The Program Guide's internationaledition highlights recent programming announcements from various networks and onlinevideo platforms across the globe.
On TV
* July 21 a six-part adaptation ofVictor Hugo's French historical novel LesMisérables. Screenwriter Andrew Davies will adapt the novel for the , with the same team who made"War and Peace." "Les Misérables" the series will be a BBC Studiosand Lookout Point co-production in association with Weinstein Television. will distributethe series, while Weinstein Television will distribute in the U.S. and China.
* 's will air the second season of "The Story of God with Morgan Freeman" inearly 2017, Variety reportedJuly 21. The second season will be available to audiences in 171 countries, in 45languages. The show exploresdifferent cultures and religions as it attempts to uncover the meaning of life.
* is producing four originalspecials for its "Crime + Investigation Asia" anthology series, C21Mediareported July21. "Cleansing Kalijodo" will debut July 30, "Drug Runner Lover"on Aug. 27, and "The Mafia Manager" on Sept. 24. The premiere date ofthe fourth episode, "The Cult of the Black Jesus," has not yet been confirmed.A+E Networks is a joint venture between WaltDisney Co.'s Disney-ABC Television Group and Hearst Corp.
* 's Comedy Central (US) will launch "Comedy CentralStand-up, Asia!," its first Asian original stand-up series, on Aug. 23 in HongKong. The eight-part series features a lineup of 24 comedians and is produced byComedy Central Asia in collaboration with LOL Events in Malaysia, according to aJuly 20 news release.
* 's started filming its first Chinese-language original series,"The Psychic," in Taiwan, World Screen reportedJuly 19. The series, based on the Taiwanese short film "The Busy Young Psychic,"is being jointly developed with Taiwan broadcaster Public Television Service andSingapore-based production company Infocus. "The Psychic" will have sixone-hour episodes and will debut in early 2017.
* EndemolShine Studios inked an exclusive, multiyear, television deal with Guy Ritchie andLionel Wigram's Ritchie/Wigram Productions. According to a July 13 news , the partnership will focuson developing original scripted franchises for the global TV marketplace. EndemolShine Studios is a unit of Endemol Shine North America.
Online
* July 21 that it will three new half-hour comedy pilots Aug.19, including one starring martial arts film star Jean-Claude Van Damme. "Jean-ClaudeVan Johnson" sees Van Damme play Johnson, an undercover private contractorwho is about to exit retirement after a chance encounter with a lost love. The othertwo pilots are "I Love Dick," based on a feminist novel about a couple'smarital struggles, and "The Tick," an offbeat and dark superhero tale.Amazon customers in the U.S. the U.K., Germany, Austria and Japan will be able tostream and review the pilots and help the company select its next original series.
* Amazonsaid July 20 that itwill premiere its originalkids series "The Kicks" on Aug. 26 on Prime Video across the U.S., U.K.,Germany and Austria. The show is a live-action series about a soccer player whomoves to a new school whose soccer team, The Kicks, has been on a losing streakfor the past few months. The first season of the show will be available for freeto Amazon Prime members through the Amazon Video app for TVs, as well as on AmazonFire TV, mobile devices or online.
* TheJapan Professional Football League said July 20 that it a 10-year, $2 billion broadcastagreement with the U.K.-based digital sports content and media company Perform Group.Under the agreement, all of J.League's J1, J2 and J3 division matches would be shownlive on Perform's sports streaming service DAZN starting in 2017.
* Malaysianover-the-top platform iflix securedthe exclusive rights to show the second season of the American techno-thriller series"Mr. Robot" in Southeast Asia, World Screen reportedJuly 20. New episodes of the USA(US) series will premiere Thursdays on iflix, within 24 hours of theinitial U.S. broadcast. Iflix is currently available in Malaysia, Thailand, thePhilippines and Indonesia. USA Network is a unit of Comcast Corp.'s NBCUniversalMedia LLC.
* July 18 that it inked a licensing deal with CBS Corp.'s CBS Studios International to be the exclusivepremiere home of the new "Star Trek" television series in 188 countries,excluding the U.S. and Canada. Each episode of the "Star Trek" serieswill be available globally within 24 hours of its U.S. premiere. Production of theshow begins in September, with the premiere set for January 2017. The new "StarTrek" series is produced by CBS Television Studios in partnership with Kurtzman'sSecret Hideout, Fuller's Living Dead Guy Productions, and Roddenberry Entertainment.
* Inmore Amazon news, the company will debut Japanese original series "Crayon Shin-chan:Alien vs. Shinnosuke" on its Prime Video service on Aug. 3. The new seriesfeatures famous anime character Crayon Shin-chan, and combines comedy, suspense,innovative imagery and a new animation style, according to a July 14 news releasepostedon Anime News Network. All 13 episodes will premiere exclusively for Prime membersin Japan. Prime members in the U.S., U.K. and Germany will be able to stream theseries at a later date.