH (Season 1: 12 x 30’, Season 2: 8 x 60’) after successfully running the first season.
National Geographic Channel Italy licenced season two of The Weather Channel’s hit gem-hunting series PROSPECTORS (Season 1: 9 x 30’, Season 2: 8 x 60’) after airing the first season. National Geographic Channel Italy also picked up a number of OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network titles, including 10 KIDS, 2 DADS (2 x 30’), COMMANDER IN HEELS (1 x 60’) and the first season of EXTREME CLUTTER (Season 1: 8 x 60’, Season 2: 6 x 60’).
Fittingly, CRIME + INVESTIGATION (Sky Italy, channel 118) finalised terms with Passion on a large package of crime shows. Mentorn Media’s series WITNESS (4 x 60’) and the global hit WHY DID OSCAR PISTORIUS KILL OUR DAUGHTER? (1 x 60’) will air on CRIME + INVESTIGATION in Italy along with True North Productions’ MURDER ON THE SOCIAL NETWORK (1 x 60’), KILLER COUPLES (4 x 60’) and BATTLE OF WILLS (8 x 30’). Concluding deals into the region, laeffe (channel 50) , the new digital free TV by Feltrinelli Publishing Group licenced Fimat36’s global food series EXPENSIVE EATS (8 x 30’) and Sundance TV’s MAN SHOPS GLOBE (Season 1: 8 x 30’, Season 2: 8 x 30’).
Lorenzo Bertolotti, Passion’s Sales Manager for the region, said “Italy has a strong and healthy appetite for quality factual content; this is evident not only in new channel launches but also in a change of direction on long existing channels that have only recently opened up their schedules to this kind of content and found it very successful. Passion is capitalising on this opportunity, expanding the range of channels we work with and strengthening our position and the visibility of our catalogue in the market.”
