Wonderhood Bolsters Senior Team; Gino D’Acampo Female Chefs; Eureka Promotion; Netflix British Quiz; SimpelZodiak Hiring Spree – Global Briefs
‘Trump In Tweets’ Producer Wonderhood Bolsters Senior Team
Trump in Tweets producer Wonderhood Studios has bolstered its senior leadership team with the signing of The Apprentice indie Naked’s Head of Production and promotion of a Head of Factual and Head of Development. Fremantle-backed Naked’s Lianne Hickey will oversee production in the newly-created role, for the indie founded by former Channel 4 CEO David Abraham that has produced the likes of Channel 4’s Baby Surgeons: Delivering Miracles, Sky’s Devil’s Advocate: The Mostly True Story of Giovanni di Stefano and BBC Three’s Trump in Tweets. At Naked, Hickey oversaw big formats including BBC Three’s The Rap Game. “Good Heads of Production may sometimes be in unsung roles, but they are absolutely key to the success of any indie, and in Lianne we have one of the very best,” said Susie Dark, Wonderhood Managing Director. Meanwhile, Wonderhood’s Katharine Patrick has been upped to Head of Factual and Tom Garton to Head of Development.
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ITV Takes Gino D’Acampo To Celebrate Italian Female Chefs
ITV is taking presenting staple Gino D’Acampo on a “personal food odyssey” across Italy in Gino’s Italy: Like Mamma Used to Make, celebrating the women who have fed Italy and shaped the country’s cuisine through the ages. All3Media-backed producer Betty is producing the six-parter, which is one of a number of ITV shows helmed by D’Acampo including his popular Gordon, Gino and Fred series with Gordon Ramsay and Fred Sirieix. He will travel from his birthplace Torre Del Greco in Napoli, where he learnt to cook in the kitchens of his Nonna Flora and Mamma Alba, to celebrate many of the women who have introduced recipes including Pasta all Genovese and Steak Fiorentine. “My journey as a chef is all thanks to two generations of women, who without their passion for the food that they fed their families, I would not be where I am,” said D’Acampo.
‘Holey Moley’ firm Eureka Productions ups Wes Dening
Wes Dening — executive producer of ABC’s Holey Moley, Netflix’s Dating Around and HBO Max’s Finding Magic Mike — has been promoted to Global Head of Formats at U.S.-Australian firm Eureka Productions. Reporting to Co-CEOs Chris Culvenor and Paul Franklin, he’ll focus on growing Eureka’s slate of formats in the States, Australia and the global market. He has been Executive Vice President at the firm, which is also behind HBO Max’s Full Bloom and Fox’s The Real Dirty Dancing, since 2018. In February, it emerged Eureka would take on parent company Fremantle’s unscripted slate in Australia, handing it production of Australia’s Got Talent, Australian Idol and Farmer Wants a Wife” for Seven Network. Further upcoming shows includes versions of The Real Love Boat for CBS and Network Ten.
Danny Dyer And Ellie Taylor To Front Debut Netflix British Quiz ‘Cheat’
Danny Dyer and Ellie Taylor are to front Netflix’s first ever British quiz show, Cheat, in which contestants can subtly cheat in order to progress through the rounds. The show comes from Fremantle-backed Too Hot to Handle indie Talkback and will have a £50,000 ($61,000) jackpot. The Wall host Dyer and The Mash Report’s Taylor will take the reins as Netflix pushes further into new genres. Deadline revealed over the weekend that the streamer is developing live streaming capabilities, which could suit quiz shows such as Cheat.
Banijay’s SimpelZodiak In Hiring Spree
Banijay’s Dutch label SimpelZodiak, which produces Survivor, MasterChef and Hunted in the region, has signed several senior creatives. Annabelle Aaftink joins from Tuvalu Media to become Head of Development with overall responsibility for the creative team. She will work closely with Stijn Ouwehand, who, following success with titles such as Hunted spin-off Into The Wild, has been promoted to lead the management of the creative output and programme development. Also joining the label is Designer and Developer Henk Vernout, new Casting and Development Executive Jamy Lee Roy and Senior Creative Producer Vincent Sewalt. SimpelZodiak MD Justine Huffmeiher said the new hires have an “incredible drive and passion for creativity.”
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