Australia’s ‘Muster Dogs’ Heading To UK
Australia’s Muster Dogs are heading to the UK. The Repair Shop producer Ricochet has optioned the hit format, which has aired on Australia’s ABC for three seasons. Muster Dogs follows six animal farmers from across the country who are each given a puppy from the same litter and then face the task of training them up to be herding dogs in just one year. ABC says it has been a surprise hit. Season 1 had 2 million consolidated viewers per episode, making it the network’s highest rating factual programme on domestic catch-up of all time. The U.S. format has also been optioned by Hellcat Productions, and ABC Commercial is in format discussions with partners in Spain, France and the Nordics, it said. The last Australian dog format to make its way to the UK was Rebel Wilson-hosted Pooch Perfect but that one didn’t make it past Season 1. Damon Pattison, who was instrumental in setting up Pooch Perfect with the BBC, is now Creative Director at Ricochet. “It’s a brilliant format and I think the combination of utterly adorable puppies, the beautiful British countryside and a dose of competitive reality will make this series a sure fire hit in the UK,” he said of Muster Dogs.
BBC Buys Studiocanal’s ‘Black Forest Murders’
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The BBC has bought Studiocanal’s German thriller The Black Forest Murders. Written by Robert Hummel and Martina Mouchot, and based on the non-fiction Walter Roth book SOKO Erle, the series follows a 2016 police investigation into the mysterious murders of two young women in the south of Germany. Nina Kunzendorf leads as Barbara Kramer and Tilman Strauß is Thomas Riedle. The show is the second Studiocanal series acquired by the BBC in the past few weeks, following Thomas Vinterberg’s Families Like Ours. Sue Deeks, Head of BBC Programme Acquisition, said: “The Black Forest Murders is an authentic and compelling crime series focussing on the work of a meticulous investigative team.”
Beach House Hires Commercial Boss
Singapore’s Beach House Pictures has hired a commercial and marketing boss. In the newly-created Head of Commercial and Marketing role, veteran content strategist Benjamin Lee will establish partnerships with creative agencies, co-pitch with government agencies and provide strategic direction for communications consultancy services. Lee previously served as Director for Creative and Content Strategy at DSTNCT and Head of Content Strategy at Tribal Worldwide Singapore, where he worked with brands including McDonald’s, DBS, and Volkswagen. Fremantle-owned Beach House runs commercial offerings Beach House Labs and Space Lion Studios. Founded in 2005 by producers Donovan Chan and Jocelyn Little, it has made projects for Netflix, Prime Video and Warner Bros. Discovery. Chan and Little said: “Benjamin’s appointment represents an important evolution in our growth strategy. His unique blend of creative storytelling and commercial acumen will be instrumental as we continue to expand our branded content capabilities.”
BAFTA Film Awards Unveils 2026 Dates
The BAFTA Film Awards will take place on Sunday, 22 February 2026. The awards body said last year’s ceremony was watched by 3.4 million people on BBC One. The 2025 show was dominated by Conclave and The Brutalist, which took four wins each. Conclave won best film. BAFTA voting takes place over three rounds: longlisting, nominations, and winners, by the academy’s global voting film membership.
‘Vegesaurs’ Roam On PBS Stations
Animated pre-school series Vegesaurs will make its U.S. debut on PBS member stations via American Public Television (APT). The show comes from Cheeky Little Media in association with Australian pubcaster the ABC, France Télévisions and Studio 100 International, which also handles distribution. Key PBS stations in the likes of New York City, L.A. and San Francisco have already picked it up, with more expected to follow suit in coming weeks. The gentle comedy-action series Vegesaurs is set in a world where food-based dinosaurs roam, with the young tricarrotops Ginger leading the stories on playful adventures with her three pea-rex friends, Split, Minty and Wasabi. Epic Story Media serves as the licensing agent for the U.S. and Canada, while Epic Story Toys is the appointed global master toy partner for the brand.
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