The Program Guide's global edition highlights recent programming announcements from various networks and online video platforms around the world.
On TV
* Germany's Tele München Group is teaming up with AMC Networks Inc.'s SundanceTV LLC and Sundance Now for the limited series "The Name of the Rose," they said May 21. Set in Italy in 1327, the show follows a Franciscan monk and his novice who witness a string of mysterious murders. The series will debut in 2019 on RAI in Italy and SundanceTV (US). It will also stream on Sundance Now in the U.S. and Canada.
* Channel 5 (UK) said May 21 that it commissioned a travel series featuring Michael Palin's "unprecedented access" to North Korea. "Michael Palin in North Korea" is slated to air later this year, according to Variety.
* Network Ten in Australia said May 20 that it ordered a local adaptation of hit U.S. family entertainment series "Game of Games." The Australian edition is being produced by Time Warner Inc.'s Warner Bros. International TV Production Australia and will premiere on Network Ten and WIN Corp. Pty. Ltd.'s WIN Network later this year.
* ITV PLC said May 18 that it wants a fourth installment of "The Durrells," a drama based on Gerald Durrell's "Corfu" trilogy. The six-part season will see Keeley Hawes reprise her role as matriarch Louisa Durrell, with filming to begin later this year.
* Sky PLC and Home Box Office Inc. on May 16 revealed "The Case Against Adnan Syed," a documentary that explores the 1999 disappearance and murder of 18-year-old Baltimore County high school student Hae Min Lee and the subsequent conviction of her ex-boyfriend, Adnan Syed. The four-part series, which has been in production since 2015, will debut on Sky Atlantic in Europe and on HBO in the U.S.
* Benedict Cumberbatch will star in the tentatively titled Channel 4 (UK) political thriller "Brexit," which will explore the data-driven political campaign behind the controversial European Union membership referendum. Shooting will begin later this year, the channel said May 16.
* The British Broadcasting Corp. said May 15 that it will team up with UKTV and FremantleMedia International on an adventure series fronted by Steve Backshall. "Expedition with Steve Backshall" will follow the TV personality and his team as they attempt a number of firsts. The show's first four episodes will premiere on BBC Two in 2019, with UKTV's Dave to debut six exclusive episodes later in the year, followed by its own versions of BBC's episodes. FremantleMedia International has global distribution rights.
Online
* YouTube LLC renewed dance drama "Step Up: High Water" for a second season, Deadline reported May 22. Series regulars Naya Rivera and Faizon Love will return in the sophomore season, which will comprise 10 hour-long episodes. The show is slated to premiere on YouTube Premium in 2019.
* Apple Inc. tapped "Once Upon a Time" creators Adam Horowitz and Eddy Kitsis to become executive producers and showrunners for its upcoming reboot of Steven Spielberg's anthology series "Amazing Stories," TV Line reported May 22.
* Netflix Inc. signed an exclusive first-look deal with Danish producer Kim Magnusson to produce original feature films from the Nordic region, Variety reported May 21. The multiyear agreement will see the predominantly local-language productions released globally on the streaming platform.
* Netflix also said May 21 that it signed a deal with former U.S. President Barack Obama and his wife, Michelle, to produce films and series with the streaming service.
* Amazon.com Inc. greenlit a new original series based on the life of soccer icon Diego Maradona. The bio-series takes audiences through the Argentine's early life and career, spanning from his home country to playing in four World Cups. The untitled show will be available in more than 200 countries and territories as a global exclusive for Amazon, Variety reported May 17.
* Amazon Prime Video has given a direct-to-series order for a drama about Nazi hunters in New York City. "The Hunt" will have Jordan Peele, writer and director of "Get Out," as executive producer. The 10-episode first season will premiere globally on Prime Video, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
* U.S. streaming rights to "Bad Banks," a German TV series set in the world of international finance, has been picked up by Hulu LLC, TBI Vision reported May 16. In Europe, the show was acquired by RTL Group in Luxembourg, NPO in the Netherlands and HBO Europe for all territories in central Europe and Scandinavia. Produced by Germany's LETTERBOX FILMPRODUKTION GmbH and Luxembourg's Iris Produksjon AS with the participation of ZDF (DE) and ARTE, the thriller series is currently in pre-production for a second season.
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