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Santa Barbara, CA - April 1, 2011
FOOTHILL LEAPS INTO MIP-TV WITH NEW REALITY PROGRAMMING AND EXPANSION OF ITS KIDS SLATE
(Cannes — 2011 April) Foothill Entertainment brings firefighters, high-flying volleyball champions and French kings to this year’s MIP-TV! Combined with exciting new development underway to several cornerstone properties, the Company is poised to expand its programming lineup in new directions.
With the addition of two new reality programming series, Foothill is taking a giant step to the expansion of its family entertainment offerings. The Company has acquired worldwide rights to a unique and exciting series On Duty (13 x 22’) that follows the thrilling day to day exploits of the brave men and women of the Santa Barbara California fire departments. With state of the art production from ME Productions, On Duty places you in the middle of the action as firefighters battle home and wildfires, rappel down cliffs for mountain rescues and administer emergency medical care, all set in the gorgeous Southern California sun. Never before has a television series given the viewer the unique “you are there” perspective that On Duty provides, while also showing a closer, more personal glimpse into the lives and personalities of firefighters. Foothill has also picked up North American rights from the same producer to On Patrol with the Santa Barbara PD (52 x 22’) which has entered its fourth season chronicling the daily efforts of the Santa Barbara police department. Reality can indeed be more exciting than fiction and these new reality series bring the Foothill family entertainment portfolio a huge excitement boost.
The Company has also been appointed to represent the hit animated sports series Spike Team (26 x 26’) throughout the English speaking world. Created by real life volleyball champion Andrea Luchetta, this stylish series is already a ratings success on Rai 2 in Italy and features unforgettable stories about camaraderie, fun and teamwork. Coached by Lucky, a volleyball coach that is definitely out of the ordinary, Spike Team is about six everyday girls who, working together, become very special. Through their volleyball adventures, the girls grow in self-awareness, resourcefulness and confidence, discovering that they each have very special qualities.
Foothill is also featuring at the market the richly detailed documentary series Kings of France (15 x 52’) a lavishly produced series detailing the history of each and every King of the French empire. Produced in high definition by DPM Productions in association with Odyssey Pictures, the series makes a high point in documentary production. Foothill has also acquired rights in a companion documentary feature Vauban: the Sun King’s Architect (1x 90’), a fascinating look at the man who was Louis the XIV’s right hand in the planning of Paris and the design of Versailles.
Continuing the strong momentum on its development slate, the Company, in conjunction with its partners at Odyssey Pictures, completed exciting, day-long creative workshops on two of its signature properties GUNK Aliens(52 x 11’) based on the best-selling HarperCollins book series of the same name and Raz & Benny (52 x 11’) from UK-based Simon Hodgkiss of SphDigital.
Working with teams of well-known creative professionals and lead by development exec Christopher Keenan of Creating4Kids, the workshop explores all aspects of a property’s back-story and design elements with a view to efficiently getting a 360-degree perspective of the creative possibilities of a series.
Raz & Benny is the ultimate buddy comedy with a healthy dose of dazzling hijinks; it is the tale of two little mice whose ambitions are bigger than their brains, but whose good luck is as endless as their friendship. Whether posing as international spies or high-speed race car drivers, Raz and Benny are always exploring and having fun. This property is aimed at the 6-11 year old audience, but can be enjoyed by the whole family. GUNK Aliens finds Jack, an ordinary kid and his friends, battling wacky aliens who are looking to colonize Earth for their own disgusting but funny purposes. Pilot script writing on the series is underway by top international scribe Ross Hastings and will be available at MIP TV! A third workshop is in the works for the Company’s live action tween series My Momtourage and Me(26 x 25’), about the daughter of the most famous pop star in the world who just wants a normal live and a normal mom!
“We are so excited to have this many good projects to talk about with people at the market!” said Foothill President, Jo Kavanagh-Payne. “After 10 solid years of growth at Foothill, it is great to see our catalogue expanding to include programmes and projects for the whole family, from pre-school to reality.”
Founded in September 2000 by former DIC Entertainment Executive Vice President of Business and Legal Affairs, Gregory Payne, and Jo Kavanagh-Payne, former Link Television Entertainment, Inc. Senior Vice President of U.S. Operations, Foothill specializes in the co-development and distribution of children’s and family entertainment programming. Their company is based in Santa Barbara, California.
Contact:
Foothill Entertainment, Inc.
Jo Kavanagh-Payne
Gregory B. Payne
Tel: +1 805 965 4488
Email: info@foothillentertainment.com
Web: www.foothillentertainment.com
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