Fremantle Execs Set Up US Indie
By Robin Parker Published: August 11, 2010 The producers behind late-night ITV1 gameshow Quizmania have teamed up with US TV veteran Syd Vinnedge to set up an LA-based indie. Chuck Thomas and Simone Thorogood, the former international heads of Participation TV at FremantleMedia, will continue to work together at new outfit Pop Monkey Productions. It will specialise in interactive participation TV formats, initially for the US market, and has already secured a development deal with ITV Studios in Los Angeles and a new game show pilot for VH1. They will be joined by FremantleMedia's former director of development Hugh Wright, who has also worked for Endemol subsidiary Brighter Pictures. Vinnedge was recently executive producer for Fremantle's US version of The Price Is Right and previously helped launch shows such as Baywatch, Family Feud and America's Top 10 as president of All-American Television, the assets of which later became part of FremantleMedia. Thomas said: "We're thrilled and excited to be in business with Syd. "As the TV business continues to get more competitive and broadcasters look for new revenue streams, we believe our dynamic brand of interactive TV formats where audiences can engage with shows via the web and their phones are finally about to come of age in the US, just as they have around the rest of the world." Thomas, a former Broadcast Hot Shot, was part of the launch team of ITV's now-defunct children's channel Carlton Kids and a presenter on Five's Milkshake!. Prior to joining Fremantle, Thomas and Thorogood set up the company 2Radicall to produce My Games Fever for the US channel MyNetwork TV. © Broadcast Magazine 2010 |